Malacca - The Small Town that Is

I've been on holiday in Malaysia for a little while and whilst being in Malaysia I've left the capital city of Kuala Lumpur (KL) and gone to Malacca with some family. Malacca is a small town by the sea, south of KL and was an army town back in the 1500's but now it's more of a tourist location. And despite being a small town, the place is still always congested and there's people everywhere. If you're into historical things and sightseeing than this would be perfect for you. However if you're worried that there are no metropolitan shops; there are. There is a shopping mall in the city area. I stayed at the Hatten Hotel which is a lovely 4 star hotel. There is a television in the room and the bed is really comfy and the service is moderately quick. They're also really safe, not letting you access any other floors other than your own. I would NOT recommend driving anywhere in this place. There is no parking and it is always congested. We went out and what would have been a twenty minute drive became an hour and a half.

Places to Eat: 

- Coconut Shack

If you're looking for some good food at a cheap price then this is the place to go. Does it look like a real restaurant? No. It's a hawker stall but the food is great! Out of the city area, I advise you sit outside at the tables with sunshades as it's less stuffy. If you're going to order anything from here I suggest you get the coconut shake. Especially if its a hot day, this refreshing drink filled with coconut and ice cream is sweet and cooling. They sell a range of different asian foods such as fried noodles, fried chicken, spring rolls and whatnot. I would definitely go back.

- Makko

If you like spicy Asian food, then you should definitely go here. Located in the central city area, this restaurant is the perfect location for dinner. It is REALLY busy and they don't take bookings, so if you want to eat at 7, be there at 5:30. It is really worth it though, the food is tasty with a tang. Before you order your meal they put a plate of the prawn cracker type things on your table and they are very tasty! We bought back two bags because they tasted so good. If you were going to order anything from here I'd suggest you order the coconut chilli prawn (I think that's what it's called). It's one of those restaurants where I wish I could make my stomach bigger so I could eat even more!

Sightseeing:

Malacca has a lot of history because it was conquered by the Goans in the 1500's and then the Portuguese somewhere down the line. However, this isn't a history lesson. I went to see The A Famosa (in Malay Kota a Famosa), which is a Portuguese fortress and one of the oldest surviving European architectural remains in South-East Asia.

You start on ground level and eventually you climb up these stairs to reach the remains. It is not a long walk which is about ten minutes, depending on how fast you walk. If you're knees are not very strong or you've got really bad asthma or heart problems then I would not suggest you go up these stairs. I mean I guess you could go but just take it really slowly. There are a lot of stairs.

Once you reach the top you get this beautiful view of Malacca and there are so many things that you can see from that point. If you walk a little to the right that's where you'll see some of the ruins but scattered around the top of the 'fortress' we'll call it, are these small little shops where you can buy a lot of souvenir type things and some people selling some really lovely paintings. I did, I confess succumb to the temptation of buying something and bought heart-shaped necklaces with names painted on for my friends. I loved it at the top there, it was just so peaceful and had the coolest vibe. If you're ever stressed; climb a hill.

All in all, I really enjoyed Malacca. As much as I am a city girl, Malacca was really enjoyable for somewhere just to relax and I feel so detoxified from flights and travel things. 

Much Love

-E