Magical Melaka (aka Melacca) Malaysia

The port city of Melaka is the capital of Melaka state. Previously, it was a quiet fishing village until 1398, when the Hindu prince Parameswara set up his new headquarters there. Melaka soon thrived as a trading port, attracting merchants from China, India, and all over the East. Muslim traders became abundant when Sultan Mudzaffar Shah made Islam the state religion in the mid 1400s.

The Portuguese, led by Alfonso de Albuquerque took Melaka in 1511, and missionaries soon arrived to implant Catholicism. In 1641, the Dutch took over Melaka and ruled before the British gained ownership in 1824.

With such a history, it is easy to comprehend how Melaka is truly a multicultural city!

This culturally-rich city showcases its diverse history everywhere you look.

When wandering about the city, one easily passes by myriad places of worship, such as Buddhist temples, Indian temples, and Islamic mosques. If you're looking for a bite to eat, you can choose from Portuguese, Indian, Nyonya, and many others cuisines. I advise you to sample everything, especially if you enjoy very spicy food! Food using coconut milk is also very prominent.

Walk around and soak in the atmosphere!

Quick Tips:

Melaka is HOT! Do not be fooled by its proximity to the water. There are no cool sea breezes here! My Malaysian friends have all informed me that Melaka is known for its heat, which I have experienced firsthand! Be certain to keep hydrated, and use a umbrella for shade if necessary. It was easily 95°C on the day I visited, with strong sunshine throughout the day.

Due to its proximity to Indonesia, do not be surprised if you receive messages on your mobile phone welcoming you to Indonesia! Don't worry--you're not on the wrong island :)

Motorcycles and scooters frequently whiz by on the streets. Be careful when crossing the streets.

Best Way To Get Around:

This compact city is easily explored on foot. This relaxing method allows you to go at your own pace whilst soaking in the history and culture. However, due to the hot weather and relentless sun, one can easily become fatigued.

An alternative would be to opt to pay for a trishaw ride. These gaily painted bicycle rickshaws, with their copious flowers and noisy bike horns, will most likely be a novel experience. It seems that these bicycle rickshaws are often driven by elderly people, so it may be good deed to give them some business.

Tan's Nyonya Food is a gem of a restaurant tucked away in the middle of Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, across from a parking lot. The restaurant is located on the second floor, up a flight of stairs. Trust me, though it is a bit difficult to find, it is well worth it!

Nyonya food is a unique marriage of Chinese and Malay cuisine. The Baba-Nyonya are descendants of Chinese immigrants who first came to Melaka (and other Straits Settlements such as Penang and Singapore) during the time trade was frequent. These Chinese settlers married Malays and adopted Malay customs; as a result, the delicious blend of cuisines, now known as Nyonya, was born.

Prices in Tan's Nyonya Food were very reasonable--most dishes were well under US$6.00. The decor was warm, painted in a cheerful yellow, the walls adorned with figurines from all around the world.

My friend ordered a whole slew of dishes with flavors that danced on your tongue. Most were spicy, so be aware!

We had rojak, a type of salad which contained sliced cucumbers, mangoes, ground nuts, pineapples, sweet turnip, semi-hard bean curds, bean sprouts, sugar, and chillies--all topped with a special sauce. This sauce/paste was made from prawn paste, sugar, lime juice, and belacan (a dried grey-colour shrimp cake).

Also on the table was a noodle dish called mee siam. This consisted of rice vermicelli, shallots, dried chillies, sliced lemon grass, salted soyabeans, tamarind, coconut milk, bean sprouts, water convolvulus, chopped chives, and limes. The creaminess of the coconut milk balanced itself very well with the tanginess of the limes and tamarind. Add to it a bit of saltiness with the kick from the shallots, and you have one delectable dish that tests all of your tastes buds!

Next up was the famous Nyonya laksa. The laksa in Penang is different from the Nyonya laksa in Melaka as the Penang version has a prawn base which is supposedly sour, but the one in Meleka is rich and creamy due to a coconut base. Noodles floated amidst eggs, prawn, and bean sprouts. The flavors of shallots, garlic, curry, lemongrass, and tamarind tempered the rich coconut milk.

A side dish was fried tofu, called Nyonya tao gua. This tofu had cucumber and pineapple chunks mixed in a sweet chili sauce with a dash of black soy sauce. Chopped peanuts were garnished on top.

And finally, what would a meal be without dessert? And since we were in Melaka, we had to have cendol, a delicious, cold dessert with (what else?) a coconut base. Red beans, kidney beans, cincau (similar to grass jelly), and sweet corn, all sat in coconut milk with shaved ice and Gula Melaka (brown coconut sugar) piled on top.

Our fiery tongues from the spicy dishes were cooled off by the cendol. We left stuffed and satisfied.

Wandering around the streets of Chinatown, especially Jonkers Street (Jalan Hang Jebat) and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, was a shopper's delight!

Here, one will find a myriad of local shops (many with open storefronts), selling everything from furniture and antiques to bric-a-brac and clothes. Many of the shops are located in old buildings, inside of which may have very interesting architecture!

