24 Hours in Melaka

A popular getaway for Singaporeans is a bus trip to historic Melaka. The Malaysian city is a striking contrast to the modernity (and prices!) of Singapore. Although our time was short, we enjoyed our weekend here. It was great for people watching and had some wonderful shopping! Melaka is also known for its delicious food.

Historic Melaka

We stayed at the charming Hotel Puri.

Visitors from all over come to Melaka. The gathering place is the Dutch Square or Red Square.

We arrived on the final weekend of Chinese New Year, bringing the celebration we began in Singapore full circle.

Day 15, the last day of Chinese New Year, is filled with fireworks, cultural performances, and celebrations.

Day 15 of Chinese New Year

Festivities included this blocks long trail of fireworks leading to the Temple

So LOUD!

It was quite the party!

Melaka’s culture of religious acceptance is illustrated by the multi-religious “Harmony Street.” Located along the street are Kampung Kling Mosque (Islam), Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple (Hinduism), Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism), and Xiang Lin Si Temple (Buddhism).

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple

Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple

A popular tourist activity is a river boat ride. The buildings are colorfully painted and it reminded us of a Disney-themed ride.

Other areas of the old city were colorful, too. Melaka has a lot of interesting street art.

The city’s most famous sight is the Jonker Street Night Market.

Tourists enjoy the decorated tuk tuks.

They even light up at night!

Yes, we took one.

We actually took it to a neighborhood outside the tourist area to try Melaka’s famed spicy lok lok. The problem was that no one could speak English and tell us what anything was!

It’s cheap, only 80 cents per stick. You cook it in a pot filled with water and spices that sits in the center of your table. I have no idea what we ate.

Peranakan or Nyonya cuisine comes from the Peranakans, descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Singapore and Indonesia inter-marrying with local Malays.

After seeing all the banana plants on our bus ride to Melaka, do you think we could find even one shop that sold bananas?

Frank finally settled on a banana smoothie at the fancy hotel where we were to meet the bus. It was here . . .

. . . we had a fun, interesting chat with the chef, who told us all about his life in Melaka!

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Penang, Malaysia

The urban island of Penang, Malaysia always ranks in the world’s top ten places to retire. Low cost of living, first-rate healthcare, nice beaches and ease of language contribute to its long list of amenities.

The island was a busy southeast Asia  trading post for over 500 years, under the control of various conquerors. Penang remains a mixed culture of different races (Chinese, Malays, Indians, Mamaks, Eurasians and Thais). This fusion has resulted in the its reputation as a foodie destination.

Georgetown (the capital and largest city), was founded in 1786 and remained a British colony until its independence in 1957. Today, colonial and traditional-style buildings mix with modern day skyscrapers.

Our original plan was to be here a month but our other adventures landed us on the island with just five days. We did our best to make the most of them.

Although I had done some research on Penang, Frank and I were shocked on our ride from the airport. It was night and we passed high rise after high rise. We never realized there were over two million people here!

Our hotel in Georgetown was recommended by some friends. The location was a perfect base from which to explore . . .

We chose to stay in Georgetown, adjacent to the historic core of the island.

Our room overlooked the Malacca Strait.

Old Town Georgetown

Old Town Georgetown

Cheong Fatt Tze, the Blue Mansion, was the home of a beloved Chinese entrepreneur. His story is fascinating. His home is now a museum and boutique hotel.

Penang is a mixed culture with many religious affiliations.

Georgetown

Georgetown

Wedding at the Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Kling Mosque

We went to Palm Sunday Mass at a Catholic Cathedral right around the corner from our hotel.

Georgetown is well-known for its street art.

Georgetown is well-known for its street art.

They even put their street art on their souvenirs.

To get a better feel for the rest of the island, we ventured out of Georgetown via the double decker red tour bus. It’s usually not our favorite thing to do but it was sooo hot outside and the bus had A/C and traveled everywhere we wanted to see.

Penang’s Gurney Drive is modern and on the beach. If we had stayed a month, we would have stayed and explored from here.

The Gurney Drive shopping was top-shelf. The area reminded Frank of Miami Beach.

In fact, we traveled past some beaches, including this one, which locals named “Miami Beach!”

The national forest had monkeys and snakes – no thanks.

For the short time, we were here, the historic area was the place to be. We enjoyed the sights, shops and many good restaurants.

The food in Malaysia is amazing!

A new friend from Singapore told me about this place which produced my favorite dessert,

Kuay Salat. It has rice on the bottom and a tapioca-type top that is not too sweet. I’m addicted.

Our hotel had a rooftop bar overlooking the city and the Strait. Such a beautiful and interesting city! Can’t wait to return!