Melaka (Malacca): Malaysian UNESCO World Hertitage Site

On May 10, 2008, we hired a taxi for the day from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka for a day trip. We hired a taxi because unless you have a car in Malaysia, it is very hard to get to many places (a situation similar to traveling in the United States). Luckily hiring a taxi for the day was not that expensive. We just asked our hotel to book a taxi and the taxi drivers knew most of the tourist areas and would drop us off for sightseeing while he waited in his car. It took around one hour and a half to reach Melaka from Kuala Lumpur on the taxi.

In 2008, UNESCO awarded Melaka along with George Town in Penang the status of "World Heritage Site".

What makes Melaka interesting to tourists is that beginning from the 15th century onwards it had been colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch and finally the British before gaining independence within the Malaysian federation. Also Melaka has a large Chinese population due to past migration and all of these factors contributed to creating a town with a distinct culture.

The Christ Church built by the Dutch in the "Dutch Square" area, an area that was once the centre of the Dutch colonial administration in the 17th century. The colonial administration building is one of the oldest Dutch buildings in the East.