The Star Malaysia - Star2

Melaka River Cruise, Melaka

- By MING TEOH star2trave­l@thestar.com.my

WHAT’s a good way to explore the city of Melaka at a relaxing pace? By boat, of course!

The Melaka River Cruise takes you on a journey through the city’s colourful history. You’ll get to see a juxtaposit­ion of both the old and new along the way.

The cruise covers 9km and takes around 40 minutes for a round trip.

The cruise is available during the daytime as well as at night, try to go just after the sun sets, at dusk. You get the best of both worlds: The natural beauty of the area, as well as the illuminati­on and reflection­s of the night lights in the water.

Why you should go

Melaka River is where it all began for this historical city. You can see many interestin­g sights along the way, especially historical buildings and bridges. some icons to watch out for are stadthuys and the Red square, Bastion Middleburg, Jonker street, Kampung Hulu Mosque, Church of st Francis Xavier, Eye on Melaka and Kampung Morten.

You’ll also see colourful murals that illustrate Melaka’s unique history and culture on some of the newer buildings.

What to do

Just sit back and enjoy, take (lots of ) pictures of the surroundin­g sights. You can survey the many restaurant­s and bars by the riverside, in case you want to head out there for dinner or drinks later.

A lot of the newer buildings sport colourful murals that illustrate the city’s unique history and culture.

Who will like it

This river cruise will be popular with both local and internatio­nal tourists. The journey is not difficult or strenuous, so it’s something that the whole family can do, from kids to seniors.

Being sheltered from the elements at open sea, you’re not likely to get seasick. of course, prevention is better than cure, so if you’re prone to such unfortunat­e ailments you might want to take your medication first.

Getting there

Melaka is about two and a half hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur. There are buses running between KL and Melaka; there are also buses that run from Penang and Johor.

If you’re driving, biking, or taking a taxi/Grab, the GPs coordinate­s

are: 2.192734,102.246554. Alternativ­ely, you can try taking atrishaw and enjoy the sights long the way.

The ticketing counter is open daily from 9am to 11pm, including on public and school holidays. You can check out the ticket prices on their website or at the counter itself.

You can find the kiosk next to the tourist informatio­n centre near the “Melaka Clock Tower” roundabout, opposite the Red square buildings. After purchasing the tickets, you will be directed to where the jetty is to board the boat.

Melaka River Cruise

Address: Jalan Laksamana, 75000 Melaka

Tel: 06-281 4322/23

Email: booking@melakarive­rcruise.my Website: melakarive­rcruise.my

 ?? — Photos: MING TEOH/The Star ?? By nightfall, Melaka River is transforme­d into an amazing illuminate­d world with the night lights reflected in the water.
— Photos: MING TEOH/The Star By nightfall, Melaka River is transforme­d into an amazing illuminate­d world with the night lights reflected in the water.
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? You can take the Melaka River Cruise during the daytime or at night.
You can take the Melaka River Cruise during the daytime or at night.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Malaysia