I’m in Melaka again for the next couple of days. My previous post about missing Malacca was actually a prelude to this trip. Similar to my second trip to Penang, I’ve come back to see what I missed the first time and savor my time exploring this Unesco World Heritage town.
I arrived this morning on the 8am bus from Singapore. The trip took four hours and thirty minutes, including the immigration and rest stops. I was only able to sleep for two hours out of four, and I was already tired when I got off the bus. I was revived when I saw the historic city again, specially when I found out just how central Twenty’s location was. I passed the time in my room, waiting for the sun to go down. The weather was gorgeous — it was bright and sunny, with gentle breeze wafting from the sea.
It was a joy walking around Malacca. Since it’s a weekday, the streets aren’t as congested with tourists. In between walks, I rediscovered a skill I acquired in Luang Prabang: watching the world go by. However, Malacca has a much faster pace than Laos, and soon I was back on my feet, walking away lest the man with a huge snake draped around his shoulders get too close.
Our four hours in Malacca before was too little a time to be spent in this charming town. You can actually see most of the important tourist spots between the time the first bus from Singapore arrives until the last one leaves. I’ve gone up and down St. Paul’s Hill, got lost and found Capitol Satay Celup and cruised through the Malacca River. I’ve no clue what else to do tomorrow, but I’m not bothered. I’m quite happy just sitting down and watching the world go by.
** Pictures to follow. I’m too pooped to edit and upload.
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Dude, where’s the sea?
A replica of the Portuguese ship Flora De La Mar, which sank off the coast of Malacca
Malacca is just a 2-hour drive from KL, making it a great destination for a daytrip from the capital city. Like Georgetown in Penang, Malacca was granted its UNESCO World Heritage status last year. A more detailed post on Malacca will follow, but I’ll say this now: I’m definitely going back!
Kuala Lumpur as seen from the Theme Park Hotel in Genting Highlands
Genting Highlands, on the otherhand, is just an hour away from Kuala Lumpur. It is about 1,800 meters above sea level, and is accessible by cars, buses and the Genting Skyway — the longest and fastest cable car in Asia. There are several hotesl and casinos in Genting, but it was the outdoor theme park that caught our fancy. More on Genting next week — we’re checking out of the hotel tomorrow to head for Cameron Highlands and I still haven’t started packing!
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