Malaysia

Malaysia — Things to do and see in Malacca, Malaysia

Nick Morris

Jun 3, 2015 — 6 min read

A summary of my trip to Malacca, Malaysia

June 2015

When I was living in Malaysia, I only made one visit to Malacca.

So, what did I find?

Hotel — Dasom Inn Hotel, Malacca, Malaysia

We stayed at the Dasom Inn Hotel, Malacca, Malaysia. It was not the most luxurious of hotels, but it met our needs, plus it was cheap and located near the centre of the town, which was ideal for exploring.

Photo by Author — Dasom Inn Hotel, 28 Jalan Tukang Emas 75200, Malacca, Melaka, Malaysia

Food and eating out

As with anywhere in Malaysia, there was lots of great food available.

Tarts

Two foods that Malacca is particularly proud of are the Portuguese Custard Tarts, which (as the name suggests) were introduced by the Portuguese when they colonised the area and Pineapple Tarts.

Custard tarts

Custard tarts were on sale everywhere and the ones we bought were excellent.

Pineapple Tarts

I was not so lucky with the Pineapple Tarts and managed to buy a poorly cooked batch.

Durian Chocolates

One odd thing I managed to buy and try was Durian Chocolates.

There were very chocolatey and didn’t taste of Durian.

Eating out

We were spoilt for choice as to where to eat out. We had some good snacks at the night market, but Riverside Kopitiam and Baba Low’s were two places that stuck in my mind.

Riverside Kopitiam

The Riverside Kopitiam was a local coffee shop that served a range of local dishes, and the food was pretty good and cheap.

Baba Low’s

This was a great find, and they served a fantastic Laksa. The place is a little difficult to find and is slightly out of town away from the town centre.

But it was so with the effort to track the place down. A little gem of a find.

Malacca Town

I liked the town of Malacca; a lot was going on.

Architecture

There is some great architecture in the town.

Photo by Author — the old part of town — exploring Malacca, Malaysia

Photo by Author — Heeren Street, Malacca, Malaysia

Photo by Author — funky artwork — Heeren Street, Malacca, Malaysia

Colonial Architecture

Malacca has some of the finest and oldest colonial architecture in Malaysia. Including St. Paul’s Church, Porta De Santiago (A Famosa Fortress), The Dutch Graveyard, Christ Church, Queen Victoria Fountain, River Fort, and Church of St Francis Xavier’s.

St. Paul’s Church

St. Paul’s Church has a fascinating history that spans over 500 years.

Building started on the site in the 1500s when the Portuguese first arrived in the area.

Photo by Author — St Paul’s Church, Malacca, Malaysia

Photo by Author — the interior of St Paul’s Church, Malacca, Malaysia

Porta De Santiago (A Famosa Fortress)

The Porta De Santiago (A Famosa Fortress) dates from 1511.

The Dutch Graveyard

The Dutch Graveyard was first used in 1670. Before 1670, burials took place at St Paul’s church.

Photo by Author — Dutch Graves — Dutch Graveyard, Malacca, Malaysia

Christ Church

Christ Church was built in 1753 and is Malaysia’s oldest functioning Protestant church.

Queen Victoria Fountain

The Queen Victoria Fountain was built in 1901 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

River Fort

The rive fort (the image below shows a reconstruction) was first built by the Portuguese and later altered by the Dutch.

Church of St Francis Xavier’s

Church of St Francis Xavier’s,12, Jalan Banda Kaba, 75000 Malacca, Melaka, Malaysia, is another example of colonial architecture in Malacca.

The church was built in 1856 and still serves as a Catholic Church, with regular mass services being held.

Photo by Author — Church of St Francis Xavier’s, Malacca, Malaysia

Night Market

Like most Malaysian towns, Malacca had a night market. However, unlike many night markets, the one in Malacca seemed to be for the tourists and not the locals.

A typical non-food stall selling a lot of ‘stuff’.

There were some traditional food stalls, but not that many.

Photo by Author — Otak-otak (‘fish brains’) stall — Night Market, Malacca, Malaysia

Trishaws of Malacca

This is an odd one.

Malacca is full of garish trishaws for tourists.

They look pretty terrifying during the day.

Photo by Author — The Strange Trishaws of Malacca, Malaysia

But at night, they take on a whole new level of strangeness.

Photo by Author — The Strange Trishaws of Malacca, Malaysia, at night

Places to visit

Besides looking at the architecture of Malacca, there are numerous places to explore and visit around town.

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

The Cheng Hoon Teng Temple at 25 Jalan Tokong, 75200 Malacca, Melaka, Malaysia, is a classic Malaysian Chinese temple worth a visit.

Malaqa House Muzeum

Malaqa House Muzeum, Malacca, Malaysia was an odd sort of place — it was a museum (allegedly), yet some items appeared to be for sale.

I suspect it is an antique shop.

Kompleks Muzium Maritim (Samudera / Flor de La Mar)

The Kompleks Muzium Maritim (Samudera / Flor de La Mar) is a mock-up of an old wooden sailing ship.

Inside the ship are several exhibitions that do an excellent job of explaining what life would have been on board. The Museum also does an excellent job of explaining the history of Malacca.

Photo by Author — Kompleks Muzium Maritim (Samudera / Flor de La Mar), Malacca, Malaysia

The Riverside

The work along the river in Malacca is very interesting, as the houses are very colourful and there is a lot of street art to see.

Photo by Author — art — Riverside, Malacca

Summary

I had a great time in Malacca, and I enjoyed my visit.

I feel there is a lot more to the place than I have seen, and one day I will go back and explore some more.