Malacca – the Venice of the East

10 July 2023

A two hour ride south-west from Kuala Lumpur, on a highway lined with endless palm tree plantations on either side, brought us to Malacca. Once a faded port city, it has transformed itself into a tourist hub, offering a kaleidoscope of colours, styles, sounds and flavours.

Our tour started at the historic port area, at the mouth of the river, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A replica of a Portuguese ship, Flor de la Mar, acts as a museum chartering the maritime history of this port which controlled trade on the Malacca Straits, one of the richest sea lanes in the world for over 500 years. The Portuguese arrived here in 1511, followed by the Dutch in 1641, and who remained here for almost 200 years, before being ousted by the British in 1824. It stayed British until Malaysia achieved independence in 1957 (with a brief interlude during WW2 when the country was overrun by the Japanese).

The result is a charming mix of architectural styles and none more so than the nearby Dutch Square. The iconic red-painted buildings include the Stadthuys (a 17th century governor’s residence and the oldest Dutch building in the East) and the much-photographed Christ Church. We were offered a spin in one of the glitzy trishaws dotted around the square but instead our group ascended the nearby St. Paul’s Hill behind the square, for a nice view across the old town and river to the Malacca Straits. On top of the hill stood the ruin of St Paul’s Church and an old Dutch graveyard.

Walking down the other side of the hill took us to the ruins of the original fort built by the Portuguese in 1511, A Formosa, of which little remains today. After several hours in the hot Malaysian sun, we were happy to break off for lunch, in a somewhat disappointing Chinese restaurant, selected by the tour company.

The afternoon was spent in the famous Jonker Walk - the main artery of Malacca’s tourism industry located in Chinatown. ‘Jonker’ is lined with art, craft and boutique stores and restaurants and is famously known for its thriving weekend night market.

Two noteworthy sites to see right in the vicinity of Jonker Walk are Kampung Kling Mosque and Cheng Hoong Teng Temple. They are both located on Jalan Tukang Besi, which is the street that runs parallel to Jonker Walk.

By then our short stay in Malacca was up and we reluctantly boarded the bus back to Kuala Lumpur, nursing some regrets about the tour itself. We mostly organize our own tours (or join the free historic walking tours) so that we can focus on what personally interests us rather than be sheep-herded around the tourist sites with the crowds. For instance, boarding the Malacca River Cruise, loitering for a while in the local Maritime and History Museums and visiting the street market at night-time . It is definitely worth an overnight stay, another time perhaps…