Melaka from a Different Angle: Interesting Ways to Experience the City

Melaka from a Different Angle: Interesting Ways to Experience the City

Discover more of Melaka by doing these interesting means of exploration.

melakaExploring Melaka…

The historic state of Melaka is a world heritage site. Beaming with beautiful lights, tourist spots and endless street hawkers, a stroll around the city is worth the experience. With cultural glimpses of different cities and ethnicities, Melaka has more than just food to offer.

Want a cultural glimpse of Melaka? How about a revolving tour? Today, we discuss two interesting ways to explore the city. These by far are the best ways to observe the landscape, help you spot a place and map the city for the next stop.

Also read: 8 Unique Things to Do in Malacca

Menara Taming Sari

Menara Taming SariView from the tower

Need a bird’s view of Melaka? Here’s the easiest way to do so. Hop onto the tower, Menara Taming Sari, after paying a nominal entry fee. It lies very close to Dtaran Pahlawan Megamall, at Bandar Hilir. It apparently operates on Swiss technology, which ensures safety, innovation and world-class technology.

During the day, see the movement and hustle and bustle of the city, spot the famous landmarks like A-Famosa, Dutch Square, St. Paul’s Hill, Jonker Street and the line up of malls. At night, see the chaos of the vehicles, brightly lit hotels and the beautiful Melaka river.

Highlights

The tower

Tickets

You can buy the tickets at the base of the tower itself. It costs RM17 for locals and RM23 for foreigners, while children below 12 years have to pay RM11 and 15 respectively.

The ride

The tower ride with a maximum capacity of 80 passengers, lasts for seven minutes, but it provides you a 360-degree view of Melaka. It is 110 metres in height and was first opened in the year 2008.

Food

Please do not carry outside food into the tower. After all, it is just a 7-minute ride and leaves you enthralled so much that you really do not need to munch on anything. A number of cafes, souvenir shops, photo and magnet stores and other establishments adorn the area surrounding the tower. You can fuel up there.

Also read: 10 Must Try Foods When Visiting Malacca

Sights

Another view from the tower

Given the weather is bright and the sky is clear, you will see everything that the city has to offer – dwellings, line up of hotels, St. Paul’s Hill, lush green patches, traffic, malls, the never ending water stretch, and in the evenings, the sunset of course.

Will I get giddy?

No, you won’t! The tower revolves at a reasonable speed, just enough to catch a good glimpse of the scene, click photos and videos, and feel in control of yourself.

Melaka River Cruise

Melaka River Cruise

Another good option of checking the city is through a different medium — by water. The river cruise cutting through the main city heading straight to the Straits of Melaka is rather underrated.

While most locals call it a ride of choice and suggest you forego, many others condemn it for being just about average. However, I recommend it with all my heart. The reason being, it provides you a perspective of the city, through a different lens, a different angle. Everyone explores a city on foot. Why not go city tripping through a small boat ride instead?

The river cruise lasts for about 45 minutes and helps you understand Melaka better. It lies near the Maritime Museum, at Jalan Laksamana. Try it once in the morning and again at night to check the changing cityscape. While the walls are lit up and most of the features are visible during the night as well, the street art looks better and brighter by day, while the reflection of lights on the river looks mesmerising by night.

Highlights

Tickets

Buy the tickets at the cruise counter. It costs RM10 (RM5 for children) for locals and RM15 (RM7 for children) for tourists. The price shoots up by about RM6 approximately over the weekends. A tip for tourists is that you can book a weekday cruise, as these tickets are more expensive over the weekend and public holidays.

Food

You are given a packet of juice and yummy mini cookies along with the tickets. Munch on and ride along.

Sights

Street art visible by day

Street art adorns the walls, buildings and shop houses. As you cruise through, watch out for the Indian dancers, abstract art, depiction of food, tribes, martial art, skyscrapers, gardens and more. Pay attention to the painted houses on stilts, the hotels with mural versions of dancers and animal-like figurines etched on the walls.
Audio aid

The moment the cruise begins, an audio is turned on. It plays occasional music while briefing you on the history of Melaka. Important spots and areas to focus on are discussed, and you are pointed at the right direction as you unveil the history of its glorious past!

Gleaming lights

The reflection of the lights from the shop houses, restaurants and hotels giving you a rather two-fold vision, is a sight you’d never want to forget.

Also read: Top Attractions in Malacca and Must-Try Foods You Can’t Miss

Enjoy the refreshing tour of the city through these two interesting ways, read the tips and tricks, and live it up as a tourist in Melaka.

About Author

Aditi Shukla
Aditi Shukla

Aditi Shukla is a blogger, content writer and editor, and an avid traveller, foodie and music fanatic. She believes travel helps to communicate with the world, broaden your horizon and simply have fun! Her motto is to travel and eat as much as she can around the globe and share her experiences to inspire others. She runs her blog Lyf&Spice to share her travel experiences, gourmet journeys and lifestyle tips.

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