While it’s almost hundreds of interesting places there, there are 10 of them that you just must see during your trip. If you didn’t see Jonker Street or Melaka River during your visit, you just didn’t see Malacca! So use you time carefully and take the opportunity to become a witness of rich history of Asia.
1. A’ Famosa
A’Famosa is more than just quick photo stop chance for tourists. Built in 1511, the settlement used to sprawl across a whole hillside but now only a single gate (Porta de Santiago) remains. One of the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia; it is located beside the Istana Kesultanan on Jalan Kota.
2. Jonker Street
The centre street of Chinatown – was once famous for its antique shops. Moreover, over the years it has become clothing and crafts outlets as well as restaurants. The best part of Jonker Street is the night market on Fridays and Saturdays.You can find a lot of things that sells from delicious treats to cheap keepsakes.
3. Christ Church Malacca
The Malaccan Churches had become a home for Christians from different lands. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the church for its architecture and the history. The Church has been redesigned. You would like to see the spacious halls and the touch of local Melaka culture. It is a spiritual and historical journey to be in the Christ Church Malacca.
4. The Stadhuys of Malacca
The Red Square or the Stadhuys is a Dutch architecture that takes the visitors on a journey to 1600’s. You will see Oriental buildings and a Museum of Ethnography in the Stadhuys. You also can find daily routine items and goods as well as the wedding cultural items in the Stadhuys. The honor of past of the Malaccan people is evident for the costumes in the Red Square.So don’t forget to pay a visit there when you in Malacca.
5. St. Paul’s Church in Malacca
The ruins of St. Paul’s Church are at the climax of St. Paul’s Hill. Built on the site of the last Malaccan sultan’s Istana (palace), it was built by a Portuguese fidalgo (nobleman) captain, Duarte Coelho, in appreciation to the Virgin Mary for saving his life during a storm at sea. Roofless and covered in ferns, it was originally called the Nossa Senhora da Annunciada (Our Lady of the Annunciation). Though it has been in destroyed for more than 150 years, it is a attractive, breezy sanctuary (reached after a steep flight of stairs) set near the remains of A’ Famosa fort.
6. Butterfly & Reptile Sanctuary
Butterfly & Reptile Sanctuary is one of a tourist attraction located in Ayer Keroh, about 15km northeast of Malacca town. Also known as Taman Rama Rama, it is home to a group of animals ranging from colourful and wonderful butterflies to snakes, lizards, crocodiles, koi fish and surprisingly a pair of gorgeous golden leopards. Spread across an 11ha jungle area, the complex is the part secondary jungle and part landscaped park. This sanctuary was opened in 1991 and is divided into five sections: the Koi River Valley, Butterfly Garden, Reptile Aviary, Wild Photo Lane and Nature’s Art Centre.
7. Melaka Sultanate Palace
Paintings, art depiction and the furniture of Sultans of Melaka can be found when you pay a visit to Malacca Sultanate Palace. The city had become a home to Malay, Buddhist, Christian and Dutch cultures. This building of Muslim era is located close the St. Paul Hill. The building is made of wood totally and it is wonderful to find that there are no nails used in it. The gardens beside the palace also remind you of how gardens used to be in the old time.
8. Menara Taming Sari
Melaka Menara Taming Sari (Taming Sari Tower) officially operated for business on the 18th of April 2008, Menara Taming Sari is the first and only gyro tower in Malaysia so far. Measuring 110 meters in height, its revolving structure offers a 360-degree panoramic view of Malacca town and beyond. Located in the famous district of Bandar Hilir on Jalan Merdeka, only 3 minutes’ journey from Mahkota Parade Shopping Complex and Dataran Pahlawan Megamall, the tower is named after the Taming Sari keris, a legendary weapon said to possess mystical powers belonging to the legendary Malay warrior, Hang Tuah. Even the structure’s plan follows the shape of the keris, with the top of the tower resembling its hilt.
9. Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum
The Chinese-Malay rich families left behind them a culture that is the center of attraction for the tourists. Baby Nyonya Heritage Museum placed behind the Jonker Street is a worth to pay a visit. One can see rooms, ceilings, wall and doors of the old houses telling about the rich architecture of the cultural group.
10. Mini Malaysia & Asean Cultural Park
Mini Malaysia & ASEAN Cultural Park is a cultural park where attractive replicas of traditional Malaysian and ASEAN homes can be seen. Similar to the Karyaneka Handicraft Centre in KL, each house contains furnishings, fixtures, and works of art represent the culture of each state or country. Located in Ayer Keroh, the Mini Malaysia & ASEAN Cultural Park showcases the country’s 13 states represented with houses that actually look similar to the untrained eye (save for the Borneo house). However inside each abode is where the differences can be seen with life-sized wax dummies dressed in respective traditional clothing as well as local handicrafts. At the Mini Malaysia Complex there is also a model of an Orang Asli village.