Melaka

A historic strait city visited by Zheng He's fleets, with the Dutch Red Square, St. Paul's Church and the Jonker Walk night market. Its World Heritage layers Portuguese, Dutch, British and Chinese culture.

Melaka lies on the southwest coast of the Malay Peninsula on the northern side of the Strait of Malacca. It is the capital of the state of Melaka, about 150 km from Kuala Lumpur and about 250 km from Singapore. The Melaka Sultanate made its capital here in the 15th century, and Zheng He's fleet stopped here several times on his voyages. It was then ruled in turn by the Portuguese (1511), the Dutch (1641) and the British (1824), and in 2008, together with George Town in Penang, it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site as "Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca." The main sights are concentrated within a 20-minute walk on both banks of the Melaka River. The east bank has the Dutch Red Square (Stadthuys), Christ Church, St. Paul's Hill, A Famosa fortress and many museums, while the west bank is the Chinese old town made up of Jonker Walk, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Kampung Kling Mosque and Peranakan houses. 4 km to the south, on a reclaimed island, is the Straits Mosque, and the Portuguese Settlement on the outskirts preserves a community of Portuguese descent. The climate is hot all year at 24–33°C; December to March is relatively dry and the best season, and October–November has the heaviest rain, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Getting there: from Kuala Lumpur's TBS terminal, long-distance buses leave every 30 minutes and reach Melaka Sentral in 2 hours, and then bus 17 or Grab takes about 15 minutes to the Dutch Red Square. From Singapore, the bus takes about 4 hours. There is no direct rail service to Melaka; the nearest KTM station is Pulau Sebang (Tampin). We recommend staying 1–2 days, ideally including a Friday-to-Sunday night to visit the Jonker Walk night market. Tips: the core of the old town is quiet on weekdays, but on weekends and Malaysian public holidays it is crowded and hotel prices rise; it is scorching at midday, so see the historic sites in the morning, visit museums or cafés in the afternoon, and take a river cruise and the night market in the evening; a 15-minute trishaw ride costs about RM 20–40 and you should agree on the price first; and dress modestly when entering mosques and Cheng Hoon Teng Temple.

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Itineraries