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best-melaka-travel1

Melaka touches me with its mixture of culture where you can find traces of countries from the east (China and Japan) and west (Portugal, Spain and England). When I had a chance to travel to Melaka for a period of 3 days and 2 nights, I realized if I want to experience this place to the fullest, I had to make a good travel plan.

Ok, the first thing I need to do is to get an hotel at the center of Melaka City. I decided to choose the only 4-star heritage RC Hotel for its prime location along Melaka river. The room comfort, vintage decor, stunning river view and customized service is what makes it one of the best luxurious hotels in the heritage area.




The room rate during low seasons starts from RM268++. You may check the actual pricing and make the booking at Agoda’s RC Hotel page.

Since my plan is to make good use of my time on the second day, I decided to explore Melaka by foot for one whole day, but not just going chaotically from one place to another. So I made a detailed itinerary that guided me through the best of Melaka! The result is I visited them one by one and managed to cover all in just one day, from 9.10am to 10pm! It was a crazy day that filled my head with unforgettable and important details and information, but it was worth it!

Included in my list is 12 attractions and 3 eating places to be covered. Base on my research about Melaka, I made a travel plan consisting of the most important destinations.

The following is the summary of what I had visited and the actual timeline. It was a long fruitful day for me. I hope you’ll get some inspirations from reading my experience when you plan your next Melaka holiday.

Cheng Ho Cultural Museum

Menara Taming Sari

Flora de la Mar Maritime Museum

St. Paul’s Hill

Stadthuys

Christ Church

Red Square

Queen Victoria’s Fountain

Chung Wah Chicken Rice Balls

No. 8 Heeren Street Heritage Centre

Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum

Jonker 88

San Shu Gong

The Baboon House

Jonker Street (Closed for vehicle traffic)

I had a wonderful sleep. Took my breakfast and started my expedition with my precious camera. My first destination is an award-winning museum called Cheng Ho Cultural Museum. It is about 100m from where I stayed.Without Cheng Ho (or Zheng He 郑和), Melaka would not be what it is like today so the understanding of this great man is a good way to start my first attraction of the day.Ticket, movie, a guide and 45 minutes were everything I needed to enjoy and understand the development of diplomatic relations between China and Melaka. The museum showcase Cheng Ho’s intelligence and incredible grasp of international relations. This very well put-together museum in an original and very large house made me understand why many of his soldiers and bodyguards married to locals. They eventually formed the Straits Chinese (Baba Nonya) community. Once again, this place is not to be missed, especially if you are a fan of history.

Learn about the man, Cheng Ho who visited Melaka 5 times during his 7 voyages.


My next destination, Menara Taming Sari is 700m away from Cheng Ho museum and took me 7 mins walk to reach. I bought a ticket, rented binoculars and couldn’t wait to have a bird’s eye view of Melaka. In the waiting area my excitement continue to rise. The sun shone brightly on the east side of the buildings; the weather was exceptionally clear and fine that I could even see the Sumatera Island when the revolving gyro reached the top. Many other major attractions around the city are all so near to each other. I really enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Melaka City!

Most of the famous attractions are situated around Jonker Street. So I took a slow scroll to get there. On the way, I visited my third destination – Flora de la Mar Maritime Museum. This is a replica of a Portuguese ship that sank off the coast of Melaka. This impressive museum is a restored Portuguese ship. I bought a ticket of RM5 and started to count stairs. Quite a bit of stairs to negotiate so be prepared for that. I felt as though I was on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean. This is the museum that will tell you everything about the trading history of Melaka. It made for an educational visit. I could easily spent 1-2 hours there, but I had other attactions to discover.


Next in my must-go list was St. Paul’s Hill or Bukit St. Paul. About 500m from the maritime museum, there are quite a number of other museums along Jalan Kota. I picked a few and took pictures from the outside, just to have more authentic architectural photos.

Stamp Museum

UMNO Museum

Islamic Museum

Built in 1521, St. Paul Church was once a fort defense structure. St. Paul’s Hill was an important place on my plan because both the Portuguese and Dutch left their mark there. Stairs are a challenge and entrance is free. St. Paul’s Church is located on top of the hills that is partly preserved due to the war destruction. The Portugese tombstone inscription gives an insight to the history but it would be good if there is a guide to tell the story. There are great views of the city from the top and some interesting history billboard found on the way up and near the base of the hill. All in all I am happy because I managed to visit the highest travel point in Melaka.


