Guide Updates

Melaka seems to be one of those over-looked destinations. Penang gets all the attention from those looking for a glimpse at the colonial past of Southeast Asia. While I wouldn’t argue that Melaka is "better" than Penang, it certainly has a lot to offer, and it can be easier to get to. In fact, its close proximity to Kuala Lumpur is probably one of the problems. Melaka is a popular day trip destination, but you really can’t take in much of what the city has to offer in a day trip. Here’s a short guide to the city, for your consideration.

Melaka’s old town square

In a nutshell: Melaka was established in the fifteenth century by an exiled Sumatran prince. It soon became one of the biggest trade centers of Asia, attracting Arab and European traders from the West, and the Chinese from the East. The Portuguese took the sultanate by force early in the sixteenth century. They were eventually displaced by the Dutch, who in turn were forced out by the British. Evidence of all these influences can still be seen in Melaka now, so the city attracts those with an interest in history, as well as people with a keen interest in architecture. The city’s Chinatown area is full of mostly well preserved nineteenth century shophouses. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, there are more than 20 museums in the city, covering everything from the history of Melaka, to the history of Malaysian literature.

When to go: Picking the right time to go to Melaka isn’t so much a matter of the season as it is the time of week. Thanks to it’s location on the sea near the equator, the weather is warm and tropical with a chance of thundershowers all year long, so there is no time when it is really all that much ‘better’ weather-wise to visit Melaka. Instead, the city’s position just a couple hours’ drive from Kuala Lumpur makes it a popular weekend destination, making the city a lot more crowded on weekends and holidays than on weekdays. If you want to avoid these crowds (and some of the hotels charge more for weekends) the it’s best to plan on making a mid-week visit to the city. However, there’s one further complication: most of the restaurants and shops in Chinatown are closed on Tuesdays. Taking all that into account, my recommendation is to arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday morning.

The posh interior of Transnasional buses.

Getting There: Melaka is easy to get to, although getting there in style is not so easy. There is really no direct train or air service, although Melaka does have an airport. The nearest train station is in Tampin, on the main line from Singapore. Buses are plentiful between Melaka and both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. It’s about a two hour trip from Kuala Lumpur, a little longer from Singapore. Malaysian buses are surprisingly comfortable and efficient. You can get buses from Kuala Lumpur’s bus terminal near the National Sports Complex, Kuala Lumpur International Airport bus terminal, or the Low Cost Carrier Terminal. All buses will take you to Melaka’s Sentral bus terminal, a short distance from the center of town. A taxi from here to any place in town will cost you no more than RM 15.00. The cost of the bus will be from RM 12 to 22, depending on where you get the bus to / from.

The shophouses of Chinatown

How long to stay: Most people visit Melaka on a day trip from Kuala Lumpur. While you can see some of the highlights in just the few hours a day trip allows, it doesn’t give you time to browse the shops or visit more than one or two museums. If you’re really interested in soaking up the sights of the city, then I would suggest a three night stay which will give you two full days to look around. Spend one day around St Paul’s Hill and the other poking around Chinatown.

Where to sleep: Most of the sights of Melaka are within easy walking distance of each other, so I think it’s best to stay as close as possible to the historic areas. There are several small hotels in Chinatown as well as several around the fringes of the area. See the link for a full list.

Getting around: As mentioned above, most of the sights are within easy walking distance of one another. You will only need transportation if you are staying too far away or want to visit some of the outlying sights such as China Hill or Portuguese Square. In such cases, a taxi will do and should never cost you more than RM 15. Note that Melaka taxi drivers have something of a bad reputation for over-charging and not using meters.

What to see: Melaka will appeal mostly to those with a keen interest in history and Architecture. The specific things that will interest you are of course up to you, but the "don’t miss" sights would include the old town square, the ruins of St Paul Church and the Baba Nyonya Heritage House in Chinatown.

For more details on what to see and do, where to stay, etc. see the full Melaka travel guide at AsiaForVisitors.com.