Being an author, novelist and blogger, I always need a conductive place for an inspiration. Yes. I’m a hopeless romantic and like I said in my previous posts, I’m a pleasure loving person. I appreciate leisurely and beautiful things. They make me feel inspired. There is this one place in Melaka that is just perfect for a writing retreat.
It’s The Settlement Hotel, a dream-like boutique hotel that will fire up your imagination, especially if you are writing a romance or a fantasy novel. Everything here is picturesque. Check out the pictures below. You’ll see what I mean;
The courtyard. I could easily imagine myself laying on the grass while reading a good novel, or simply sit here relaxing.
The beautifully serene garden is definitely a sight for sore eyes.
Fancy an afternoon siesta outdoor? No problem. There is an antique bed for you lay on for a little while.
This table is definitely perfect for a leisurely meeting or gatherings
🙂
My favourite corner in The Settlement Hotel is this. I have no idea why but the arrangement is just so mysterious. This corner is like a bit of a cozy mystery page came to life, with a lazy chair being placed in front of a huge antique mirror and a door to another room behind it. Definitely gives your imagination a little run.
There is a small swimming pool located in the garden. To be honest it is not big enough for a swimmer like me, but I guess it will do if you just wanna laze around and not do any rigorous swimming. There’s spa and a library too over here, one thing a bookworm like me could appreciate.
Standing proudly against a backdrop of unpretentious everyday-life Melaka, The Settlement Hotel boasts a 45-room residence block and 4 villas spread elegantly over a total built-up area of 35,000 square feet of garden and lawn. Much of the original building structure was retained to become “The Residences”, while 5 traditional Malay villas were constructed nearby.
My family and I managed to get a little glimpse of luxury in this Junior Villa. The Junior Villa with lawn view is equipped with free in-room high-speed Internet access,
individually-controlled air-conditioning, LCD TV with cable and satellite channels. Lovely, don’t you think?
The bed definitely will send you to dreamland once you lay on it. It comes with feather duvets and down pillows. There is also an in-room safe for you to put all your valuables in it. My favourite part in most hotel; bathtub with separate tub and shower, for me spend some intimate time with my husband and a fully stocked minibar
with complimentary tea/ coffee making facilities in case we news some caffeine fix.
Yes. This place is a perfect writing retreat for me. Secluded enough with plenty of inspiring objects around. This is one place I definitely wouldn’t mind going again.
I’m a hopeless romantic. If I were on vacation, I will always opt to stay in a quiet hotel that is away from the bustling city, but if you are on a business trip or one who prefers to stay in a hotel where it is convenient to move about while you are in Melaka, I would definitely recommend the Eco Tree Hotel.
Eco Tree Hotel is fairly new. And from the outside, it doesn’t look like much. But don’t judge a book by it’s cover. The place is actually not bad.
It is located in the midsts of the busy Melaka Town. Public transport and eateries are easily available here in Eco Tree Hotel. Food stalls and whatnot are just stone throw away. Now, let’s check out the room, shall we? This one is a Duplex pentsuite. 🙂
As usual, the basics are there. The rooms are equipped with entertainment units like TV and WiFi connections.
The toilet is ensuite and is squeaky clean.
Living area in the Duplex Penthouse Suite room.
Comfortable bed is located upstairs.
But being a romantic and pleasure lover, I love their swimming pool the most. Will you just look at that? The swimming pool is uniquely designed to cater R&R activities and with some sunscreen and a good novel, I could laze here in my husband’s arms whole day over a glass of orange juice. Yes. That’s what you call paradise.
For bookings and inquiries:
1, Jalan Melaka Raya 9,
Taman Melaka Raya,
75000 Melaka, Malaysia.
Telephone:+606 – 292 1888
Fax:+606 – 281 9991
E-mail: reservation@ecotreehotel.com
Website: https://ecotreehotel.com
The trip to Melaka was made possible by MMode, Santai Travel and Malaysia Tourism. Our accommodation and meals during the stay in Melaka was sponsored by Bayou Lagoon Park Resort.
