Malaysia (Post Covid-19 My Cuti Cuti Malaysia - The Historic City of Melaka (UNESCO) Sunday & Monday Jan 8 & 9 2023 Part 1

" Think positive & positive things will happen "

My last visit to Melaka was in Dec 2021, just a short stopover (after a 3 day visit to Muar, Yong Peng, Kluang & Ayer Hitam in Johor while on my way home) & my family group visited the Submarine Museum, Pantai (Beach) Klebang & a drive through the Jonker' street (due to parking problem, our group was not able to enjoy a late morning walk in this famous street in Melaka). But in Dec 2016, I made a 2 day visit (by public bus) to the Melaka city & visited most of the historic & touristy places ..... 

For this visit, it was an impromptu one as my sister Mei had a Klook hotel discount voucher (due for expiry on Dec 31 2022) worth Rm100 (US$22.70) so using the discount voucher, I went ahead & booked a hotel (a triple bed room) for a night stay (Sunday Jan 8 2023) in Melaka city & showed up in this UNESCO site one more time - taking a trip down the memory lane .... 

Malacca (Melaka) city, dubbed the Historic City is the state capital of Malacca (Melaka), located in the southern region of the Peninsula Malaysia, next to the Straits of Malacca. Melaka city has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2008! Malacca was a Portuguese colony from 1511 > 1641, a Dutch colony (1641 > 1824) & under British Straits Settlements (1824 > 1948). So when in Melaka, you can Go Dutch (eg Dutch Square), Go Portuguese (eg A Famosa Fortress) & Go British (eg Queen Victoria's Fountain) which give tourists an interesting & mixed feeling (a strong colonial heritage flavour) as soon as you step into this quaint coastal city, approx 175km from Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia! Also you could take the opportunity to learn more about the Peranakan / Nyonya & Baba (mixed early Chinese immigrants from China & Malayan locals) & Kristang (mixed Portuguese & Malay heritage)  food & culture!

Travel itinerary (self drive): Subang Jaya > Taman Equine (my sister home place) > Melaka City > Taman Equine > Subang Jaya (one way is approx 175km)

Kuala Lumpur > Melaka City
(approx 175km)

Major touristy places in the historic city of Melaka (GPS road map):

Total expenses incurred (a group of 3): Rm338 @Rm113 (US$25)

Hotel: Rm168 less Rm100 (Klook rebate) = Rm68 (tripled bed room)

Food:Rm170

Petrol: Rm50

Highway Toll: Rm30

Parking: Rm20

My travel buddies: my wife & sister Mei 

Maritime Museum, Melaka 

A Famosa Fortress, Melaka

Travel Highlights: 

1) Dutch Square (Red Square), Bandar Hilir, Melaka City. 

2) Christ Church (1753), Jalan Gereja, Bandar Hilir, Melaka 

3) The Stadthuys (1650), Bandar Hilir, Melaka 

4) Queen Victoria's Fountain (1904), Melaka

5) Red Clock Tower (1886), Jalan Gereja, Bandar Hilir,  Melaka

6) A Famosa Fort (1512), Jalan Parameswara, Bandar Hilir, Melaka

7) Church of St Paul (1521), Jalan Kota, Bandar Hilir, Melaka

8) Church of St Francis Xavier (1849), Jalan Banda Kaba, Bandar Hilir, Melaka 

9) St John's Fort (1760), Jalan Ujong Pasir, Melaka

10) Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (1645), Jalan Tokong, Kampung Dua, Melaka

11) Kampong Kling Mosque (1748), Jalan Tukang Mas, Melaka

12) Jonker Walk, Jalan Hang Jebat, Melaka 

13) Jonker Street Night Market, Jalan Hang Jebat, Melaka

14) Melaka River, Melaka

15) Melaka Riverside Walk, Melaka

16) Street Art By The River, Melaka

17) Portuguese Settlement (Saint John's Village 1933), Ujong Pasir, Melaka

18) Melaka Straits Mosque (2006), Jalan Pulau Melaka 8, Melaka

19) The Straits of Melaka 

20) Maritime Museum (1994), Jalan Merdeka, Bandar Hilir, Melaka

21) Melaka 3D Street Art, Jalan Tukang Besi, Melaka

22) Hard Rock Cafe, Lorong Hang Jebat, Melaka

23) Encore Melaka, Impression 8, Kota Syahbandar, Melaka

24) Poh San Teng (1795) Temple, Jalan Hang Li Poh, Bukit Cina, Melaka

25) King's Well (Hang Li Poh Well), Bukit Cina, Melaka

26) WW2 Japanese Resistance Memorial (1948), Bukit Cina, Melaka

Sunday Jan 8 2023  

08.00 > 15.30 (prior to hotel check-in) - self drive by own vehicle from Subang Jaya to Taman Equine, Serdang (picked up sister Mei) over a distance of 175km via North-South Express Way; upon arrival in Melaka, focusing visits first to touristy places located outside of Melaka city ie Malaysia Heritage Studios, Encore Melaka, Poh Sang Teng Temple, WW2 Japanese Resistance Memorial, St John Fort, Portuguese Settlement, Melaka Straits Mosque & then a Melaka style chicken rice / rice ball lunch in Jonker Street. Hotel check-in was around 15.30!

