Take a Day Trip to Melaka!

Malacca ( English spelling) or Melaka ( Malay spelling) lies on the west coast of West Malaysia. It's south of the capital, Kuala Lumpur. The journey by bus or car is usually around two hours.

 

The town is built on the banks of the river. In the old days, people made a living by fishing. But soon Melaka became an important trading post.

You can take a cruise on a river boat to see the old and new houses built along the banks of the river.

This is built following the traditional palace ( istana ) of the Malay royal family. The head is called the Sultan.

The first Europeans to reach Malacca were the Portuguese. They wanted to control the spice trade. Spices from the Indonesian islands were very important and VERY expensive in the 15th and 16th centuries because they helped to preserve meat. No spices were found in Europe; they were only available in the East.

To control the Straits of Malacca, the Portuguese built a fort - The picture above shows A Famosa.

The red buildings here were built by the Dutch when they took control of Melaka in the 17th century. The Dutch fought the Portuguese for Melaka because they wanted to control the Straits of Malacca ( the sea between Sumatera, Indonesia and West Malaysia).

You should try taking a ride on these decorated trishaws ( the seat is attached to the bicycle).It's a good way to explore the narrow streets of Melaka.

You could also try a ride on the bullock cart. In the past, bullocks were used to plow the rice fields.

 

Here's a copy of the traditional ships used by the Portuguese to sail to Asia in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Bring money for shopping! Here you have a variety of wooden clogs - they're usually not so colourful ( only painted plain red) and they're very noisy when you walk on them.

The lady is a Nyonya ( children of Chinese married to Malays). She's wearing kebaya and a sarong. They're expensive if they're made by hand.

You may be able to see these beautiful antique doors on the older streets of Melaka.

If you're very lucky, you may spot a traditional wedding.

The picture on the top right shows rice rolled into balls - they're eaten with roast chicken. Delicious!

Peranakan ( Malay-Chinese) cuisine can be spicy but also very tasty! There are also restaurants selling Portuguese food which has been adapted to suit local tastes.