Malacca: An Escape to A Historic State
It's been quite a while...yup, should have written this a few months ago but got busy, I mean, extremely busy..... T_T So here it is, our Malacca trip!
Also spelled as Melaka, Malacca is located in the southwestern part of Malaysia. I would say visiting the city is one of my bucket lists in Malaysia, and there's more... ^_^ The Malacca City is one of the most popular destinations in Malaysia for a short trip....especially tourists coming from Singapore.
After years of wanting to visit it, I finally got the chance to see those maroon coloured structures. Yes, just the thought of those heritage buildings, colonial structures and ancient landmarks gave me shivers.. I couldn't contain my excitement.. A big thank you to the long weekend that happened. Yey!
We travelled from Kuala Lumpur to Malacca for approximately 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on the traffic situation. Our bus departed at around 1pm and arrived past 3pm, then we headed to our hotel and rested for a while before we started our excursion...
Explore... Explore.. Explore...
Our first destination was actually a famous dining place in the city. How popular it is? Well, we needed to make a reservation in advance to secure a seat. We hailed a grab car from our hotel to the restaurant.
Hello there Nancy's Kitchen! ^_^
A short insight:
Aside from the mere fact that travelling fights my boredom, one of the many reasons why I wanted to visit Malacca is the heritage building. My eyes sparkled when I saw centuries-old structures and colonial architecture.... such a beauty!
The city didn't fail me as I witnessed traces of mix culture from East countries to West nations. For 3 days and 2 nights, I was blessed to experience what the historic state of Malaysia has to offer. Although it wasn't enough but I was still glad I had the chance.
True, there are a lot of unique places and interesting attractions to visit in the city. If you have the luxury of time then heading to each shouldn't be a problem, but to those who have a limited time, here's a list of some of the must-visit attractions to help you plan your trip.
Jonker Walk
Jonker Street is famous for its antique shops, a variety of food and night market, which is why an ocean of people flock into this place - both shoppers and let say, inquisitive. Located at the centre of Chinatown, it cannot be missed especially at night as there are extravagantly ornate, colourful and illuminated trishaw (with loud, upbeat music) parking at the main entrance of the street.
From a timid street at day time, Jonker Walk comes to life when the night falls in full colour and lively atmosphere. Yes it's a complete delight to walk through, where you can buy almost everything!
But one of the main reasons to visit Jonker Street is, of course, eating! There's a lot of food stalls along the street.... and of all the interesting food choices I saw, it was the cotton candy that captured my eyes (and heart?). >_< The crowd was crazy but we wormed our way around through it, nearly getting crushed but still managed to get our alive. hahaha
Just outside the Jonker Walk and by the Melaka River is the Hard Rock Cafe, which was opened in 2013. A good place to hang out, relax and just chill....
Since I'm so crazy about live band, we hanged out at Hard Rock Cafe, got a drink and listen to the band performing... oh wait, we didn't just listen, we sang along! >_< Oh gawd, I super enjoyed it... jamming and just chillin' while watching the river cruise jetty.
Sitting at the balcony, we had a nice view of the Melaka River and the streets filled with sparkling, colourful lights. It was such a lovely night. Let's do this again!!!!
St. Francis Xavier Church
After a day of exploring the town, we ended up at the St. Francis Xavier Church. Built in 1849, the church looks prominent even from afar, facing the Melaka River.
We went inside the church, stayed for a few minutes so I could pray then we needed to leave since it was closing time.
Dutch Square
Savour the moment as time travels back to the British colonial era at Dutch Square. Surrounded by red classic buildings, the Dutch Square reflects the city's history - housing Melaka's surviving parts after the war. The most prominent landmarks include the Stadhuys (former official residence of Dutch governors), Christ Church, Queen Victoria's Fountain and Tan Beng Swee Clock Tower.
Just like most tourists visiting Malacca, I was also looking forward to seeing the place. My imagination started to play on what outfit to wear, poses to do and angles to take then expectations vs reality struck.... there was a thick crowd collected all over the square. The sight of people flooding the area was appalling that I opted not to get closer and just appreciate it from afar.
Christ Church
Upon hearing the city of Malacca, perhaps, the first thing that comes to mind is an image of brick-red building structures with a huge white cross - the Christ Church. With a unique design and rich history, it's not surprising why the church became the most defining structure and iconic landmark of the city.
Christ Church usually attracts a huge crowd at any time of the year, making it the most visited sight in the Stadhuys area. Aside from its eye-catching hue, it's easy to find - just across the Jonker Street.
Melaka River
Another spot that I was excited to see was the Melaka River. It goes through the middle of the town, dividing it into few parts. I didn't expect too much from it, I felt it was just a typical river.... then slowly I get to appreciate its beauty.
After our dinner, we wandered around the town including the Melaka River walk.
