Portuguese forts, Dutch squares, and British traces, all within walking distance
Melaka is a city where three colonial periods come together in one city centre. The city is officially called Melaka, but it's also known as Malacca in English. Portuguese ruins, Dutch squares, and British traces all sit within walking distance of each other, something we didn't see quite like this in any other city in Malaysia . We stayed for three days, which is just enough to explore the city at a relaxed pace.
Dutch Square: the Red Heart of the City
Church of St Francis Xavier
St Paul's Church and A Famosa
St John's Fort
Christ the Redeemer Statue
Colourful Murals
Visit Kampung Morten
Melaka Gateway
Masjid Selat Melaka
Evenings: Jonker Walk
Other Things to Do in Melaka
Wildlife in Melaka
Eating in Melaka
How Much Time Do You Need in Melaka?
Our Favourite Hotels in Melaka
How to Get to Melaka
Dutch Square: the Red Heart of the City
The starting point for almost every walk through Melaka is Dutch Square: the red square with the Stadthuys and Christ Church. Both buildings are painted in the same deep red and together form the city's best-known image. The Stadthuys was built around 1650 as the town hall and residence of the Dutch governor, and is one of the oldest surviving Dutch buildings in Asia. Christ Church was built a little later by the Dutch in the 18th century, to mark a century of Dutch rule in Melaka.
Inside the Stadthuys is a museum of history, ethnography, and literature, where you can learn more about the city's history. Across the street stands a painted bull and a small windmill.
Tip: Dutch Square is one of the busiest spots in the city. Visit it first thing in the morning, before the buses full of local tourists arrive.
Church of St Francis Xavier
Further down the same street as Dutch Square stands the Church of St Francis Xavier, recognisable by its two neo-Gothic towers. The design is inspired by the cathedral in Montpellier, France, which makes sense, since the church was built by the French priest Farvé. The location isn't a coincidence either: an earlier Portuguese church once stood on this exact spot.
Inside you'll find white walls with stained-glass windows, a lot less elaborate than Christ Church down the street. Two statues stand in front of the church: one of Francis Xavier himself, after whom the church is named, and one of Yajiro, a Japanese samurai who was converted by Xavier and is considered the first Japanese Christian.
Of the three main churches in the city, this is the largest, though it draws fewer visitors than the busier Dutch Square.
Opening hours: The church is free to visit daily between 9am and 5pm.
St Paul's Church and A Famosa
On the other side of Dutch Square lies St Paul's Church, and at the foot of the same hill stands A Famosa: the remains of a large Portuguese fort. The Portuguese built the fort in 1511, and it grew into one of the strongest fortifications in Asia. The Dutch later took over the fort and left behind the "ANNO 1670" inscription still visible on the gate today. In the early 19th century, the British had most of the fort demolished, sparing only the gate: the Porta de Santiago. What you see today is just a small remnant, but it's one of the oldest pieces of European architecture in Asia, and it's free to visit.
At the top of the hill lie the ruins of St Paul's Church, the oldest church in Southeast Asia. The Portuguese built it in the early 16th century, and the Dutch later used it for their own services until Christ Church was completed. What remains are bare walls, a few gravestones in the floor, and a large wooden cross, along with one of the best views over Melaka and the sea.
St John's Fort
A little further from the centre, on St John's Hill, lies St John's Fort. This spot once held a small Portuguese church dedicated to John the Baptist, which the Dutch converted into a fort in the 18th century to defend against attacks from inland. The unusual detail: the cannons point inland rather than out to sea. The Dutch were more worried at the time about attacks from Aceh and Bugis fighters coming from land than from the water, and built the fort accordingly. The fort has just one entrance and is free to visit, though you'll need to climb the hill yourself to reach it. From the top, you get a great view over the city and the strait, especially around sunset.
Christ the Redeemer Statue
In the Portuguese Settlement, the neighbourhood of the Kristang community just outside the centre, stands an eight-metre-high replica of the Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro. The community built the statue in 2017, around Christmas, to honour their connection to their Portuguese roots. The Kristang are descendants of Portuguese colonists who mixed with the local population centuries ago, and the statue quickly became one of the neighbourhood's best-known sights.
Colourful Murals
A walk through Melaka's small streets also leads you past plenty of street art, just like in George Town and Ipoh. The murals are mostly found around the river, in Kampung Morten, and in the side streets around Jonker Street, such as Jalan Hang Kasturi and Jalan Tukang Besi.
The best-known one is a large, brightly coloured mural celebrating Malaysia's UNESCO World Heritage sites. Some murals tell part of the city's history or the Peranakan culture, while others are purely decorative. Take your time here, there's plenty to see and admire.
Tip: Want to really dive into the city's history? Book a guided city tour of Melaka and learn all about it.
Visit Kampung Morten
On the other side of the river lies Kampung Morten, a neighbourhood of traditional Malay houses on stilts. The village was laid out in the early 1920s by British land commissioner Frederick Joseph Morten, who helped residents build on what was then marshy ground. The more than fifty wooden houses with red roofs are still lived in and well maintained today.
