"Melaka - Malaysia's historical centre" Melaka by Willettsworld

Located on the west coast of Malaysia, 150 km (93 miles) from Kuala Lumpur and 216 km (134 miles) from Johor Bahru, Malacca is the country's most historical city. First established in 1396, it was the capital of the Malaccan Sultanate and was the centre of the Malay world in the 15th and the 16th centuries after the Malays moved over from Sumatra. It was the most developed part of the Malay Peninsula before it fell to the Portuguese in 1511. Centuries of colonization by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British as well as development of Straits Chinese (Peranakan) culture have influenced the architecture of the town to make it a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The historic central area of the city is located near the old coastline, which includes St Paul's Hill with the ruins of the Portuguese fortress, A Famosa and the Dutch Square on the right (eastern) bank of the river, and the old Chinatown on the left (western) bank. The modern city has grown in all directions from this historic core, including to the south (because the present coastline of the Strait of Malacca is somewhat farther down to the south than its original location due to land reclamation). The "Chinese Hill" (Bukit Cina), where a large old Chinese cemetery is located, was formerly located to the northeast of the town, but now is surrounded by the city on all sides. Most tourist attractions are concentrated in its small city centre and you can walk down Jonker's Walk which is a row of shophouses in Chinatown that has Peranakan architecture. This area is full of Chinese temples, a mosque and boutique hotels.

I really liked Malacca mainly due to its historical attractions which was a pleasant shot-in-the-arm after bustling KL. I took a bus from here, south, to Singapore.