Our unplanned visit to Melaka
What would you do on a Thursday morning if you woke up in Kuala Lumpur and you saw nothing but haze?
Would you go back to bed and try to sleep again, blaming it to a bizarre nightmare? Or would you maybe jump on the first flight back to Europe? Surely, you would regret not buying that freaky gas mask you saw in a funky shop in Friedrichschein, in Berlin, wouldn’t you? After considering all these option, we decided to escape to Melaka.
Although we have visited Kuala Lumpur several times this year, October was a very unlucky month to pick for a city tour, because of the heavy haze, boosted by traffic.
In fact, after spending the morning in a public pool close to our hotel, with the crazy idea that swimming would calm the discomfort caused by the lack of fresh air, we suddenly remembered the words of Roberto, the manager of a hotel where we stayed a few months before in Ko Samui, who told us fabulous stories about Melaka and its beauty.
In this picture we were actually in Penang, just the day before arriving in Kuala Lumpur, but you can notice that there was no visibility all around us.
After an initial feeling of frustration, due to the fact that the haze had hit the capital too, we took it as a sign that was meant to lead us to a destination, which was not in our initial plans to visit. In fact, that specific journey to Kuala Lumpur was supposed to be a short visa trip to apply for a Thai Visa to re-enter Thailand. However, leaving the capital seemed the only reasonable solution, and we took this unforeseen circumstance as chance to visit a new place.
This is how we ended up in the world UNESCO heritage Malacca or Melaka, after a bus ride of less than two hours from KL Bus Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, in the south of the city. Here below we fully explain our journey from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka.
Our journey from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka
Once in Melaka, the arrival terminal is Sentral, and from there we took the local bus number 17 to downtown for less than 0,5$.
Our first impression of Melaka
When Singapore was still a fishing village, Melaka had already achieved worldwide fame thanks to the trade of spices from Indonesia and textiles from India. Founded in the fifteenth century under the auspices of the Malacca Sultanate and with a series of takeovers, by the Portuguese, Dutch and British and the settle of Chinese merchants, the architecture, the city plans and the heritage buildings evoke an eclectic and nostalgic atmosphere, where the East meets the West.
World Heritage Site Malacca has many historical landmarks that’s worth to visit. The most famous attractions are the salmon-pink town hall and governor’s residence, believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East, as well as Porta de Santiago.
From the bus terminal we took the bus number 17, which dropped us off in front of the Christ Church, built in the 18th century, when the Dutch took possession of the city from the Portuguese. From there, we crossed the bridge, and we walked down by the river.
We immediately felt comfortable in that cute place, reminding us of Amsterdam. Luckily, the haze was not so bad as in Kuala Lumpur, probably due to a less intense road traffic.
Where to stay
After a quick look along the river, we rented a double room at a guesthouse for 60MYR, about $14. Suddenly, the environment was so nice, that we forgot about the haze. In addition, this guesthouse was so comfortable, that we spent a lot of time observing the river from the lovely lounge, where we also enjoyed free coffee and teas.
Where to eat in Melaka
In another post, we already explained how to order a meal and the appreciated dress code in restaurants in Malaysia.
If you fancy Western food and mystery, try The Baboon House in Chinatown, a place where you have to ring the bell to get in and where they serve great burgers. If, like us, you love Indian food and naan, then try Pak Putra Tandoori and Naan in Laksmana street.
What to visit in Melaka
After a short bus ride (bus number 17) we arrived in the heart of the colonial area. Here we could visit the Dutch Christ Church, St. Paul’s Church, the Stadthuys and the Portuguese Porta de Santiago, as well as the Fort Famosa.
Then, we crossed the bridge toward the north side of the river, and we ended up in Chinatown. Undoubtedly, the most visited spots in this area are Jonker Walk (hosting a crowded and colourful night market), the temples and the Perenakan heritage buildings. Another reason why this area is very busy is due to the myriads of tourist shops, restaurants and hotels.
The mix of ancient buildings and modern graffiti make it worthy to walk by the river, instead of taking a boat. It’s a very pleasant path, and you will also find some cute bars and cafes along the way.
If you do not fancy a long walk, you may also rent a bicycle for a few dollars in any of the central streets.
Curiosities about Melaka
The modern area of the city is also where we saw most of the women dressed in the typical hijab, while in the old part, in Chinatown, local women dressed according to the Western standards.
Despite alcohol was fully available in restaurants, bars and even small shops in Chinatown, most of the restaurants along the streets in the modern area did not serve any alcohol because they are owned by Muslims.
In case you still have time at disposal and you are thinking about an easy excursion from Melaka, 14 km north of the city, you may visit Taman Mini Malaysia and mini ASEAN, a reconstruction of typical houses from Malaysia and the rest of Asia. From the local station in town, buses number 19 and 105 run to Ayer Keroh, the park area hosting the permanent exposition and its cultural shows.
Last but not least, a curiosity for GYM lovers: at the end of Jonker Walk you may find a gym with history founded by former Mr. Melaka, Mr. Malaysia, Mr. Asia, Mr. Universe and father of body building in Malaysia, Gan Boon Leong.
The entrance fee was less than $2, and they open from 8 am to 8 pm. Even though there was no air con, we enjoyed our time there, and we used plenty of the old but functional equipment.
Have you visited Melaka? Do you have anything to add to this post and to suggest to other fellow travellers?
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