DAY 1 / 10 Nov (Sun): KUL – MALTA                                                                                                                     

Borneo Pilgrims – Depart to KLIA and meet main group at Check in counter.

Borneo or KL Pilgrims - Assemble at KLIA 3 hours before departure. Check in at Airport for flight to Malta.

DAY 2 / 11 Nov (Mon): MALTA                                                                                      (D)           

• Arrive Malta, proceed for immigration and customs clearance.
• Visit to St. Paul’s Grotto (Wigna Court Museum)
• Dinner, check in and overnight.

DAY 3 / 12 Nov (Tue) : SLIEMA – MARSAXLOKK – VALLETTA - SLIEMA                   (B/L/D)

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Photostop in the Three Cities: Birgu (Vittoriosa), Senglea and Cospicua & in the colorful fishing village of Marsaxlokk.
• After lunch, visit to Saint John’s Co-Cathedral and Oratory for Caravaggio painting.

CARAVAGGIO

The Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio, was born in 1571. He ranks amongst the most influential painters in the history of art. Caravaggio’s creative hallmark was the incorporation of psychological realism. Whilst in Malta, Caravaggio painted ‘The Beheading of St John the Baptist’ and ‘St Jerome Writing’, both of which are preserved at St John’s Co-Cathedral.

• Visit St Paul’s Shipwreck Church.

THE SHIPWRECK

Popular belief implies that Paul was shipwrecked in Malta in 60AD and though some academics are skeptical, based on the wind direction prevalent during his voyage from the Levant, to his execution in Rome for his Christian beliefs, Malta has been described as the most likely location.

According to the Acts of the Apostles, Paul was being taken to Rome to be tried as a political rebel, however, the ship carrying him, and another 274 people was caught in an extremely violent storm. God let him know in advance that he would be shipwrecked, but would spare the lives of all those on board, a promise that was later kept.

• Dinner and overnight.

DAY 4 / 13 Nov (Wed): SLIEMA - CIRKEWWA – MGARR GOZO – CIRKEWWA - SLIEMA                                                                                                                                              (B/L/D)

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Round trip ferry from Cirkewwa to Mgarr Gozo.
• Upon arrival Mgarr, entrance to Ggantia Temples.
• Visit the Ta Pinu Church.

Ta’ Pinu Shrine

Built long before the 1500s, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu (better known as simply the Ta’ Pinu Shrine) is an impressive Roman Catholic religious structure in Gozo, Malta. In fact, it is widely considered one of Malta’s most sacred shrines, as all as architectural masterpiece.

• After lunch, photostop at the Fortified Citadel.
• Depart to Cirkewwa.
• Dinner and overnight.

DAY 5 / 14 Nov (Thu): SLIEMA – VALLETTA – POZZALLO – TAORMINA                    (B/X/D)

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
• Depart to Pozzallo by ferry.
• Own lunch
• Transfer to Taormina.
• Visit to St. Nicholas Cathedral.

The Church of St Nicholas is a Greek Catholic church in Valletta. It was originally built to serve as a Greek Orthodox church in 1569. Following the Union of Brest in 1595-96 the Greek Catholic Church came into existence. It was in 1639 that the then parish priest decided to separate from the Orthodox church and join the Greek Catholic Church.

• Dinner at local restaurant.
• Check in and overnight.

DAY 6 / 15 Nov (Fri): TAORMINA – AGIRA - PALERMO                                                (B/X/D)

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
• Transfer to Agira.
• Own lunch.
• Proceed to Palermo.
• Dinner at local restaurant.
• Check in, dinner and overnight.

DAY 7 / 16 Nov (Sat): PALERMO – MONREALE - PALERMO                                        (B/L/D)

• After breakfast, proceed to visit Sanctuary of St. Rosalia, Mount Pellegrino.

Monte Pellegrino (AKA Mount Pellegrino) is a small mountain located next to Palermo – the capital city of Sicily in Italy. One of the main attractions a top Monte Pellegrino is Santuario di Santa Rosalia (Sanctuary of Santa Rosalia), which is an astounding church located inside a cave.

• Photo stop at Cappella Palatina, Palazzo della Zisa, Palazzo Senatorio and Piazza Bellini.
• Lunch at local restaurant.
• Transfer to Monreale.
• Entrance to Duomo Monreale.
• Transfer back to Palermo.
• Dinner and overnight.

DAY 8 / 17 Nov (Sun) : PALERMO – MESSINA – VILLA SAN GIOVANNI - BARI         (B/X/D)

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
• Transfer to Messina.
• Upon arrival, take a ferry to Villa San Giovanni.
• Proceed journey to Bari.
• Own lunch.
• Dinner, check in and overnight.

DAY 9 / 18 Nov (Mon) : BARI                                                                                          (B/L/D) 

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Visit Basilica St. Nicola and Bari Cathedral.

About the real Saint Nicholas:

One of the world’s most beloved Saints, the story of Saint Nicholas has been blurred over time to where the original saint is lost in the telling. Yet, he was a real person, who lived in the city of Mrya (modern-day Turkey) in the fourth century. He was known for his generosity to the poor, especially for giving anonymously in the middle of the night. Hence comes our legend of Santa Claus.

One of the things that makes the Basilica unique is that it hosts both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox services. The Catholic Mass is held in the main church upstairs and the Orthodox in the crypt below.

• After lunch, proceed with sightseeing of Piazza Mercantile, Piazza Ferrarese, Teatro Petruzzelli and Piazza Garibaldi.
• Free time for shopping.
• Dinner and overnight.

DAY 10 / 19 Nov (Tue) : BARI – BARLETTA – SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO                 (B/L/D) 

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
• Proceed to visit Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
• After lunch, transfer to San Giovanni Rotondo.
• Dinner, check in and overnight.

DAY 11 / 20 Nov (Wed) : SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO                                                    (B/L/D) 

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
• Visit the Padre Pio Old Church Our Lady of Grace and St. Pio Pietrelcina Church and St. Mary of Grace Church.

Padre Pio died in 1968, and when his body was exhumed in 2008, it was found to be in remarkably good condition, although it is not incorrupt. His body is now on display in the tomb inside the Church of Our Lady of Grace (Santa Maria delle Grazie).

• Lunch at local restaurant.
• Proceed to visit St. Michael Archangel Cave.
• Rosary at Padre Pio Old Church Our Lady of Grace.

DAY 12 / 21 Nov (Thu): SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO – MANOPPELLO – CASTEL ROMANO - ROME                                                                                                                                (B/X/X) 

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
• Transfer to Manoppello.
• Visit Basilica del Volto Santo di Manoppello.

The basilica of the Holy Face (Basilica del Volto Santo in Italian) is located in Manoppello, a small town in the Italian region of Abruzzo, which is situated on a hill among the mountain massifs of Gran Sasso and Maiella and the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Il Volto Santo, the sanctuary of the Holy Face is located above the town on the slope of a wooded hill. Capuchins have been the sanctuary's curators for ages. From the square in front of the church one can see the pretty Neo-Romanesque facade which was built with pink and beige stone blocks forming a geometric pattern.

• Continue to Castel Romano.
• Own lunch.
• Own dinner.
• Transfer to Rome.
• Check in and overnight.

DAY 13 / 22 Nov (Fri) : ROME                                                                                               (B) 

• Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
• Transfer to airport for flight back to Kuala Lumpur via Dubai.

DAY 14 / 23 Nov (Thu) : KUL                                               

Arrive Kuala Lumpur with beautiful memories of Malta and Italy.

                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~ End of Pilgrimage ~~~~~~~~~~~