ملاکا

Buy

Malacca is famed for its antiques, with many a beautiful shophouse interior now filled to the brim with artefacts from all around the Asia Pacific region. Your chances of finding a bargain here are minimal though; prices in many of the tourist-oriented places are absurdly high by any standard, and although many items are touted as being 'more than a hundred years old', most is brand new but 'aged' at the back of the shops.

Eat

Besides the usual Malaysian fare, you'll be able to sample some rather peculiar Malaccan food. On top of the list is of course Peranakan or Baba-Nyonya food, which used to be totally uncommercialised and confined to the kitchens of old grandmothers. Now, there is a string of restaurants claiming to serve Peranakan food, but most unfortunately seem to be on the tour bus circuit. The dishes are slightly different from those of the Penang Peranakan. Usual ones include babi pongteh (pork belly in bean sauce, or sometimes a halal variant known as ayam pongteh that uses chicken instead), ayam buah keluak (chicken cooked with a bitter nut) and a whole array of desserts.

Another famous Malacca dish is what is commonly called "chicken rice ball". Although it is called Hainanese chicken rice, it is not from Hainan, China, but invented by the Hainanese immigrants to Malaysia a long time ago. The chicken for this dish is very much the same as the boiled chicken offered throughout Malaysia; what is unique is the rice - it comes in ping-pong sized balls.

Yet another Malaccan speciality is satay celup. It is like lok-lok found in other parts of the country but instead of dipping your skewered food (fishballs, crabsticks, meat, prawns, etc.) into boiling water, you dip them into a boiling vat of satay sauce. The sight of boiling satay sauce may not appeal to you but the crowds at the satay celup outlets seem to suggest that many have overcome their phobias.

Of course, Malacca is where y…

Drink

When in Malacca, don't miss the cendol ("chen-dul"), a sweet dessert of coconut milk, lurid green noodles and gula Melaka (Malacca sugar), made from palm sap. Though it's not a drink, it's the ultimate thirst quencher.

Jonker Walk has many food and drinks outlets which serve Nyonya laksa (laksa with coconut milk) and desserts like cendol, including the sinful durian cendol. Clocktower cendol, Jalan Laksamana. Located by the Malacca River opposite the Red Square clock tower. Another Malacca legend, the cendol served by this Indian-Muslim hawker is superb. You can have it plain or with red bean and is a wonderful thirst-quencher when doing the historical sights circuit. Bibik House serves excellent nyonya and durian cendol with the freshest coconut milk. Indian rojak It used to operate out of a mangosteen-shaped stall (hence he's also known as "Mangosteen cendol") but now has a more conventional-looking stall.

Stay safe

Malacca is a very safe place with a low crime rate. However, do watch out for pickpockets in crowded areas and bags snatching on the roadside by motorbikes. Carry your identification papers (passport) with you always because there are random checks by the police for illegal immigrants.

Go next

Johor Bahru Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's cosmopolitan capital and a shopper's paradise, about 2 hours away by car. Penang and Singapore - The other two Straits Settlements during the British colonial era, about 6 and 3 hours away by car, respectively. Gunung Ledang - Most climbed mountain in Malaysia with some nice waterfalls to go swimming. Can be reached by bus to Tangkak and from there with local bus towards Segamat. The bus will drop you off 1 km before the park entrance (RM 1). Depending how long you have to wait for the bus a trip takes about 2–3 hours.