Melaka: Southern Malaysian Charm
"Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures." Lovelle Drachman
6/9/20249 min read
Reading and researching about Melaka, one would think there wasn’t much need to stay longer than a few days in one of the oldest port towns in Malaysia. However, once entering the historic downtown and embracing the charm of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, you can easily see how you’d want to extend your stay. We stayed for five days and could have stayed longer.
Melaka is famous for its location along the seaside spice route. The Portuguese first saw the potential here for gathering and trading. They came in, and like so many other places in the West Indies, they bullied their way in to build a fort and start their trading monopoly. As other countries saw the resources of this area, they followed and fought the Portuguese for control. From the Dutch to the British, the story seems to be the same as what we saw in other places along Africa’s coast, Sri Lanka, and India. Blooming from that is what we see today, a representation of cultures coming together to form a colonial-style port town with the local Malay and Chinese influences standing out in the mix.
First, where to stay. There are lots of options from small boutique hotels and hostels to all the major hotel brands. Our choice, of course, was a Marriott. Not far from the historic area, a beautiful Courtyard Marriott opened a few months ago. Under Roger, the Director of Operations' leadership, this hotel is the perfect choice for your Melaka stay. The rooms are spacious and clean, and the staff is super friendly and helpful. Our room was a suite located on the 26th floor. It was well-equipped with all the amenities Marriott is known for. This isn’t a stateside Courtyard Marriott, so don’t be fooled. Its breakfast buffet is filled with local and western options. My favorite is the pool area. With ample outdoor seating, a spacious event area, a kiddie pool, nice lounge chairs, and cabanas, you don’t want to miss your chance at relaxing at their infinity pool. The gym is also worth noting as a good space for cardio, a few machines, and a dumbbell area. Check out the 1939 Lounge downstairs on the ground floor and tell the bartender, Calvin, we sent you. He makes a great Old Fashioned and Margarita!
Things to do and see in Melaka:
Walk around the historic old town and take in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. No need for a tour unless you want one. Starting at Red Square, get ready to take lots of pictures. These areas are best to walk in the morning before it gets too hot. You will see Christ Church, the oldest functioning Protestant Church in Malaysia, and Queen Victoria’s fountain. Walk around the corner a little further following the road and up to the top of the hill to explore the ruins of St. Paul’s Church. Originally built from 1566 to 1590, it is the oldest European building east of India. Inside you will see tombstones, and around the area you will see tombs. It is a peaceful place to visit, and when we were there in the morning, it seemed to be a spot for fitness enthusiasts.
Along the river, in the historic area, there are many IG photo opportunities. The river itself is beautiful when it is calm first thing in the morning and then comes alive with 30-minute boat tours starting every 30 minutes later in the day. I would recommend going when the sun is starting to set or after to get a feel for the nightlife.
Every Friday night, Jonker Street hosts a night market. To be honest, we were a little disappointed with this night market. The stuff being sold seemed cheap and the same throughout. We also weren’t impressed with the selection of food except for the satay and coconut ice cream. However, it is worth a stroll down Jonker Walk and adjoining streets to see the old buildings and take some photos.
Melaka’s Floating Mosque is a beautiful place to be as sunset unfolds and the lights illuminate the mosque. This is a tricky area to navigate as the apartments next to the mosque are fenced off. There seems to be no way to see it, but on Google, there is a point. Have Grab drop you off at the point located in front of a gate. There is a guard whom you will most likely need to pay, and he will allow you entry into the area. The fee is around 5RM per person. Make sure to be there before 7:30 pm, as this is a popular spot to take pictures and a crowd forms.
Bukit Cina (Chinese Hill) is the largest Chinese cemetery in the world outside of China. This area dates back to the 15th century. There is no admission, just enter and walk around. It is another peaceful area full of history and mosquitos, so make sure you are wearing repellent. From the Courtyard, it is a very short walk to enter and another great morning activity to keep you active while traveling.
As I stated before, the best way to experience Melaka Old Town is on foot. There are other activities in the city for families. There are numerous restaurants and street stalls. We found a great stall for pork satay and another right beside it for sweet potato doughnuts by just walking the areas close to the hotel. If you have had your fill of Malaysian food and want good Mexican food try Mamasita Mexican Restaurant. Make sure to check google for restaurant opening/closing times and message the restaurant if it doesn’t sound correct as we found some of the places we wanted to try said they closed by 5 pm, but in reality when we walked by them they were open. Overall, Melaka or Melacca (however you see it spelled) was a great city dripping in Southern Malaysian charm.