A short walk along the river made my heart fluttered as I saw a mix of funky and modest murals on the building walls. There were several foot bridges installed to cross over to the other side, but we didn't since we were already heading towards the Jonker Street for the night market.
Should you want to experience the river more, just take up a river cruise and see the town's beauty from the inside. The cruise takes up to 45 minutes, allowing you to see some of the historical structures, churches, villages and old warehouse.
The river shifts into a different persona when the night falls - from unpretentious to whimsical. It looked so serene at night time - a perfect place to chill (minus the mosquito >_<) with your beloved, feel the breeze caresses your skin and just admire its beauty.
St. Paul's Church
On our second day, we headed to the St. Paul's Church after a sumptuous lunch.
Built in 1521, it's a popular destination among tourists who are interested in learning more about Melaka's history (even Malaysia) and rich culture. The ruins of the ancient church stood proud at the summit of St. Paul's Hills. Taking a little climb is needed to get to the top along with big crowds around the landmark, so expect to get photo bombers on your snaps. ^_^
A'Famosa Fort
The scorching heat of the sun was killing me, but hey, I couldn't complain otherwise I'll be scolded. >_<
I didn't went up to the St Paul's Church and opted to just take a snap of the A'Famosa Fort. The historical ruin is the small gate house that was part of the A'Famosa Fort built in 1511 and was destroyed in 1806. The fort is deemed as the only part of the fortress which remains until today. A short walk from the Christ Church will lead to A'Famosa, pretty accessible!
It's a well preserved architecture despite its age that is worth checking out.
Perhaps my most memorable and fun experience during this trip was....
While walking around the A'Famosa Fort, I noticed horse-drawn carriages passing by. My heart suddenly skipped a beat! Oh em gee...I wanna try it!!! But I tried to hide my excitement, pretending that I wasn't really interested, although the child in me wanted to jump and beg to go for it....
Maybe I was too transparent on what I wanted - I think it was written all over my face... and so we did try it! hahaha.. Lucky me! It was just a short ride though, 5 - 10 mins within the area.
While waiting for our turn, I suddenly felt worried that the horses were too tired (doing the same thing over and over for longer periods under the unforgiving sun), my inner animal lover instinct was telling me to back out then the coachman gave the horse a bucket of water and let it rest for a few minutes before we were asked to hop on. I was relieved that they were taking care of the animal, at least based on what I witnessed.
After our horse ride, we continued walking around. Having an eye for vintage, historical, classic things, I was thrilled to see old train carriages, aeroplane and other remnants of the past. Whew! Memories of the War Remnants Museum in Saigon suddenly flashed on my head... #happykid!
Further exploring of the town, we came across a city tour package. At first, I felt that we didn't really need it since it wasn't his first time in Malacca so he is a bit familiar with the town but there was a place that caught my interest so we took it (ahhh forgot the price).
City Tour
The city tour route was pretty interesting since it included a water-based tour....we hopped on to this, errmmm, I want to call it a "duck" since for me it resembles a duck.. hahahaha Just leave it that way.
The tour took around 30 - 45 mins, I think, passing through the main street then towards the sea. Yikes! Sea! I didn't know what to expect as we were heading towards the water - I thought we will transfer then I realised the "duck" was an amphibian vehicle...
Melaka Straits Mosque
While on the waters, we passed by the Melaka Straits Mosque - which was built on stilts over the sea. Pretty interesting isn't it? It features a combination of Malaysian and Middle Eastern architecture designs.
The mosque looks like floating on the ocean during high tide and shares a stunning panoramic view of the Malacca Straits, capturing the interest of many tourists. I fell asleep in the middle of the city tour, while we were on the waters - the ocean breeze made me sleepy and dozed off. ^_^
Maritime Museum
The city tour ended and we made our way back to the Dutch Square. While heading there, we came across the Maritime Museum - a huge Portuguese ship... geezzz a popular and well-loved ship suddenly popped inside my head - Going Merry... ahhhh stap right there brain!
The museum in a ship form can transport back the visitors hundreds of years ago, giving a glimpse of its history.... Sadly, I decided not to go in.
Special Treats
Our trip was almost over but we cannot end it without getting a massage. Nearby our hotel was a decent massage place with a reasonable pricing.
Then before we call it a day, we had a dinner at Station One - a stone throw away from our hotel. We waited for the live band just to chill, we even requested some songs. hahaha
Despite all the hiccups that we experienced (horrible experiences), I still consider the trip memorable. At long last, I am able to crash out Malacca from my bucket list of must-visit places. *_*
Thanks Malacca for the warm welcome (literally) >_<
Guess I'll see you again but not on a long weekend and will ensure/secure a good hotel.
A big hug to someone who has been extremely supportive, understanding and incredibly patient....I couldn't survive it without you... 😚
Aug '19