Welcome to Travelfish, original Asia travel intelligence you can trust.
Username: Password: | Join
 

Melaka




























 
 

Melaka

Travel guide

Quicklinks  » Book a room now!
 » Accommodation
 » Food & Drink
 » Sights & attractions
 » Getting there & away

Midway between the capital cities of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and at the mouth of the Strait of Melaka, a crucial shipping route connecting the Indian and Pacific oceans, Melaka has been a centre of trade and cultural exchange for more than 600 years.

Established at the beginning of the 14th century, Melaka (also spelt Malacca) was set up by a renagade Hindu Prince by the name of Parameswara (also known as Iskandar Shah). He originally hailed from Palembang on Sumatra, which, at the time was a part of the waning Srivijayan empire. The Srivijayans were slowly being conquered by the growing Majapahit Empire and when they took Palembang, Parameswara packed his bags and headed to Temasek (modern day Singapore).

Parameswara spent the next five years in Temasek, before fleeing (this time at the hand of the Siamese) and setting up shop in Melaka. While legend has it Melaka takes its name from a Melaka tree that Parameswara saw a mouse deer under, more sensible people believe its name comes from the Arabic word mulaqa which means 'meeting place'.

Ever since Parameswara arrived, Melaka has been a meeting place. Merchants from the Middle East, China, India, Southeast Asia, and even Europe have been drawn here, and everyone at some stage has wanted to control this important port city.

Control has changed hands many times since Parameswara's time. Portuguese sailors conquered it in 1511 and turned the city into a walled fortress, hoping to take control of the spice and silk trade. From that point, and for the next 400 years Melaka remained under European influence – the Dutch rose to power in 1641, followed by the British in 1824. With the exception of four years of Japanese occupation during WWII, Melaka remained a British colony until Malaysia gained independence in 1957.

It was also an important hub of immigration and Chinese, Indian, and Portuguese settlements can be visited, each with their own traditional culture and cuisine. Melaka is the centre of Peranakan or Baba-Nyonya culture – a group created when Chinese immigrants married Malay women and adopted local traditions.

Today, Melaka is a modern city, but one swathed in old-world charm. Its rich heritage has left behind a bounty of relics including Portuguese fortresses, Dutch town halls, Chinese temples and Catholic churches. Dotted around the city's historic quarter, many have been painstakingly preserved as museums of history or culture.


 
















This wealth of attractions makes it one of Malaysia's top tourist draws attracting both package tourists on daytrips from Singapore along with a steady flow of backpackers and independent travellers making their way through Malaysia. Along with Georgetown in Penang, the city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.

A popular weekend escape for city-dwellers from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, much of the tourism here is of the pre-packaged variety – tourists come to shop for antiques and stay in resorts in the suburbs. Melaka is largely tout-free and backpackers and independent travellers taking advantage of Melaka's many good guesthouses are unlikely to get hassled – you're not the target market here. Enjoy the break!

Orientation
Melaka is a mid-sized town, but the area that is of interest to travellers is quite compact and the main sights and attractions can be easily taken in on foot or perhaps by trishaw. The town in split in two by the Sungai Melaka (Melaka River) but in many places, especially at low tide, it has more the appearance of a dirty canal than a river. While we're talking about the river, keep an eye out for the many monitor lizards that swim in it.

On the south side of the river lies the historic quarter, which contains many of the sights and attractions -- including Dutch Square, Christ Church and The Stadthuys.

On the north side, you'll find Chinatown, bisected by Hang Jebat (Jonker's Walk), and loaded with Perenakan shophouses, temples and "antique" shops. Its also on the north bank that you'll find the bulk of Melaka's guesthouses and restaurants. This is Melaka's backpacker district.

Text and/or map last updated on 9th July, 2009.
 


Add to scrapbook

 

    Get orientated with our interactive map of Melaka, Malaysia


    Check and uncheck the boxes below to show and hide the various icons on the map above and use the sliding bar at the left side of the map to zoom in and out. Have fun!
    Accommodation:    Restaurants:    Bars:    Attractions:    Transport:    Orientation:    Post & phone:    Banking:    Medical:    Other:
  

   Vision: Photos of Melaka

Click on any image below to be taken to see a larger version of the photo and to browse our Melaka photo gallery.

Saje-lah Limau Limau Cafe Malaysia Malaysia postcard Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia
Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia Malaysia lanterns Cafe, Melaka Street lights, Melaka Yellow door, Melaka Melaka stairwell Christ Church, Melaka

You can add your own photos to this by joining the Travelfish Group on Flickr. Please click here more information.