It was 12 noon and I decided to go further to my next four destinations: Stadthuys, Christ Church, Red Square and Queen Victoria’s Fountain. All these attractions are located next to each other and are free of charge. I managed to explore them between 12:15am and 1:10pm.Stadthuys is also known as the Museum of History and Ethnography. It is the oldest Dutch colonial building in Southeast Asia. Strategically located at the center of Melaka, you you won’t skip this place if you travel to Melaka. It was a pity that there were restoration nettings covering the building. It must be quite charming when it is clean and not under construction. Besides its Dutch red exterior old style buildings there are traditional costumes, handicraft and souvenir shops around that you can do some shopping here.


Completed in 1753. the bricks used to build the church were specially shipped in from Holland. I was pretty impressed with the church itself. Unfortunately, the surrounding building was under construction so I couldn’t get a clear shot of the church. Despite the fact that Christ Church must be the most photographed item in Melaka it is forbidden to take photos inside. I wanted to make a few photos, but the cool and peaceful atmosphere stopped me. I am not a religious guy, but as soon as I entered this building I felt very good. It was the same emotion like when I held my son in my arms for the first time! It is an amazing and free place to visit! I gave nothing and received a lot!


On the way to Queen Victoria’s Fountain I took a lot of photos at the Red Square, also known as Dutch Square. It dated from the 17th century and reflects the history of Melaka from Dutch colonization till today. This place amazed me with its tourist density! The name says it all – yes, it’s red and always full of market stalls to check out and an amazing place to find out history of Melaka. Of course you can take photos ad-infinitum like I did – there are spectacular sights, colors, buildings, people, market stalls and those colorful trishaws. This place is really a throwback to the glory days of the Dutch empire.


You can’t miss the Queen Victoria’s fountain as it’s situated in the middle of Dutch Square. Built in 1904 by the Melaka people in memory of Queen Victoria Regina, it has been very well preserved and provides a good photo opportunity. The Britain commemorative tribute is also impressive. I have a childish tradition: every time I see a fountain I must make a wish and drop a coin in the water. This time wasn’t an exception. I made a wish and hope it will come true!


Time is ticking away and it was already 1:15pm. My stomach sent me a message, it was hungry! I made a short walk to the other side of the river and queued up for lunch at Chung Wah Chicken Rice Balls. This place is always busy and you’ll have to wait a bit until you get a table. The queue was long, about 30-40 pax and I waited around 30 minutes.I asked for a half steamed Hainanese-style chicken with rice balls and was amazed with the extraordinary taste of rice balls in which the rice was cooked with chicken broth. Of course I had to mixed the chicken with chili sauce. The taste is simply marvelous! The chicken is the tougher kampong chicken unlike the ones with softer texture I had a week ago in Singapore. It was the best chicken rice I’ve ever had so far comparing with the ones I did in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and also Penang. Tender and juicy chicken goes perfectly with flavorful rice balls. Yummy!Chung Wah Chicken Rice Ball’s business hours are between 7.30am and 3.00pm.

Talking about food, Melaka has some of the best in Malaysia. The editor of this website has done a good job introducing the top food you must try in Melaka. My 1-day holiday could only touch on a few but I am sure I’ll be back again just for the food!!

Leaving with a full stomach, my next destination is No. 8 Heeren Street Heritage Centre which is about 500m away. I took a nice walk along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, until I found number 8 at around 2:45pm. From the outside it is easy to miss this place. Nothing much to see in the house but the interesting stories told is what worth the visit. The house is opened between 10am and 4pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays.There is no entrance fee but the staff is extremely friendly and welcoming to share their story. One of them, Mr. Goh, sat with me in the courtyard and he told me stories about the history of Melaka and the style of building they’re trying to preserve. It’s definitely worth a stop and there’s a donation jar in front to help these sweet people with their passion.

