Ghosts. Some of us find the mere mention of the word an utter point of ridicule, thinking the idea of ghoulish spirits floating around us to be as real as the Loch Ness Monster, and a childish ploy to stir the imagination. Well, boys and girls, this here story is not one for the non-believers - read on for a tale of wonder, and real ghost interaction with individuals who stand firm in their belief. If this excites you; Charmaine Borg may very well be your new favourite person.

Charmaine is a history buff whose interest in the supernatural led her to create Ghost Walks Malta, which delves into the ghostly concepts you’re imagining. The concept is a peculiar one, and began with an even more peculiar experience. “It all started 10 years ago, after a moving personal experience,” shares Charmaine. “I was in Valletta, leaving the capital in the evening, when I saw my grandfather through someone else, right by the church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, where he spent most of his days helping out.” This may seem like a ‘normal’ enough story; but Charmaine continues, “he passed away when I was six. We were pretty close; so this encounter shocked me to the core. Once the confusion passed, I decided to branch out from run-of-the-mill tours to develop a concept which combines mystery with history, and that is how Ghost Walks Malta unfolded.”

Her first tour took place on Halloween night, 10 years ago, and required a tremendous amount of research. Ghost tours take place all over the world, but Charmaine does not fake her scares, she focuses them on real life facts: “I will not invent a story just for the sake of it, and I do not like to do ‘fictitious’ tours, as I base my stories on the dark side of local history, which includes prehistoric mysteries, paranormal issues, cemeteries, murders, underground nooks by candlelight and more…”

Charmaine generally works by request, organising trips to different parts of the island like Mdina, the Three Cities and the Citadel in Gozo among others. And this Halloween, at 8pm tonight, Ghost Walks Malta will venture to Bormla, where a historic house set on three levels will be explored.

The house, dating back to prehistoric times, will be lit by candlelight, and owner John Vella will allow Charmaine’s guests to journey through the house from the lowest floor to the top level, possibly even resulting in a showcase of strange apparitions or other paranormal activities. “I do not give any guarantees, but in this house, things do happen, in a non-malicious way.” Charmaine explains, “particular smells, a touch… sometimes even the feeling of a warm kiss on the cheek, who knows… we believe ‘she’ has a cheeky attitude, even beyond life on earth, and makes ‘her’ presence felt in a way or another, while ‘he’, a tall butler in a hat, oversees the situation and controls the group from a more subtle position, appearing in photos, every now and then.”

With an intense degree of knowledge on the subject and a passion for sharing this knowledge; I was curious to find out about Charmaine’s personal experience in the paranormal field. She doesn't disappoint, and regales me with a rendition of her favourite local thriller… The Vampire of Valletta.

"When I heard it for the first time, I had already heard my father describe his personal experience with this creature over bedtime stories, expressing his fear and how he escaped from this man’s deep voice, on a cold, rainy night in Bormla… and he was also seen in Valletta, just a few doors up from where my mother used to live!”

If Charmaine's ghost tours sound like your kind of Halloween treat, you’d best book your space for this or future tours via Charmaine’s Facebook Page, or by sending an email to Birmula Heritage on [email protected].

Charmaine Borg