After a really long day trekking around Melaka Town on foot, finally it is time for a break. It was time for dinner back in the resort and following our experience in Bayou Lagoon Park Resort, I have to say that I’m really impressed with what the resort had to offer.
Our host has gone all out as far as to open the water park at night for a private dinner and teambuilding activities. I suppose if you have such request, eg: team building activities at night in the water park, you could forward it to the resort for further discussion.
Anyway, here is sharing with you the romantic and lovely night with husband and Sahabat Media friends during our stay in Bayou Lagoon Park Resort:
Our table was dimly lit with candlelights
We opt to sit just beside the pool. 🙂 It was so relaxing
There was no specific theme for the food that night. Here is part of the delicacy that’s served for dinner that night.
Our small platter of appetizer. A mix and match of everything from the buffet spread: Stuffed tofu, sliced chicken ham, surimi salad and a side of cucumber slices and tomatoes. These make a good starter for us.
I was famished so I took a bit of everything: Roasted chicken, roasted potatoes with garlic, stuffed surimi salad and cucumber slices. The roasted chicken was juicy and moist, no complaints on the potatoes this time around and the stuffed surimis was adeptly fried and the sauce complimented it was. The sliced cucumber adds a refreshing touch to the palate.
On husband’s plate: Roasted chicken slices, stir fried broccoli, sotong goreng kunyit and ayam masak merah. His comment? He loves the roasted chicken. Stir fried broccoli was mediocre, the sotong goreng kunyit was fresh but a tad chewy while the ayam masak merah was lovely and to die for.
But what won my heart that night was this, the lovely Kuih Cara Berlauk, a savoury Malay traditional kuih made from flour batter mixed with tumeric powder and cooked in special shaped pan, topped with minced meat from leftover rendangs and sliced chillies. These are perfectly done and absolutely delicious. 🙂
There was water play and Karaoke session that night too and husband sang ‘It’s Now Or Never by Elvis Presley’, but won’t be posting any photos on it here cuz I’ve already kept stuff away to avoid the water splashes.
Here is the details should you want to have some splashy or romantic fun in Bayou Lagoon Park Resort:
Bayou Lagoon Park Resort Sdn. Bhd.
Amari Villa, Bayou Lagoon Park Resort,
Jalan Wakaf Utama,
75450 Bukit Katil,
Melaka.
Tel: 06-233 0888
Fax: 06-253 3876
Email : reserve@bayoulagoon.com.my
website : www.bayoulagoon.com.my
GPS Coordinates
2 14′ 32.67″ N 102 18′ 23.28″ E
Bayou Lagoon Park Resort Sdn. Bhd.
Amari Villa, Bayou Lagoon Park Resort,
Jalan Wakaf Utama,
75450 Bukit Katil,
Melaka.
Tel: 06-233 0888
Fax: 06-253 3876
Email : reserve@bayoulagoon.com.my
website : www.bayoulagoon.com.my
GPS Coordinates
2 14′ 32.67″ N 102 18′ 23.28″ E
The trip to Melaka was made possible by MMode, Santai Travel and Malaysia Tourism. Our accommodation and meals during the stay in Melaka was sponsored by Bayou Lagoon Park Resort.
I’ve talked about riding on the Menara Taming Sari with husband and son along with our Sahabat Media friends in the preview post, and you would noticed that I mentioned that the tower was named after the weapon of Melaccan’s legendary warrior Hang Tuah. Hang Tuah is an object of mystery. Much is to be learned about him and here is just where you can learn about Hang Tuah.
Known locally as Perkampungan Hang Tuah, this centre is fairly new and just opened to public.
The Hang Tuah Centre.
Five legendary Malaccan warriors; Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, Hang Lekir, Hang Lekiu, Hang Kasturi are depicted here in the centre’s wall.
Re-imagining of Hang Tuah in statue
Here in the centre you could learn about the people who lived in the Malay Sultanate era and how they go about in daily lives.
Clothes worn during Hang Tuah’s time
Kris exhibit.
This centre is located at about 8 km from Melaka Sentral or 10-12 minutes drive. You can take the Panorama Bus, Metered taxi or the blue taxi.
