Melaka Travel Forum

Hello everyone,

I am planning a 3D2N trip during the weekends at the end of June. It's been 5 years since I last visited the beautiful Melaka and the previous trip wasn't planned by me, so this is half new to me, hope fellow VTers can help me out.

I would like to know if the Bus terminal in Melaka has been relocated/renovated? Or I will still be dropped at the old bus terminal?

I've read horror reviews about Transtar coach so I'm trying to stay away from it. Would like to try Melaka Singapore Express but would like to know how should i go about getting the tickets? Would like to know the exact location of where the tickets are sold if anyone can help.

This will be a photography trip with my bf, and I would like to get some beautiful sunset or sunrise in Melaka. we should be staying in Aldy stadhuys and wonder if the rooftop is open to guest? Thought it would be nice if we can wake up real early and stay at the rooftop to catch the sunrise (although i'm not sure about the direction where the sun will rise!!! ^^;;;;)

Look forward to responds. :D Thank you in advance..

-von-

Vanakam, I stayed in Aldy (Stadhuys) recently, for the 2nd time, & I'll say its certainly good value for money.

Do have dinner at the ground floor Bamboo Hut Bistro, they do an excellent spread, & they've got good ntertainmemt in the way of a very versatile & talented folk singer, who's only too hppy to do requests :)

OK, the bus terminal in Malacca is no longer the decrepit cess-pool by the "river", its been re-located to just outside of town, & is very well laid out & run. A taxi from there to Stadhuys should not cost you too much (MYR 10/-, at the most).

For coaches, I'd suggest you take the S$ 2.40 Yellow CW2 bus from Queen Street to Larkin (Johore), & take any 1 of the luxury coaches leaving there for almost every par of Malaysia almost every 30 minutes. So much cheaper, lah !!

If you "mati-mati" want to leave from S'pore, take the red color "Konsortium" coaches, they're quite nice. Can buy from Beach Road.

Please, please, please ...... Don't take the Melaka-S'pore Express, aiyoh nightmarish, lah !!

yes, the Aldy roof-top is open, take the lift to the 7th (top) floor, early enough, position your camera & snap away :)

Alternatively, the ruins of "A Formosa" are just across Aldy; wake up early enough, take asedate climb up to the top, & there are many good places to position your cameras & photograph the sunsets.

I'd also recommend a dinner @ a Peranakan restaurant called "Bayonya", along Jln Bamda Hilir, excellent Nonya food. Very very tasty, indeed !!

Enjoy your Malacca stay !!

Hi VJ, thanks for the extra info about dining! I'll definitely keep a look out for them. :)

I think I will just go for the straight bus to melaka. Most important thing is to have a fast and straight journey instead of stopping at random places during the journey to waste time. since read that melaka singapore express is quite fast and don't stop at random place. do you mind telling me why you think that it is not good? I need more opinion.

It's good to know that the rooftop is accessible :D That will certainly be a big bonus. ya, I thought of the alternative place to get sunset too. nice suggestion.

I found Melaka-S'pore Express extremely uncomfortable, what my late father would have called a bone-shaker bus :)

Also, I feared for my very life during the journey, many times during the trip, I saw my life flash before my eyes .......... I thought the driver was on something like LSD or PCP, thats how reckless the driving was, when I took the journey with them. Never again !!

You want to go at end-June ? Buy your Konsortium tickets ASAP, preferably tomorrow, otherwise, you will have NO CHOICE but Melaka-S'pore Express :)

I am from the other side of the world but Malacca is one of my favourite towns in Asia ( after Yangon).
I always take the direct bus, buses from Johore Bahru with their untidy buses and unruly drivers are not as welcome as the well run bus companies from Singapore. Early morning departures from the bus station near the airport, golden something, other departures from lavender road. The old chinese gentleman selling tickets at malacca express is delightful.
even if you dont stay at Hotel Puri, it is a gem of an example of baba architecture. It is run singapore style by singapore owners and it is one of the most written up hotels in all of Malaysia. That is where I always stay.
The best Nyonya food is at Hotel Equatorial at the Seri Nyonya Rest. Even our President dined there on his short visit. It is rather romantic in setting, and if you do go there, Please say hello to Chef Bong from the Cuban Doctor.
I had nice views of the sunset from the hill where the church is located.
there is a local bus (the one from the bus station) that goes on to medan portugis, an unique settlement of Portuguese speaking, Malaysians descendants of the Portuguese who arrived in Malacca just a few years after Islam arrived from South India (the powerful prime minister at that time was a Tamil Muslim).
They speak an antiquated but understandable Portuguese (which I did understand). Malacca has a variety of food on offer: Tamoul, Chetty, Malay, various Chinese, Nyonya, Portugis.
Good Luck, enjoy Malacca where Malaysia began..

kentut_besar, thanks for your insight about the driving of sin-melaka express. I will have a discussion with my partner and see what we will come up with. the date that we are going is flexible, so i might check out konsortium or grassland. it's a bummer that they dont use good coach to go to melaka. 5 yrs ago i went with a 26 seater with massage seat by luck, and i hope to go by massage seat again if possible. lol

cochinjew, thanks a lot for all the info! I've certainly read a lot of reviews about Hotel Puri it was in my top3 list but I decided to go for Aldy due to the location/room & the roof.

I can see that Melaka had changed a lot during this 5 years and I am very thrilled to revisit it. :) certainly happy with the new london tour bus service.

hi evon...

the newer melaka-spore express coaches are okay... its operating terminal is at the malaysia-singapore coach terminal at the junction of lavender street and kallang bahru road and you can buy your tickets there... this is within walking distance of the lavender street smrt station... there is nothing wrong with the melaka-singapore express and though not the premier service, its service is generally good... fyi, the konsortium coaches operating within malaysia has its operations suspended after numerous serious accidents...

~chia

Hi Von,

Don't know whether you have made the trip yet, but I thought you may want to know that location-wise, Aldy Stadhuys is very good as most of the tourist places are within walking distance. The band downstairs plays good songs and the singers sing well so try and ask for a room which is on the right side....1st floor if you booked for a standard room. The rooftop is open to guests within a certain time. There is a jaccuzzi where you enjoy a good massage if you are not afraid of the sun! Enjoy!

Hi Von,

Don't know whether you have made the trip yet, but I thought you may want to know that location-wise, Aldy Stadhuys is very good as most of the tourist places are within walking distance. The band downstairs plays good songs and the singers sing well so try and ask for a room which is on the right side....1st floor if you booked for a standard room. The rooftop is open to guests within a certain time. There is a jaccuzzi where you enjoy a good massage if you are not afraid of the sun! Enjoy!

chiabh, thanks for the info! I've managed to find my way to the 'bus terminal' where melaka-spore express operates with some help of asking for directions from the newspaper uncle at lavendar station. :) about 15 to 20mins walk from the station probably.

Edy8, thanks for the info about the hotel. We'll definitely look forward for the band there :D

I hope to write some reviews and more info about my trip when i get back next week. :)

thank you all for being so helpful!