Pulau Nangka is one of the three islands in Taman Laut Melaka. — Filepic
Melaka has always been one of the highly visited states in Malaysia, thanks to its historical and cultural charms.
Along with Penang’s George Town, Melaka was inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage Site list in 2008 as part of the “historic cities of the Straits of Malacca”.
From the Stadthuys and A Famosa to Jonker Street and various museums, Melaka is full of diverse and interesting sights to see.
This year, the state holds its Visit Melaka Year (VMY) 2024 campaign, aiming to attract 15 to 18.7 million tourists. Various tourism products have been developed to achieve this goal.
Even if you’ve visited the historical state before, there are always new wonders to discover. Let’s take a look at what you can include in your Melaka trip itinerary this year.
Taman Laut Melaka
Island hopping might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to activities to do in Melaka, but why not give it a shot the next time you’re in the state?
Pulau Undan, Pulau Nangka and Pulau Dodol are three islands that make up Taman Laut Melaka. It was reported that the coral species found here are among the best in the world, making the islands perfect for snorkelling or scuba diving. Frequent updates on the Taman Laut Melaka official Facebook will tell you the best times to go for either activity.
As there are no accommodations built on any of the islands, only day trips are allowed. In conjunction with VMY 2024, Matta Melaka is offering day trip packages to the islands, starting from RM80 per person, which includes activities like island hopping, snorkelling, scuba diving, and a sunrise or sunset cruise.
You can get more information on Taman Laut packages at the Jeti Umbai, Jeti Anjung Batu and Jeti Marina Banda Hilir.
Wonderpark Melaka offers tons of fun photo opportunities. — Photos: FLOREY D. MIKIL/The Star
Wonderpark Melaka
No one in the family will feel left out when you drop by Wonderpark Melaka. This indoor family park located in The Shore Shopping Gallery is divided into several zones with features that are changed every three to six months.
The Kidzone Giant Playground and Colour Alive features are perfect for small children, while the PS5 Game Zone and arcade games will keep teens entertained. The selfie museum and karaoke booths are fun for everyone, but for parents looking to just relax, they can settle down at the cafe.
Its menu includes drinks like Brown Sugar Boba and Java Chip Frappuccino, snacks such as nachos and chicken popcorn, and meals like instant fried noodles and butter rice.
According to Roy Sharul, head of marketing at Wonderpark Melaka, the indoor attraction is currently undergoing expansion to add more features. It is also done to accommodate the large crowd the place often attracts, especially during school holidays. This will take a couple more months to complete.
You can visit the attraction, though, which operates daily from 10.30am to 7pm.
The best part? You can explore everything with a single all-access ticket, priced at RM25 per person (RM30 on weekends and public holidays).
Encore Melaka holds immersive theatre performances. — Handout
Encore Melaka
Located next to a calm beach in Kota Syahbandar, Encore Melaka is a state-of-the-art theatre that doubles as an architectural wonder with its fittingly futuristic yet coastal design.
It draws from its surroundings, reflecting elements like the rippling waves in the design of its unique facade, which is made up of 400,000 pieces of aluminium composite. Thousands of LED panels, shaped like fish scales, complete the striking exterior.
Its interior is no less impressive, as its features include a 240m-long stage and a 360° rotating audience platform, translating to theatrical performances that will awe the 2,000 and more spectators in the crowd from every angle. It’s really no wonder that the theatre recently received Tourism Melaka’s “Most Innovative Award”.You can experience this yourself when you catch the immersive Encore Melaka performance that makes its grand return this month, after being halted for years by the pandemic. The titular show is available daily, except Wednesday.
Come October there will also be a musical about Puteri Hang Li Po, to be performed by Istana Budaya.
More information can be found on Encore Melaka’s website (encore-melaka.com) and social media.
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple is a Unesco awarded temple.
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple and Cheng Wah Keong Temple
Should you wish to do a temple tour but are facing time constraints, then narrow down your final choices to these two temples.
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, located within walking distance from the Jonker Street Night Market, celebrated its 350th anniversary last year. Touted as the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia, it has undergone several restorations and in 2003, it received a Unesco award for “outstanding architectural restoration”.
The temple is open daily from 7am, usually until 6pm; admission is free. As with all religious sites, do remember to dress modestly when visiting.
Cheng Wah Keong Temple is located a little further away from the city centre, about 15 to 20 minutes by car. The Kandang-based temple, open from 7am to 5pm daily, is well known for its periodical Wangkang Festival, which is recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by Unesco in 2020.
You might not have the chance to join the festival’s hours-long procession around the city anytime soon, especially since the next one will reportedly only take place in 2031, but you can still visit the temple where the first ever Wangkang ceremony was purported to have taken place in 1846.
Melaka River Cruise opens until 2am during Melaka Bila Larut Malam.
Melaka Bila Larut Malam
This isn’t a single place, per se. It is a VMY 2024 programme that allows visitors, whether local or out of town, to visit multiple places in Melaka at nighttime, starting from 11pm until 2am.
Launched on June 1, the programme – also known as “Melaka Nightlife” – will take place every first Saturday of the month.
You can take advantage of the lower ticket prices – from RM10 each – to visit attractions like Zoo Melaka, Bangsawan Theatre, Menara Taming Sari and various museums under Perzim. For the Melaka Prison Museum, its standard affordable rate of RM3 for adults and RM1 for kids will apply.
Also part of the programme, Melaka River Cruise offers its tickets at two counters: Quayside Muara Sungai Melaka and Dataran Pengkalan Rama.
Melaka River And Beach Development Corporation has stated that with the inclusion of the latter ticketing counter, it hopes to attract more visitors to the recently launched floating market there, which includes the Windmill Pink Market that comes to life at night with flashing neon lights and live performances.