Admission to Hang Tuah Center are RM5 for Adult and RM3 for Children
The trip to Melaka was made possible by MMode, Santai Travel and Malaysia Tourism.
The sun was pretty high in the sky when we left Melaka Craft Centre, and it was time for a Guided Melaka Heritage Trail Tour. Sahabat Media were given about one hour and a half to tour around with our tourguide, so it was strictly a walking tour and no shopping stops whatsoever. Our walk began at the Dutch Square and ended at the Menara Taming Sari. And so, I grabbed a bottle of mineral water, shoved it into my faithful pink backpack and joined the crowd.
To be honest, it is quite fun playing tourist in my own country. Anyway, I won’t be writing about our Heritage Trail walk in details, but here’s sharing with you the landmarks we managed to drop by:
First stop was the Christ Church in the Dutch Square/Stadhuys Building. The Stadthuys can be easily found as it is just beside the Christ Church.
There is an old fountain in opposite of the church. This is the Queen Victoria Fountain. You can read about it in details in my old blogpost: Queen Victoria Fountain https://cleff.bia.garf.us/queen-victoria-fountain-malacca/ fountain was built in 1901 but does not look like it is more than a 100 years old.
Walking up the hill there is this….the St. Paul statue.
The Ruins of the St. Paul Church. St Paul’s Church is the church ruins that sit on the top of the St Paul’s Hill. The hill was originally named as Malacca Hill.The St Paul’s Church was originally a chapel and was known to the Portuguese in Malacca as the Chapel of Mother of God (Madre de Deus) or Our Lady of the Hill (Nossa Senhora do Oiteiro).
Here is how it looks like from the inside of the Ruins of the St. Paul Church.
Plenty of tombstones tablets are erected here on the church’s interior wall. Made me wonder if there is dead bodies resting beneath the ground of the church. My suspicion is confirmed. According to our tour guide,
After the Dutch’s Christ Church was completed, the St Paul’s Church no longer serves as a functional church but was turned into a burial ground.
The famous iconic Porta de Santiago more commonly known as A Famosa among the locals. The A Famosa is a fortress which was used in the war last time and has many historical values.
Istana Kesultanan Melaka. This is a replica of the Malacca Sultan’s palace during the Malacca Sultanate period.
Proclamation of Independence Square/Memorial. Malacca Proclamation of Independence Memorial displays records and photographs on the early history of the Malay Sultanate. It’s divided into several sections, the memorial also houses an extensive timeline covering the country’s journey to independence and the development of modern Malaysia.
Set up in 1912 in an elegant Dutch colonial mansion that used to house the Malacca Club making it the social centre of British colonial Melaka.
And last but not least, the Menara Taming Sari where we had our lunch and soon after, a ride up the gyro tower.
Melaka Tours.
If you are interested in history, I would definitely recommend this guided tour, as the tour guide will explain to you in details about the historical places and landmarks. I’m glad I joined this instead of straying that day, I learned much more than I could have in that one and a half hour than a few years studying the history books back in school.
Below is the price to the guided Melaka Heritage Trail Tour:
Day of Operations: Daily, 9am-2pm
Child : RM110
Adult: RM120
Includes: English speaking tour guide/transport by request.
The trip to Melaka was made possible by MMode, Santai Travel and Malaysia Tourism.
I’m not a morning person. I’m always cranky and groggy in the morning, but I had quite a wonderful hydro therapy in the jacuzzi the night before and my sleep was pretty much peaceful in Bayou Lagoon Park Resort. Following the wake up call from the hotel as early as 5.30am for the Subuh prayer, I was all hyped up by 7.30am. We had a simple breakfast at the hotel and head over to our first destination of the day, Melaka Craft Centre.
We reached at about 10am and arrived just in time to witness the Melaccan folks having gotong-royong to clean up the place. 🙂 it is so nice to see how united they are in keeping the place clean and well-kept.
Melaka Craft Centre exists to promote the local handicraft to the international market. Tourist may find all kind of handicrafts like pewter, batiks, top spinning, rattan, beaded shoes and many more at very reasonable price. Our time there was pretty limited. I did not make any purchases but let’s take a look on what they have in details, shall we?
