Things have changed a lot since I was last here. Malacca, also spelled Melaka, is no longer the small, sleepy town that I remembered it to be from my childhood. It’s grown a lot, and now home to nearly 900,000 people.
Although Malacca has expanded it still maintains an old-world charm, visiting here is to escape to a bygone era.
Unlike some cities, Malacca hasn’t been entirely ransacked by a bland wash of chain shops and hotels. It’s got character, and for that reason there are few better places I can think of to unwind whilst still having the buzz of new experiences on hand.
Malacca's Colonial Heritage
Malacca’s history is deeply rooted in its colonial past, with influences from Portuguese, Dutch, and British rule evident in its architecture and culture.
The city’s heritage reflects a unique blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Portuguese and Peranakan cultures, contributing to its UNESCO recognition.
Exploring the Old Town
The Old Town is like a treasure chest waiting to be prised opened. It’s exotic, vibrant, and cultural, a place where people come to whittle away the hours because the pace of life is slower and less stressful here.
It feels like everyone is either on holiday or retired. You’ll rarely see someone wearing a suit: flip-flops and a vest top will do, and more than likely you’ll see the odd hippy drifting around with a cig and a guitar.
I suggest exploring the iconic Dutch Square, surrounded by historic buildings like the Stadthuys which is a museum that delves into the city’s colonial history.
Discover the remnants of A Famosa, a Portuguese fortress, then climb St. Paul’s Hill for panoramic views.
However, once you go beyond the Old Town, things become more generic – it’s where temples, monuments and historical buildings are exchanged for (ahem) shopping malls.
So if you’re looking to soak up the atmosphere of Malacca in its most idiosyncratic form, then you should definitely stay in a guesthouse nearby the river.
Where to stay in Malacca
Formerly an opium house I stayed in Layang Layang Guesthouse and I’d recommend it to anyone for its super fun interior and friendly staff. However, this is a budget option, while I had a private room to myself, the bathrooms are shared.
So if you’re after something more luxury, take a look at more opinions on Booking.com.
A surprising number of artists rent out studio space here because the rental is quite cheap, and adding to the creative vibe of the Old Town is the street art which sprawls across some of the buildings and inside many guesthouses, including Layang Layang who commissioned a local artist to rock out his brush inside their property.
Further reading: Finding Street Art in Malacca (Melaka)
I know I shouldn’t need to worry about Malacca turning into a concrete jungle because the city centre was inaugurated onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008, ensuring its historical heritage will always be a thing of the past, present and future.
The buildings, the ones that make Malacca the antique jewel of Malaysia, are still standing, looking as beautiful and charismatic as ever with their detailed yet crumbling façades.
A Melting Pot of Cultures
In order to paint a true picture of the city, it’s vital to look at the city’s past and then you’ll understand why its appearance has an exotic Asian and European mix.
Hundreds of years ago Malacca was one of the greatest trading ports in Southeast Asia, and although no longer operating as so, the cultural blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European heritage is still thriving and reflected in the architecture, heard in the multiple spoken languages and dialects, and tasted in the abundance of multi-ethnic cuisines.
Although Malacca is now independent along with Malaysia, it is astonishing to believe that in 1509 the Portuguese took over the city after embarking on a colonial voyage seeking to make their fortune from the spice trade. It was through this trading port that Europe began its love affair with spices. If that doesn’t put Malacca on the foodie map then I don’t know what will!
The Portuguese reigned until the Dutch arrived in 1641 and like its predecessors, they erected buildings in the style of their motherland which are still standing today most famously on Heeren street.
Heeren Street, meaning ‘Lord’ or ‘Gentleman’ in Dutch, given the name when the Dutch occupied the city between 1641-1824, it was home to many of the rich and wealthy Chinese.
Heeren Street
This street is the most distinguished in Malacca and just like those that can been found in Amsterdam, you will find tall narrow houses that are surprisingly long and therefore hugely spacious inside. No trip to Malacca is complete without visiting Heeren Street and Jonker Street which run parallel to each other, adding to these is the salmon-pink town hall built by the Dutch which is a meeting-point for many people in this small but fascinating city.
A heaven for food lovers
Indian street food sold at pasar malam.
Finally, and just in case I haven’t been explicit enough, Malacca is a food lover’s dream.
All the different ethnic groups arriving here have played a contributory role in the city’s exotic food scene.
What’s more, the reason Malacca has the most diverse culinary scene in the whole of Malaysia is due to the many ethnic groups that settled here and married one another, this interaction gave rise to a unique ‘culinary blend’.
Further reading: Why is the Food in Malacca (Melaka) so Delicious?
Laksa topped with cockles is a popular Peranakan cuisine.
I was always going to love eating with my hands from a banana leaf!
The only thing you might have to worry about whilst being in Malacca is putting on weight.
But why worry? Instead, let’s go makan-makan!
8 Responses
I guess you visited at the right time. If you visit a few years later, you might see a very different Malacca that you won’t love so much. Over the past few years, Jonker Street has been earmarked for demolition quite a number of times, always to be put off at the very last minute. I wonder how long would common sense prevail over idiotic politician ideas.
Do you know why Jonker Streeet has been earmarked for demolition?
I don’t really know the actual reasons, the news pieces we get here are always politically biased. Two popular reasons are:
1. That area is prime land for re-development, I think there were plans to knock down the so-called “old and unsafe” buildings, build a brand new heritage area (whatever that oxymoron means) with a couple of hotels thrown in.
2. That idea always resurfaced after the general elections when the ruling party lost some seats in Malacca. There’s a lot of comments saying how the ruling party wants to “punish” the Chinese for not supporting them.
Ahh I’ve heard about the 2nd reason, but in relation to last year’s Chinese New Year. My aunt told me they didn’t put up any decorations after the ruling party lost some seats in Malacca! Grrr politics!
P.S. ‘a brand new heritage area’ – Oh dear, now that IS an oxymoron!
Lucky you being there for Chinese New Year. We just had a few fireworks from the Chinese students at Warwick Uni.
And what fat fingers you have!
I timed my trip especially 😀 The fireworks here are different though – nowhere near as pleasant. They are really, really loud, so loud that I imagine people waking up to find all the stray dogs have died of a heart attack over night.
I know, every part of me has expanded, gaining weight over Chinese New Year is inevitable Richard!
That’s definitely not how I imagined Malaysia! And I really like the look and sound of that city! I guess I really should start considering a trip to this part of the world! Thanks for the food for thought 🙂
Hi Kami! Malacca is very different to the rest of Malaysia so if you come you have to make sure you visit Malacca otherwise you might be disappointed if you want to see a bit of old-world Europe (Penang is also a bit similar to Malacca too, but bigger and with more tourists).
I’m pleased it’s piqued your curiosity! 😀