17.00 > 20.30 (after hotel check-in & a short rest) focusing visits to Church of Saint Xavier, Dutch Square, St Paul Hill, A Famosa Fortress, Jonker Street Night Market, Melaka Riverside Walk followed by a Nyonya food style dinner in Jonker street. Parked our car in St Paul Hill for 4 hours (Rm10 per entry) for this evening & night visit in Melaka city!   

1) R & R highway stop at Ayer Keroh - a brief stop & toilet run!

2) Malaysia Heritage Studios, Ayer Keroh, Melaka - admission fee Rm28 for adults, located in Taman Mini Malaysia, soft opening in Dec 2022

3) Ayer Keroh Arch, Melaka 

4) Ayer Keroh Lake, Melaka

5) Medan Kraftangan & Medan Selera Hijau Zoo Ayer Keroh, Melaka

6) Iconic Landmark near a roundabout in Ayer Keroh, Melaka

7) Encore Melaka, Impression 8, Kota Syahbandar, Melaka - a multi-venue performing arts centre, the biggest theatre in South East Asia located on Melaka's most prominent site, along the city's waterfront, 3.5km from Melaka's UNESCO World Heritage Sties. 

8) Poh Sang Teng Temple (1795), Jalan Hang Li Poh, Bukit Cina, Melaka - an old Chinese temple located at the foot of Bukit Cina, next to the Melaka Warrior Monument & KIng's Well in Melaka City. 

9) King's Well, Bukit Cina, Melaka - also known as Hang Li Poh Well, the well was dug under the order of Sultan Mansur Syah for the exclusive use of his wife, Hang Li Poh who came from China, there was an interesting story on this Well as narrated below .... 

10) The Cenotaph (1948), Bikit Cina, Melaka - WW2 Japanese Resistance Memorial, Bukit Cina, Melaka - built to commemorate the Chinese victims of the Empire of Japan occupation of Malacca as part of British Straits Settlements during World War 11.

11) Bukit Cina, Melaka

12) St John's Fort (1760), Jalan Ujong Pasir, Melaka, located 3km from the city, this historical fort was built by the Dutch in 1760 to defend attacks from the Acehnese & Bugis people from the South.  

13) Portuguese Settlement (Saint John's Village), Ujong Pasir, Melaka - a home for the Kristang people, a Malaysian ethnic group with mixed Portuguese & Malay heritage, originating from the time of the Portuguese rule in Malacca during the 15th & 16th century! 

14) The Straits of Melaka - the longest & busiest straits in the world! 

15) The Melaka Straits Mosque (Masjid Selat Melaka), Jalan Pulau Melaka 8, Melaka - a "Floating" mosque located on a man-made Malacca island in Malacca city, officially opened in Nov 2006.

 

16) Taman Warisan Dunia Jonker Walk, Jalan Hang Jebat, Melaka - a vey well know street for tourists & visitors in Melaka! 

17) My group's lunch in Restoran My Chicken, Jalan Hang Jebat, Melaka; ordered steamed white chicken (half) + Rice Ball + Seaweed Fish Ball Soup + 2 Barley Drink = Rm59 (US$13.30)

Half Chicken Rm28 (US$6.30)

Rice Ball Rm9 (US$2)

Seaweed Fish Ball Soup Rm15 (US$3.40)

18) Sing Sing Coffee, Jalan Hang Jebat, Melaka - our group bought 2 packets of 3 in 1 original coffee mix @ Rm10.50. 

19) Jonker Walk, Jalan Hang Jebat, Melaka 

20) Guang Fu Kong, Jalan Portugis, Kampung Satu, Melaka

21) Xiang Lin Si Temple, Jalan Tokong, Kampung Dua, Melaka

22) Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (1645), Jalan Tokong, Kampung Dua, Melaka

The Temple Stage Hall
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (1890)

23) Kampong Kling Mosque (1748), Jalan Tukang Mas, Melaka 

24) Hotel Accommodation - my overnight stay in Time Hotel, Jalan Melaka Raya 12, Taman Melaka Raya, Melaka, room tariff (triple bed) Rm168 (US$38.20), free parking. 

25) Welcome To Melaka, World Heritage City (UNESCO)

26) Church of St Francis Xavier (1849), Jalan Banda Kaba, Bandar Hilir, Melaka 

27) Dutch Square (Red Square), Bandar Hilir, Melaka City. 

28) Cheng Ho Museum, Bandar Hilir, Melaka

29) Church of Saint Paul (1521) & St Paul Hill, Jalan Kota, Bandar Hilir, Melaka

30) A Famosa Fortress (1512), Melaka - one of the oldest surviving remnants in South East Asia, the 3-meter thick walls & 40-meter watch tower had played a major part in protecting the Portuguese form their families 

31) Maritime Museum, Jalan Merdeka, Bandar Hilir, Melaka 

32) Melaka River Cruise (6.2km), Melaka - best to take the cruise during the evening when the sun is about to set! 

33) Light refreshment in Jonker 88, Jalan Hang Jebat, Melaka - ordered 2 Nyonya cendol & 1 Nyonya red bean ice shaven totalled Rm19 (US$4.30) ; be patience as you may have to queue up for 15 > 20 minutes during the peak hours before been served!  

Nyonya Red Bean Ice Shaven Rm5 (US$1.10)

Nyonya Cendol Rm7 (US$1.60)