"Melaka" Melaka by Rodan44

Located on the west coast of peninsular Malaysia, Melaka (formerly Malacca) is one of the most historically important cities in Southeast Asia. Founded some 600 years ago as a Malay Sultanate, Melaka's strategic position on the Strait of Malacca trade route led to it being ruled by a sucession of colonial powers, including Portugal, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Japan. Large numbers of Chinese traders imigrated to Melaka, with many Chinese men taking Malay wives, and today their unique blend of the two cultures is commonly known as Peranakan, or Straits Chinese.

Although it has many decent museums, Melaka's greatest attraction is the old city itself, where much of the original architecture has been preserved and Peranakan culture still flourishes. If you go, be sure to sample some of the authentic Nyonya (Peranakan) cuisine, which is famous throughout the region. Also, try to go on a weekend so you can see the lively Jonker Street night market. The old city is quite compact, so you can see all the major sights by foot. 2 days is probably enough to see all the highlights.

Please visit the Melaka page on my personal website to see many more high quality photos from this destination.

• Pros:Colonial history, Peranakan heritage.
• Cons:Some areas of old city are in bad need of restoration.
• In a nutshell:The old city is essentially a living musuem.