Cool shoes, cool clothes and an inquiring mind are what you need in the historical town of Melaka, south of Kuala Lumpur.

Taking advantage of a long weekend we caught a coach from KL’s Puduraya bus terminal, which needs an upgrade. You enter on the first floor, where the ticket counters and a variety of shops can be found. The shops vary from those selling cold drinks and snacks to the bizarre - selling sex enhancing potions and magic tricks. The buses are boarded on the ground floor, by going down stairs into a dark and very fume filled boarding area.

The upside of this is that the one way ticket to Melaka (250kms from KL) is Rm12.20 (3.6 USD) and you get to go in a not too shabby coach – some even had seats with a massage function.

On arrival at the Melaka terminus you are greeted by taxi touts, who will do their best get as much money as possible for the7km ride to the historical part of town which is where you want to be. This should cost about Rm10 (3USD) but some try their luck and say it is a set rate of Rm20 (6USD), to prevent getting ripped off insist that the driver uses the meter.

Our accommodation was a small establishment we had stayed in 4 years back while backpacking (mental note to self “It’s amazing how your perceptions change). The Heeren Inn is a small Dutch shophouse one street away from the famed Jonker Street which is full of antique and arty shops. At Rm98 (29USD) a night the Inn for us, was adequate as we only slept there. The bed was big, the room clean and the nice white towels were a surprise.

Melaka is known as the historical city, which because of its ideal location it was coveted by the big trading powers of Europe. This led to it being successively colonised by the Portuguese, Dutch and British.

To absorb its unique ambience you need to walk. The streets are narrow, colourful and alive. While you need to keep your wits about you not to fall into the deep drains it pays to look up at the gables and shuttered windows reflecting the various architectural influences.

The shops offer antiques, curios, and interesting art as well as more mundane souvenirs. Many include courtyards in their dark interiors where you can enjoy a coffee or iced lemon tea. While the shopfronts are small the buildings extend back a long way and usually have an upstairs packed with even more to look at.

We were intrigued by the wooden masks, coming from Sarawak, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysian Peninsula (PM) - again the variety quite overwhelming. Some were very ghoulish with eyeballs popping out of their skulls and horns. Those with their tongues sticking out were evil in nature, but could be controlled if you had enough of those with protective powers.

The humidity and heat take their toll, so after a hard morning of walking you can amble back to the river where there are plenty of cafes offering local fare and a cold beer.

There’s just so more to Melaka so go again into the streets and discover the Chinese part of town which at this time of year has shops decorated in red and gold with paper cut outs of lucky fish. They are full of delicacies like duck and dried pork sausages for the upcoming new year. Then there is a line of shops selling funerary requirements. It is the Taoist belief that after 100 days the deceased should receive all the things they may need in the after life. A special ritual is carried out during which paper models of household goods, cars, money and even people are burnt.

The making of these items is a trade which is fast dying out as only the wealthy can afford the elaborate ritual, which may require hiring a fire engine on stand by. This is because the burning takes place in the narrow streets, making it easy for embers to spark an accidental fire.

We found ourselves looking for a place to relax at the end of the afternoon, and opted for the Geographer café. It has been going for 10 years and is well known for its laid back ambience. We were lucky to be there for an evening of Salsa by a local dance school. Photographers were out in full force and the music was great.

The following morning we returned sitting at a table overlooking the street and enjoyed watching locals set up a flea market selling mostly collectibles like coins. Sellers placed low stools in front of their goods to encourage buyers to take a good long look at what was on offer.

This was just the people side of Melaka, there is so much more, temples, museums and mosques some dating back to the 1500s and older.

The city of Melaka is divided into the new and old sections and we had barely touched the old section as on the other side of the Melaka River was the Town Square presided over by the Dutch Christ Church and Stadthuys. In the vicinity of this square you will find many of Malaka’s museums and churches with a strong European influence.

Facts: 1403- exiled Hindu prince Parameswara from Sri Vijaya in Sumatra embraces Islam and became Raja Iskandar marking the beginnings of the Sultanate of Melaka.

1511 -Melaka colonised by the Portuguese; 1641 colonised by the Dutch; 1824 –colonised by the British. It was also occupied by the Japanese between 1942 and 1945.

Independence from Britain achieved in 1957.

Travel tips:

Have emergency numbers for ambulance or doctor
(Trying to get vital information across in a foreign language wastes valuable time in an emergency)

Carry small change ie Rm1 notes and up (good for bartering)

Beer is better value for money than wine

(Pics: Tweet Gainsborough-Waring and Peter Friedinger)