Marvelous Melaka - October 2017

Marvelous Melaka – October 2017.

We stepped off Matilda Saturday, September 30^th, 2017 around midday, walked up to the foyer in Admiral Marina and Leisure Centre here at Port Dickson. Ordered our Uber to Melaka. Due to it being a Saturday the ride in took around 3 hours. Melaka is a very popular weekend destination for Singaporean’s. Malacca (English spelling) or Melaka which is the official name is an amazing place, especially if you’re interested in history.

Originally we had planned to only stop for 2 nights giving us 1 full day to catch up on a few places we missed the last time we were in Melaka which was back in November 2016 with the Sail Malaysia Rally, but the one day allocated for a look around was just not enough. And it seemed 2 nights this time was also not enough so we booked another hotel for 2 more nights.

A tri-shaw. These are everywhere in Melaka. At night they play very, very loud music and have amazing flashing lights - loads of fun.

Day One – September 30, 2017

Left the marina around 11am and the Uber ride to Malacca took just under 3 hours to get to our hotel, Hotel Balik Pulau. The room was nice enough but small. The bathroom was cramped and we both couldn’t walk around the end of the bed at the same time. We live every day in cramped conditions, so we weren’t that thrilled about our choice. The bed was also lumpy, but by the time we had checked and gone out and about we thought well one more night will be ok.

Our iPhone had finally died the day prior so we left our room and walked up to the shopping mall. Had a lovely lunch in the mall at Tony Romas. Pottered about enjoying the air conditioning and then went off and bought a new phone, always a bit exciting. Came back to the room, messed about on the phone and then headed off to enjoy dinner.

This is the shopping complex. An easy walk from the hotel's we stayed in.

We ended up at a bar type place enjoying pizza and beers, and enjoying all the tri-shaws going past with their colorful lights on. Then seeing as we where both feeling tired we shouted ourselves a ride home to the hotel.

Day Two – October 1, 2017

Bit of a later start today, must have needed a bit of sleep but boy what a day we had. After showers we walked back up towards the mall and had breakfast. Then went for a walk to get our bearings and find Jonka Street. Wasn’t that hard.

Stopped to admire more of the Portuguese Fort buildings still standing which were built in 1511. Incredible history here. Then went over to the Melaka Sultanate Palace, but we didn’t go in. It was built 1456 completed 1477!

We stopped a very cute little café and enjoy iced raspberry teas with homemade cakes, very nice indeed.

I was keen to see The Baba-Nyonya Heritage Museum so we went in search of that. Found it after we saw a man who still makes Lotus Shoes. Thank heavens they are now only used as display items. Lotus Shoes were worn by the Chinese women whose feet were bound in the name of beauty and served as a status symbol to marry into wealth. The practice was banned from 1912 but apparently some till persisted.  

So onto the Museum and it was fantastic. Very interesting with a lovely host. We got to see inside a house and learn about a lifestyle not often seen by many, so we felt quite special.

Ended up landing at Sid’s for some much needed cold beers and proceeded to order a few bits off the menu. 

After Sid's on the walk back to the hotel we decided to have a river cruise. We had no idea all this was this was going on. This place is amazing.

Once back from the river cruise, our bellies still full from lunch we decided we needed a snooze so back to the hotel we went. Snoozed and then headed back out for dinner, enjoying the cool of the evening.

While out today we decided that we needed a few more days off. We kept walking past the Moty Hotel and it looked lovely. We checked into it online and found it was only 4 months old and a nonsmoking hotel, so we booked in for the next two nights from tomorrow.

Day Three – October 2, 2017

We went in search of our favorite breakfast: Roti Canai. We found it and really enjoyed just sitting and chatting over breakfast. We then went back and checked out of the Hotel Balik Pulau and walked up the road, luggage in tow to the Moty Hotel. OMG our room is huge and the bath…………..I was in it soaking before my bags hit the floor. The room is gorgeous and well worth the extra $9 per night!

Our Indian cafe for our Roti Canai breakfast.

Roti Cani, the best breakfast.

After moving hotels we went for a ride on the revolving tower, Menara Taming Sari. 110mtrs high providing awesome views. 

A great view of Melaka from the tower ride.

Another great view out over Melaka Strait and peek at the location of the Moty Hotel.

After the ride we though it was a good idea to walk up and along the canal where the river cruise went yesterday to take some shots of the street/wall art. Incredible!

It was very hot walking around so we came back to our room and watched a movie in the cool, had a snooze then headed out for dinner. Sid’s it was again. Great service, really cold beers, nice wine and a great menu.

Ploughmans at Sid's

Day Four – October 3, 2017

Another great day, so glad we decided to stay on for two more nights and move to a better hotel yesterday, the bed is so comfortable. We headed back to our Indian café around the road for the usual Roti Canai breakfast and then decided to do the Flora de la Mar Maritime Museum. It’s fantastic. The Portuguese galleon on display is a replica but the sheer size of it is incredible.  Learnt loads today about previous sailors back in the day and we were both very impressed with the museum's displays.

After that we did the Customs Museum, again very well done. The day was hot so we really enjoyed taking our time as the entire museum was air conditioned (and free). 

Then we enjoyed some a lovely morning tea at the funky Halia Inc Cafe on the canal front.

Bruce enjoying his enormous banana waffle. 

Halia Inc Cafe

Halia Inc cafe booth seats and fully air conditioned!

Went for a walk back down Jonka Street for a look see then had lunch at a Chinese place, very good food at a great price.

A walk back to the Moty for another long hot bath, a relaxing sleep and yep we headed back to Sid’s for dinner and beers.

A really pink hotel in our street.

Day Five – October 4, 2017

Went out for our last Roti Canai in Melaka and said good bye to our new friends at the cafe. Packed our bags, checked out and ordered our Uber back to Matilda.

Our driver was a young man and had his wife and baby in the front seat. No seat belts. No baby capsule, just holding and feeding as needed. It rained like crazy on the way home and a few times it was an interesting ride, not unlike one of the stickers on the windows!