 

Book online


Picture of Little Nyonya Hostel, 45, Jalan Chan Koon ChengLittle Nyonya Hostel
45, Jalan Chan Koon Cheng
From: US$3.58 with HostelWorld


Picture of Jalan-Jalan, 8, Jalan Tukang EmasJalan-Jalan
8, Jalan Tukang Emas
From: US$3.58 with HostelWorld


Picture of Discovery Cafe & Guest House, No. 3 Jalan Bunga Raya MalaccaDiscovery Cafe & Guest House
No. 3 Jalan Bunga Raya Malacca
From: US$3.58 with HostelWorld


Picture of Tonys Guesthouse, 24, Lorong Banda kaba off Loring Bukit cinaTonys Guesthouse
24, Lorong Banda kaba off Loring Bukit cina
From: US$3.58 with HostelWorld


Picture of Voyage Guest House, 40, Lorong Hang JebatVoyage Guest House
40, Lorong Hang Jebat
From: US$3.58 with HostelWorld


Picture of Ringos Foyer Guest House, 46-A Jln PortugisRingos Foyer Guest House
46-A Jln Portugis
From: US$3.88 with HostelWorld


Picture of Sunnys Inn, 270 A/B MELAKA RAYA #3 TAMAN MELAKA RAYASunnys Inn
270 A/B MELAKA RAYA #3 TAMAN MELAKA RAYA
From: US$3.98 with HostelWorld


Picture of Eastern Heritage, 8, Jalan Bukit China 75100Eastern Heritage
8, Jalan Bukit China 75100
From: US$4.18 with HostelWorld


Picture of Cheng Ho Guest House, 14 Jalan Tukang Emas Harmony StreetCheng Ho Guest House
14 Jalan Tukang Emas Harmony Street
From: US$5.97 with HostelWorld


Picture of Apa Kaba Home&Stay, 28 Kampung Banda KabaApa Kaba Home&Stay
28 Kampung Banda Kaba
From: US$5.97 with HostelWorld


Picture of Kancil Guesthouse, 177 Jalan Parameswara Bandar Hilir,MelakaKancil Guesthouse
177 Jalan Parameswara Bandar Hilir,Melaka
From: US$6.27 with HostelWorld


Picture of River View Guesthouse, 94 & 96, Jalan Kampong PantaiRiver View Guesthouse
94 & 96, Jalan Kampong Pantai
From: US$8.96 with HostelWorld


Picture of Kota Lodge, No.26A, Jalan Kota Laksamana 3,Taman Kota LaksamanKota Lodge
No.26A, Jalan Kota Laksamana 3,Taman Kota Laksaman
From: US$11.94 with HostelWorld


Picture of Cafe 1511, 52 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng LockCafe 1511
52 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock
From: US$11.94 with HostelWorld


Picture of Accordian Hotel Malacca, 114 Jalan BendaharaAccordian Hotel Malacca
114 Jalan Bendahara
From: US$13.43 with HostelWorld


See more properties

  Search for accommodation


Search for guesthouses & hotels
where in Malaysia?

Sort results by:
Travelfish ranking (best first)
Price (cheapest first)
Name (A-Z)
Show only properties bookable online


 

Fresh off our Asia travel forum

Here are some discussions off the Travelfish forum, perhaps related to Melaka. You can find the full forum here.

Topic Replies  Views 
from Perhentian Islands to Melaka 
In Malaysia: by marie79, last reply by AbgAcid
2 203
Transit KLIA to Melaka 
In Malaysia: by michaels57, last reply by Nokka
6 841

Melaka reviews

Backchat from the Travelfish community

Not a soul has had a thing to say about this place -- why don't you get the ball rolling?

Have your say

You need to be logged in to add a review.
Username: Password:
Not a member? you can join here.

Review title

Snappiness encouraged ;-)

When did you visit here?

This gives your review a bit of context - especially if you were last in Melaka in 1932.

Your review

(Remotely sensible, non-ranting comments are much appreciated. If you don't like somewhere, please explain why -- it's all far more helpful for others that way.) Serial ranters, loons and spammers will be banished!
And please, no self-promotional URLs -- that's what your signature field is for.


So how does it rate?
On a scale of one to ten (with 10 being outstanding and 1 being bloody awful) how would you rate Melaka for the following criteria?

Note: Ratings are OUT OF TEN -- not five!

Sights & activities:  
History & culture:  
Scenery & environment:  
Eat & drink:  
        
Traveller scene:  
Romance:  
Value for money:  
I'll be back (or not):  

Please note comments are edited for clarity, typos and style before they appear. Ranting tirades, spam and anything else that really belongs somewhere else won't make the cut. If you want to rant, go to Thorntree.

Please login and refresh this screen before writing your review -- thanks!




 

The bottom line

This site was constructed out of 100% recycled electrons -- if you don't, you should recycle too!
All material copyright Travelfish Pty Ltd ACN 107 758 985 -- please don't steal our content
Thailand FAQ | Cambodia FAQ | Travel related links | Jobs with Travelfish | Press
For ZoneAlarm Users | Contact Travelfish | Privacy statement | About us
Advertise with Travelfish | How do I get my business listed on Travelfish?
Yahoo! FareChase
Last updated pretty recently ;-)
There are 183 visitors online, and your boss!
Travelfish | Blog | Fourelephants | AsiaNewsDesk | BangkokMetro | Affiliates