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.
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.The Majestic hotel
is one of the harbingers of a bygone colonial era, much like
Raffles in Singapore or The Strand in Yangon. It was built as a
private residence for Leong Long Man, who came from China and made
his fortune in the rubber trade. Fortune, however, was not on his
side, and he died just two years after the mansion's completion. His son squandered
the family fortune and the mansion was passed to a relative who in
turn rented it to a local businessman, Lim Heng Fang, who
converted the mansion into the Majestic Hotel in 1955. In 2000 the
state government bought the land and closed the Hotel. In 2008 YTL
group reopended the Hotel. The hotel's unique architectural style
mirrors Malacca's multi-faceted community and is historic past. It
draws on influences from the Portuguese, Dutch, British and the
Peranakan cultures, and these elements have been carefully
preserved and complemented with modern amenities, such as a
glass-walled gymnasium and wireless broadband.
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]
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]
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]