My watch showed 3.35pm and I followed the same route back until I reached Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum.Prepare to spend an hour at this place – you certainly can’t rush through your visit of this fascinating museum. I brought a RM20 adult ticket and was waiting a little bit before the guide started the tour. The guided tour normally takes about 30-45 mins to complete. But since I am very keen on the Baba-Nyonya culture, I ask a lot of questions and it is good that the tour guide is happy to share his knowledge.The tour was very insightful and informative. This is a living museum which pays tribute to the “Straits Chinese”, or Baba Nonya and the luxurious lifestyle they used to be leading through the jewelries and furniture display. It gave me a peek into peranakan living in the early days. The house is fascinating just to look at and the stories told make it much more interesting. It is such an enriching experience that it is worth the money.

Unlike Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum located at the front end of the road, photo shooting is permitted inside the Straits Chinese Jewelry Museum.


My head was spinning after I was bombarded with so much information so I decided to take a break in Jonker 88 for the famous cendol dessert.Again a very long queue was between me and my dessert! This was quite an experience for me! I stayed in line and waited for my turn to order Cendol. Then I carried the plastic tray with my dessert and walked through the crowded coffee shop trying to find an empty table. Oh, that was a delicious Cendol! Not too sweet, but rich and tasty with fine shaved ice, coconut milk and Gula Malacca.The decor of this restaurant is attractive with a lot to view on walls and surroundings. The indoor seats were fully occupied by people having their meals, so some guys ordered and sat at the park beside to enjoy it. After that they just went back to return the bowls. It shows how good the food is!

This restaurant also sells good nyonya food but it is the cendol that steals the limelight.


How can a trip be complete without shopping for local food stuff? Instead of shopping for souvenir, I chose to take a 5-minute walk to San Shu Gong shopping centre, located right at the mouth of Jonker Street. The shop sells a wide range of local delicacies such as dodol, durian cendol, cream puffs and much much more.Shopping for food stuff was one of the most memorable moment of my day! Staff was polite and friendly. There are over a hundred local delicacies and they offered many free samples for tasting and I just cannot walk away without buying anything. My friend visited this place and he filled up two baskets within minutes – prawn, crab, seaweed sesame crackers, cuttlefish crackers, dried and sweet cuttlefish, dried mangoes, wolf herring crackers, pickled cuttlefish, Gula Malacca, satay fish and white coffee. All these were fantastic gifts to bring home for friends.


The sky began to turn dark and after all the walking and shopping, I need to replenish my energy with a big meal. I walked a few minutes and reached my dinner destination: The Baboon House. I wasn’t in a hurry. Stayed there between 6:10pm and 7:30pm.This restaurant is a real gem! Its decor is like a polished garden. Some part of it looks like forest. the building structure is unmodified and remains the same Baba-Nonya old building, the environment is so relaxing with soft music. They (pretty much) only serve burgers, but these are among the best I’ve ever had on this planet! I had the pork and beef burger, it was so juicy and delicious! Food is homemade and reasonably priced. The staff is very friendly and attentive and the whole atmosphere is just wonderfully relaxing. Don’t miss the full-of-green lush back courtyard. Dubbed the best burger available in Melaka, they are well deserved it.The only drawback was that I was told not to take photos even if I was a customer.

Overall, it is a good place to spend your afternoon to chill out with friends or stay alone reading book. I swear I could have spent my whole day here if I had the luxury to travel for more days.

When I stepped out of the restaurant, I can feel the crowd building up at the other side of the street. I had done my research so I know what’s happening. The whole 500-meter Jonker Street was closed for traffic and stalls appeared selling fingerfood, local delicacies and interesting souvenirs. Although it caters to tourists, it retains its old charm in the midst of Melaka. You need to bargain, but most sellers are polite and will give you a good price.It is so vibrant at night and people are rushing in for many reasons. For me, it had been a long walk so I just picked a bar, sit down, relax and experience the hustle bustle of this street.I believe Jonker Street is easily the most popular place in the city of Melaka. All the best attractions and restaurants I visited today are within walking distant from the street. Find Jonker Street on the map and you’ll see the strategic location and it should be at the top of your “to-be-visited” list.

Lots of energy and excitement when Jonker Street was closed for traffic on certain hours from Friday to Sunday. This is my highlight of the day!


If you are a traveller and have only one day in a place, you got to pick the best to explore. The fruitful day I had in Melaka was my first such experience and it inspired me to go further! Right now I am working on my next city to explore in only one day, and truly to say I am very excited!