Fashionable one of it’s kind Batik Bag. I bet any ladies would stand out in the crowd should she accessories herself with these. The price tag was RM150. Quite affordable for a unique piece, don’t you think? 😉
Beautifully carved jewelry box.
Neatly woven rattan basket
Coffee table set
Dining table set
Beautiful handcraft cradle for babies. Lovely, aren’t they? Apart from feasting our eyes on those beautiful furniture and crafts, we were also given a chance to try our hands on batik painting.
Melted, boiling hoy wax for canting.
Colours for batik painting
Here is my son, Little A trying his hands on batik painting.
A closer look on my son’s batik panting. Lovely, isn’t it? 🙂
There are plenty more of art related stuff you can see and experience here, so do drop by if you ever visit Melaka.
Melaka Craft Centre
Lot 89-102 Kawasan Perindustrian Alor Gajah,
78000 Alor Gajah,
Melaka
The trip to Melaka was made possible by MMode, Santai Travel and Malaysia Tourism.
Following out little shopping escapade in Jonker Street was the next stop in our Cuti Cuti 1Malaysia Melaka program; The Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum. No. It is not open after midnight but the owner has kindly keep his door open for us Sahabat Media.
The Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum is located opposite of the ancestral home of Tun Tan Cheng Lock (No. 111) along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, formerly known as Heeren Street. Owned by Baba Peter Soon Seng Mah from Penang, who is also the owner of Penang’s Pinang Peranakan Mansion, the collection here at this jewellery museum worth millions of Ringgit. There are currently 400 pieces of jewellery on display.
Stepping into the place, we were greeted by this. A very classy and expensive living room.
There was console table
Dining room
Praying altar where the Baba and Nyonyas worship their Gods and ancestors.
Spotted an office too at one corner of the first floor.
Moving forward into the interconnecting hall was a glimpse to the darker side of the Peranakan family in the olden era, which is the Opium room.
In the opium room there is this antique wooden lounge.
Equipments used to feed your opium addiction.
Feeling pretty much uncomfortable with the thought that someone could have actual died over here while feeding their nasty opium addiction, I decided to go upstairs, where the jewellery collections is being displayed.
Part of the jeweleries being exhibited here in the Chinese Straits Jewellery Museum.
Phoenix themed bangles made from pure gold. Uniquely crafted and there is only a pair of this.
More bangles and hairpin
Apart from intricate and expensive jeweleries, there is the wedding hall, where all about Peranakan weddings is displayed. Here in the picture is the wedding garment for ladies of that era, complete with heavy headpieces.
Traditional Peranakan weddings is rather elaborated. But in short, they take a total of 12 days to complete the entire wedding. An interesting thing to note that in that era, women’s virginity and chastity is taken very seriously. Virgin brides are celebrated and welcomed formally into the family after the consummation of marriage with a huge Nasi Lemak feast where everyone in the family attends while non-virgins were shunned upon and have no pride and status in her in-laws’ family and would be treated rather harshly. Men are also allowed more than one wives and takes concubines too in that era.
Moving on, we were given a glimpse to the Nyonya’s daily lives. Here you can see a young Nyonya’s daily wear. A cotton short Kebaya blouse with a simple batik sarong.
An elderly nyonya daily wear. A shapeless long blouse paired with batik sarong.
A collection of Kebayas
Hand made bead shoes
Delicately sewn transparent Kebaya. The details is amazing.
Last but not least was the traditional bed.
There is one more section where you can see smithing exhibits, but unfortunately for me, I accidentally left my DSLR in the hotel and my phone was already out of battery and couldn’t take photos anymore. So…if you are interested in the lives of Baba and Nyonyas in the olden era, you should head over here and take a look at things yourselves.
Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum
Add: 108, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Heeren Street), 75200 Melaka.
Tel: 06-2819763
Fax: 06-2816099
Email: scjewellerymuseum@gmail.com
The trip to Melaka was made possible by MMode, Santai Travel and Malaysia Tourism.
Tired of my Cuti Cuti 1Malaysia Melaka edition posts? It’s okay. Let’s take a break and go to Indonesia for awhile.