Many clothing shops feature batik-print clothing with colorful patterns and designs. Batik is traditionally done by hand using wax on fabrics; buying batik clothing made by hand will obviously be pricier. Block-printed batik is obviously cheaper. In general, the prices seemed quite reasonable, usually averaging from RM50 to RM300, though bargaining is always worth a try. You can get everything from shirts to tank tops to skirts.

There are endless options for souvenirs. Bowls, chopsticks, magnets, wooden toys, cups--the possibilities were practically endless. I purchased coconut shell windchimes for only RM8, a wooden frog for RM5, and wooden spoons for RM3. Be aware, though, that though many of these items are hand-made, they may not necessarily be local. Meaning, I found many of these items to be made in neighboring Indonesia rather than in Melaka or even in Malaysia.

For those who love antique shopping, there are plenty of shops to choose from. Many had antique furniture, statues, coins, etc. Of course, one should always be on guard for reproductions. The antiques seemed quite pricey, so I would definitely recommend bargaining.

My friend also mentioned that Melaka is famous for its shoes--lovely painted wooden shoes as well as intricately beaded shoes. Many stores carry them, though the beaded shoes are quite pricey (and beyond this traveller's budget!).

All in all, I highly enjoyed wandering around the streets, taking in all of the various wares and viewing the interesting architecture.

Atop Bukit St. Paul (St. Paul's Hill), overlooking the streets of Melaka, one will find what remains of St. Paul's Church. To those accustomed to travelling in parts of Asia such as China or Japan, this may be an odd sight. After all, it is not every day that one stumbles across a Catholic church in an Asian country. One would expect to see temples and shrines rather than a church.

But of course, this is Melaka, with its history of Portuguese, Dutch, and English rule, so a church is not too unexpected. This church was originally Our Lady of the Hill chapel, built by a Portuguese captain in 1521. It was frequented by the missionary, St. Francis Xavier. His body was interred there on March 22, 1553 before being transferred nine months later to Goa, India. A white marble statue commemorating St. Francis Xavier sits on Bukit St. Paul today.

Visitors should be forewarned not to expect a beautiful, complete chapel. St. Paul's Church was abandoned in favor of Christ Church during the Dutch rule. What remains today are regal stone walls with the skies as its roof, and old tombstones serenely place inside the interior. Hoards of tourists may mar the beauty, but once they pass, a peaceful solitude pervails.

The bird's eye view from atop Bukit St. Paul is amazing; one can see numerous red roofs baking in the sun, small winding streets, and the glistening waters of the Selat Melaka (Strait of Melaka).

There are a few vendors on the hill, most of them selling mass-produced trinkets of some sort. My favorite vendor however, is a local artist named Martin. His watercolors are beautifully vivid, whilst his ink paintings done on rice paper are remarkable in their simplicity. He states that he is usually there along with another artist, so I highly recommend you take a look at their paintings featuring scenes of Malaysia.

St. Paul's Church is definitely worth a look, even if not much remains.

As one walks closer to the river (Sungai Melaka), the majestic masts of a large ship starts to loom in the distance. Alas, this ship is merely a recreation, fated to never be able to sail out to sea.

Before the Portuguese rule in the 16th century, ships from the East laden with spices and wealth would routinely trade in Melaka. Under the Portuguese rule, Melaka became a key port for European traders.

The Maritime Museum is a replica of a Portuguese ship named la Flora de la Mar. Unfortunately, this ship, brimming with Malaysian treasures destined for Europe, sunk off the coast of Melaka.

Admission to the museum is very reasonable, only RM2 per adult. You can walk around a bit outside the ship, but there is really nothing noteworthy out here; most of the exhibits are inside. Walking into the cool, dark interior of the ship with its smooth hardwood floors, was a welcome relief from the oppressive heat.

Visitors must remove their shoes at the entrance, and plastic bags are provided so that you may place your shoes in them and carry them around.

The exhibits detail the history of Melaka, focusing mostly beginning with 14th century during Parameswara's rule through the Portuguese, Dutch, and British rules. Displays with replicas of shipping items such as ropes, chests, charts, etc. are placed throughout the museum, providing an "authentic" feel to being inside a ship. Maps adorn walls, and large dioramas tell Melaka's rich trading story. I could not recall seeing many (if any) "Do Not Touch" signs, which would make it a friendly experience for kids.

Once you've finished the Martitime Museum, your ticket also grants you entrance to the Naval Museum across the street. This museum has a more contemporary feel to it, lacking the subdued lighting, wooden surroundings, and replicas contained in the Maritime Museum.

The Naval Museum contains exhibits regarding the diverse sea life in Malaysia, guides to nautical knots and charts, as well as salvaged artifacts from a ship named Diana, which was en route from Canton to Madras, but sunk off the coast of Melaka in 1817.

Public restrooms are located outside, but be warned that they are Eastern toilets and not kept in very clean condition.

All in all, while both museums contained interesting information and made sincere attempts to engage the visitor, I felt as if there was something lacking. I was not captivated by any exhibit, and therefore, while it was certainly educational to learn about Melaka's maritime history, I feel that this is not a "must see". There are far more interesting places to learn about Melaka's history.

Please note that both the Maritime Museum and the Naval Museum are only open Wednesday through Monday, from 9:00am to 6:00pm.