Melaka, 145km south of KL is with out a doubt one of the most beauitful towns in Malaysia and has been home to Chinese Royalty, Portugese seafarers, Dutch traders and English colonist.

Malaka recived its first royal patrons in the 14th century when Parameswara, a Hindu prince from Sumatra, chose it as a favoured port for resuppling trading ships.
In 1405Admiral Cheng Ho arrived from China bearing gifts and the promise of protection from the Siamese enemies. This was followed by the arrival of Chinese settlers who inter married this the Malay and came to be known as the Baba Nonya. The Chinese quater of the Malaka city center with its streets full of beauitful mansions and shop-houses remain the most attractive section of city to this date (image 2 &3).

In 1511 the Portugese arrived in Melaka and ended the Muslim domination of the eastern trade route and the Protugese set up their bases in the Melaka hill over looking the straights. The St. Pauls Chirch (image 3&4) was built by the them in 1521. It has taken portugese over a month to divid and conquer Melaka. The sole surviving relic of the old Portugesefort , Porta de Santiago (image 5)
.The bright red coloured town square on the bottom of the hill houses the Stadthuys and the Christ Chirch are the most imposing relics of the Dutch period which lasted from 1641 to 1795. The Stadthuys which housed the town Hall and governer's residence said to be the oldest Dutch building in the East.
The English took over from the Dutch in 1795 and initially carried out a scorched policy to avoid Melaka falling to French hands and moved most of its population to Penang, the English strong hold. But English continued to rule Melaka and rest of Malaysia till independence in 1957.
Maly mosque that combines traditional Chinese, Indian and Malay architectural features.


Colourful (and expensive) rickshaws roaming the streets of Melaka

Melaka Sungai River harbour