Indonesian Traditional Dance
All right, all right. I was just exaggerating. I was not in Indonesia, but it certainly felt like I was in Indonesia itself when I went to the launching of Fascinating Indonesia Food Festival on 2nd September 2014 in Ancasa Hotel&Spa,which also happens to be my birthday. Yes. It was indeed a memorable and happy day for me…well…I’m always happy when it comes to food. :p Food always make my world a happier place. 😉
Now, back to the launching cum media preview of Fascinating Indonesia Food Festival. The members of the media were given the opportunity to sample authentic Indonesian delights that day and I have to say that I was impressed. Apart from the commercialized Ayam Penyet and the street Gado Gado, I have never sampled any other Indonesian delight before, so it was indeed a gastronomic treat for me.
Let’s take a look on what Fascinating Indonesia Food Festival in Saffron Brasserie Ancasa Hotel&Spa have to offer, shall we?
At the action stall where food was prepared on the spot for you was Bakso Noodles. Bakso is an Indonesian meatball or meat paste made from beef surimi and is similar in texture to the Chinese beef ball, and is commonly made from beef with a small quantity of tapioca flour, however bakso can also be made from other ingredients, such as chicken, fish, or shrimp. Bakso are usually served in a bowl of beef broth, with yellow noodles, bihun (rice vermicelli), salted vegetables, tofu, egg Chinese green cabbage, bean sprout, dumplings or crispy wonton, sprinkled with fried shallots and celery. Bakso can be found all over Indonesia; from the traveling cart street vendors to restaurants. I did not sample this dish, however, so I can’t comment much on the taste. It looks good and aromatic though. Perhaps I would give it a go if I have the opportunity next time.
Nasi Tumpeng, the dish that commanded everyone’s attention that day. It is the cone shaped rice surrounded by assorted Indonesian dishes. It is a symbolic Javanese delicacy that is served only during important events and occasions. I was informed by a friend who is familiar with Indonesian culture that the Nasi Tumpeng was constructed to mimic holy mountains in Indonesia and served in a feast for Thanksgiving or something of that sort. Basically Tumpeng is a symbol of gratitude. Commonly served during slamatan ceremony where the top of the cone is cut by the elders or the most important person present. The surrounding dishes of the Nasi Tumpeng served during our media preview was pretty elaborates. The rice for the tumpeng was Tumpeng Nasi Uduk, which is basically fragrant tumeric rice. Surrounding the coned shaped rice was:
Udang Goreng Tepung. The fried shrimps was lightly coated with flour batter and deep fried. It was fresh, juicy and succulent.
Perkedil Anak Ayam. It is mashed potatoes filled with minced chicken meat shaped into bite sized balls. The perkedil’s texture is firm and was absolutely delicious.
Tempe Tahu Bacem. Fried fermented soya bean patties can be overwhelming to the palate if you take it on it’s own, but would complements the rice perfectly.
Tahu Goreng is simply deep fried beancurd.
Balada Dendeng Manis is basically thinly sliced beef coated with thick and slightly dry sweet and spicy sauce. This dish was fabulous and I wish I was wise enough to scoop up more into my plate that day.
Sambal Goreng Hati dan Kentang. I did not manage to sample this so can’t comment much about it.
Cabai Isi Daging is simply chillies stuffed with mashed potatoes and minced meat. I loved this one very much. Flavourful and bursting with flavours but by the time I was done with it and wants seconds, the dish was already gone from the Nasi Tumpeng platter. What a gastronomic tragedy for me. 🙁
Sate Lilit Serai. I did not manage to sample this either, but this is basically prawn and chicken paste wrapped around a stick of lemongrass and was grilled to perfection.
Telur Pindang or Pindang eggs is an Indonesian hard boiled eggs dish, boiled slowly in water mixed with salt, soy sauce, shallot skins, teak leaf and other spices. It is very similar to Chinese Tea Eggs or Cha Ye Dan. However, instead of black tea, the Indonesian version or herbal eggs uses leftover shallot skins, teak leaves or guava leaves as dark brownish coloring agents. So do I like this Telur Pindang? I think I would if it was much richer in taste. This one was too mild for me and those with less sensitive taste buds would have just translate the taste as a normal half boiled eggs. I think the outcome would be better if the eggs was left to simmer in the concoction much longer.
