This festive city has so much to offer that one can never get over with it. This time our travel dates coincided with the Melaka Art and Performance festival which enriched our experience.

Key Highlights

• 2-3 days is an ideal duration for the trip.
• Be prepared to walk a lot. The entire city can be explored on foot especially if you plan to see the key attractions within the city.
• Do have a look at the upcoming festivals in Melaka before planning the trip. The experience can be enhanced multi folds during festivals.
• Money saver tip: Look for airbnb accommodation if you want to limit the expense on the trip. I highly recommend to explore the homestays in the historical Kampung Morten Village. There are multiple such options which will give you a chance to experience the Malaysian royalty of the 19th century. Some of the options are as below:
  • Yunus Homestay
  • Homestay Kampung Morten
  • Villa Meriah Kampung Morten
• The city offers some of the best street foods in Asia. Some of the must try restaurants are: Calanthe Art Café, and Baboon House.
• Gula Melaka Sago at Calathe Café is a must try dessert if you have a sweet tooth.

Day 1: Jonker Street

We reached Melaka in the late evening and checked in the hotel. Then we proceeded straight towards Jonker Street, the most happening place in the whole of Melaka in the night. Once can enjoy great street food and buy souvenirs and Asian handicrafts.

Day 2: City Tour

All set to explore the heritage city of Melaka on foot? Here is the map: 

We started the day by visiting the Dutch Graveyard. This Graveyard was first used in the 17th century and currently 5 Dutch and 33 British graves are located in the compound. This burial ground was used in two stages, first from 1670-1682 and later between 1818-1838. Most of the British buried here include British Army and Naval Officers and wives of Army officers. The grave that attracts the most attention is the one with a tall column where two British soldiers that were killed in the war between the British and Malacca were buried.

Follow GPS to reach St. Paul’s Hill. The church on the St. Paul’s hill is a historic monument that was established in 1521, making it the oldest church in South East Asia. This makes one of the key sights for art festivals hosted during the year. We sat on the floor and enjoyed performances by global artists. We got consumed by the diversity and uniqueness of the acts that not only awed the audience but created an eternal impact on us.                    The stairs on the other side of the hill leads you straight to the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum. This museum is the reconstruction of the original palace of Malaccan Sultanate and depicts the royalty and the rich culture of this region. The museum is open from 9 AM to 5:30 PM and has a marginal admission ticket. It is a must see attraction.

Then we walked towards the Christ Church, an 18th Century Anglican Church which is infact the oldest functioning protestant church in Malaysia. The area in and around the Christ Church is really happening with beautifully decorated trishaws, amazing street food and loud music.                                                                 We took a pit-stop right after but if you still have some energy left you can walk towards Kampung Morten, a historical and traditional Malay village located in the heart of Malacca. Do stop by Villa Sentosa in Kampung Morten for a sneak peek into this tradition Malay home. The owners of Villa Sentosa are a 65+ years old couple who are so warm and adorable. They go an extra mile as a host to show you around and is indeed the only living museum in Melaka!  It is stunning to see how they have maintained and retained the originality of the house. We spent an hour here listening to the tales of the ancient times.  

Day 3: The Other Side

We explored the other side of the Melaka river on the next day morning. We walked towards Hang Jebat’s Mausoleum. Hang Jebat was a great fighter and the closest companion of the Malaccan hero, Hang Tuah.                                    The temples in Malacca are really a site to experience. We explored the San Duo Temple, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, and Siang Lin Shi Temple. Post that we walked to Kampung Kling Mosque, an old mosque in Malacca.                                        Don’t miss the lunch at the Calanthe Café at the Jonker Street. This is a very different café with superb interiors. It offers mouth-watering food along with coffee of all 13 Malaysian States.The ‘Herbal Tea Guy’ must be a Millionaire with every single car stopping for multiple shots of this herbal tea at Discovery Cafe! Caution: Try at Your Risk, It is an Acquired Taste. Do visit this festive city of Melaka: A great fusion of culture, art, history and mouth-watering food!