While Kuala Lumpur is undoubtedly a must-see place when visiting Malaysia, other Malaysian states also offer its unique charm to both foreign and local visitors. A two-hour drive away from Kuala Lumpur would take you to the historical city of Malacca - a place so unique, you’ll fall in love with its old soul at first glance☺️
If you’re a foreigner, there are no direct trains to Malacca but there are many express buses to Malacca from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan. Your adventure starts at Melaka Sentral as the buses stop there. If you’re Malaysian or from neighbouring countries and can drive, it is always fun to have a little road trip to Malacca! Let’s get packing and see what we can do for three days and two nights in this historical city!
Credit: giphy
Stay at Rosa Malacca Hotel
But first, if you're looking for a place to stay in Malacca, we highly recommend staying at Rosa Malacca Hotel. This European-inspired hipster hotel is tucked in a hidden corner of Malacca but the best part is, it's still close to many attractions and places of interest.
Credit: Rosa Malacca
Stepping into Rosa Malacca will definitely leave you in awe. Just look at its lovely interior and chic minimalist design - it looks so cozy you might never want to leave the room ?
Credit: Rosa Malacca
With a concept of a contemporary industrial living space, you can finally live your dream of staying in a New York or Swedish style city apartment. And of course, with its insta-worthy backdrops, get ready to spice up your Instagram feed when you stay at Rosa Malacca.
Credit: Rosa Malacca
With such a picturesque decor and plenty of natural light in its courtyard and cafe, every corner is instagrammable ? Plus, it's also the perfect place to unwind after a long day of shopping and sightseeing.
Credit: Rosa Malacca
And here's some great news, we've got a sweet surprise for you! We're giving away a 3D2N stay at Rosa Malacca for all you lovely people out there. All you have to is follow these simple steps:
1. Like HHWT and Rosa Malacca Facebook pages
2. Comment on this Facebook post and tell us WHY you’d like to stay at Rosa Malacca
3. TAG a friend you’d like to go Malacca with
4. SHARE this post with your friends (remember to set it to public!)
P.S. The contest ends on 6 Apr 2018, 2359.
DAY 1
Try the mouth-watering Malaccan asam pedas
Credit: @eed_syahida on Instagram
First order of business here in Malacca is to try the asam pedas. This is a must-do or else your trip didn’t happen? The spicy and sour gravy with your choice of protein eaten with hot white rice is just ummph. My family’s go-to place for asam pedas in Malacca would be Asam Pedas Selera Kampung near Mahkota Square.
There are many types of fish you can try here like stingray, ikan kembong, and even tetel daging. Don’t forget telur masin (salt-cured egg) and ulam (raw local vegetables) to make your dish complete. And iced sirap to go with that too because the dish can cause small explosions of heat in your mouth! The restaurant also serves other Malay dishes like ayam kampong and gulai lemak siput sedut.
Now, there are many asam pedas shops around Malacca but this is the restaurant that we keep going back to each time. If you have other suggestions for asam pedas shops in Malacca, sound off in the comments below!
Address: No. G2, Jalan PM3, Mahkota Square, Bandar Hilir, Melaka
Opening hours: 7am – 6pm daily (closed on Mondays)
Check out the historical sites at The Stadhuys and Christ Church
Credit: Phalinn Ooi on Flickr
Right in the middle of town is a red brick building synonymous with Malacca. The Stadhuys and Christ Church, which are within walking distance to one another, are believed to be the oldest Dutch buildings in town.
Credit: Symphonex on Flickr
These are the buildings that you can see on postcards, so take as many photos of or with them as you like! Take a stroll around the area and visit other nearby tourist attractions too such as the Melaka River, Cheng Ho Culture Museum and Maritime Museum.
Credit: Ariyaphol on Facebook
This area is the best place for one to start to get to know Malacca, the Unesco World Heritage Site. Apart from taking a stroll, you can also go around town in trishaws.
Address: Jalan Gereja, Bandar Hilir, 75000 Melaka
Take a stroll at the night market in Jonker Walk
Credit: @ronida on Instagram
Traveling rule has it that weekends or holidays should be avoided to escape huge, unruly crowds but it is the opposite case for Jonker Walk. Malacca is truly alive and thriving on the weekends and one place to soak it all in is at the marketplace on Jonker Walk.
The stretch of road starts from the Melaka River, which is just nearby the Stadhuys. The shop houses along the row are often small and quaint, and there are so many things for you to see! From t-shirts, bags, clothes, antiques, incense, hipster cafes and murals, Jonker Walk is an interesting place to explore. There are many photo opportunities here too, enough to make any Instagrammer happy?
Credit: @tabrizihussin on Instagram
At night, the street is filled with traders selling their goods including some amazing street food. The last time I saw they even have grilled escargots and oysters!
Address: Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka
Opening hours: 6pm - 10pm (Fridays) and 11am – 10pm (Saturdays and Sundays)
DAY 2
Have breakfast and a cuppa at Calanthe Art Café
Credit: @yunzzzsss on Instagram
Let’s start the second day at a café, shall we?☺️ This café has been around for more than a decade, even before the boom of hipster cafes in the country. It offers a variety of locally roasted coffee from all the states in Malaysia!