Ayam Goreng Berempah, an aromatic spiced fried chicken. It was perfectly marinated in myriad of spices and was adeptly fried. No excessive oil whatsoever and yes, this fried chicken earns my approval.
Kering Tempe Kacang. Fermented soya bean paste was cut into bite sized pieces and was fried with chillies and spices along with groundnuts. Not too shabby. The crunchy groundnuts definitely give texture to this dish.
Serunding Kacang, similar to the beef and chicken version of serunding, but with more dried shaved coconuts in spices.
There are plenty more accompanying dishes around the coned Nasi Uduk that I did not manage to capture as the diners were already piling em on the plate. Apart from the ones I featured above, believe I’m missing Hati Ayam Bumbu Ungkep, Kering kacang jeri, Kering kentang, Dadar Rewis and Jatai Daging Pentul.
Overall, to be able to sample Nasi Tumpeng is a gastronomic luxury, and my only grouse is that I did not manage to sample all of the surrounding dishes. 🙂 oh well, I only have one stomach and that can’t be helped, can it? :p
So what else was there that day? Well there was Soup of the Day.
The Soup of the Day is naturally served with a variety of bread, of course. Highly recommended if you want a light starter before indulging in a much richer and heavier dishes in Fascinating Indonesia Food Festival.
There was the salad bar featuring assorted vegetables and fruit slices for those who can’t live without their greens and fruits. 🙂
Assorted Indonesian Kuih. Similar to our Nyonya Kuih…with a twist. 🙂 Theirs are much sweeter than the Nyonya’s and they are not squeamish about using vibrant colourings in their traditional cakes. Those who have sweet tooth would find these lovely to the palate indeed.
Don’t fancy traditional cakes? It’s okay. There are modern cakes and desserts too, so help yourselves to these treats.
If you want something more tantalizing and tangy to end your meal, head over to the action stall for some freshly made Rojak Petis.
Refreshingly tangy Rojak Petis. Basically it is a type of local fruit salad with shrimp paste sauce.
Fancy sweet beverages? Be sure to try Es Teler
Es Teler is an Indonesian shaved ice beverage. Avocado, coconut meat, cincau, jackfruit and other fruits are served with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, and a tiny amount of salt on top of finely shaved ice. Similar to our Ais Kacang, but this is much sweeter. I find this cloyingly sweet and does not really like it. But do give it a try if you love sweet and cold dessert.
Want a taste of Fascinating Indonesia? Well, just head over to Saffron Brasserie@Ancasa Hotel&Spa. The Fascinating Indonesia Food Festival will be held from:
2nd-15th September 2014
Price:
Adult RM45nett
Child RM22nett
Halal
For bookings and Reservations:
Saffron Brasserie @ Ancasa Hotel and Spa
Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 50500 Kuala Lumpur
Phone
+603-2026 6060
Fax
+603-2026 8322
Ah! Melaka is indeed Venice of the East. It is one of the most romantic holiday destination in Malaysia.My husband was probably still feeling affectionate and romantic after our night time Melaka River Cruise with Sahabat Media. It was a free and easy time so we took full advantage of our time there.
He was still holding my hand tightly after the cruise and all the way into the vibrant and lively Jonker Street.
This is the lively Jonker Street on weekend nights. The Friday and Saturday, Jonker Walk Night Market in Malacca City’s Chinatown closes down Jalan Hang Lekir to traffic and when the sun goes down a handful of bars along the boulevard become a mini street party with tables oozing beyond the sidewalks and a mix of live music coursing throughout the area.
Flashy trishaw rides with music is also available here in Jonker Street.
