Another popular destination in Malaysia is Malacca which is not far from Kuala Lumpur the capital city. Malacca is a city full of history and a major touristy spot. I visited it during a Malay holiday and the place was very crowded. Malacca seemed in fact like a place that lives out of tourism.
Malacca was also interesting to me because there is a lot of history related to Portuguese, and also Dutch, and British that seem to flock to the place. A local told me that the place has a lot of Dutch tourists and maybe they are here to learn more about their country’s history too. In fact, the major tourist attractions to visit in Malacca are either Dutch or Portuguese heritage, and British surely, as they were the latest in Malacca. It was interesting to know so many things about my country’s history that I had no idea about.
Dutch Square
The main tourist spot and most crowded one is the Dutch square and as per the name, you can guess. It is a square with things the Dutch left from their time in the city like a church and the buildings around including a museum. The place is cute with brick tones in every single building which gives the place a peculiar touch. The square is just by the river which also posed a major attraction as its margins are filled with cute houses, coffee shops, and restaurants, and where there are tons of tour boats passing by constantly.
The square had these super cute loud carts decorated with plushies from several kid’s favorites like Baby Shark, Hello Kitty, or Spiderman. I have never seen such cute carts in my life. They were dope and the locals would paddle you around the center. But it didn’t feel like a solo traveler activity haha
Jonker Street
And just nearby is the most popular street of Malacca that embraces a night market on weekends that I could experience. The street is an attraction during the day and during nighttime. In the day, the colonial architecture can be admired and I love the aesthetic of the place. Malacca reminded me of Ipoh with its colorful cute corners everywhere. Therefore, simply walking along the streets and admiring the house’s facades was already an attraction to my eye. This street is called Jonker Walk Melaka and it is a must. I was staying 5 min walk away from it which was nice. The night market is a great place to try some street food and find cute souvenirs.
The main attractions in Malacca are pretty close to each other and therefore walking is a good way to explore the city. I walked pretty much everywhere, except for the mosque I visited which was not that near the center.
St. Paul’s Church
But following my itinerary… After Jonker Street and the Dutch Square, I walked to St. Paul’s Church, or locally known as “Gereja”, which was built by the Portuguese. Funny that some words are similar to my mother tongue. In Portugueses Gereja (or Church) is Igreja.
The church is very near the Dutch Square too. It offers privileged views of the surroundings and the sea is also in sight. From here the Portuguese could look around almost everywhere to see any danger that could be approaching. The church stands on a hill, but there is not much left of it. Just the walls and some graves plaques from the colonization period. Interesting to read some Portuguese there, but most of the artifacts were left by Dutch and Brits. Not surprising that everything the Portuguese built is mostly destroyed as they were defeated by the Dutch that took over Malacca. And just by the Church, down the hill, there was, once upon a time, a fort built by the Portuguese that nowadays has no more than a tiny bit of wall standing haha. A Famosa, or the famous, as it is called could have been mighty but nowadays is just disappointing…. Nothing to see.
Maritime Museum
Nearby this cluster of colonization past is also a museum within a replica of a Portuguese ship- Flor de La Mar. I usually don’t visit museums, but this one I felt like it and I read every text inside haha so I actually spent quite a little time in there. Inside the museum is the story of Malacca, from the sultan era to the Portuguese, Dutch, and British and back to Malay rule. It was very interesting for me to read those things because if I learned them in school, I remembered none of it. But there is a lot to learn about the city’s past inside the museum. There were replicas of Portuguese, Dutch, and British ships. I even saw some Portuguese coins and flags. So weird to be on the other side of the world and see these things. The Portuguese and the Dutch didn’t come to make any good to the city after all. Very interesting for me to visit this museum.
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple
Around this very touristy part of the city is also a Chinese temple that is worth a visit. Chinese influence in the city nowadays is clearly visible. The temple Cheng Hoon Teng is a very beautiful exemplar of Chinese architecture, made of wood and looking pretty cool. The temple is small so it won’t take long to see. Nearby is a newer one and a mosque. Amazing how in Malaysia all religions can exist nearby each other.
Portuguese settlement in Malacca
A bit far from this cluster of tourist attractions is the Portuguese settlement in Malacca that I made sure to visit. Note that I visited in December 2022 and tourism was far from what it was back in the day before the pandemic. I walked all the way to this Portuguese neighborhood not sure what to expect. I know I’m there once I see a statue of Christ the Redeemer– weird sight- and signs with Portugal written on or the Portuguese flag on the facade of several restaurants that claim to have Portuguese food. Where is Bacalhau? Nop. I don’t think they have Portuguese food for real haha. I’m sure the place has seen better days before Covid because the area was completely empty and only 2 restaurants were open. There is this little square surrounded by Portuguese food restaurants, Portuguese flags, and all that was a weird sight. It was the first place like this I have visited in Asia. I know the Portuguese have been to more countries before any Europeans, but I haven’t seen such a big legacy left behind as here. Apparently, there is a man that can speak a bit of the language but I didn’t encounter him. Still, it was interesting to see this unique spot in Malacca.
Melaka straits Mosque
From here I decided to walk to the most beautiful mosque in Malacca. Melaka straits mosque, or masjid selat melaka. Unlike the other places, this is far from the center, at least for a walk under the very hot sun. So I walked there but on my way back I booked a Grab. Grab is available in the city, just a pity once again that they don’t have motorbikes available…
This mosque stands on the water. Yes. It is a floating mosque with a sea view. The mosque is beautiful and imponent and the fact that is by the ocean gives it extra charm. I’m sure it might be a good sunset spot in Malacca. I don’t know if it is possible to visit inside because I didn’t attempt to do it. I simply relaxed nearby the place by the water. There is a small spot with bits of sand and lots of rocks, but surely I didn’t come here looking to sunbathe.
River walks
After visiting these attractions all I did was walk along the river channel that provides a very pleasant walk and a beautiful one too. This city is very photogenic. I love how colorful it is. Of course, you can also join a boat tour and enjoy the city’s charm from another perspective.
I stayed in Malacca for 2 days and honestly, I think it was enough. The city is small and besides the historic center, there isn’t much more to do, unless you explore the surroundings. But, as for Malacca itself, you won’t need a lot of time to explore its best. I really liked visiting Malacca cause it was giving me small-city vibes which I liked. It was crowded because of the holiday but I’m sure the place was seeing way fewer tourists than before the pandemic. Worth as an escape destination from Kuala Lumpur? Totally!
