Malacca

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Malacca (Melaka in Malay) is the capital of the state of Malacca in southern Malaysia.

	malacca Travel Guide : 1 Understand 1.1 History 2 Get in 2.1 By plane 2.2 By bus 2.3 By car 2.4 By train 2.5 By boat 3 Get around 4 See 5 Do 6 Buy 7 Eat 8 Drink 9 Sleep 10 External links

Understand

Modern-day Malacca is a small and fairly sleepy city.

History

There are some interesting legends surrounding the foundation and naming of Malacca. According to the 16th century Malay Annals, the city was founded by Parameswara, a descendent of Alexander the Great. More likely, he was a Hindu prince and political fugitive from nearby Java. The legend goes that Paramswara was out on a hunt in the region and had stopped to refresh himself near what is now the Malacca River. Standing near a Melaka tree he was surprised to witness one of his hunting dogs so startled by a mouse deer that it fell into the river. Parameswara took this as a propitious sign of the weak overcoming the powerful and decided to build the capital of his new kingdom where he stood, naming it for the tree under which he had been resting. Another account says Malacca is derived from the Arabic word "Malakat", meaning market. Malacca had a navigable harbor sheltered by nearby Sumatra across the narrow straits, ample supply of fresh water, enjoyed a prime location relative to the shifting monsoon winds, and had a central location in regional trade patterns, all of which soon made it a prosperous trading town. Its fortunes increased with its official adoption of Islam in the 14th century. The Sultans of Malacca were soon attracting Arab traders from far afield. However, Malacca continued to trade with merchants of all races and religions.

After the visit of the Chinese Muslim Admiral Cheng Ho in the mid-15th century, contact between China and Malacca intensified. In exchange for protection against Siam, Malacca became a vassal state to Ming China. To ensure Malacca's safety, a new powerful kingdom was founded by the Sultan of Samudra-Pasai.

The power of the Malays began to rise through the 15th century. The sultan at that time married a Ming Chinese consort.

Things started to change with the arrival of the Portuguese in 1509. They were at first welcomed, but Indian traders soon turned the sultan against the Portuguese and they had to flee. In 1511 the Portuguese returned, and at their second attempt seized the city. This marked the start of the formation of a large Eurasian community. An alliance between the Dutch and the Sultanate of Johor Bahru saw the loss much of Malaccas power. In 1641 the Dutch put a blockade on Malacca and they seized the city after six months.

Only after 150 years did the Dutch lose their hold on Malacca. In 1795 The Netherlands was conquered by the French, and the British were keen to take over the Dutch holdings in Malacca. By that time, Malacca had lost most of its importance.

Malacca is a center of Peranakan culture. When Chinese settlers originally came to Malacca as miners, traders and coolies, they took local (often Malay) brides and adopted many local customs. The result of this is an interesting mix of Malay and Chinese cultures. The men are known as Babas and the women Nonyas.

A small group of Eurasians of Portuguese descent continue to speak their unique creole, known as Cristão or Kristang.

Get in

By plane

Batu Berendam Airport is located about 10km from Malacca city. There are no Malaysian domestic flights serving this airport. However, Pelangi Air flies several times weekly to Pekanbaru, Sumatra.

There are two public transportation options for getting to/from the airport:

• Batang Bus (red and white): Any bus from Melaka Sentral will go past Batu Berendam Airport. Buses will stop by the main road about 200m from the airport building.
• Tuahbas No. 65 (dark blue and yellow): Goes from Melaka Sentral to the airport via Bachang.

By bus

Many long-distance express buses connect Malacca with both Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Johor Baru, Singapore and other parts of Peninsular Malaysia.

All long-distance and local buses now operate from the Melaka Sentral bus terminal, a good 3km from the historic core of the city.

Some of the companies operating from Malacca are:

• Transnasional (http://www.transnasional.com.my/transportation_overview.asp) is the largest long-distance bus operator in Malaysia. It links the state with a host of destinations in Peninsular Malaysia like Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Singapore and further afield. Transnasional buses depart from Malacca City (Melaka Sentral), Alor Gajah, A'Famosa Resort and Masjid Tanah.
• Malacca-Kuala Lumpur Express: Hourly buses between Malacca City and Kuala Lumpur
• Jebat Ekspres: Buses to Kuala Lumpur via Masjid Tanah and Alor Gajah
• Malacca-Singapore Express: Hourly buses between Malacca City and Johor Baru and Singapore
• MCW Express: Frequent express services to Muar, Johor

By car

Malacca can be accessed from the North South Expressway by exiting at the Alor Gajah-Tampin (officially Simpang Ampat), Ayer Keroh and Lipat Kijang (Jasin) exits. Ayer Keroh exit is the nearest to Malacca city.

