EmA thriving, vibrant city south of Kuala Lumpur, Malacca is a great stop on your trip around Malaysia. Whether you visit as a day trip from Kuala Lumpur, or take a bit more time in this historic city, Malacca is not to be missed.
Why should you visit Malacca?
Malacca is a bustling historic town about 3 hours south of Kuala Lumpur. It’s a wonderful antidote to the modernity and chaos of Malaysia’s capital city. As a small town, it’s easily walkable, and it’s dripping with history. Malacca has been on the Unesco World Heritage list since 2008.
Malacca also has a great food and cafe scene, as well as lovely riverside restaurants to enjoy. It’s small and walkable, and I found it a great way to destress after the time spent navigating Kuala Lumpur, where everything requires public transport or a slow Grab ride.
Malacca’s history
Malacca was originally a small fishing village. It grew in importance after the founding of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. It became an important trading port, with a particular focus on Chinese, Indian and Arab traders.
The Portuguese colonised Malacca in 1511, making it one of the earliest European colonies in Asia. The town still has some Portuguese buildings, including the fortress on St Paul’s Hill. The Dutch were the next to colonise Malacca, from 1641-1795. Many of their buildings still survive in the town centre today.
The Dutch eventually ceded Malacca to Britain in 1825, when it became part of the British colony of Malaya. Malacca was part of the famous Straits Settlements of British colonial rule, alongside Penang and Singapore, and was briefly under Japanese rule during the Second World War.
Visiting the other straits settlements? Check out my blogs on Singapore and George Town:
Malacca became independent in 1957, a year later than the majority of Malaysia. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.
How to get to Malacca
Malacca doesn’t have an airport or train station, so most people will arrive by bus.
There are frequent buses from TBS Bus Station in Kuala Lumpur. These take about 3 hours, and are comfortable, with wide seats and lots of leg room. They arrive at the bus station, which is about a 10 minute Grab ride from central Malacca.
There are also buses from Singapore. These take between 5 and 6 hours, which allows for time crossing the international border. These buses depart from a number of different MRT metro stations in Singapore, and arrive at a variety of different hotels and sites in central Malacca.
To book bus tickets, I use 12GoAsia in general, and also Redbus in Malaysia.
Top Things to do in Malacca
Visit Jonker Street
The first thing you are likely to do in Malacca is visit busy Jonker Street. This historic street was named after a Dutch merchant and has been the centre of Malacca since the 17th century.
It’s now a busy modern thoroughfare, packed with shops and cafes, many with their original shophouse facades. Take time to wander into shops, admire architecture or sit down for a coffee and cake in one of the delicious bakeries. I tried the Melaka de Nata (a variation on the famous pastel de natas) at French Brown and it was delicious!
The best time to visit Jonker Street is first thing in the morning or after around 4pm. During the main part of the day, the street is crowded with large tour groups from Kuala Lumpur, making it difficult to navigate. Visiting outside of this time gives you a much more relaxed experience.
Visit the colonial buildings
Malacca is famous for its colonial buildings, dating from different eras of colonial rule.
The most famous is probably the iconic red Stadhuys, the Dutch town hall dating from 1650. This is (probably) the oldest Dutch building in East Asia. It also formed the nexus of government for both the Dutch and British colonial powers. Next to it is Christ Church, built in 1753. These two red buildings give the square a unique appearance among Asia cities.
The square is just at the end of Jonker Street, so it’s easy to find and likely to be your next stop after walking down the busy shopping street.
From the Stadhuys, you can climb up to St Paul’s Church, which dates from the 16th century, during Portuguese rule. It is famous for being the oldest European building east of India. While the church is in ruins, it’s very atmospheric. You also get a stunning view over Malacca and the river. The climb is steep up some steps, but only takes a few minutes, and it’s totally worth it.
There are a number of other historic buildings you can visit in Malacca, including the A’Famosa Fort behind St Paul’s. This is another Portuguese ruin, and you can visit on your trishaw ride!
