Melaka, Malaysia – Worth Visiting!
Don’t be fooled by the small size of this city! It’s worth a stopover. In my mind, it is well worth a night or two, as the city is most vibrant after sunset. There are so many things to see here, during the daytime and at night. My hat goes off to Tourism Malaysia and the city of Melaka! They have done an excellent job of making this place one of the most tourist-friendly destinations in Malaysia.
In over 15 years of traveling, I have not seen any other city as focused on tourism as Melaka. It seems that the city of Melaka and Tourism Malaysia put a tremendous effort into making every tourist’s experience memorable. The state even provides a couple of different free guided walking tours. I also feel that the entire country of Malaysia is tourist friendly.
Most travelers visit Melaka on a day trip from Kuala Lumpur because it is only a two-hour bus ride south. Also, many Singaporeans come here for the weekend as it is just a few hours from home. It is possible to see most things in one day, but it would be such a shame to miss out on Melaka’s night side. The city of Melaka and the Melaka tourism industry have invested a lot of time, planning, and money installing colorful lights both along the riverside as well as in many different parts of the city’s tourist zone. It’s an incredible experience!
Melaka (Malacca) River
Melaka (Malacca) River Cruise
In addition to all of the vibrant lights, you will find lots of tasteful street art among the quaint cafes and UNESCO buildings lined along the riverside. The best way to see the riverside is to hop on one of the river cruise boats. They run frequently, and a return trip will take approximately 40 minutes. The river cruise in an inexpensive way to see the city from a different viewpoint. (6 USD) I strongly recommend doing a night cruise so that you can see all of the colorful lights. You can also walk along both sides of the river where you will find endless photo opportunities.
Jonker Walk Weekend Night Market
Along with the splendor of the river experience, which includes the local restaurants, shopping, and UNESCO buildings. As well as the dozens of museums and informative walking tours. The most popular attraction of all seems to be The Jonker Walk Market, which happens at the end of each week. At this time The Jonker Walk transforms into a bustling, pedestrian-only, night market!
Trishaws
One unique thing about Melaka is the colorful Trishaws. A Trishaw is like a rickshaw or Tuk Tuk, but it is run by a peddle bike and can seat up to 3 people at a time. Each Trishaw has a different theme, such as “Sponge Bob,” “Hello Kitty,” “Sharky,” As well as many other favorite childhood heroes.
At night, these Trishaws peddle people all over the tourist zone. They are all lit up and play loud music, giving the city a vibrant feeling. The Trishaws will blast both children’s music for families, as well as top 40 hip-hop including upbeat Latino music for the adult riders. The Trishaw drivers know Melaka well, so it’s a great way to see all of the city’s hidden gems. A one hour ride will cost about 12 USD.
River Walk
You can also walk along the river and visit some of the many cafes for some food or a couple of drinks.
One thing that you need to try while you are in Asia is the Durian fruit. It is both loved and despised in this part of the world. You will see a lot of hotels, and buses with signs saying “No Durian allowed.” The signs are posted up because the Durian fruit has a strong unpleasant smell that some people don’t like. There are places here that specialize in selling products with Durian in it, including Durian flavored chocolate. In my opinion, the Durian fruit tastes delicious, and the smell isn’t that bad.
There are a lot more things to see and do in Melaka than what I have listed in this article. The following is a link to the Tourism Malaysia website where you can find more information on Melaka; Tourism Malaysia.
If you would like to read more blog posts on Malaysia, I will be writing some shortly. You can find all of the most recent articles on my website; Travel Can Be Cheap.
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Thank-you for visiting my site, and I hope you enjoyed this article.
Tyler England
