VACATION IN MALACCA

The most interesting historical place in Malaysia.

Malacca was founded by Parameswara, a Hindu Prince from the Kingdom of Srivijaya in Sumatra in the year 1403. After he embraced Islam and became the Sultan of Malacca, Malacca became a trading centre with goods from China, India, Middle East, Thailand and neighbouring countries passing through the port of Malacca. Visiting Malaysia is not complete without going to the historical state of Malacca.

As a result of Melaka's strategic location, the Portuguese conquered it in 1511 followed by the Dutch in 1641 and finally by the British in 1824. The Japanese was ruling it for a while during World War Two from 1942 to 1945. Malacca gained independence as one of the states of Malaysia on August 31, 1957

The english spelling for this state used to be Malacca but has since been changed to Melaka. We will use these two terms here and they mean the same thing.

Melaka together with Georgetown in Penang have been inscripted as historical cities under Unesco's World Heritage Sites (WHS) in July 2008. The first area is the St. Paul's Hill Civic Zone which consists of the government buildings, the original fortress town built during the time of Portuguese and Dutch occupation, Bukit Cina, museums and churches.

The second area is the Historic Residential and Commercial Zone which consists of more than 600 shophouses, religious buildings, commercial and residential buildings as well as tombs on the four main streets. Explore them..

 Malacca Vacation Places of Attractions

Malacca vacation is not complete without visiting the following attractions. See the historical heritage of Malacca where many of the old buildings dated back to the 16th century still stand strong today. See A Famosa, The Stadthuys and Christ Church all of which are within walking distance of one another. Try taking the trishaw and make sure you take a good picture as you ride as a memento for you to bring home. Not to be missed is the 45 minutes cruise along Malacca River and the Maritime Museum.

Finally, try Nyonya Food which is a combination of Chinese and Malay ingredients. Not to be forgotten is Portuguese cuisine at Restoran San Pedro and Restoran De Lisbon.

Malacca vacation - A'Famosa

This landmark as shown in the picture above is a must for all visitors to Malacca. Known also as Porta de Santiago, this fortress was built by Portuguese Admiral Alfonso d'Albuquerque in the year 1511. A big part of it was destroyed during the Dutch invasion and what remains today is just a small section of the fortress left behind by the Portuguese. Malacca vacation is not complete without visiting this ruin.

The Stadthuys

The background was built in 1650 as residence of Dutch governors and their officers

The Stadthuys is another major landmark left behind by the Dutch. Used to be white in colour, this building was refurbished and painted Salmon red colour to match the colour of the surrounding buildings. When completed in 1650, it was used as official residence for Dutch governors and their officers.

Malacca vacation - Melaka River Cruise

Your Malacca vacation is not complete without taking a cruise down Malacca River. Costing only RM10 for adult and RM5 for children, this 45 minutes tour will take you pass many Dutch style buildings. Remember to take along your camera and take interesting pictures of the old shop houses, bridges and Kampung Morten Malay village.

The Malacca River and the surrounding area. The cruise will be on this river.

 Malacca vacation - Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum near the city centre is located along Jalan Quayside. It housed a replica of the Flor de la Mar, a Portuguese ship that sank off the coast of Malacca. The exhibit at this museum showed the history of Malacca from the time of the Malacca Sultanate to the pre-independence time of Malaysia. You will be able to see models of iron chests, old charts, ships and maps.

The beautiful replica of Flor de la Mar Maritime Museum located along Jalan Quayside.

 Melaka Hotels 

There are many international standards hotels in Malacca. Some of the popular Malacca Hotels include The Bayview Hotel Melaka, Equatorial Hotel, Everly Resort, Grand Continental Hotel, Legacy Hotel, Mahkota Hotel Melaka, Renaissance Melaka Hotel and Seri Costa Hotel. The latest one is the Hatten Hotel which is located on the shopping mall itself.

MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN MALAYSIA

Malaysia had many interesting and beautiful place to visit and recommended for vacation.

Malaysia offers two very distinct experiences: the peninsula and Borneo (an island shared with Indonesia and Brunei). The peninsula is a mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian flavours with an efficient and modern capital, Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian Borneo features some of the most interesting places in Malaysia with a wild jungle, orang-utans, granite peaks and remote tribes. Combined with some beautiful islands, luxury resorts and colonials towns, Malaysia, for most visitors, presents a happy mix.

 Similar to that again is its tropical weather where sunshine, hot temperature with showers could be expected throughout the year, Malaysian people are warm, friendly with smiles on their faces throughout the year.

Almost 2 million foreign tourists travelled to Malaysia in 2010. Most of them were citizens from neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Indonesia but a growing number of other foreign tourists are discovering this country as well.

