Malacca Heritage Centre
Malacca Heritage Centre
4
About
The Malacca Heritage Centre is a place untouched by time, where a unique heritage has been meticulously maintained. A museum that is still a family and ancestral home, it is filled with the objects and spirit of the Peranakan culture of Malacca, as it has been for more than a hundred years.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

Top ways to experience Malacca Heritage Centre and nearby attractions

The area
Reach out directly

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles191 reviews
Excellent
80
Very good
83
Average
21
Poor
7
Terrible
0

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

farzan talebi
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia7 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
The Jonker street was over crowded, too many tourists in one small street. Although, it had nice architecture and buildings, you can see Chinese and Western cultures combined giving it a unique architecture and beautiful site. There is plenty of food options and gift shops.
Written 25 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

saracorubolo1984
Province of Udine, Italy7 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2024 • Solo
Malacca along with George Town are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. They both came under one site. This means that if one of the two does not meet the parameters dictated by UNESCO they both leave the list. This is George Town’s fear as Malacca has turned into a carnival, in the Las Vegas of the Peninsula.
Having visited both, in my opinion George Town is superior to Malacca both in terms of cultural and artistic heritage, both for the particular shops where you can find really nice and refined things and for the cost, decidedly lower.
Automatically translated
Written 28 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

irene
Singapore, Singapore305 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
June 2019 • Family
Nothing much to see but view was great when u are on top, we walk around to check the place out but finish within 20mins
Written 4 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Josefina S
Winnipeg, Canada96 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2014 • Couples
Went here last Feb 7, 2014.

Malacca or Melaka is around 2 hours from KL, this historical city centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008.
Conquered by the Portuguese, you can still see their influences up to now. The old palace, large buildings left by the Europeans, many private houses and shops from nearly a century ago, put up by Chinese traders. Many of these have elaborate details and beautiful European designs.

How to get there:
From Kuala Lumpur, you need to find the nearest LRT station. Get off at the station Bandar Tasik Selatan (Ampang Line).
This will bring you directly to the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS). TBS serves south bound trips to Malaca/Melaka, Singapore, Johor Bahru, Mersing, Segamat,
Pasir Gudang, Muar, Kluang, Bahau, Pontian, Batu Pahat, Kubang, Kota Tinggi.
The whole place is amazing. Brand new, fully air-conditioned, convenient, comfortable, very nice bus station.
They have lockers for luggage storage, ATM machines, convenience shops, restaurants, money changer.
Line up at any of the ticket booths there. We bought our tickets to Melaka Sentral from Transnational and it costs 10 ringgit per person.
Our platform is downstairs and the bus is relatively new. What I like about it most is the wide legroom they have. Perfect for the long trip ahead.

Melaka Sentral (bus terminal in Melaka)
Once you arrive at Melaka Sentral, if you're staying for a day make sure you buy your tickets back to KL. Last bus to KL departs at 10pm.
Price is somewhat higher going back. For transnational bus, it's 13.60 ringgit.
Then go to Bus No 17, we paid 1.30 ringgit and told the driver to drop us off at the Christ Church. You won't miss this red church just in front of the Hardrock Cafe.
From there, try to visit the Tourist Information Center just across the clock tower and ask for their Old Melaka Heritage Tour Guide.
This is a a good start for those who have no itinerary yet. The guide will help you discover 12 historical sites within 2.5 hours of walk.
This guide will bring you to the Dutch Square, St. Paul's Hills, Porta de Santiago, Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum, Proclamation of Independence Memorial,
Stamp Museum, Islamic Museum, Middleburg Bastion, Melaka River, Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorth Temple, Kampung Kling Mosque and Cheng Hoong Teng Temple.

Trickshaw Ride
But if you're like us who are a little lazy to walk, you can also rent a trickshaw -- the most colorful, noisiest trickshaw I ever saw.
Prices are not fixed here. You have to haggle. And since it was kinda hot and humid and we're a little tired to do the walking,
we hired one that brought us to Stadhuys, Melaka tree, People Museum, A Famosa, St. Paul Hill, Independence Memorial, Sultan Palace,
Museum Muslim, Taming Sei Tower, Flor da Lamar, River Cruise and Water Wheel for 40 ringgit, 2 persons.
The ride is not that smooth and it's a little tight especially if both of you are on the heavy side but it's worth it if you're tired and it's really hot.

Other places to do/see/visit:
Some places to visit are the Heritage sites, Baba and Nyonya Peranakan Museum, an actual Peranakan heritage town house and is a great example of Peranakan culture, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia, Christ Church built between 1741 and 1753. On the floor of the church you will find Dutch tombstones. It is the oldest protestant church in Malaysia.

Dutch Square, a beautiful square around Christ Church and the Stadhuys. The Tang Beng Swee Clock Tower, it looks Dutch, but it is not built in 1886.

