Night markets. Chicken rice balls. Home of the Mamee monster. Welcome one and all to the historic city of Malacca (or Melaka): the sleepy little sister of KL, and a great mini-vacation spot that’s just a 3-hour drive from Singapore.
If you haven’t already visited Malacca or need a refresher course, here are the best things to do in Malacca when you’re fitting in a 3D2N weekend itinerary. Some of these activities are under RM15 (~S$4.30) too, so get your bags and roaming ready!
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Table of Contents
The Singapore to Malacca drive takes about 3 hours by car. You can even follow the same routing as a Singapore to Kuala Lumpur drive since Malacca is usually a pit stop anyway.
If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of driving or just never bothered learning how, you can try the standard Singapore to Malaysia buses. There are daily buses to Malacca from all over the island, with a round trip costing about S$50-S$60. Do note that the bus ride can take 4-6 hours, depending on the route and traffic.
Jonker Street is Malacca’s ultimate tourist destination and for good reason. With funky cafes woven into cultural establishments, all by the river, there’s no way you’d want to miss it.
Image credit: @mangzx via Instagram
Around the corner from Jonker Walk is Calanthe Art Cafe, an eclectic coffee house that’ll settle all your breakfast plans. Try kopi from all 13 states of Malaysia, each with distinguishing notes and flavours, starting at RM5.60 (S$1.60). For example, Melaka’s brew is prepared with salt, sugar, and margarine, while the further north state Terengganu’s is mixed with ginseng.
Image credit: @foodie.on.the.table via Instagram
Because chicken rice balls are so quintessentially Malaccan, leaving them out of your itinerary is just…plain wrong. Hoe Kee Chicken Rice has been dishing out these babies since 1962, with each ball being around RM0.50 (~S$0.15) each. Chicken rice balls are cooked in fragrant chicken broth and are slightly more on the mushy side to ensure they don’t crumble all over when picked up.
They serve Hainanese-style steamed and roasted chicken options for you to pair with the balls as well as some zesty chili, with sets starting at RM23 (~S$6.60) for 10 rice balls.
Image credit: @lyneatsss
We can bet that you’ve never had cendol like this before. At Bibik House, they make a super traditional version of the icy dessert that focuses more on the syrupy gula melaka and pandan, as opposed to loading it with toppings. You can find cendol for as low as RM8 (~S$2.30) here as well as some unique flavours like durian cendol.
We weren’t kidding when we said Malacca was home to the Mamee Noodle monster. We’ve seen this furry fella on Mamee’s iconic noodle snacks growing up, and you can now enter his humble abode: the Mamee Jonker House.
Visitors can customise their very own Mamee Cup Noodle (RM15 ~S$4.30) to take home – from the soup seasoning and condiments to even designing the noodle cup, as well as snag some adorable Mamee merch like stuffed toys and t-shirts.
Image credit: @mameejonkerhouse via Instagram
If Halloween Horror Nights can’t come early enough for you, check out Ghost Museum Melaka. Imagine Haw Par Villa but campier. There’s an 18 Levels Of Hell, but that’s the only similarity with the Singapore theme park. The museum sports rooms with a werewolf family and an Egyptian exhibit with funky Mummy props.
Unlike your normal haunted house, the ghost museum does not have any scare actors that’ll come after you and is mainly for some ooky spooky photo ops.
Image credit: Ezekiel Sen
As a warning, even though the museum is pretty kid-friendly, there are some rooms that get pretty gnarly and gory with beheadings and exposed entrails, so maybe do a pre-check of the rooms online. Our recommended room is right at the end and is a hallway of Pontianak and Pontianak-esque legends from all over the world. Better sleep with one eye open tonight.
Meet the distant cousin of our late Sungei Road Thieves Market: the Grand Old Flea Market. This flea market pops up every Sunday morning at Jonker Street and is a treasure trove of antiques and doodads to buy as souvenirs back home.
Image credit: @sebchio via Instagram
Come night time, the street transforms itself into the bustling Jonker Street Night Market with yummy grub that’ll have any foodie salivating. Gobble up some freshly barbecued seafood and dim sum for less than RM1/piece (S$0.28). Unlike the morning market, items sold here cater more to tourists such as DIY bracelets and souvenirs.
Image credit: @elmolee827 via Instagram
Boasting a landscape of powdery white sand dunes, a snap at Padang Pasir Klebang might fool others into thinking you’ve flung yourself to the deserts of Dune. Malacca’s hidden “desert” is really an area of reclaimed land that’s right by the ocean. Explorers who are looking for an adventure can pop by in the early morning from 5am-6am to go stargazing!
Getting here: The dunes are just a 15-minute drive from the city centre, so a taxi or Grab is the way to go. If you’re planning on heading here by yourselves, make sure to have your data roaming ready and log ‘Pantai Klebang’ into your GPS system.
