A Soothing Weekend In Malacca

Taking a small break from the hustle-bustle of everyday’s life is everyone’s dream; especially when you have the entire weekend to spend some quality time with your loved ones. However, planning a weekend in your hometown and planning the same on a foreign land is completely different.

And it is extremely confusing when you’re surrounded by some of the prestigious architecture hailing from the pre-Malaccan era. Spending a weekend in the Malaccan city can be quite confusing, especially because of the rich cultural heritage and the wide natural habitats surrounding the city.

Though forty-eight hours seems to be quite a long time, if you plan the weekend effectively, you will never feel the start of Saturday and the end of Sunday. Let’s give you an insight into the best weekend plan that you can chalk out in Malacca.

What to do in the daytime of Saturday?

As you are aware that Malacca is a place where you can still witness the historic remains, visiting the colonial structures can be a good plan on the first day. The ancient structures and the buildings distributed all across the land of Malacca give an insight into the Sultanate and the colonial era that prevailed through three centuries in Malacca.

Starting from forts to the ancient Dutch church and other Dutch buildings, you will have a lot of option for making up a strong day trip on Saturday. In fact, if you go out from the main city of Malacca, you can see much other historical architecture built by the Dutch and the Portuguese.

All these architectural places are of utmost historical and ethnographical importance for both the Malaccan government and even to the UNESCO.

Here are some of the best historical places distributed across the city that you can include in your visit list!

  • FAMOSA FORT

    This is one of the oldest European architecture present in the Asian subcontinent/ Alfonso De Albuquerque built it in 1511. As he was a Portuguese general, this fort reflects the Portuguese art and culture greatly. Amongst the whole fortress, only a gate is surviving till date- the Porta De Santiago.

  • STADTHUYS

    This is a city hall built by the Dutch when they had Malacca as a trading colony. It is the administrative centre in the Malaccan city and is popularly termed as the RED SQUARE.

  • ST PAUL’S CHURCH

    This is the oldest church in Malaysia since the Dutch built it in 1521. There is a huge statue of St. Francis Xavier, which was excavated in 1952. There is also a Portuguese burial vault in the church that is still not revealed completely.

  • CHRIST CHURCH

    It is one of the oldest Protestant churches functioning in Malacca. There is a huge resemblance between the Dutch architecture and the Christ Church as you can witness the bricks hailing from the Dutch period.

  • MALACCA SULTANATE PALACE

    Though it is a reconstructed palatial architecture, the essence of the Sultanate period is still there in the air. It has now been designated as a museum where you will get a distinct look at the Sultanate history of Malacca.

What to do at the night time on Saturday?

After tiring yourself out, getting a famished dinner is obviously on the list and so try out the Nyonya cuisine. This is a special type of cuisine that has a blending taste of the Chinese and the local Malaccan cuisine. The best restaurant where you can get the food in the most exquisite taste is the Nancy kitchen where you can try out the Sek Bak, the Peranakan curry chicken, and even the sambal squid with the bitter beans.

You can even try out the satay celup. It is a fondue type dish where you will get the taste of raw meat, seafood, and some vegetables. In fact, there is a special dip made of peanut. The thick and rich sauce enhances the taste of this dish and it will make your meal more happening.

Portuguese Square is the best place where you can enjoy the Satay Club along with some other dishes which are exclusive to the Malaccan cuisine.

Where to go on the next day of the weekend trip?

You are well aware of the fact that Ayer Keroh, the place outside the main Malaccan city is full of natural parks and wildlife sanctuaries. These places are the natural habitat of both the flora and fauna. In fact, in these parks and abodes, you can witness over 1000 varieties of both the plants and the animals.

A trip to these national parks and sanctuaries will simply make up your weekend day and will never let you feel bored. Starting from reptile sanctuaries to a botanical plant, you will have the opportunity to enjoy every sort of natural spots.

The wide stretches of the green forest enhance the natural beauty of the entire city. Let’s have a look at some of the best natural abodes that you can visit in Ayer Keroh!

  • BUTTERFLY SANCTUARY

    This is one of the best places that you can visit; especially with the reptiles surrounding you and a special butterfly home built especially for you. There are twenty different types of snakes along with the lizards, crocodiles, and many other reptiles.

  • MALACCAN BOTANICAL GARDEN

    The botanical garden in Malacca is one of the oldest parks built on the land and it spans over an area of 92.5 hectares. More than 300 species of flora and fauna are there in the park for you to visit.

  • MALACCA BIRD PARK

    This is one of the oldest bird sanctuaries present in Ayer Kehor and has more than seven hundred different species. Here you will have both the international species of the birds along with the local inbred ones.

  • MALACCAN ZOO

    The malaccan zoo houses more than 1200 animals classified into 200 different species. Taking a tour around the zoo definitely sounds good. You can even have a tour to see the nocturnal life form of the forest.

  • MALACCAN CROCODILE FARM

    Seeing the crocodiles is definitely a must in your to-do list. The entire park is divided into five different sections including a separate one for the 100 different species of crocodiles.

How to spend the rest of the evening?

Take a look at the different cafes on the Jonker street and enjoy the live ambience of the night. Malacca comes alive, especially at the nights. So witness the buzzing crowd, the blasting music from the disco, and satisfy the growling stomach with the delicacies.

You can also fill your bags with the exclusive items from the Malaccan night shop and experience a wonderful evening with your loved ones.

Some of the best areas that you can visit at the night time are:

  • Geographer’s cafe
  • Hard rock cafe
  • Calanthe art cafe
  • The baboon cafe

Each cafe is unique in its own sense. In fact, in some of the famous cafes, you will have the chance to witness the pre-Malaysian culture and the Dutch culture. Revelling in the lost vigour of Malacca is one of the best experiences you will have during your stay in Malacca.

The weekend in Malacca is going to be a blasting one for you, especially when you will have such wonderful places to visit.