Jonker Heeren and adjacent streets, the residential heart of Old Malacca just west of the Malacca River, with its narrow winding streets, beautifully decorated houses, tiny shops, temples and mosques.

The Harmony Street (officially Temple street or Jalan Tokong), so called because it contains the prayer houses of Malaysia's three main faiths - the Cheng Hoon Teng Chinese temple, the Sri Poyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Hindu Temple, and the Kampung Kling Mosque.

Malaysian Navy Museum, across the road from the Maritime Museum Malay and Islamic World Museum Porta de Santiago where you will find the remains of the old Portuguese fort A Famosa.

Saint Paul's Church up the hill. Originally built in 1521 by the Portuguese and became a fortress in 1567. Used to be known as Nossa Senhora da Annunciada (Our Lady of Annunciation). It has been used as a burial ground for the Dutch. You can still see the tombstones on the walls of ruins of the church.

Stadthuys - completed in 1660. It is a reproduction of the former Stadhuis (town hall) of the Frisian town of Hoorn in the Netherlands which existed from 1420-1796. Nowadays, it houses the Museums of History and Ethnography and one of the oldest Dutch buildings in the east. Stamp Museum, Jalan Kota Youth Museum/Melaka Art Gallery, Jalan Laksamana.

Jonker street, the centre street of Chinatown with antique shops, clothing and crafts outlets as well as restaurants. The best part of Jonker Street is the night market on Fridays and Saturdays that sells everything from tasty treats to cheap keepsakes.

Where to eat:
We tried Mamee Jonker House along Jonker Street and tried their Mamee Mamak Mee Goreng, Mamee Chef Curry Laksa, Mamee Pasta Bolognese, Hainanese Chicken Rice and their cheesecake.
All delicious. We also tried the famous Durian and Yogurt puff along Jonker street where you put the whole puff in your mouth. We also tried their traditional Cendol and tried their
famous chicken rice balls at Restoran Famosa Chicken Rice Ball also along Jonker street.
We also tried their reflexology massage along Jonker street for 38 ringgit per person. We super like it.

Going back, we traced our steps back to Christ Church and waited for the same bus. But after 30 minutes, there's no bus in sight.
Since we have to leave at 9pm, we had to hail a cab. This is something that I cannot really understand why in Melaka, you always have to haggle for the taxi fare.
They have a meter but they don't use it. The driver just tell you how much they are willing to bring you to your destination.
I think the local govt should look into this. It's a major turn off actually for tourists to haggle the price when all you want is to enjoy the place.
The driver asked us to pay 20 ringgit to Melaka Sentral bus station when we only paid 1.30 for the bus ride.
But since we might be late for our trip back to KL, we instead asked if he can bring us there for 15 ringgit which he gladly agreed.
Anyway, it's culture shopping at its best. I love colors, the history, the smell, the food, the vibrance of Melaka and everything is so worth it.
I will definitely recommend the place to everyone.
Written 12 February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jocelynn L
157 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Family
Malacca or Melaka is one of the city in Malaysia that is a UNESCO Heritage. You can still see the Portuguese , British influences on their architecture.

It was a great experience for me and my family to learn the history of the place and to witness them.

If you are a history buff , you will definitely appreciate Malacca!
Written 11 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Joshua C
Bilekahalli, India286 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2016 • Couples
Place:
Malacca, dubbed "The Historic State", is a state in Malaysia and located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Straits of Malacca.

It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and Johor to the south. The capital is Malacca City, which is 148 kilometres (92 miles) south east of Malaysia's capital city Kuala Lumpur, 235 kilometres (146 miles) north west of Johor's largest city Johor Bahru, and 95 km (59 miles) north west of Johor's second largest city, Batu Pahat. This historical city centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
since 7 July 2008. The city has had a long history of conquests and rulers thereby giving it a rich cultural heritage, one which is well maintained and preserved as tourist attractions.

The place is most certainly suitable for history and culture buffs who'd like to study and know more on Melaka's rich cultural history and heritage, but the romantics wont be dissappointed too as there are some beautiful scenes set along the Malacca coast such as Pulau Malacca (an islet just off Malacca city), quayside , riverside etc.

How to get there (From KL):
BUS BUS BUS !! The best way to get from KL to Malacca Only a 10-15 RM ticket per person, very professional and punctual bus service. Good buses , well maintained coaches. Totally worth it ! Whats more, there is a bus every 15 mins or so, so getting tickets flexible to your time preference shouldnt be a problem.

There are also coaches from Singapore , and Im told its around 3.5 hrs journey.

If it happens that its your last stop over in your tour, there are also very decent executive coaches directly to the airport for a reasonable 25 RM

All coaches depart and arrive at Melaka Sentral bus terminus and it takes
a taxi ride of around 10 mins to get there from the city.

