How to spend 24 hours in Malacca, Malaysia

One of the first cities we visited during our Malaysia trip was Malacca. We only decided to stay overnight the day before and I'm so glad that we did. As soon as we drove into Malacca, I realised it was exactly how I had imagined Malaysia to look in my head. All around the city you'll see influences from the Dutch, British and Portuguese left behind after it was colonised.  I loved the hustle and the bustle of the city, it had a real backpacker feel. It turned out to be one of my favourite places we visited and I wish we had stayed for longer.

9am - Breakfast
Navy Cafe

First things first, you need to get some breakfast in you! Tucked just behind the famous Jonker Street, Navy Cafe is a little cafe that wouldn't look out of place on Instagram. It's not your average breakfast food but it does have a lot of western specialities. When I'm away I like to have western-inspired breakfasts and local lunches and dinners. I opted for a fried chicken cutlet sandwich filled with egg, lettuce, cabbage and a spicy sambal. Just the ticket to set me up for a day of sightseeing.






10.30am - Christ Church and the Studthuys

You definitely won't miss these Dutch buildings thanks to the vibrant red hue. The Christ Church was built by the Dutch when they took control of the city from the Portuguese - sadly it was shut so we couldn't go inside. You'll see endless tacky, loud decorated rickshaws surrounding the church offering tours of the city. We didn't take one but they seemed to be very popular! Next door you'll find the red building of Studthuys, built between 1641 and 1660 on the ruins of a Portuguese fort.

11am - St Paul's Church

Now the church really isn't too much to look at but it's worth climbing up all those stairs to it for the views. You can see for miles over both the new and the old city. Be sure to take a bottle of water as the stairs seem to go on forever!

11.30am - Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Dating back to 1646, Cheng Soon Teng Temple is the oldest traditional Chinese temple in Malaysia. It is so beautifully ornate and we were kindly given a peek into the history thanks to a kind random man who took pity on our inquisitive eyes! Try and go on a day where offerings are being offered to Guanyin, the goddess of Mercy as it create such a wonderful atmosphere. Always remember to be respectful though.

12pm- Go for a wander along Jonker Street

Jonker Street is the most famous in Malacca. It's absolute mayhem and so busy but worth a wander down, pop in and out of the shops to find some souvenirs to take home. During the weekends they have a night food market which we sadly didn't get to catch. I've heard it's fantastic!

12.30pm - Go for a drink along the river

Head to the river and you'll find an abundance of bars to enjoy a drink. Escape the lunch time heat and stop for a drink. They're pretty much of the same so just randomly pick one like we did!

1.30pm - Go for lunch
Geographer Cafe

Located in the heart of Chinatown. be sure to get a table outside or near the open windows to people watch. It wasn't the best meal we had but it was tasty and hit the spot. The restaurant offers a mixture of both western and Malaysian inspired food so it's a great place to go if you're craving something a little more familiar. We all get like that travelling! I opted for a vegetarian curry with tofu. It had a good kick to it and the portion was pretty filling. What more could you want for around £4?!

3.30pm - Check into your guest house
Layang Layang Guesthouse

This isn't anything special - we didn't have a window in our room and we had to share a bathroom. BUT it is right in the centre of town, clean and only cost us £10 for a private double room. For one night we really couldn't complain. Keep in mind due to the location is can be very noisy so bring earplugs.

4.30pm - Simply wander around!

One of the best ways to soak up a city in my opinion is to soak up the city - without the help of Google maps! Malacca is full of little winding streets that are prefect to get lost in. Dip in and out of shops or cafes, you never know what you might stumble across.

8pm - Go for dinner
Wild Coriander

One thing we noticed in Malaysia was that people ate early, you really had to be sat down by 8/8.30 as places closed at 10pm.  Located in a colonial shop house, we ended up in Wild Coriander because they had a later opening time and was really pleased by the quality of the food. I ordered beef Rendang which was absolutely delicious. So tender and flavoursome, the best one I had my whole trip. Service was attentive and the prices were pretty reasonable. Sadly the lighting was terrible so I don't have any pictures. You'll just have to take my word for it!

10pm - Find the secret bar
The Old Merchant

We stumbled across this completely by accident as it was located two doors away from where we had dinner. The door looked suspicious and when we pushed it, it revealed a secret cocktail bar with a killer menu. It's not cheap but the cocktails are tasty. It's still cheaper than what you would pay in London. Bars are a weird thing in Malaysia as they're very reserved. Everyone is dressed up to the nines yet no one is dancing, despite there being a DJ. We started - well my friend - our own dance floor and was joined by an Aussie who said she was dying to get up and dance!