| | Overview (Source: Frommers) |
Malacca's attraction is its cultural heritage, around which a substantial tourism industry has grown. If you're visiting, a little knowledge of history will help you appreciate all there is to see. Malacca was founded around 1400 by Parameswara, called Iskander Shah in the Malay Annals. After he was chased from Palembang in southern Sumatra by invading Javanese, he set up a kingdom in Singapore (Temasek), and after being overthrown by invaders there, ran up the west coast of the Malay peninsula to Malacca, where he settled and established a port city. As the site was in a favorable spot to take advantage of the two monsoons that dominated shipping routes, Malacca soon drew the attention of Arab and Chinese traders, both of whom maintained very close relations for trade and political advantage. It was the early Arab merchants who introduced Islam to Malaysia. After Parameswara's death in 1414, his son, Mahkota Iskander Shah, converted to Islam and popularized the faith throughout the area. During the 15th century, Malacca was ruled by a succession of wise sultans who expanded the wealth and stability of the economy; built up the administration's coffers; extended the sultanate to the far reaches of the Malay peninsula, Singapore, and parts of northern Sumatra; and thwarted repeated attacks by the Siamese. The success of the empire drew international attention. The Portuguese were eyeing the port and formulating plans to dominate the east-west trade route, to e
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| History (Source: WCities) | Top | 'He who is lord of Malacca has his hand on the throat of Venice.' —Barbarosa, Portuguese adventurer. Thus began the wondrous journey of Malacca into historical fame and prominence. Its fortunes and misfortunes were destined by geography or, more precisely, by water. The city entered the pages of written history in the 1390s with the founding of a Malay Empire by Parameswara, a fugitive Sumatran prince. He could not have chosen a better place to set up his kingdom, for Malacca sits on the pulse of divine waters flowing between two important oceans—the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. The first sultan shrewdly crafted a lucrative enterprise on the needs of passing traders and Malacca became 'the richest seaport with the greatest number of merchants and abundance of shipping that can be found in the world', as a Portuguese seaman then witnessed. It was the golden age of Malay culture. A time when the courtly elite carried golden jewel-studded krisses , a weapon which has come to symbolise Malay royalty, and monarchical deeds and glories were meticulously compiled by court-appointed scribes into a series of chronicles, now known as Sejarah Melayu or the Malay Chronicles and considered a classic in Malay literature. A source of considerable pride and nostalgia in modern Malay minds, the illustrious epoch relives in an impressive array of exhibits and replicas to be found at Malacca’s Sultanate Palace , the Museum of History , and Museum of Literature
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| How To Get There (Source: WCities) | Top | Getting there : By Air : The Kuala Lumpur International Airport ( +34 971 809 000/ http://www.klia.com.my/ ) is situated in Sepang, 55km south of Kuala Lumpur and about the same distance northwest of Malacca. Airlines flying out of KUL include: Air Asia ( http://www.airasia.com/ ) Air India ( http://www.airindia.com/ ) Air Mauritius ( http://www.airmauritius.com/ ) Asiana Airlines ( http://www.asiana.com/ ) Austrian Airlines ( http://www.aua.com/ ) Biman Bangladesh ( http://www.binmanair.com/ ) Cathay Pacific ( http://www.cathaypacific.com/ ) China Airlines ( http://www.chinair.com/ ) China Eastern Airlines ( http://www.ce-air.com/ ) China Southern Airlines ( http://www.cs-air.com/ ) Emirates Airlines ( http://www.emirates.com/ ) Eva Airways ( http://www.evaair.com/ ) Garuda Indonesia ( http://www.garuda-indonesia.com/ ) Gulf Air ( http://www.gulfairco.com/ ) Indian Airlines Limited ( http://www.indianairlines.nic.in/ ) Iran Air ( http://www.iranair.com/ ) Japan Airlines ( http://www.japanair.com/ ) KLM Royal Dutch Airlines ( http://www.klm.com/ ) Korean Airlines ( http://www.koreanair.com/ ) Lufthansa German Airlines ( http://www.lufthansa.com/ ) Malaysia Airlines ( http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/ ) Merpati Nusantara Airlines ( http://www.merpati.co.id/ ) Myanmar Airways International ( http://www.maiair.com/ ) Nippon Cargo Airlines ( http://www.nippon-cargo.com/
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| What To Do (Source: WCities) | Top | Entertainment options in Malacca began to multiply in earnest from the early 90s along with rapid commercialization and development. A sustained tourism boom fuelled a mushroom cloud of world class hotels and resorts, golf clubs, family theme parks and so forth, adding considerable depth to the range of entertainment choices in this historic city in addition to its inherited legacy. In the process, Malacca developed a night scene that positively rocks with a great many hangouts competing to serve every taste and mood. Bars, Pubs and Karaoke The conventional idea of watering holes takes on several guises in this city. For a start, top-draw hotels have some good spots for a beer or two. At The Renaissance , for instance, the Utan Fun Pub regularly features live music by Filipino and local bands, while the lobby-level Famosa Lounge occupies a quieter corner in which an informal business meeting may not be too out of place. The Traders Lounge is an equally enchanting venue for drinks in a relaxed atmosphere. Several other reputable hotels also offer pleasant in-house watering holes for the convenience of their guests. Drinks prices are generally higher in the hotels by about 15%. Stepping out, the draw of the Malaccan night focuses on the district of Taman Melaka Raya. For pub crawlers, the Crocodile Pub , Chelsea Pub , and Ling's Sports Cafe are ideal for light drinks and people-watching with games and music TV thrown in. Fans of Karaoke and its acc
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