Malacca city is on the Coastal Trunk Road (Federal Route 5), and can be accessed from the Main Trunk Road (Federal Route 1) by turning off at Simpang Kendong or Tampin, Negeri Sembilan. Malacca is 150km from Kuala Lumpur, 216km from Johor Baru, 90km from Port Dickson.

By train

Malacca is not served by any railway lines. The closest railway station is at Tampin (Railway station Tel: +60-6-3411034), about 40 km away, and connected by the following buses:

• Tai Lye No 26 (red, blue and white): Goes from Melaka Sentral to Tampin via Alor Gajah. Buses will stop by the main road into Tampin near the level crossing. The station is about 400m from the main road.
• Salira (light blue and yellow): Goes from Melaka Sentral to Tampin via Ayer Keroh and Durian Tunggal.

By boat

Daily ferries run to and from Dumai and Pekanbaru in Sumatra, Indonesia. All ferries leave from the Harbour Master's jetty (Jeti Shahbandar) at Taman Melaka Raya near the Maritime Museum. Malacca Town Bus No. 17 (Green) goes near the Harbour Master's jetty which is just down the road from the Red Square.

From Dumai

• At least two ferries daily. Operated by Tunas Rupat Follow Me Express (http://m-sia.com/indomal/index.html). Tel: +60-6-2832506, +60-6-2832516 in Melaka, +62-765-31398 in Dumai.

From Pekanbaru

• At least one ferry daily. Operated by Tunas Rupat Follow Me Express. Tel: +60-6-2832506, +60-6-2832516 in Melaka, +62-761-858-777 in Pekanbaru

Get around

Malacca is by no means a small city, but exploring on foot is a good idea. You could rent a bike. Alternatively, take Bus 17 to go from the bus station to the old city core and back. Bus 19 runs to Ayer Keroh. Bus 50 runs to the Mahkota Parade shopping centre and nearby seafood restaurants. Metered Taxis are just about everywhere. Trishaws are available as well, but they do not really belong here and are mainly for tourists.

There are also chartered taxi services available at end of Jalan Kee Ann. These chartered taxis within Melaka and outside Melaka such as to KLIA International Airport, Kuala Lumpur and even Singapore. These chartered taxis can carry up to 4 passengers at a time. Chartered taxis should cost no more than RM 10 in the city center and up to RM 20 for points in the vicinity; see Tourism Melaka (http://www.tourism-melaka.com/taxi.html) for the official fare chart.

Streets in the older/historical part of the city are very narrow, so they quickly become clogged during rush hours. Don't be ignorant and stand in the middle of the road holding up traffic in order to take pictures of buildings, for heaven's sake. (This happens!)

See

The older part of the city proper has, in addition to the old palace and the large buildings left by the Europeans, many private houses and shops from nearly a century or more ago, put up by Chinese traders. Many of these have beautiful details such as moulded porcelain tiles and painted plaster reliefs on the front. Unfortunately, they tend to be not well preserved and the city government decided to paint all the buildings in the historical district a bright brick red some years ago, which detracts from their aesthetic value.

• Stadhuys - completed in 1660. Nowadays, it houses the historical museum. This is one of the oldest Dutch buildings in the east.
• Christ Church - this church was build between 1741 and 1753. It replaced a Portuguese church, which was shattered. Bricks were shipped from Zeeland in the Netherlands. On the floor of the church you will find Dutch tombstones. It is the oldest protestant church in Malaysia. On the altar you will see sacramental silverware, still bearing the Dutch coat of arms. Open: Thursday - Tuesday.
• Red Square - Beautiful square around Christ Church and the Stadhuys. On this square you will find the Tang Beng Swee Clock Tower, it looks Dutch, but it is not. It was build in 1886.
• Porta de Santiago - You will find this remains of the old Portuguese fort A Famosa on Jalan Kota, around St Paul's Hill. What you can see nowadays is a mostly Dutch reconstruction, bearing the VOC coat of arms.
• St Paul's Church - take a path up the hill and it will lead you to this church. It was originally build in 1521, by the Portuguese. It became a fortress in 1567, until 1596. After the Dutch siege it became St Paul's, before it was known as Nossa Senhora da Annunciada (Our Lady of Annunciation). It has been used as a burial ground for the Dutch. You can still see the tombstones, along the walls of ruins of the church.
• Muzium Budaya - Below the hill you will find this museum (Melaka Cultural Museum). It is a reconstruction of the istana of the sultan. It was build in 1985. It is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm except on Tuesdays, and on Fridays from 1215-1445. Entrance fee: RM1.50.
• Portuguese Settlement.
• Cheng Hoon Teng Temple - oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia and has an inscription dating 1685 commemorating the deeds of by Kapitan China Li Wei King.
• Poh San Teng Temple. This temple is located at the foot of Bukit China and was founded in 1795 by Kapitan China Chua Su Cheong as a graveyard temple. The main deity is Fu-te Zhen Shen. the temple was built to allow the descendants of those buried on Bukit China to conduct prayers to their ancestors away from the heavy rain and strong winds.
• Kampung Morten - a village of traditional houses, it is located on the west bank
• Bukit China(Chinese Cemetery) - Bukit China is the one of the largest Chinese cemetery outside of mainland China. Graves can be found here that go back to the late Ming dynasty (mid 17th century). The earliest grave found so far dates to 1622, but unfortunately many graves were exhumed during the British occupation of Malaysia. Bukit China is a famous jogging spot for the locals and jogging tracks are available all over the hill. When you climb on top of the hill, you will have a nice view of the town.
• Recreational Forest Ayer Keroh - The 359ha Ayer Keroh Recreational Forest was opened on April 17, 1984 and offers visitors peace and tranquility within its cool green surroundings.
• Baba and Nonya Peranakan Musuem - Step back in time with a visit to this musuem which is an actual Peranakan heritage town house and is a great example of Peranakan culture. It is located on Heeren Street (now known as Tun Cheng Lock Street). The entry fee is RM8 per person.

