Malacca Trip ~ Day2

Waking up to another fresh new morning, ready to embark on another exciting day!! This is our 2^nd & final day in Malacca.  Everyone got up bright & early as there was a lot more places to visit before checking out.

The Hotel Lobby (Bicycles are available for rent)

We parked our car along Jalan Parameswara, near to Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall & walked to the A’Famosa Fort which was just a stone throw away and then proceeded to St Paul’s Church.  Other tourist attractions around this vicinity include the Merdeka Memorial and quite a number of museums which we had to skip as time was limited.

Church along Jalan Parameswara

The Merdeka Memorial

War tankers taken outside the Merdeka Memorial

A’ Famosa ~  the most famous historic landmark in Malacca

 

Taking a flight of steps right behind the A’Famosa leads you to St Paul’s Church, nestled on a hill overlooking Malacca town.

Originally built by the Portuguese and named  ‘Lady Of The Hill’  it was later taken over by the Dutch when they conquered Malacca & renamed St Paul’s Church.  The Dutch later built their own church at the foot of St Paul’s Hill called Christ Church and St Paul’s Church was turned into a burial ground for the Dutch. When the British took over Malacca, St Paul’s Church became a place to store gunpowder and they built a lighthouse at the front of the church.  A statue of St Francis Xavier was later added in front of the lighthouse.  Several monumental tombstones with Dutch inscriptions can still be found inside the ruins of St. Paul’s Church.  St Paul’s Church was once also a temporary grave for St. Francis Xavier for 9 months before his remains was shipped back to Goa.

St Paul’s Church with the lighthouse built in front of the church

The Statue of St Francis Xavier in front of the church

Inside the ruins of the Church where monumental tombstones of the Dutch are placed.

At the far end ~ An open grave, now covered by a wire mesh, marks the place of St Francis Lights’ temporary burial.

An artist selling his remarkable sketches & watercolor paintings of Malacca’s many historical landmarks.

The tombstones/graves at St Paul’s Hill

View from St Paul’s Hill

From St Paul’s Hill, we proceeded to the Museums around Malacca Town Square and then headed to the Maritime Museum Complex a.k.a. The Ship.

Photos around the Museum

The Maritime Museum Complex ~ what’s fascinating about this museum is that it is on A SHIP!

This is a replica of the Portuguese ship Flor de la Mar.  The museum comprises of 2 sections, The Flor de la Mar & The Royal Malaysian Navy Museum.

The Flor de la Mar Museum by day & night

Top deck of the Flor de la Mar Museum

Artifacts inside the Maritime Museum (Flor de la Mar)

The Royal Malaysian Navy Museum

Exhibits in the Royal Malaysian Navy Museum, which included meteorites & fossil dinosaur eggs from China

 

Then it is back to the hotel to check out before lunch.  After checking out we made a quick stop at Nadeje Patissere Cafe, which is just a block away from our hotel to try their famous crepe before lunch.

Cheese & Mille Crepe

 

Then we were back again on the famous Jonker Street for food hunt.  This time lunch was in Nancy’s Kitchen, a nice cozy place, well known for their authentic Malacca peranakan cuisine.  Rather packed during lunch hour, we manage to find a table enough to squeeze in the four of us.  The place was nicely decorated with photos and everything that has to do with the peranakan culture.

 

 

 

There are so many choices on the menu and finally we opt for three of their popular dishes. Their authentic nyonya kuih are simply delicious as well. For RM37.50 everyone had a most satisfying meal.

Babi Ponteh, Cincaluk omelette, sambal belacan daun keledek  & Nyonya Chang

Nyonya Kuih ~ Ang-ku kuih, rempah udang & kuih koci

After lunch we took another last stroll along Jonker Street before coming to another well known chicken rice ball restaurant ~ Famosa Chicken Rice Ball

 

Chicken Rice Balls with roasted & steamed chicken, Gula Melaka Cendol & Ginko Herbal Jelly

Their Cendol is nice but as for the Chicken Rice Ball, my family still agreed that Hoe Kee Chicken Rice Ball is still the best

The next place we visited was the Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum. This private museum is managed by the Babas & Nyonyas of Malacca. Even though this place is full of history & showcases the heirlooms of their ancestors, I find the RM10.00 entrance fees a bit too steep as photography is not allowed.

Photo taken outside the Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum

As we got to the parking lot where we parked our car, we noticed this lovely hotel ~ Casa Del Rio which is just beside the Malacca River. Besides the amazing hotel landscape, you can get a really nice view of the Malacca River from the grounds of the hotel.

