MALAYSIABook your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels PENINSULAR MALAYSIA – WEST COAST •• Melaka
VILLA SENTOSA
After sampling Melaka’s Chinese and
European heritage, don’t overlook the city’s
Malay family tree. Villa Sentosa (%282 3988;
http://www.travel.to/villasentosa; 138 Kampong Morten; admission
by donation; h9am-1pm & 2-5pm Sat-Thu, 2.45-5pm Fri)
is a private museum on the Melaka River in
Kampung Morten. Tours led by family mem-
bers include a visit to the ancestral kampung
home, dating from the 1920s, filled with Malay
handicrafts and architecture.
Sleeping
JLN TAMAN MELAKA RAYA (JLN TMR)
A clutch of guest houses congregate at the
western end of Jln Taman Melaka Raya
(Jln TMR), a charmless complex of shop-
houses about five- to 10-minutes’ walk from
Chinatown. From Melaka Sentral, take town
Bus 17 (RM1) or the Panorama Melaka bus
(RM2 to RM5). Most places have a choice of
shared or private bathrooms.
Shirah’s Guest House (%286 1041; [email protected]
.my; 207-209, 2nd fl, Jln Melaka Raya 1; fan dm/d RM12/30,
air-con d RM45; ai) Lots of Mediterranean col-
ours and a gentle Malay vibe make Shirah’s a
particularly cosy backpackers’. The three-bed
dorms and doubles are excellent value.
Samudra Inn (%282 7441; [email protected];
348B Jln Melaka Raya 3; dm/d from RM12/30; a) The
owners at the very quiet Samudra run a tight
ship and go above and beyond standard serv-
ice to make sure guests are comfortable. It’s a
homestay atmosphere with chirping birds and
satellite telly at night.
oEmily Travellers Home (%012 301 8524;
71 Jln Parameswara; dm/s RM16/24, d RM32-48) A hum-
ble entrance off the busy road brings you to
another dimension of plants, koi ponds, a
bunny hopping around and happy, mingling
people. Sleeping options range from funky
cottages with semi-outdoor ‘jungle showers’,
to simple wooden rooms in the house – the
dorm rooms have two beds apiece.
Travellers’ Lodge (%226 5709; 214B Jln Melaka Raya
1; fan d from RM30; a) With an enticing elevated
sitting area that has mats on the floors, a
plant-filled rooftop terrace and good rooms –
some of which have lofts – this is a great place
to meet other travellers.
CHINATOWN & AROUND
Melaka’s most scenic section of town is a re-
ally fun place to stay. Because of preservation
restrictions, however, most places only have
shared bathrooms. Take town Bus 17 (RM1)
or the Panorama Melaka bus (RM2 to RM5)
from Melaka Sentral to Town Sq.
Eastern Heritage Guest House (%283 3026; 8 Jln
Bukit China; dm/s/d RM10/28/30) In a 1918 building,
Eastern Heritage has polished wood floors,
ancient tiles and an antique style from lots
of eroding paint. The dorm is airless but the
rooms are brightened up with murals.
Voyage Guest House (%281 5216; Jln Tukang Besi; dm
RM12) Clean, industrial-sized dorm rooms and
common areas are decorated with a nouveau-
heritage lounge look.
Sama-Sama Guest House (%305 1980; 26 Jln Tukang
Besi; dm RM12, d RM20-40) Big creaky rooms are ar-
ranged around an interior courtyard of water
lilies and cool breezes. Downstairs lazy cats
and the odd human snooze to a soundtrack
of reggae.
Jalan Jalan Guesthouse (%283 3937; http://www.jalan
jalanguesthouse.com; 8 Jln Tukang Emas; dm/s/d RM12/23/34;
iW)^ In a restored periwinkle-blue shop-
house, fan-cooled rooms with one shared
bathroom are spread out over a tranquil inner
courtyard garden.
Ringo’s Foyer (%016 354 2223; http://www.ringosfoyer.com;
46-A Jln Portugis; dm/s/d/tr RM12/25/30/40; W) Just far
enough out of central Chinatown to be quiet,
but close enough to be convenient, Ringo’s is
plain and clean, has friendly staff and a relax-
ing rooftop chill-out area.
Tony’s Guesthouse (%688 0119; 24 Lg Banda Kaba;
r RM24-28; W) A scatter-brained, old-school
hippy backpacker’s place, this is a great spot to
meet other budget road warriors over tea.Eating
Melaka’s most famous cuisine is Nonya
food (see the boxed text, p433 ). In Melaka
the Portuguese might have wreaked havoc
on civic order, but they built up a tradition
for cakes and seafood, which is most obvious
in the Eurasian dish of devil’s curry. Then
there are the immigrant contributions of
Indian curries and the ever-versatile Chinese
noodle dishes.
Low Yong Mow (32 Jln Tukang Emas; dim sum RM1-3;
h5am-noon Wed-Mon) A bustling Chinese favour-
ite for a traditional dim sum breakfast and
famed for its giant pao (pork buns).
Poh Piah Lwee (Jln Kubu; h9am-5pm) An authen-
tic and lively hole in the wall with one special-
ist cook preparing delicious Hokkein-style
popiah (RM2), another making near-perfect
rojak (a fruit-and-vegie salad topped with a453