Melaka impressed me with everything! I managed to discover its past, its culture, its provenience and origins. I had a chance to speak with locals when I queued up for lunch, I had the pleasure to discuss with guides and asked them everything I didn’t know, I had the honor to debate with other tourists and, finally, I had the opportunity to travel to Melaka! Don’t hesitate and visit this wonderful city, it is worth your every second and penny!

How do you spend your day in Melaka? Feel free to share your travel experience by leaving your comment below.


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19 Responses to Best of Melaka Travel in 1-day walking

  1. Jyinx Wong says:

    thanks for sharing your 1 day trip in Melaka =) is a very good refer for us to have a tour around Melaka. Although I am Malaysian, I don’t even know are these places is walking distance?? but I went there before. I am planning to go with my best friend but we both can’t drive around yet due to no lincense and still learning. Anyway, thanks for sharing =D

  2. penny pang says:

    How do I go to Melaka?By Bus Or By train?

    • Go Admin says:

      There is no train transport to Melaka. The only public transport is via bus at the moment.

  3. Corrina says:

    Great! Just need it bringing my family for a day trip. Thanks

  4. Kyvernny says:

    Do you know where to park the car if I’m driving over to Malacca? Fyi, one day trip and walking distance to all the places. 😉 thank you.

    • Go Admin says:

      There are parking spaces by the roadside of some of the main roads but you need to purchase coupon. You may also park inside the shopping center and the nearest ones to the heritage area are the Mahkota and Dataran Pahlawan Shopping Mall, which are about 400 meters away from Menara Taming Sari.

  5. Lem says:

    Dude, thanks for sharing this. I just wish the Malacca Zoo (among other things) was within range. Still, since St Paul’s Church is my main agenda, this is good. Thanks a lot, man.

  6. Wendy says:

    Thanks for sharing. Very details with nice picture.

  7. Carla says:

    Looks like a very rewarding trip! Can’t wait to see Malacca.

    If I’ll be coming from KL and going back the same day, do you think there is enough time to do the activities you’ve mentioned. Also, would you know bus schedule from KL to Malacca and then back to KL.

    Thanks!

    • Go Admin says:

      You may go to http://www.easybook.com/ to find out the bus schedule from KL to Melaka. The earliest bus to Melaka is 8am while the last bus is 11pm. The drive takes about 2+ hours so you should be able to arrive Melaka bus station before 10:30am if you take the 8am bus. It is definitely possible for you to cover all the attractions and restaurants covered in this article but you have to keep your eye on the closing time of some of the attractions. I suggest you to take the Menara Taming Sari ride at night if you leave Melaka after 10pm.

      • Carla says:

        Thanks!

  8. bzmama says:

    thank you very much for such a valuable info. I am planning for a day trip to Melaka this 1 jan 2015. and I only have half a day, since I will only be arriving Melaka around 11am. but I have till midnight

    this has been very helpful.

    Thank you again

  9. Deus says:

    Malacca Sultanate Palace is another attraction that you shouldn’t miss! It’s just another 2 mins walking from St Paul, and the fees is only RM 2, quite a lot to discover in there.

  10. priekum says:

    can’t wait to see Melaka…. I’ll be there on July….

  11. Karissa says:

    Hi!! it was great stumbling upon your page! I’ll be in Melaka mid-year (I know Its too early for research but I love DIYs!) and your Melaka Day trip Itinerary really helps A LOT! Thanks!! :-)

  12. Lan Chi says:

    Thank you very much for sharing your experience. We will travel to Melaka at the end of this month and we are so excited about the trip now. We also stay at Wayfarer guest house :). Do you know by chance where should we book the bus ticket from Melaka to Kualar Lumpur airport? As i research there are total 11 schedules per day travelling from Melaka to KLIA/KLIA2, with 7 schedules departing from Melaka Sentral and 4 remaining schedules departing from Mahkota Medical Centre. Should we better start from Melaka Sentral or Mahkota Medical Centre? Many thanks for the advice.

    • Go Admin says:

      Whether to depart from Melaka Sentral or Mahkota Medical Centre depends on your schedule and where you stay. Since you stay at the heritage site, it is best to depart from Mahkota Medical Centre as Wayfarer is within 1km away compared to a few kilometers from Melaka Sentral.