Visit Malaysia’s oldest temple
The ornate Cheng Hoon Temple in Malacca is the oldest functioning temple in Malaysia. Historians are unclear on the exact founding date of the temple, but it’s from at least the middle of the 17th century, and could be older. The temple was the main place the local Hokkien Chinese community went to worship in Malacca.
Another beautiful fact about the Cheng Hoon Temple is that it’s on a street locally known as Harmony Street (official name Jalan Tukang Emas), because the street also has a mosque and a Hindu temple. This highlights the way these three distinct cultures have lived in harmony in Malaysia for hundreds of years.
Take a blinged-up trishaw
One of the most unique things to do in Malacca is take one of the local trishaws on a city tour. These trishaws are unlike anything else I’ve seen on my travels – they are decorated to the extreme! You’ll find them clustered around the Stadhuys and you can pick your theme. Hello Kitty and Spiderman were most popular, though I chose one with teddy bears.
When I visited in summer 2024, the trishaws offered me a 30 minute route. However, I knew a shorter option was available and bargained for this, as I had already visited many of the sites on the 30 minute route. I was glad I did so – while riding the trishaws is an experience, it’s not a particularly comfortable one! I’d also already seen quite a few of the sites on the longer route.
Make sure you agree a fare with your trishaw rider in advance and shop around if you can’t get a good rate.
Admire Malacca’s street art
While not as famous as George Town, there is plenty of street art to spot in Malacca. The two most famous are the Orangutan, at the Orangutan House, and the Kiehl’s Mural. This last was created in celebration of Malaysia having five Unesco Heritage Sites.
There’s also lots scattered around the town, including a big one welcoming you to the town. If you take the river trip (see the next activity), you’ll spot lots from the boat.
Take a boat down the Malacca river
The Malacca River flows through the centre of Malacca and gives an insight into how important it must have been for trade in the past. Now, it’s filled with tourist boats, offering a gentle glide down the river to the more modern part of town and back.
There are two companies offering river tours in Malacca, with pretty much the same price and definitely the same route. You can buy tickets at the ticket kiosks by the river, or online at Melaka River Cruise (I couldn’t find an online site for the other company).
They departed around every half hour or so, and took 45 minutes to go to the end of the route and back. The boats are covered, meaning that they were a nice way to pass the time during the hottest part of the day, offering a little bit of river breeze.
Among other sites, you’ll glide past the restaurants lining the river, giving you an opportunity to choose your next food stop! You’ll also pass Kampung Morten, an old Malay village that’s very different in appearance to the increasingly modern parts of Malacca you see on other parts of the trip.
Chill by the river
Once you’ve gone past them on a boat, you’ll be desperate to spend some time chilling out in Malacca’s riverside eateries. These colourful restaurants mostly open in the evenings.
Some of the best rated include Relish The Moment and Campong O’oloo, while The Old Merchant is a highly rated cocktail bar. You could also head to Malaiqua by Gula Cakery if you’re looking for some freshly baked cakes.
Understand how people used to live in historic Malacca
There are a number of museums in Malacca, but one of the most famous is the Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum.
On one of the streets parallel to Jonker Street, this small museum was originally three terraced houses that combined into one family house in 1861. Four generations lived in the house before it was made into a museum in 1985. The house is set up to represent what it would have been like in the early 20th century, and gives a fascinating insight into what life would have been like for an affluent Chinese family at this time.
I really enjoyed this part of my visit to Malacca. – loved seeing the marriage bed, and the information about marriages during this period. I also marvelled at how ornate the house was. This is definitely worth a visit!
Hopefully this gives you enough to really enjoy a trip to Malacca! If you particularly love any of these sites, or I’ve missed anything, let me know in the comments!
Heading to Kuala Lumpur as part of your trip to Malaysia? Check out my blogs:
- The Most Amazing Things to do in Kuala Lumpur
- My detailed guide to visiting the Batu Caves.
