Founded by Parameswara (Hindu Princess
from Sumatra - Indonesia), the historic city of Malacca is a living
museum, with both ruins and intact buildings from bygone eras
right in the heart of the city. The famous ruins of A Famosa (Porta
De Santiago), the Portuguese Square and the Portuguese Eurasians
have their origin in 1511, when the Portuguese defeated the
Malacca Sultanate. The red thick-walled Stadhuys, believed to be
the oldest Dutch building in the East, and the salmon red Christ
Church stem from the Dutch period which began in 1641. The
lifestyle of the early rich Chinese who arrived from the
mid-15th century is well displayed in the Baba and Nyonya
Heritage Museum. And In the old mosques dotted around can be
seen Sumatran and Javanese influence.
Antique buyers love Malacca,
which also offers other attractions such as the History Museum,
Kampung Hulu Mosque (1728), Cheng HoonTeng Temple (1646), St
Peter's Church (1710) and the Malacca River Cruise. At Air Keroh
are the Mini Malaysia Park and Butterfly Farm.
Approximately 2 hours
south of Kuala Lumpur is historical Malacca, the oldest trading port in Malaysia
which has undergone Portuguese, Dutch and English rule.
The Historical Malacca Tour
brings you from Kuala Lumpur to Malaysia’s historical city where you’ll
catch some amazing sights of heritage buildings and ancient landmarks. We start
with a visit to St. Peter’s Church which was built in 1710, the oldest in the
country that is still being used today. Then, we drive past the 17th Century
Chinese Hill before stopping at its foothill to view the Sultan’s Well before
driving through a Portuguese settlement.
Travel back into the pass 600
years as you visit Malacca city. Drive
pass Bukit China and visit the famous gateway of the Portuguese fortress "A
Formosa" (Porta De Santiago), built in 1511. Climb St Paul Hill for a
panoramic view of Malacca and its straits and the old town of Bandar Hilir.
See the ruins of St. Paul’s Church that is
lined with 17th Century Dutch tombstones, where St. Francis Xavier was once
buried and the Red Square – a salmon
pink Dutch administrative building called 'Stadhuys' that now houses the Malacca Museum and
government offices. We then visit Christchurch before breaking for lunch, then
resuming with a trip to the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, the oldest active temple in
the country. Finally, we take a stroll along Jonker Street, a heritage street
lined with shop houses where you can buy antiques, that ends at the banks of the Malacca River.