  13. Juni says:

    Hi ….

    Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. It really helps and so many places to see in a day … I’m planning to visit Melaka on July and thinking to take bus from Terminal bersepadu selatan (KL) to Terminal Melaka Sentral . But how do I go to the heritage site from there ? is there any bus can take me to the heritage site or should I rent a car ? Many thanks for the advice in advance …

    • Go Admin says:

      At Melaka Sentral, you may get a taxi to the heritage site that costs about RM20. Alternatively, you can get a bus named Panorama and pay a small fee of RM2.

      There isn’t a need to rent a car if you are exploring just the heritage site.

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There are plenty of tourist attractions in Malacca and the fact that the city is a UNESCO heritage site, every street and corner became an attraction for visitors. People that have visited Malacca would tell you why it is one of the best places to visit in South East Asia. Whether you want to go for fun, foodie venture, historical tour or natural beauty, Malacca is one of the best stations in Malaysia.

Best 10 Malacca Tourist Attractions

There are plenty of Malacca attractions for tourist to visit see. We have compiled list of the best 10 Malacca tourist attractions, which should not be miss.

1. Melaka Wonderland Theme Park

For fun lovers, Melaka Wonderland Theme Park is the best Malacca tourist attraction. You would find one of the best theme park of Asia in here. It is located in the area of Ayer Keroh. You would not feel any less entertained than any of other theme parks. The clean blue water in the ponds and pools will wash away your worries and you would never regret putting Melaka Wonderland on the top of your list. Slide, twirl, jump and get thrilled in Melaka and be a cheery child again!

Read more about Melaka Wonderland Theme Park

2. The Stadthuys

When back from Malaysia, you will surely like to tell your buddies that you actually visited a seventeenth century building; The Stadthuys in Melaka. It is one of the Malacca tourist attractions for history lovers while not the only one. It is said that it is the oldest structure of Dutch architecture that survived in Melaka. The colonial time structure lives in the shape of gigantic walls, wide windows and heavy doors. The reddish brown, wooden-iron structure is the place to visit if you want to see oldest Malacca buildings.

Among all Malacca tourist attractions, this one should not be missed. The picture of The Stadthuys can be seen in plenty of postcards in Melaka as well.

Read more about Stadthuys Melaka

3. A Famosa Fort

Can’t tell if your picture with A Famosa Fort where a cannon on your right will be most liked or the one with the cannon on your left. But the A Famosa Fort trip is going to be fun and your buddies will love to comment on your pictures at A Famosa Fort. Reason? The fort got history, sight, location and architecture. It is sixteenth century building that survived only enough to tell you where the fort stood. A Famosa Fort reminds of the Portuguese rule in the country. The only thing the fort misses till today is; A picture with you.

Read more about A Famosa Fort

4. Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum

Probably among the first Chinese to enter Malacca, and introduced a culture that will mix with Malay’s to give birth to a unique and celebrated culture of Chinese-Malays or the Baba Nyonya. The Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum is one of the finest depiction of culture of the Chinese Malay people. You would love to see the art, architecture, furniture, style and bridal rooms of the culture that are still saved in the museum.

Read more about Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum

5. Melaka Zoo

I love the way my Chinese friend calls it an animal garden. The Malacca Zoo offers same species of animals you would not find anywhere else in the world. There are no two headed dogs or four headed snakes. What makes Melaka Zoo Ayer Keroh specialty is to offer an environment where animal moves freely and yet providing safe environment to the visitors as well. Seriously, I don’t like talking to animals with them behind the bars. Animals are no prisoners! You would love the stalls in the zoo too and will certainly appreciate a guided tour.

For animal lovers, Melaka Zoo is a must visit tourist attractions in Malacca.

Read more about Melaka Zoo

6. Bukit China

The China Hill in Melaka is home to a number of graves of Chinese ancestors in Malaysia. At first sight, you won’t believe that it is a graveyard. The reason is that the greaves are spread at an area and the graves are not simply pile of rocks. They hold memorials of the ancestors. There are around 12,500 graves. People jog here since the scenery is good and the area is green and fresh.

7. Butterfly Reptile Sanctuary

Malacca Butterfly Reptile Sanctuary is a serious endeavor. You will find here the cutest parrots, the most colorful big size butterflies and the haunting thick snakes. The sanctuary also called Taman Rama Rama, offers you view of the best crocodiles in the town! A Must visit if you doubt it and again a must visit Malacca attractions if you believe it.

