Malacca is a colonial city, beautiful and very interesting to see in Malaysia. If you are thinking about taking a tour of Malaysia, I recommend that you spend at least one night and two days in Malacca. The city has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 2008 and there you will find a mix of culture, religions, gastronomy... In this post I tell you about what to see in Malacca, where to stay and how to get there.
How to get to Malacca
The city of Malacca is not very big and it is possible to explore it on foot in one day. Being so close to Kuala Lumpur, it is possible to take a day trip.
If you are interested in doing this excursion, they leave from Kuala Lumpur, pick you up at your hotel and include transportation, the guide and lunch.
You can book with a guide in English (somewhat cheaper) or with a guide in Spanish, I leave you the links so you can see if you are interested in this option and you can book from here.
If you want to visit Malacca for free, you can arrive by private transport or + (taxi, transfers…) or by bus. There are countless buses leaving from Kuala Lumpur TBS station to Malacca. You can book online, my favorite website for transport in Asia is 12goAsia.
We decided to spend the night in Malacca. Our bus left at 12 noon, and considering that it takes 2 hours to go and return 2 hours more, we preferred to take advantage of the time visiting the city and from the beginning we planned the itinerary through Malacca to spend a night in the city. Later I will tell you about some accommodation options, 5-star accommodation for less than 30 euros per person, backpacking options...
10 ESSENTIALS TO SEE IN MALACA, MALAYSIA
1. Malacca Red Square (Dutch Square)
The beautiful red square is the most visited place in the city by travelers. We have seen it in countless photographs of the city and its red colonial buildings surrounding the square make this place a very beautiful place to see in Malacca. You could say that this square and the surrounding area are the historic center of the city. The buildings that surround the square date from around 1660. It is a square full of life at all hours, where you will find food stalls on the street where you can eat something quick and cheap, several rickshaws and tuk tuks waiting to take you anywhere in the city, colored lights, music... The atmosphere of this plaza is great.
2. The Churches of Malacca
There are several churches to see in Malacca, but unless you are going to spend several days in the city it will be a bit difficult to see them all. I add the most accessible and interesting churches to see in the city center.
3. Christ Church
Located in the red square, this small church dates back to the Dutch colonial era. It was built on top to replace the old church that was in its place, from the previous colonizers, the Portuguese. It is a Dutch colonial style church.
4. Paul's Church
This church is the oldest church in Southeast Asia, commissioned to be built by a Portuguese captain in 1521. It is located on St Paul's Hill and is currently half demolished.
5. St. Francis Xavier Church
This small white church is located in the historic center of Malacca. It was built by the French, during their colonization period, in 1849. It was built in the same place, where there had previously been a church built by the Portuguese.
6. Chinese Temples of Malacca
The Cheng Hoon Teng Chinese Buddhist Temple was built in 1645 and is one of the oldest still functioning temples in Malacca. Although this is not the only Chinese temple in Malacca, you also have the San Ching Tian Temple, Hokkien Huay Kien Temple, Kuan Yin Temple, among others.
7. Masjid Kampung Kling Mosque
Malacca is a multicultural city that coexists perfectly with several religions. Therefore, you will find on the same street a Christian church, Chinese Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, and of course, also mosques.
Although it is not the only mosque in the city, the Masjid Kampung Kling Mosque is the oldest, dating back to 1748 and is quite simple. It draws attention for its white minaret, worn and dirty over the years.
Another important mosque to visit is the Malaka Straits Mosque, located on a platform above the sea, on the shores of the beach.
8. Browse and stroll through the Street art, on the banks of the river
Street Art is a street on the banks of the river where you can walk, enjoy the small colorful houses, the graffiti painted on them, and the good atmosphere there is. It is possible to walk along this street or even if you dare, you can book a boat ride.
9. Jonker Street Night Market
The Jonker Street Night Market is where every night you will find the night market set up. Stops selling all types of clothing, accessories, technology, counterfeits... and above all many street food stalls where you can try meat skewers, dishes with fresh fish of the day, sweets... at a very low price.
10. Villa Sentosa
Villa Sentosa is a house museum, located in the historic center of the city. It is a house of traditional Malay architecture, built in 1927 and was home to the Ibrahim family, a family that still maintains the property. You can see a mix of architectural styles, although the Malay style predominates, there are Portuguese and Malay style decorations.
The House is open to the public as a house museum, it has two floors and can be visited. In addition, they offer cooking and craft classes...
11. The Shore Sky Tower, the best viewpoint in Malacca
This 163-meter-high building is one of the best places to visit in the city to have incredible views of the city of Malacca. There is a viewing point and a revolving restaurant, as well as a small museum that shows the history of the tower's construction. From the viewpoint you can see the historic center, the Malacca Fort, the river, the mosques and the churches...
On the outskirts of the city is the Taming Sari tower, it is a revolving tower, the only one in Malaysia, from where you can have spectacular views. It is also interesting to get to know the Masjid Selat mosque, a beautiful white and gold mosque built on a platform on the coast, above the sea water.
WHERE TO STAY IN MALACCA, MALAYSIA
In Malacca, hotels are quite cheap, being able to sleep in 3-star hotels for about 5 euros per person. Here are some of my recommendations for all budgets:
PLAN YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your trip to Malaysia a lot and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
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A hug and see you soon!