Hotels and Accomodation options:
There are a wide variety of accomodation options to suit budget and preference
Some of the 4/5 star brands that have their presence at Melaka include
Novotel, hilton, Ramada , etc. There are many bed and breakfast inns and
motels towards jonker street / china town and quayside/ little india.

Things to do :
- Visit historical places (Refer Next section to know more in detail)
- Pay a visit to Pulau Melaka (To see the Floating Mosque , the only one of its kind in Malaysia). You can hire a taxi for 50 RM and they'd take you there and also wait upto 30 mins while you visit the mosque
- Go down jonker street (Only open Fri thru Sunday). A typical flea market, all hawker items available like tee shirts / hats / keychains and various other trinkets which are very suitably priced and nice as souveniours or give aways. Also, various food stalls by the road side serve freshly prepared local delights , and given the cultural heritage of the place, the food options also vary from Indian to chinese, Malay to Thai and there are also many korean and continental food outlets.
Try fish ball curry , otak otak , buns , taiwanese street snacks, crispy
fried chicken. There is so much choice, you'd be confused as to where to begin.
Also, many fresh fruit drink stalls available and some upscale cafes where
the price may be an extra 5-10 RM per dish, but you can lay back, perhaps
listen to some live music and enjoy the magical mallaccan atmosphere over a beer.
- Shopping at Mahkota parade and melaka mega mall. Good shopping options for the brand conscious. Sales during chinese new year and other festive occassions can be good.

Things to see :
Melaka being very small, the best way to go around is walking. Carry a bottle of water , your cameras, don some comfortable clothes and your set. If you are staying somewhere near the quayside, the following sights are within walking distance.

Here is a typical order in which you can see points of interest:
Dutch Square / Christ Church and clock tower. There is also a musuem
of Melaka history and culture and a governor palace thats now converted
to a musuem also (Maritime Musuem)

Walk on to St Pauls Hill - St Francis Church , A Famosa Portuguese fort.
Youd catch a view of the coastline from here.

Walk down St Pauls hill towards Mahkota parade. You will get two musuems
on to your left , The Melaka Sultanate palace musuem and the Melaka Islam musuem. Try both, its absolutely worth it. It may take upto an hour to see both in
detail but it's interesting. Its well preserved and maintained.

Commute Tips:
Trishaws are also an interesting way to commute in case you aren't prepared
for the walk. You can either ask them to take you to a particular point or they'd ask a cover price for 2-3 hrs and take you to all points of interest. You can't miss a trishaw for sure ! Extravagantly decorated, loud music , and an unique sounding horn you can't miss.

Eat / Drink:
Melaka is a fusion of cultures and so its food too.You can try from old chinese food (Baba-Nyonya) cuisine,to indian, malaysian , thai and everything thats there.
There are number of fast food eateries all over the city,with menus displayed outside so you'd know what to expect.

Jonker street in particular has a number of quaint and beautiful quay side cafes , some of which offer live music on weekends and a host of traditional , local and continental delicacies.

Tips:
To really see the whole of Malacca and all that there is to do, budget a couple of days and you won't be dissappointed. There are some well appointed hotels (depending on budget and preference) and 2 days makes for a good time to really see everything in good detail and attention.

Try the river cruise . For RM 15 per person, its a romantic way to go past the Malacca quay. Try it post dusk, its even better with everything lit up.

3D art musuem. This is located around 10 kms from the city and needs a taxi ride, but well worth the visit and the RM 25 ticket per person. Located in a larger theme park and resort called the Bayou Lagoon.

Jonker street only full fledged on Weekends (Fri - Sun 6 pm onwards)

Carry a bottle of water at all times. The weathers humid and drinking water
is most important.

We didnt do the Malacca Zoo , Motorsport circuit , and the portuguese settlement,
so I can't comment on that. But other reviews do suggest it's worth a visit too !
Written 8 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cyn K
Singapore, Singapore197 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2015 • Couples
This museum is not to be confused with the heritage area described in most reviews under this title / the baba nyonya museum. We chanced upon this museum while exploring Jonker St and it was a priceless find.

The museum is a private ancestral home owned by Mr Charles Chua, an architect by training. We were extremely privileged because Mr Lim, the museum guide, decided to let us in without an appointment. He mentioned that as this is a privately owned museum, visit is by appointment only (as he may not be stationed in the museum all day & he is the only guide).

If you are a heritage lover and would like to peak into an existing ancestral home belonging to 1 family since 1910, a house built by a mother as a wedding gift for her beloved daughter who is the mother of Mr Charles Chua, then this is a little piece of heaven for you as it is for me.

Here you'll find the childhood home of Mr Charles Chua, the beginning of adulthood & marital life of Mdm Ee Kim Neo (the daughter whom the house was built for). I'm most intrigued by the foot-stools that Mdm Ee sew for her wedding that is in front of their marital bed along with Mr Charles' personal collection of chinawares, photographs and handmade furniture pieces.

