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Malaysia travel guide - Malacca (Melaka) |
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First updated : 26 May 2009
My visit to Malacca or Melaka as most of the road signs say, was just one of the many side trips I took from KL. I planned visiting Malacca since I was I read about the history about this town from grade school. I think places like Bali, Singapore and Malaysia (at least to those in Australia) is a must visit destination for historical reasons. Any pricing is for 2009. The history of Malacca is fascinating reading - do get a proper history book not a watered down guide book. The 'little town' has had so many incidents thanks to it position on the old spice trade routes. Further more it is the home of Nyonya cuisine which I have heard and tried before but never at the source! Yes food is the other reason I wanted to go to Malacca. You can travel from Kuala Lumpur to Malacca by a number of methods. I think the easiest is to travel to Malacca by bus. Just go the KL central bus (Puduraya) stop near China town and navigate your way to the ticketing offices. Lots of companies to choose from but beware there are some shonky ones. There are lots of 'guides' that direct you to the appropriate booth to buy your ticket but you must tell them where you want to go. Each booth represents a bus company and they only go to certain destinations. Never buy tickets from the 'guide' go to a ticket booth. Choosing the biggest or most popular is the safest thing to do. Most understand English so it shouldn't be a problem. Pick the right bus and you'll get to Malacca in under 2 hours. Note that the bus often makes 'unscheduled' stops but only to drop people off. It cost me about 12RM on the day I bought the ticket. No bargaining needed here! Most buses are comfortable and air-conditioned comfortable. You'll be dropped off at the central bus stop in Malacca. It a relatively modern building with shops and eating stalls. Make sure you go out the front to get the taxi waiting area. It should cost between 10 and 15RM for a taxi to the main tourist area which is the area where the old fort area (or the Christ Church) - you can't miss it the red buildings give it away. It much more interesting that the 'city centre'. Lots of different accommodation types to choose from so you be able to find somewhere to stay. Malacca is not a big city that has managed to preserve some of its fascinating past. It is in the evening when the town comes alive as with most places in Malaysia. You can wander around old China town or check out the various attractions like the old forts churches, museums, food stalls and of course shopping centres. Visit the museum in the old square for a reasonably detailed history of the town. Hang around the area after sunset for the activity to peak. The tri-shaws will also be hanging around the area so a good time to get some decent pictures of the town. A lot of land has been reclaimed from the sea so the boundaries of the old fortifications no longer point to the sea, mind you some have pointed inland but if you go by the historical maps it will surprise you. Where there was once water there's actually a few modern shopping malls. Picture caption: The picture shows that intersection - Malacca's famous land mark that is a few hundred years old. Everyone usually takes a picture straight on but I decided to post a picture from the side!
Malaysia travel guide - Introduction ....edit and more next week...
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