Find Padang Pasir Klebang on Google Maps
You read that right, Malacca has its own little Netherlands and Portugal with Dutch Square and Mini Lisbon. Dutch Square is right at the tip of Jonker Street and is filled with bright red architecture that you can spot from a mile away.
There is also an alpine windmill and cow statue at the crossing towards Jonker Street which really adds to the Euro vibe. Almost like an extension of Jonker Street, there are a couple of interesting sights to see on Dutch Square such as a colonial church and an old battle fort.
Image credit: @the.huble.world.tour via Instagram
On the other hand, closer to the coastline is the Portuguese settlement of Malacca more commonly known as Mini Lisbon. There’s a town square with Portuguese sign boards, as well as houses built like European village homes.
But the most prominent feature of Lisbon is the Rio De Janeiro Jesus the Redeemer replica right at the centre of the Portuguese Quarter. Although nowhere close to the actual height of the statue it’s inspired by, it still makes for an interesting sight to see.
Live the bouiee life on a budget at the highest point of Malacca, 1-Altitude. This multi-restaurant establishment has 5 different places to eat and sip at, while you see all across the city on the 44th floor.
Aside from a rooftop bar and a Wildseed Bistro, 1-Altitude also has Monti – same as the one at Fullerton in Singapore – except the dishes and drinks here are exactly a third of the price.
You don’t have to wine and dine to enjoy the view. Head up to the viewing gallery for RM15/pax (~S$4.30) and you’ll get to redeem a free mocktail or cendol while taking in the sights.
Image credit: h-paper
A 15-minute walk away from the hubbub of Jonker Street is The Woods, a rustic second-hand bookstore-cum-cafe. It’s also right by the quaint Peranakan community of Kampung Chetti, making it the perfect spot for a midday break. Visitors can grab books to read while having their meals, from contemporary and romance novels to old-school comic books.
About an hour away from the city centre, A’Famosa is a resort which has a Safari Wonderland with orangutans, cheetahs, and elephants, as well as a water park with 9 different rides. Entry starts at RM42 (~S$12.06) for the water park and RM45 (~S$12.92) for the safari, which is quite a steal considering how many activities you get to do.
There are activities for parents with A’Famosa’s own 27-hole golf course, inclusive of a driving range and a putting green. If you don’t want to rush back to the city, the resort also has guest rooms and pool-side villas to stay in starting at RM159/night (~S$45.64).
The outlet village’s uber pretty Dutch-inspired facade.
Image credit: Freeport A’Famosa
If your vacay isn’t complete without a shopping spree, plonk yourself at Freeport A’Famosa Outlet Village. You won’t find upscale brands like Gucci or Chanel here, but expect discounts on well-liked brands such as Cotton On, Esprit, and even a Nike Factory Store with discounts of up to 70% off retail prices.
The courtyard.
Image credit: Rosa Malacca
With so many things to do in the heart of the city, there’s no place better to stay than in the centre of it all. Rosa Malacca is a 4-star boutique hotel located just 10 minutes away from the major shopping malls like Mahkota Parade and Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall.
The Family Suite.
Image credit: Rosa Malacca
Rosa Malacca’s rooms come in 4 sizes, ranging from the Deluxe Twin (from S$116/night) room for 2, to the Family Suite (from S$125/night) that has plenty of room for a squad of 6.
Image credit: aareyahmed
One of the most iconic hotels in Malacca, Casa Del Rio Melaka is constructed like a little Spanish town with terracotta walls and arches surrounding a large swimming pool, built just on the bank of the river. Rosa Malacca is minutes away from Jonker Street, giving you easy access to the night markets and Dutch Square.
Rooms at Casa Del Rio Melaka start at around $170/night for a Deluxe Riverview Twin Room, and up to $1,426/night for a Presidential Suite.
Whether you’re a first-timer or a Jonker Walk pundit who takes every weekend as an opportunity for a getaway, it’s important to stay connected without having to rack up your phone bills. And with Singtel’s ReadyRoam Malaysia, there’s no need to lug around Wi-Fi eggs or switch to a local SIM card.
At just $5/GB, ReadyRoam Malaysia is valid for 30 days, which is especially great for those who make frequent trips to anywhere in Malaysia as you’ll be able to use it multiple times within the 30-day period.
No worries if you need more data, additional GBs are stackable at the same price, i.e. $5/GB for add-ons.
With affordable data and nothing else to worry about, you’ll be staying connected all the time, no problemo.
Plus, read more about Singtel’s multi-destination ReadyRoam plans here.
Cover image adapted from: @foodie.on.the.table and @elmolee827 via Instagram
This post was brought to you by Singtel.
Originally published on 24th June 2019. Last updated by Ezekiel Sen on 29th May 2024.
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