Melaka: at the Crossroads of History
The port city of Melaka is about 150 kilometers (94) miles from Kuala Lumpur, about a two-hour drive. We visited once when living in Singapore and then returned in early 2019 to tour the town more extensively. Although largely a popular tourist attraction today, it was one of the world's premier port cities when the the Indian Ocean was the world's leading trade network, a period from the 3rd century C.E. to the the 15th century C.E. The port was vital for two reasons. First, it was the gateway to Asia for the African, Arab, and later European trader, who would cross the Indian Ocean to store goods in Melaka warehouses for transport to Southeast and East Asia. Secondly it was a seasonal haven for many of these traders, as they waited for a shift in the monsoon winds to carry them back home.

As a result many merchants from all over the world made Melaka their home for at least several months a year.  Melaka stood as one of the world's major ports in ancient times, equivalent to Shanghai or Singapore. Interestingly the 9 of the top 10 ocean shipping ports in the world today are still in Asia--the other 7 are in China, and 1 in Korea. The lone non-Asia shipping port in the top 10 is Dubai.  This long and storied history of Melaka has truly made it a melting pot of the world. Visitors to Melaka are treated to displays of its maritime past, from the exploits of the Chinese admiral Cheng Ho, toand the arrival of Indian, African, and Arab traders to the later development and fortification of the port area by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British.

Visiting Melaka: Hospitality and History
The compactness of Melaka makes it an ideal place for a two to three day visit, made all the more enticing by its culinary offerings and hotels adjacent to the historical sites.  Our latest visit is divided into two themes, hospitality and history. Our base of operations was the old colonial style Majestic Hotel with its legendary style, service, and dining. From there we toured historical Melaka for two days, retracing its maritime past.
 

Gallery 1825: A Contemporary Take on the Traditional Shophouse
On two subsequent trips with family we stayed at the 1825 Gallery Hotel, located several blocks north of Jonkers Street on the Melaka River. Billing itself as a "hidden jewel," the hotel was built from three old shop houses dating from 1825, and hence its name. It retains much of its native character, with the original beams on the high ceilings and old Dutch brick walls. The street level features the reception, an open air well with Koi pond, and the hotel's restaurant in the back, overlooking the river. The rooms occupy the ground floor and the upper two levels. We stayed in one of the suites on the top floor, overlooking the river. The features of the hotel as well as the room are featured in the virtual tour below. Less expensive than the Majestic and closer to the historic area, it provides a nice contrast to the older hotel with its contemporary take on the traditional shophouse.

There is also a version of this tour designed specifically for VR headsets such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhone and Android devices. It may be access by scanning on the QR code to the left. If you are viewing this on a mobile phone, you may access the VR tour by following this link.

For iOS devices: scan QR code with your device's camera app, tap on the prompt to open Safari. Select "Allow Device Motion" and the next prompt, "Allow Access to Motion Orientation." Turn the device to landscape mode and a split screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for fullscreen mode, and place in headset. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]

For Android devices: Open the camera app and use the built-in scanner to scan the QR code above. Confirm that you want to open the website, and wait for it to load--it should load in stereo view. Select the fullscreen ("X" option) from the menu at the bottom. Turn the device to landscape mode and you are ready to go. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]

There is also a version of this tour designed specifically for VR headsets such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhone and Android devices. It may be access by scanning on the QR code to the left. If you are viewing this on a mobile phone, you may access the VR tour by following this link.

For iOS devices: scan QR code with your device's camera app, tap on the prompt to open Safari. Select "Allow Device Motion" and the next prompt, "Allow Access to Motion Orientation." Turn the device to landscape mode and a split screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for fullscreen mode, and place in headset. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]

Return to Travel Page