Introduction To Melaka

The small state of Melaka’s main attraction is Melaka Port – a historic port city which is known for it’s rich history and culture. The state of Melaka is fairly small, squeezing into an area not more than 1650 square km.

Melaka has a colourful history – up to the 14^th century, the port town was not much more than a sleepy little fishing village. At this time it was discovered by a Hindu prince called Parameswara who started off Melaka’s new designation as a place to trade exotic spices. In fact, by the time of Parameswara’s death in 1414, Melaka had established itself as one of the busiest trading ports in the region.

During the 15^th century the Portugese took Melaka under their rule and remained until 1641 when the Dutch took the port by force. It wasn’t actually until 1946 that Melaka was officially recognised as a state of Malaysia.

Today, Melaka remains an interesting destination for tourists all over the world and offers some lovely beaches aside from the obvious delights to be found while travelling within Melaka port.

Things To See & Do In Melaka

All said and done, Melaka is a pretty small town which makes exploration by foot inherently possible. There’s quite a few things to take in, and most are reasonably close to one another.

The river (Sungai Melaka) segregates the new and old (colonial) regions of Melaka – it’s on the eastern side that you can take in particularly interesting architecture and sights such as St Pauls Church and the ancient town square.

It’s in the town square that you’ll find Stadthuys (an old duych style building that has the distinction of being one of the oldest European design structures in Malaysia.)

Nearby, you can also find a cluster of museums including the Democratic Government Museum, The History & Ethnography Museum and the Literature Museum. Away from the square, there are even more offerings for museum lovers, including the Maritime & Naval Museum as well as Cheng Ho Cultural Museum.

Also near the square are the ruins of St Paul’s Church which offers some fine vistas over Melaka. Another church worth a visit is St Peter’s which is almost 300 years old (and still used).

The imposing Sultanate Palace is also a good place to visit in the town – the building is over 500 years old, as is the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple inside Chinatown.

Outside of Melaka, there are one or two attractions worthy of a visit – most interesting of these is Tanjung Bidara which is a very nice beach, and the best in Melaka (there are a couple of resorts along here too, in case you fancy staying here).

Also outside of the city of Melaka, there is Ajor Gajah which is a tiny but fetching little village housing the Museum Of Culture & Tradition – it’s also well worth a stroll through this charming little place.

Otherwise, there’s Pulau Besar, an independent island that’s a short boat trip away from Melaka or Ayer Keroh which is home to Melaka Zoo and Hutan Rekresai (a park).

Hotels, Guesthouses & Other Accommodation In Melaka (Malaysia)

Melaka has most of it’s available hotels and accommodation within the main city, although one or two places can also be found at Tanjung Bidara which is the main beach resort in the state.

Below are some of the most popular hotel choices for your stay in Melaka:

Renaissance Melaka

Equatorial

Bayview Melaka

The Majestic

Holiday in Melaka

Everly Resort

Accordian

Seri Costa

The Legacy

Hotel Orkid Melaka

Straits Meridian

Puri

Naza

Typically, there are a mix of two to five star offerings with the Renaissance offering top end, five star lodgings.

Restaurants, Café’s & Places To Eat & Drink In Melaka

If you are in the mood for some of the excellent local cuisine available in Melaka, you have more than a couple of options. Some seafood based specialities are served up by Restoran Nasi Ayam and Restoran Famosa. Also offering local dishes, are the 88 Café and Hoo Kee Chicken Shop.

Your options for Chinese are also pretty good – Chicken Rice Ball Restaurant is favoured by locals for decent, cheap fare while most of the traditional places listed above also offer Chinese cuisine.

The best place to get Indian food is Sri Lakshmi Restaurant, but a couple other choices are available including the Vazhai Elai.