 

 

 

With this being our last stop.....it was time to bid farewell.   Even though we did not have enough time to experience everything Malacca has to offer, I would say our 2D/1N stay has been a wonderful & fruitful one. There are lots more to see & enjoy here in this historical city that I have yet to experience.

I would definitely come back to see more of Malacca....

 

 

 

Malacca Trip ~ Day 1

BOOKED!! Venus Boutique Hotel, Malacca and we were off for our 2D/1N holiday to historical Malacca....Just can’t wait to enjoy the sights & food!!

Day1

Upon arrival, early check-in was a breeze as we checked in on a weekday. The first thing that comes to mind whenever I select hotels is cleanliness & parking and the hotel fits the bill perfectly.  The room size was comfortable enough with full amenities.  The lightings are just right, unlike some hotels that provide dim lights which make it difficult to even read.

 

With hotel settled we were off to our first destination,  Jalan Hang Jebat ~ Malacca’s famous Jonker Street.

1^st stop ~ the famous Hoe Kee chicken Rice Ball. The place was packed, especially during Lunch hour & we had to wait in queue for a table but I can tell you...it’s really worth the wait. It’s super delicious...even though it cost us RM42.60 which includes 2 refreshing coconut drinks (^-^)

 

After a satisfying lunch its souvenir hunting time!!  We were told that evening would be the best time to visit but the place was full of tourists, even on a weekday.  All the shops were open for business.  You can find all sorts of souvenirs ~ from traditional miniature clogs right down to antiques, crockery & my all time favourite – fridge magnets =)

 

 

 

The buildings of Jonker Street

We came across this quaint little shop selling all sorts of hand-made soap

 

There is another place that caught our eye......

Calanthe Art Cafe at Jalan Hang Kasturi

Their local coffee blends seems very popular, especially with the tourists.

Walking along one of the many streets near Jonker Street, the greenery of this lovely place caught our eye.  As soon as we saw Puri Padi~ The Living Art,  Bali immediately came to mind.  Once entering one can feel as though one has been transported back to Bali.  From the entrance doorway, frangipani trees and palm trees, to the gushing water ponds with its delightful landscaping feature.  In this Balinese-accented home interior deco centre, one can find all sorts of handicraft,  interior decoration items, wooden furniture,  sculptures and clothing. Lovely place for some snapshots even if you’re not making any purchase (^-^)

 

 

 

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

We made a brief stop at Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, reputed to be the oldest & grandest temple in Malacca before proceeding to our next stop ~ Lao Qian Ice Cafe

Its Durian Cendol time!!  A great choice after our walkabout on a hot day. This is a nice place to relax & cool down before our next destination.

You should try their Durian Cendol at  RM5.00 per bowl or you can opt for their Gula Melaka Cendol for RM4.50 if you are not in favour of durians =)

 

Next stop.......Satay Celop @ Capitol Satay!! ~ A definite ‘must try’ when you are in Malacca.  We were there early (or so we thought) at 5.00pm but the place was packed with no empty tables, we were the first to queue in line & within half an hour the queue got as long as 2 shop lots away. It was quite a while before we were able to get a table.

 

 

Their walls covered with posters & newspaper cuttings of famous celebrities who came to try their Satay Celop

 

Getting the table ready for us ~ notice the crowd outside?

The special thing about Satay Celop is that the food on skewers are dipped into piping hot Peanut Sauce(Satay kuah) until they are cooked instead of the usual plain soup~ something really unique I would say.

Our next stop was The Stadthuys and Christ Church at the Malacca Town Square

 

 

Christ Church & The Studthuys

  The Queen Victoria Fountain

 

Beautifully decorated trishaws

The Middleburg Bastion is not much heard about. This 17^th century bastion built by the Dutch was discovered in 2006 when the Malacca government was excavating to develop the Taming Sari Tower next to the river.

It was already evening.  We walked along the Malacca riverside for some memorable photos while waiting for the Melaka River Cruise counters to re-open after the buka puasa break.

 

 

Malacca Riverside as the sunsets

Night at the Melaka River

Cruise boarding pier

Cruising the Melaka River

Our final stop for day 1 ~ Menara Taming Sari  After the cruise we headed on to have a bird’s eye view of Malacca.  Located just a stone throw from our hotel, this 7 minutes ride will take you all the way up to have a 360 degree view of Malacca town. We decided this to be our last stop for the day & to enjoy the breathtaking night view of Malacca town.

Menara Taming Sari during the day

 

Going up!

The breathtaking night view from Menara Taming Sari (From top left: Maritime Museum, streets of Melaka, Melaka river & view of our hotel

We really had a tiring but productive first day.  Everything went smoothly as planned & everyone retired for the night happy with all the places & food we had tried for today......tomorrow will be another adventure.