Credit: @wayan.tresna on Instagram
They serve yummy local food such as nasi lemak and curry laksa - filling for the tummy and enough calories to power you up throughout the day. The café has a homey and unique decoration, a contrast from the industrial interior designs we are so used to in the city. Each corner is Insta-worthy!
Address: Jalan Hang Kasturi, 75200 Melaka
Opening hours: 9am – 11pm (Sun – Weds), 9am – 12am (Sat & Sun), closed on Thurs
Shop till you drop at Freeport A’Famosa Outlet
Credit: @6s_sitinurulaini on Instagram
There are more than 70 brands available at the Freeport A’Famosa Outlet including Nike, Cotton On, Esprit, Puma, Clarks, Forever 21 and G200! This open air mall carries a loosely-themed Dutch heritage architecture with a lake, fountains, carousel and a windmill.
Credit: @shafierawi on Instagram
With its space spanning 180,000 sq ft and all the current brands available, remember to wear comfortable shoes and bring your wallet! You might just be doing some heavy duty shopping with all the bargains available.
Address: Jalan Kemus / Sempang Ampat, 78000 Alor Gajah
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily
Chill at Pantai Klebang with some awesome coconut shakes
Credit: @yin_o8o5 on Instagram
What better way to quench your thirst than with a fresh cup of cold and delicious coconut shake? Pantai Klebang is the place!
Credit: @hermanhamidi_eddy on Instagram
Not only can you get that awesome coconut shake, you can also do kite-flying, ATV riding and pony riding here! But you can always skip all that activity, relax and just people-watch by the beach while taking in the afternoon wind?
Address: Klebang, 5, 75200 Melaka
Opening hours: 11am – 6.30pm daily. 2.30 pm – 6.30pm on Fridays.
Supper at Pak Putra Tandoori
Credit: @azraazni on Instagram
It is rather unlikely that Malacca would be the place for naan and tandoori but yes, you should try this place if you don’t believe us. The marinated chicken tandoori is tender and moist after it is baked in the hot clay oven, eaten with fluffy naan bread and dipped in the mint sauce.
Pak Putra Tandoori opens till late, making it the perfect place for supper after a whole day of sightseeing!
Address: Jalan Kota Laksamana 2/3 & Jalan Kota Laksamana 2/4, Taman Kota Laksamana, 75200 Melaka
Opening hours: 5.30pm – 1am (Tues – Sat), 5.30pm – 12am (Sun), closed on Mondays
DAY 3
Learn the Baba Nyonya history at Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum
Credit: @chinocleo on Instagram
“They look Chinese but they wear kebaya like a Malay… hmmm” if these thoughts have played in your mind, well my friend, it is time to learn about culture! The best place to learn the history of the Baba Nyonya community or Peranakan is, of course, the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum.
Interestingly, this museum was originally a house, a combination of three terrace lots that were acquired by the Chan family in 1861. Four generations called the place their home before it was opened as a museum in March 1985. Today, the same family still operates the museum. Do check out their website to book a guided tour before your trip.
Credit: @edeline.and.more on Instagram
Address: No. 48 & 50 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 75200 Melaka
Opening hours: 10am - 1:00pm (last morning tour 12noon). 2pm - 5:00pm (last evening tour 4pm). Fri, Sat, Sun (last evening tour 5:00pm)
Have cendol at the famous Jonker 88
Credit: @mrandmrsoops on Instagram
You simply cannot miss out on this popular Malaysian ice dessert. Cendol refers to the green rice flour jelly. Combined with ice shavings, coconut milk and coconut palm sugar syrup or locally known as gula Melaka, it becomes one of the best things ever – CENDOL.
Truly. The. Best. Thing. Ever.
Jonker 88 is usually packed, sometimes you have to share tables with strangers but hey, for the love of cendol, why not? We’re all friends over a bowl of cendol?
Address: 88, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka
Opening hours: 9.30am – 5.30pm daily
Have the best seafood for dinner at Muara Sungai Duyong
Credit: @meyahunny on Instagram
It would be such a waste to go to Malacca and not have its glorious seafood! Here at Muara Sungai Duyong, you get nothing but the best and the freshest seafood from the sea. There are two types of rice to eat the seafood with - white rice or nasi lemak, but I would say nasi lemak with seafood wins!
Credit: @wish_richie on Instagram
Whether grilled, boiled, steamed or fried, the seafood dishes at Medan Ikan Bakar Muara Sungai Duyong would certainly whet any appetite. There is a small port next to the restaurant where fishermen dock their boats. During sunset, the view is really lovely. Come early for the best seat in the house to enjoy the view!
Address: Jalan Padang Temu, 75050 Melaka
Opening hours: 5pm – 11pm daily
The seafood dinner concludes our 3D2N getaway in Malacca. The short distance from Kuala Lumpur makes it the perfect spot for city dwellers to take a break from city life. Foreign visitors should also check out Malacca if they are looking for something else, apart from the capital! Tell us about your perfect getaway in Malacca in the comments below☺️