Reading and researching about Melaka, one would think there wasn’t much need to stay longer than a few days in one of the oldest port towns in Malaysia. However, once entering the historic downtown and embracing the charm of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, you can easily see how you’d want to extend your stay. We stayed for five days and could have stayed longer.
Melaka is famous for its location along the seaside spice route. The Portuguese first saw the potential here for gathering and trading. They came in, and like so many other places in the West Indies, they bullied their way in to build a fort and start their trading monopoly. As other countries saw the resources of this area, they followed and fought the Portuguese for control. From the Dutch to the British, the story seems to be the same as what we saw in other places along Africa’s coast, Sri Lanka, and India. Blooming from that is what we see today, a representation of cultures coming together to form a colonial-style port town with the local Malay and Chinese influences standing out in the mix.
First, where to stay. There are lots of options from small boutique hotels and hostels to all the major hotel brands. Our choice, of course, was a Marriott. Not far from the historic area, a beautiful Courtyard Marriott opened a few months ago. Under Roger, the Director of Operations' leadership, this hotel is the perfect choice for your Melaka stay. The rooms are spacious and clean, and the staff is super friendly and helpful. Our room was a suite located on the 26th floor. It was well-equipped with all the amenities Marriott is known for. This isn’t a stateside Courtyard Marriott, so don’t be fooled. Its breakfast buffet is filled with local and western options. My favorite is the pool area. With ample outdoor seating, a spacious event area, a kiddie pool, nice lounge chairs, and cabanas, you don’t want to miss your chance at relaxing at their infinity pool. The gym is also worth noting as a good space for cardio, a few machines, and a dumbbell area. Check out the 1939 Lounge downstairs on the ground floor and tell the bartender, Calvin, we sent you. He makes a great Old Fashioned and Margarita!
Things to do and see in Melaka:
Walk around the historic old town and take in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. No need for a tour unless you want one. Starting at Red Square, get ready to take lots of pictures. These areas are best to walk in the morning before it gets too hot. You will see Christ Church, the oldest functioning Protestant Church in Malaysia, and Queen Victoria’s fountain. Walk around the corner a little further following the road and up to the top of the hill to explore the ruins of St. Paul’s Church. Originally built from 1566 to 1590, it is the oldest European building east of India. Inside you will see tombstones, and around the area you will see tombs. It is a peaceful place to visit, and when we were there in the morning, it seemed to be a spot for fitness enthusiasts.
Along the river, in the historic area, there are many IG photo opportunities. The river itself is beautiful when it is calm first thing in the morning and then comes alive with 30-minute boat tours starting every 30 minutes later in the day. I would recommend going when the sun is starting to set or after to get a feel for the nightlife.
Every Friday night, Jonker Street hosts a night market. To be honest, we were a little disappointed with this night market. The stuff being sold seemed cheap and the same throughout. We also weren’t impressed with the selection of food except for the satay and coconut ice cream. However, it is worth a stroll down Jonker Walk and adjoining streets to see the old buildings and take some photos.
Melaka’s Floating Mosque is a beautiful place to be as sunset unfolds and the lights illuminate the mosque. This is a tricky area to navigate as the apartments next to the mosque are fenced off. There seems to be no way to see it, but on Google, there is a point. Have Grab drop you off at the point located in front of a gate. There is a guard whom you will most likely need to pay, and he will allow you entry into the area. The fee is around 5RM per person. Make sure to be there before 7:30 pm, as this is a popular spot to take pictures and a crowd forms.
Bukit Cina (Chinese Hill) is the largest Chinese cemetery in the world outside of China. This area dates back to the 15th century. There is no admission, just enter and walk around. It is another peaceful area full of history and mosquitos, so make sure you are wearing repellent. From the Courtyard, it is a very short walk to enter and another great morning activity to keep you active while traveling.
As I stated before, the best way to experience Melaka Old Town is on foot. There are other activities in the city for families. There are numerous restaurants and street stalls. We found a great stall for pork satay and another right beside it for sweet potato doughnuts by just walking the areas close to the hotel. If you have had your fill of Malaysian food and want good Mexican food try Mamasita Mexican Restaurant. Make sure to check google for restaurant opening/closing times and message the restaurant if it doesn’t sound correct as we found some of the places we wanted to try said they closed by 5 pm, but in reality when we walked by them they were open. Overall, Melaka or Melacca (however you see it spelled) was a great city dripping in Southern Malaysian charm.