Throughout the street, there is also night market where you can buy various items ranging from clothing, souvenirs and antiquities and sample street food. A shopping heaven for shophaholic. And tsk…I know the real reason why my husband held my hand. He was rather afraid that I’ll turn into a shopping monster that night. :p hold my hand…and I’ll shop less. Lesser damage to the pocket. Anyway, my husband’s effort to stop me from shopping went awry. I still managed to grab a pair of fancy kasut tikar, a pink crystal ring and a box of Nyonya Pineapple Tart. Poor hubby. Married to a hopeless shopaholic. :p
And on top of those stuff that I grabbed within 15 minutes of being let loose on the street,I spotted a Deep Fried Ice Cream stall
And managed to persuade him to buy deep fried ice cream for the three of us to eat. My excuse despite of being full from our dinner in Melaka Nyonya Village earlier? I was feeling hot and need something cooling.:p
Our free and easy time in Jonker Street ended too soon and finally it was time for our next stop; Straits Chinese Jewelry Museum. Bet hubby was relieved, but I was still sulking cuz I did not managed to grab another shawl to add to my collection. :p
Stay tune for my next post on Straits Chinese Jewelry Museum. 🙂
The trip to Melaka was made possible by MMode, Santai Travel and Malaysia Tourism.
After filling up our tummies at Melaka Nyonya Village, it’s time for a romantic night time cruise along the Melaka River. Please allow me to apologize in advance for the picture quality. My husband and I accidentally left our DSLR at the hotel and had to make do with our smartphone’s camera.
DJ Azz, all hyped up for the night cruise
Scenery along the river
Passed by a lot of old Malaccan houses with unique architecture.
Sigh. I’m so sorry. My picture does no justice. But I assure you that the river cruise is the best way to get sights of Melaka at a leisurely pace.
The Melaka River is where the town began and it has played a key role in Melaka’s.Taking a river cruise is like seeing Melaka from a completely different perspective.
A few decades ago the river was a stinking waterway lined with decaying houses on stilts and the untidy rear side of crumbling shophouses.
In recent years it has had a major facelift. Efforts has been made to restore the buildings and preserve the historical values.
Here is where you can ride on the cruise:
There are two jetties, one at each end of the route. You can begin the cruise from either jetty:
Muara Jetty, next to Quayside Heritage Centre, close to the Maritime Museum easily recognisable by the replica of the Portuguese ship Flor De la Mar. From here the cruise takes you upstream as far as Taman Rempah jetty where the boat turns around and brings you back to the starting point.The round trip takes 45 minutes and covers 9 km.The boat’s recorded commentary or tourguide will begin on the return leg of your journey
Or
Taman Rempah Jetty , where a small spice garden is located, next to the Hang Jebat Bridge linking Jalan Tun Mutahir to Jalan Tun Sri Lanang. From here the cruise travels downstream as far as Muara jetty where the boat turns around and takes you back to the starting point. The round trip takes 45 minutes and covers 9 km. You will hear the recorded commentary or the tourguide as far as Muara jetty.
From whichever jetty you commence your Melaka River Cruise, the boat will pass near the following landmarks:
Kampung Morten. A traditional Malay village and living museum.
Pirate Park. A modest funfair with a ferris wheel, swinging pirate ship, flying fox, rock climbing wall and trampoline.
Ghost Bridge of Melaka. Where Japanese soldiers during WWII dangled the decapitated heads of local Chinese businessman.
Kampung Jawa. A small residential and commercial area where descendants of the original Javanese settlers still maintain some of their traditions.
Clock Tower. In the famous square of red painted Dutch buildings.
Jonker Walk. One of the best streets in Melaka to go shopping for food and souvenirs.
The Melaka River Cruise is open daily from 9 am to 11:30pm.
Boats depart roughly every 30 minutes.
depart roughly every 30 minutes.
So do I recommend going during the day or at night? I’d say neither. I’d recommend you to go during the sunset. Why? Well I’m a hopeless romantic and I think that way you can see the best of both world, night view and daytime view of Melaka river.
Price per ride:
MyKad holders: RM10 for adults and RM5 for children under 12
Non MyKad holders: RM15 for adults and RM5 for children under 12.
For more details you can call the Melaka River Cruise company on 06 281 4322/23 during office hours.
The number for their Taman Rempah jetty is 06 286 1530.
The number for their Muara Jetty is 06 286 1531.
The trip to Melaka was made possible by MMode, Santai Travel and Malaysia Tourism.
