travelsalad: Top 6 Things to Do in Malacca

If ever you are planning to visit Malaysia, Malacca (locally known as "Melaka") can be an alternative to the usual go-to tourist place like Kuala Lumpur. This city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and known as "The Historic State" in Malaysia which shows the Dutch and Portuguese influences.

-Written on Oct 2015-

Here are the top 6 things you must do during your stay in Melaka :

1. Melaka River Cruise

22MYR (PhP230)

Bottled water and cookies included

Of course, your trip to Melaka will not be complete without riding this one. Ride the river cruise at night time, for you to see the lights and appreciate the city better. On the other hand, it's best to see the city by foot during day time.

Night time view from Reggae By The River.

At night, different bars and restaurants can be found along the river which gives a lively vibe in the area. You can choose from local to western

2. Jonker Street Food Trip

Jonker Street is the center for different street food, boutique shops, cafes, and even hostels. Shop houses and some of the old buildings are still being used in this area, where you can see their rich history and culture from different influences they had. Main activity which you should do is to try their food! They have wide variety of street food to choose from. Icecream, Don't miss out trying the Asam Laksa in Jonker 88, a famous restaurant in Jonker Street.

3. Malacca Straits Mosque

Taxi: 12MYR (PhP130)

This mosque is a bit far from the center of the city where tourist spots are located. Therefore, riding a taxi is necessary to be able to go to this place. Your time will not be put to waste, for this mosque will give you a different feeling and lets you appreciate its beauty not only from the outside but also as you go around it.

The name of this mosque, in Malay, is Masjid Selat Melaka. With its architectural style of Islamic and Malay, it clearly stands out as a floating landmark on the man-made island, Pulau Melaka.

When you go here, even though robes are being provided in the entrance, please take note of the strict dress code in mosques.

4. Menara Taming Sari
(Taming Sari Tower, a revolving gyro tower)

Entrance fee: 20MYR (PhP210)

Bottled water and snack included.

You should ride this tower to see the aerial scenic view of city center, Melaka. During this ride, you will notice the Dutch and Portugese old buildings around Melaka, which are still used and under conservation. A lot of shophouses and town houses are very visible once you reached the top.

5. Melaka Alive + Pirate Gallery

Entrance fee: 56MYR (PhP600)

Melaka has a rich history. This include its river and trading as its main source of income before. That is why there are museums and galleries about pirates and ships here like the Maritime Museum and Pirate Gallery.

I strongly recommend for you to watch and see the Melaka Alive performance, which has two performances at 7pm and 9pm every night. This performance should be on top of your itinerary, this will show you how Magellan was very significant in their history. I believe that this is a very under-rated and not well-known due to lack of advertisement. So spread the word and help them! :)

6. St. Paul's Church and Christ Church

There are a lot of historical churches and sites in Melaka, but if you have limited time to go to all of these place, these two should not be left behind.

Ruins of St. Paul's Church is an only the ruins. You can also see the marble statue of St. Francis Xavie on the hill.

View from St. Paul's Church Ruins

Locals in the ruins.

Another church during the Dutch colonial period, Christ Church is an eighteenth century Anglican church. This is in the center of everything in Melaka. Different hostels are just nearby and Jonker Street is just around the corner. You will never miss this out because it is easily seen with its location and color.