8. Jonker Walk

If you have been to Malacca before then you probably took a walk in the famous Jonker Street once or twice. You also bought something from the street or ate from one of the local restaurants. The street is so popular among the tourists that the local authorities have made an attraction by the name of Jonker Walk. If you are visiting Malacca then you should experience Jonker Walk in the famous Jonker Street.

The street became live mostly past sunset and that’s the best time to visit this local attraction. There are plenty of stalls on both side of the street selling various stuff. You will find a lot of souvenirs as well and the local food.

Read more about Jonker Walk Melaka

9. Menara Taming Sari

One hundred and ten (110) meters tall tower, the Menara Taming Sari Melaka is a great Malacca tourist attractions for those that love to see how the city looks at a glance. The Tower offers a 360 degree view allowing you to see different places, their locations and distances. Operational since 2008, the tower is visited by most of tourists at night because the city turns into a very mystical place at night as seen from above.

Read more about Menara Taming Sari

10. Maritime Museum Melaka

You would find another Melaka attraction a little ahead of the Stadthuys. It is the Maritime Museum that offers you model of ship that does not belong to this century. You have probably seen such ships in movies but here you will come to know that this model is Portuguese and the ship is replica of ship that sank in the coast of Malacca. This model is 34 meters high and 8 meters wide. The Museum preserves the history of Malacca, particularly its maritime history.

Read more about Maritime Museum Melaka

Please let us know what do you think of best 10 Malacca tourist attractions list. Share your experience by adding comments below.

Photo Credit: Phalinn Ooi

Malacca Malaysia heritage did not remain unnoticed by the appreciating eyes of UNESCO. In 2008, Malacca was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site along with Georgetown Penang. There are plenty of heritage sites, ruins of fort, colonial buildings, temples, churches and old architecture that can be found in Malacca.

History of Malacca Malaysia

Malacca Malaysia was not historically connected to other countries through traded networks alone. In late 1500, there was a huge interest of Chinese emperor in Melaka due to it’s strategical location for trading. The Chinese migrated to Malacca and their inter-marriages with the local Malay people start a new generation known as “Baba Nyona”.

In 1511, Malacca was conquered by Portugese followed by Dutch in 1641. In 1795, Malacca was handed over to British India Company. Later in 1826 it came under British administration and in 1827 it became a British colony. In 1956, Tunku Abdul Rahman became first prime minister of Malaysia and in 1957, Federation of Malay was formed.

Malacca Malaysia was built several times and destroyed too. All the rulers have left their footprints in the area which add to the beauty of Malacca. What could not be destroyed was its pure air and walkable land. There is much more to see in Malacca besides the water and parks. The tourists are excited to see the Dutch Square and miles of area.

Cultural Hub

Melaka is culturally similar to Malaysian island Georgetown, on Penang. Thus the two share UNESCO World Heritage status. Melaka touches shipping routes that connects Indian Ocean with the Far East. Malacca experiences monsoonal winds and thus the weather is very pleasant during monsoon season. Historically, visitors came to Malacca from India, Arab, China and Iran for trade purposes. It was a hub of traders for exchanging silk, spices and dyes. Every trader and every nation that came to Melaka added some value in it that enhances its grace till today.

Heritage Sites


You will find many historical buildings while roaming in Malacca like Churches, Ruins of Forts, Palaces, Temples and Graveyards. The Melaka administration has remarkably saved its heritage and apart from destroyed centuries old forts, the Dutch, Chinese, Malay and Muslim buildings are nicely preserved.

The Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum is one such site that offers an insight to the lifestyle, dressing and rituals of the old Chinese Malay people. The Heeren heritage house was a warehouse that today serves as a guesthouse. The Sultanate Palace Malacca is another heritage currently being used as a museum.

There are many other heritage sites which attract tourists including Christ Church Melaka, St. Paul’s Hill, the Stadthuys, A Famosa Fort, St. John Fort, Cheng Hong Ten Temple, St Peter’s Church, Maritime Museum others.