The best-known house is Villa Sentosa, built in the 1920s and still run by the family of the original builder. The house is open as a kind of living museum, with original furniture, photos, and family stories. It's noticeably quieter and slower-paced here than in the busy old town, and a nice place to slow down for a while.
Melaka Gateway
A more modern sight is Melaka Gateway, built on artificially reclaimed land off the coast. It's a large, partly controversial development project that launched in 2014, intended as a tourist and commercial hub, including a cruise terminal. The project has faced delays and setbacks over the years. At street level, the pastel-coloured, French-inspired section stands out, a striking contrast to the colonial look of other parts of the city.
Masjid Selat Melaka
On this artificial island off the coast of Melaka stands Masjid Selat Melaka, also known as the floating mosque. The mosque opened in 2006 and is built on stilts above the water, with a design that combines modern Islamic and Malay architectural elements. At high tide, the building appears to float right on the water, a striking sight. The minaret, the mosque's slender tower, also doubles as a lighthouse for ships in the strait during the day, which makes this mosque quite unique.
Price: entry costs RM 10 to 15 per person.
Evenings: Jonker Walk
In the evening, Melaka transforms into a lively, bustling city. The colourful, brightly lit trishaws come out, complete with loud music and playful themes. At night these double as the city's taxis, or you can take one just for fun. There's one place you'll want to be for the atmosphere and the best food: Jonker Walk. A lively night market on Jonker Street with lanterns, decorated trishaws, and stalls full of local food and souvenirs. The market usually runs from Friday to Sunday and draws both tourists and locals. It gets busy quickly, so go early if you still want to be able to walk through it, or take your time to browse.
Other Things to Do in Melaka
Want to see the city from way up high? Head to The Shore Sky Tower. From the 43rd floor, you get a 360-degree view over the city. Parts of the floor are made of glass, so you can really see just how high up you are.
The city centre is built around the river that runs through it. You can also choose to explore Melaka from the water with the Melaka River Cruise Jeti. The cruise goes back and forth along the main sights and takes about 45 minutes, with a soundtrack in the background telling you more about the places you pass.
Prefer to stay off the water? You can also simply walk the Malacca River Walk, which runs the whole way along the river. With bridges here and there, you can easily cross to the other side and back whenever you like, passing the city's main sights along the way too.
Tip: You can eat well pretty much anywhere in Malaysia, and Melaka is no exception. A culinary tour of the city is a nice addition to your time here.
Wildlife in Melaka
We hadn't expected to see so much wildlife in a city, but especially in and around the water there was plenty to spot. Along the river we regularly saw monitor lizards moving freely through the city via the rivers and drains. And if you look closely, you might also spot mudskippers, striking little fish that move around just as easily on land as in the water.
Eating in Melaka
Besides the weekend night market, there are plenty of other places to eat well in Melaka. We can definitely recommend these:
- Botanist Veggie Cafe: a nice stop between all the walking, with air conditioning and great vegetarian meals.
- Stadthuys Cafe: convenient if you want coffee or lunch right on Dutch Square.
- The Stolen Cup: great sandwiches and coffee, also to go.
- The Daily Fix Cafe: great coffee, breakfast, and lunch.
- Wild Coriander Melaka: really good local meals for dinner or lunch.
There are also plenty of nice little restaurants along the river. These are often more bars than restaurants, but definitely worth it for a drink in the evening.
How Much Time Do You Need in Melaka? Is a Day Trip from KL Enough?
Two to three days is enough to visit the main sights in Melaka at a relaxed pace. Keep in mind that some spots can get very busy, so make sure you have enough time and visit the busiest places early.
A day trip from Kuala Lumpur is also possible, with a bus ride of around 2 to 2.5 hours that's easy to manage. That gives you time for the main sights around Dutch Square, like the Stadthuys, Christ Church, St Paul's Church, and A Famosa. What you'll miss is the quieter side of the city: taking your time in Kampung Morten, walking Jonker Walk in the evening, or heading a bit further out to Masjid Selat Melaka or the Portuguese Settlement. So if you just want to see the highlights, a day trip works fine. If you want to really get to know Melaka, we'd recommend at least 2 or 3 days.
How to Get to Melaka
We travelled to Melaka from Ipoh, and continued on from there to Kuala Lumpur. There's no direct train between Ipoh and Melaka, but there is a direct bus from Terminal Meru Raya (Amanjaya) to Melaka Sentral. The ride takes around 5 hours and costs between RM 30 and RM 50.
Kuala Lumpur and Melaka are easy to reach from each other in both directions. Buses run roughly every hour between TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan) in KL and Melaka Sentral, with a travel time of around 2 to 2.5 hours. This is the most commonly used connection on this route.
Travelling from Singapore? There are also direct buses to Melaka Sentral.
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Hi, we are Marlo and Tessa and have developed an enormous passion for traveling through our world trip in 2022. We like to share this with you through our adventures and tips, so that you too can make such an incredible trip.
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Hi, we are Marlo and Tessa and have developed an enormous passion for traveling through our world trip in 2022. We like to share this with you through our adventures and tips, so that you too can make such an incredible trip.
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