Among the Top 10 Travel Destinations in Malaysia that travellers must go are:

1.    Penang 

Named after Britain’s King George III, Georgetown is located on the north-east corner of Penang Island. Most of George Town’s population is of Chinese origin. Due to strict controls, George Town retains many of its colonial-era shop houses to this day. It is officially recognized as having a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in Southeast Asia. The town truly springs to life in the evenings, when most of the locals head to the nearby street hawkers to have their meals and drinks. Mostly populated by Chinese community, travellers could find incense and temples everywhere in Penang. The ‘must-do” items includes visiting the Kek Lok Si temple, Penang Hill, Snake Temple, trying out full varieties of our local Penang foods, sightseeing world heritage architectures, sun-bathing at the beautiful Batu Ferringhi beach as well as exploring the ‘spicy’ little Indian street;

2.    Cameron Highland 

One of Malaysia’s most extensive hill stations, first developed by the British in the 1920s. It has a population of more than 34,000 people consisting of Malays, Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups. The Cameron Highlands is renowned for its trails. They lead visitors through the forest to waterfalls and other tranquil spots. Apart from its jungle walks, the sanctuary is also known for its tea plantations and visitors can book several “tea factory” tours. The hinterland at highland where you can visit tea plantations in the cool air, sipping tea at cafes, viewing flowers and cactus plantation, as well as trying our local steamboat lunch and dinner. You can also play a round of golf there too.

3.    Taman Negara 

Taman Negara, which literally means “national park” in Malay, is one of the oldest tropical rain forest in the world. It features massive trees, waterfalls, jungle treks of various duration and the world’s longest canopy walkways. Several trails enable the visitor to explore the forest without a guide. Taman Negara is a haven for endangered species such as the Asian elephant, tigers, leopards and rhinos, but numbers are low and sightings are very rare. It’s unlikely that you will see anything more than birds, small deer, lizards, snakes and perhaps a tapir. With the thick rainforest surrounding you, try jungle trekking, tracking elephants with your leech-proof boots. kayaking and overnight at Kenyir Lake. Fishing and exploring the National Park at Endao Rompin.

4.    Pulau Redang, Perhentian, Kapas or Tioman 

These east coastal islands are best for snorkelling, scuba diving, photographing live corals and sunsets! You can also witness turtles laying eggs at sea shore if you are lucky. Located off the coast of northeastern Malaysia not far from the Thai border. The Perhentian Islands are the must-go place in Malaysia for budget travelers. They have some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and great diving with plenty of cheap accommodation. The two main islands are Perhentian Besar (“Big Perhentian”) and Perhentian Kecil (“Small Perhentian”). Both the islands have palm-fringed white sandy beaches and turquoise blue sea.

Tioman is a small island located off the east coast of peninsular Malaysia. In the 1970s, Time Magazine selected Tioman as one of the world’s most beautiful islands. Tourists have surged to the island ever since, seeking a taste of paradises. The island is surrounded by numerous white coral reefs, making it a haven for scuba divers while the interior is densely forested. Visitors outnumber villagers outside the monsoon (November to February), but Tioman can be virtually deserted at other times.

5.    Sarawak and Sabah 

With a summit height at 4,095 meters (13,435 ft), Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Borneo. The mountain is known worldwide for its tremendous botanical and biological species biodiversity. Over 600 species of ferns, 326 species of birds, and 100 mammalian species have been identified at Mount Kinabalu and its surrounding. The main peak of the mountain can be climbed easily by a person with a good physical condition, and requires no mountaineering equipment although climbers must be accompanied by guides at all times. Climb the massive Mt. Kinabalu, visit the mythical Borneo where you can see wild Orang-utan and off course, taste plenty of fresh and cheap seafood! Off the shore of Tawau is the famous Sipadan “scuba diving heaven” Island.

6.    Melaka 

The historical city with many ancient architectures and cultures inherited from the Portuguese, Dutch and Spanish. Travelers could learn more on the local Papa and Nyonya community and its culture. Plan a short trip to Melaka to take colourful travel photos;

7.    Langkawi 

Malaysia’s best-known holiday destination, Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border. By far the largest of the islands is the eponymous Pulau Langkawi with a population of about 65,000, the only other inhabited island being nearby Pulau Tuba. Fringed with long, white beaches and with an interior of jungle covered hills and craggy mountain peaks, it’s easy to see why this is Malaysia’s most heavily promoted tourist destination. The most popular beaches can be found on the west coast with a wide choice of restaurants and eateries and some of the best resorts in Langkawi. Big island with all sorts of activities to explore includes the Eagle Square, grand Perdana gallery of art by our previous premier, Tun Dr. Mahathir;

8.    Kuala Lumpur 

The capital city of Malaysia. The heaven for entertainment, shopping, drinking, and people watching. Travellers need at least 3 days to visit tourists spots such as the Petronas Twin Tower,Batu Caves, Tasek Perdana with Birds Park, Orchid Garden, museum, zoo, royal palace, Chinese temples etc. The best way to explore the city is by utilising its Integrated Railway System to connect to most travel sites. The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur were the world’s tallest buildings before being surpassed in 2004 by Taipei 101. However, the towers are still the tallest twin buildings in the world. The 88-floor towers are constructed largely of reinforced concrete, with a steel and glass facade designed to resemble motifs found in Islamic art, a reflection of Malaysia’s Muslim religion. The Petronas Twin Towers feature a sky bridge between the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors.

9.    Putrajaya 

 A new government administrative district where you could visit the lake, botanic garden, mosque and also to appreciate the grand architectures with nine bridges reaching the district surrounded by a man-made river.

10. Genting Highland 

The 1-stop entertainment, hotels and the only casino in Malaysia, all on top of a mountain over 5,00o feet’s from sea water level called Genting Highland.