It is also recommended to do one of the activities for the heritage exploration in Melaka:

  • Explore central Malacca on foot
  • Take a trishaw ride
  • Take a Melaka river cruise ride

Read More: Top 10 historical places to visit in Melaka

Popular food in Melaka

Tourists seldom forget what they ate while travelling. You will also collect some great memories of Malay, Chinese and Nyonya food from Melaka. The popular food of Melaka includes Chicken rice balls, Satays, Cellups (local deserts), Coconut shakes, Noodles, Soups and Fried Fish. Melaka people love their half cooked seafood dishes dipped in Satays. The one-bite puffs are great and fabulously fresh confectionery food item of Melaka.

Night life in Malacca

Walking in the street markets of Melaka is best night time activity. You would love the walk in Jonker Street and Jonker walk where you can shop around on the stalls selling things from artifacts to food, clothing and jewelry. This is one of the best places to buy a gift for your family and friends as well.


Photo Credit: Symphonex

Straits of Malacca is a funnel-shaped narrow waterway of 800 km long that connects the South China Sea and Andaman Sea. The Strait of Malacca is running between Peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand and Sumatra (Indonesia). The name of the strait came from Malacca Sultanate that ruled the group of islands between 1400 and 1511. The port of Malacca played an important role in trade during 16th and 17th centuries.

The depth of water in the southern side of the street does not exceed 120 feet. Usually, the depth of water is around 90 feet. However, the depth of the water deepens gradually towards the northwestern side and reaches the depth of about 650 feet because the strait join with Andaman Basin.

History of Straits of Malacca

Malacca was an important city situated along the Strait of Malacca during past centuries. Malacca was the major trading port, where sailing vessels loaded with spices from all parts of the world used to come to the harbor. The port was also popular for trading various things such as silk, porcelain, textiles, camphor, sandalwood, mace, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, tin, and gold from various parts of the world. Malacca used to be the safe place as the wind was blowing always towards the right position, so that the sailors can reach the shore safely.

During the 7th century, the Srivijaya Empire based in Sumatra came into power and the empire expanded its power to Java and Malay Peninsula. The Srivijaya Empire gained control in the Strait of Malacca, Sunda Strait and Southeast Asia. The Srivijaya Empire gained military and economic domination along the Strait of Malacca for around 700 years.


Srivijaya enjoyed great benefits through spice trade between Indian, Arab and Chinese merchants. Straits of Malacca helped to establish a sea route for trade between China and India. It continued in later centuries also even after the Malacca Sultanate came into power during the 15th century.

Malacca had faced several conquerors such as English, Dutch, Portuguese, and Chinese during the past centuries. The city of Malacca became prominent for everyone who wanted to rule the Straits of Malacca as the Strait was an important route for spice trading. Hence, Malacca faced so many conquerors from 1400, so that they can reap economic benefits through spice trading.

In the year 1511, Portuguese under the leadership of Alfonso de Albuquerque conquered Malacca. However, the Portuguese could not retain the prosperity of Malacca because of the wars, competition and restrictive policies. They ruled Malacca till the year 1641 because the Dutch East India Company conquered the fort “A Famosa” built by the Portuguese during their reign.

After conquering Malacca, the Dutch rebuilt the fort and also built new buildings. Even though the Dutch constructed new buildings, the trade in Malacca declined during their regime. The Dutch conquered Malacca to eliminate the competitors and ensure safe trade in the spice-route. When the Netherlands was conquered by French in 1795, Malacca was given to the British in order to elude French from conquering the city.

In 1808, the British returned Malacca to Dutch, but the city was soon handed over to the British East India Company again. English East India Company ruled the city since 1826. In 1957, anti-colonial protest culminated and independence was proclaimed by the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, His Highness Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.


Importance of Straits of Malacca

Strait of Malacca is one of the important shipping channels of the world even now. Strait of Malacca became the shortest sea channel between Persian Gulf traders and Asian traders. Oil containers from the Middle East is transported to the Pacific Rim, South Korea, Japan, and China through the Strait of Malacca. It is the main oil transport checkpoint in Asia as 35% of the all oil containers are passing through the Strait of Malacca. Approximately around 15.2 million barrels of oil are transported through this waterway. Around 90% of the oil transportation consists of crude oil transportation and rest constitutes petroleum products. Every year, more than 60,000 ships pass through the Strait of Malacca.