Do

• Go fly a kite, literally - Go to Klebang Beach and buy a cheap kite (fighter-style, but nowhere near that well-constructed) with Japanese cartoon characters on it for RM 1.50, or a styrofoam airplane for RM 5 if you don't have the necessary kite-flying mad skills.
• Jonker Walk - Jonker Walk is an open air night market held every weekend evening to late night. Have a leisure stroll along the street, observing the locals' life, catching a free performance and shop for some local sourvenirs can be a wonderful and unforgettable experience.

Buy

• Jonkers Walk (6pm -12am every weekend).

Eat

• Jalan Kee Ann Night Open Air Eating Stalls, Jalan Kee Ann (Chinatown). 6.00PM to 11.00PM every day. Open air eating stalls for locals and visitors. It is a good place to eat and see the world go by while eating in the open air. Local cuisines include won ton mee, popiah, yew keow, sugar cane water, sup kambing, satay,etc.

• Geographér Cafe, 63 Jalan Hang Jebat (Chinatown), 606-2816813. Comfortable and lively restaurant/bar serving Malaccan standards. Occasional live music. http://www.geographer.com.my/

• Jonkers Melaka, 17 Jalan Hang Jebat (Chinatown). 10AM-5PM every day. Beautiful cool Chinatown courtyard with a few scattered tables; promises "light western Nyonya food".

• Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball, in the area near Jonker there are a few famous shops selling Chicken Rice Ball. Although it is called Hainanese, its origin is not Hainan China, but invented by the Hainanese Immigrants long time ago. You can find Hainanese Chicken Rice throughout Malaysia, but Melaka is the only place that serves Chicken Rice in balls.

• Satay Celup, similiar to Satay, different varieties of food like fishballs, crabsticks, meat, prawns and etc are put on a bamboo stick, but instead of grilling it like normal Satay, Satay Celups are dip in boiling sauce. Price ranges from RM0.30 to RM0.80 per stick depend on the type and shop.

Drink

• Melaka Raya - Melaka Raya is the nightlife area of Melaka. Countless Pubs, Discos, Cafes and Restaurants are located in this area. If you want to enjoy some Clubbing experience in Melaka, this is the place to go.

Sleep

• Eastern Heritage.

• Sama-Sama Guest House, 26 Jalan Tukang Besi (Blacksmith Street, one block north of Hang Jebat), 305-1980 (email: sama_sama_guesthouse@hotmail.com). A laid-back guesthouse with 8 rooms. Large, friendly hang-out area with "no TV, just sweet reggae music" and occasional live music, and a nice back courtyard with burbling fountain. Kitchen and laundry available. RM20-30. http://www.sama-sama-guesthouse.com/

• Tony's Guesthouse. 8 rooms. Rm30.

• Chong Hoe Hotel ,26 Jalan Tukang Emas (Goldsmith Street, opposite of Masjid Kampung Kling)(Tel-606-2826102) It offers good value with simple fan and tv room for Rm25 and air-con singles/doubles with tv and bathroom for RM43 onward.

External links

• Welcome to Melaka (http://www.melaka.gov.my/)
• Tourism Melaka (http://www.tourism-melaka.com/)