Location wise, it's at the start of Jonker St. The museum is without a signboard and it's only signage is a piece of board in front of the entrance, so it can be easily missed. However the shop next to it has a big signboard "Ghee Hiang" which you can use as a landmark (see photos attached with this post).

For conservation efforts, I encourage museum/ heritage lovers to tip generously with the hope that one day our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren will get to enjoy this museum we once enjoyed.

Lastly, we would like to thank Mr Lim for spending his Christmas Eve afternoon with us, for sharing all those lovely stories of the owners and his own findings when he taking care of the museum. We hope he had as much fun as we did! A very knowledgeable and dedicated guide & museum manager.
Written 27 December 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

pssstpssstpssst
Manila, Philippines92 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2014 • Couples
I wasn't prepared for the beauty and majesty of Malacca (Melaka)....but before that, I'd like to recount the experience we had getting to Melaka by bus...

Coming from KL, Chinatown area, we took the LRT from Plaza Rakyat station going to TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan). We bought tokens from the machine and the fare costs RM 1.70 per person. Make sure to take the SRI PETALING train. Read the signboard or else you'd end up in Ampang Station. TBS has a direct bridge way connection from the Sri Petaling LRT Station. Once you get to the terminal, buy your ticket from any of the counters. We took the Mayang Sari bus, which sits 27 people and costs RM 11 per person. It has a big leg space and fewer commuters. Other buses that go to Melaka are Transnasional, Metro Bus, Nice, and Delima. Buses leave every 30 minutes. The trip was 2 hours and be prepared for the HEAT!!! Bring a hat, an umbrella, or arm yourself with tons of sunblock. =)

Once you get off from Melaka Sentral, get a copy of their travel guide booklet from the Tourist Information Center for RM 4.50. Then go to domestic buses area and take the Panorama Melaka Bus No. 17 that will take you to the Red Square near Jonker Street. The fare costs RM 1.50 per person.

Have lunch at Nasi Ayam Hoe Kee at Jonker Street for delectable chicken ball rice. You will be amused with this restaurant because their servers and kitchen staff are teenagers, ages 11-15! Take a becak (rickshaw) ride tour that costs RM 40 (standard government price). Buy coffee from Aik Cheong along Jonker Street. Have dessert at Bikini Toppings. Go to the King's Palace (entrance RM 1.50). Try the Melaka juice that tastes like apple juice. According to our jolly becak driver/guide, Jonker Street is more festive at night; however, we only stayed in Melaka for 3 hours. Take in all the beautiful sites and try the local food...you won't be disappointed.

One thing that disturbed me though, there is a Hard Rock Café along Jonker Street, built right after the bridge of the Melaka River. In my opinion, this is way out of place in this UNESCO world heritage site.

Going back to KL...Go to the bus stop waiting shed at the opposite side of Jonker Street and wait for bus number 17 or 30 that will take you back to Melaka Sentral. It will take you an hour to go back to Melaka Sentral if you take bus no. 17 from the Red Square because it will go around the whole town before going back to Melaka Sentral. Once you get to Melaka Sentral purchase your ticket from any counters. Then when you get to TBS take the LRT again going back to Chinatown.
Written 5 April 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Inier C
Makati, Philippines4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2013 • Family
THe Malacca Day Tour offered by City Tours of Singapore, at SG$ 80.00 per person that includes air-conditioned coach, guided tour and buffet lunch at Equinox hotel where in an array of Peranekan dishes were offered was truly the bets of our Holiday last year.

Malacca city is a UNESCO WOrld heritage site because of its rich cultural history, well preserved architectural sites and its importance in the world geo politics and economy during the spice trade era way back in the 16th century.

Not only that we get a lot of info about Malaysia from our tour guide, we get to have the best of historical in for about this historic city from her. W went to see the different temples, historical
sites, traditional houses and a long street full of souvenir shops that sell from antique to clothes to pewter and jewelries.

Malacca from singapore is about a 4 hour coach ride. The trip going to Malacca offers a good scenery as well and the chance to see some parts of Malaysia.

Shopping for those trinkets and souvenirs and if you want to experience Nyonyang cooking, Malacca is one of the best destination to go to whether just for a day tour or for a couple of days.
Written 12 February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tito Satriyo
Salatiga, Indonesia127 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2018 • Solo
Malacca has important history in South East Asia, old city with full history of colonialism.
You'll find many colonial architectue that preserved well beside inculturation buildings.
Written 10 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

…
Showing results 1-10 of 98
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Malacca Heritage Centre - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

All Melaka HotelsMelaka Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Melaka
All things to do in Melaka
Day Trips in MelakaAmusement Parks in Melaka
RestaurantsFlightsHoliday RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars