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Travel to Melaka

FLYOVER AT MELAKA HOSPITAL IS OPEN TO TRAFFIC

Finally, the new flyover near Melaka Hospital is opened to traffic.
This will help the traffic flow into and out of MALACCA city.







The other flyover at MITC junction is expected to be ready by March 2019.

Hopefully by then, traffic flow from Ayer Keroh toll gate into City and vice versa will be shorter as the junction traffic lights will not be used.

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Tourism Malaysia

MEALS-ON-WHEELS IN MALAYSIA

As your tummy growls, you only look for one thing: Food. Yes, food is an essential nourishment for the human body. In Malaysia, we’re really lucky to have such a great variety of delicious cuisines originating from many different races and ethnicities. From Malay lauk, Indian curries and Chinese desserts, as well as the many lovely snacks and treats from other ethnic origins, there’s just a great choice so you’ll never go hungry again!

You might imagine going into a restaurant, with a server to welcome you and take you to your table as he makes recommendations off the menu. Well, this is not a story about dining in a restaurant, but this is a story about dining in at food trucks.

Besides the huge number of restaurants, cafes and street-side stalls cropping up almost everywhere in Malaysia, you can also find food trucks at certain parking lots, at central parks, corners of every building, and pretty much everywhere. They are also seen, these days, at any festivals or public events!

That’s right, food trucks are becoming a trend in Malaysia.  Some offer local dishes, others serve Western choices, and still others cook up a fusion of the two.

To sample some of the best food offered by these food truck vendors, we’ve compiled our top three recommendations of food truck “ports” where several food trucks gather in a common yet comfortable space for diners to enjoy a hassle-free meal any time of the day.

Photo courtesy of MALAY MAIL

Food truck with a view
One of the food truck parks gaining popularity for being everything “hipster” and cool in Malaysia is “TAPAK Urban Street Dining.” Just look up the hashtag “Tapak Urban Street Dining” and you’ll see Instagram flooded with pictures of people dining away with the Kuala Lumpur Petronas Twin Towers lit up spectacularly in the background. That’s right, besides the awesome food (mostly local menus with an urban twist such as Nasi Kukus with grilled chicken by Meltshack and coconut and mango jelly shake by The Hut), the big draw is the world’s tallest twin skyscrapers. But honestly, gather up some friends, enjoy some good food and drink in the awesome views…what could be better?

More info on the web at www.ilovetapak.com

Where east meets west
If you are looking for an unconventional dining experience, then head north to Ipoh, Perak, and find your way to “Food Truck Garden”. Since its debut on March 2017, this port is notably known as “The legacy of food truck generation in the state of Perak,” providing a diverse selection of local food and beverages, but with a little Western twist added. Imagine dining on the likes of the ubiquitous rice that’s given a Swedish twist in Nasi Goreng Meatball by Le Reussi FoodTruck; the Keropok Lekor Cheese created by KualiQib which elevates the local fish crackers with generous dollops of gooey, melted cheese; and the Melted Lamb, a deliciously moist and tender meat made by Puffer on the Move. With over 30 (maybe more!) food trucks to choose and feast from along with live bands performing every night, the garden offers an open-air dining concept for friends and family to gather and feast.

More info on:

Facebook  – Food Truck Garden at Bulatan Amanjaya

Instagram  – silverstatefoodtruck

International flavours in one spot
Heading south of Malaysia lands you in Melaka, yet another state capital of delicious proportions! Instead of the usual local Portuguese and Baba Nyonya cuisine, the Melaka Food Truck Park at Ayer Keroh takes you on an international food journey. Here, you can satisfy your cravings for Italian food (pastas), Korean food (Jipangi Korean ice cream), Japanese food (takoyaki), Spanish food (churros), Mexican food (tacos), and more! The ambience is chill with fountain water features, lanterns overhead and buskers serenading the night away. Just a stone’s throw away is the Melaka Mall where you can continue your hang-out session with friends either shopping away or catching a movie at its cinema.

More info on:

Facebook – Melaka Food Truck Park

Instagram – Melaka_foodtruckpark

Categories
Tourism Malaysia

A Spontaneous Road Trip to Pantai Klebang

An Afternoon at Klebang Beach

As part of the Unesco Heritage Sites, the ‘Historic Cities of the Straits of Melaka’ needs no introduction. Many Malaysians are repeat visitors to this fascinating site. But today my friends and I decided to explore the area outside of the historic perimeter, to be precise, its coastal area.

Over the last couple of years, Klebang Beach (or Pantai Klebang, to the locals), a 15-minute drive out of Melaka City, has become viral because of these two things – food and sand dunes. These were the main reasons we made the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Pantai Klebang all the way from Kuala Lumpur, one fine afternoon. (Note: from Kuala Lumpur, drive southwards on the North-South Highway before taking the Ayer Keroh toll exit at which you can expect to pay RM12.90).

Upon hitting Melaka, we then decided to have our lunch at this newly-opened three-star hotel called MITC Hotel in Ayer Keroh because we had heard their claypot fish head curry was to-die-for. The curry was definitely delicious coupled with ulam (local salads) and stir fried spicy clams, making for a very satisfying lunch.

With our stomachs full, we headed straight to Pantai Klebang for a little bit of exploration and to shed the calories we had just consumed. Our first stop, the Submarine Museum.

Submarine Museum

The Quessant Agosta 70 FS, with a carrying capacity of 41 passengers, was previously used to train Malaysia’s submarine crew from 2005 to 2009 following the acquisition of two submarines by the Ministry of Defence, Malaysia. Today, it has been turned into a museum, allowing visitors to go on board to experience what life is like in a sub.

I already had an idea that the inside of a submarine would be small but I didn’t realise just how narrow or cramped it would be, making me feel almost claustrophobic. The strong smell of diesel still lingered in the air at the front of the submarine where four tornadoes used to be.

My respect towards the training crew peaked after I saw how tiny the captain’s quarters was, not to mention the alley, the galley (kitchen) and the bathroom. To think that they had to spend 9,000 training hours — the equivalent of four years — underwater inside that vessel, was just beyond my belief.

My advise is to visit this museum during weekdays or at low-season. Due to the confined space within the submarine, it will be a little difficult to maneuver yourself in a crowd.

If the guide is not available, you can read about the history of FS Quessant at the information gallery provided by the museum within the compound.

The Submarine Museum is located at Dataran 1Malaysia, Klebang, Malacca. Its GPS coordinate is N 2.213988, E 102.198461 and it is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Visitors pay an entrance fee of RM5.00 while children below 12 are charged RM3.00.

For more information on the submarine museum,
please contact Perbadanan Muzium Melaka at +606 – 282 6526,
or visit the website at www.perzim.gov.my or facebook page at https://ms-my.facebook.com/MelakaMuseum.

Malaysian Desserts

There are three local desserts that have gone viral over the last couple of years and all of them are located at Pantai Klebang. After the visit to the museum, we drove around the Limbongan and Klebang Kecil area to search for them.

Kuih Keria Antarabangsa Hj. Jalil

Kuih keria is a Malaysian-style glazed sugar doughnut that is made from sweet potatoes. The shop that sells this kuih keria is so famous that people do not mind the long queues to get a taste of the sweet and fluffy snack, which is perfect for an afternoon tea, or any time of the day, actually.

The owner, Mr. Jalil Tompang, 74, says he uses around 150 kg of sweet potatoes per day to make about 1,000 pieces of his super delicious kuih keria. He personally prepares the ingredients and fries the doughnuts himself. Our verdict? We just couldn’t get enough of his kuih keria. Bear in mind that it is best eaten hot. One kuih keria will cost you 50 cents and the maximum you can buy is 20 pieces.

Putu Piring Generasi Ketiga

The putu piring is a traditional dessert made of ground rice flour filled at the centre with gula melaka or palm sugar, and then gently steamed in metal conical moulds. The stall selling this famous putu piring by the roadside at Kompleks Niaga Limbongan is manned by Hajah Zalika Lajis, 65, and assisted by her daughter Fazilah Mohamad, 36. According to Hajah Zalika, her mother started the business in 1969 at almost the exact same spot. The only difference is that there used to be a beach where a row of shophouses now stands behind her stall.

Now that her daughter is also involved in the business, she has named the stall as “Putu Piring Generasi Ketiga” or The Third Generation Putu Piring. What is so special about their putu piring is that the rice flour is homemade and not store-bought in packets. Yes, I can see why these pillowy puffs have such a following. At first bite, the putu piring tastes soft and moist, while the melted palm sugar oozing out tastes caramelly delicious.

The putu piring here comes in original, durian and chocolate flavours. Each is presented with a sprinkling of freshly grated coconut tinged with some salt on the side, served on a square of banana leaf, which naturally fragrances the dessert. The original flavour is priced at RM3 for five pieces while the other two flavours are priced at RM4 for five pieces.

Klebang Original Coconut Shakes

We must thank Mr. Shafie Ahmad, 55, from Klebang Kecil because, if not for his ingenuity, we would never have guessed that coconuts and vanilla ice cream go really well together! He created this coconut shake about 10 years ago by blending the white coconut flesh with sugar syrup, ice cubes and vanilla ice cream and topped it off with another scoop of vanilla ice cream. The coconut shake has now become a must-try whenever one makes a visit to Melaka.

It was late afternoon when we reached his restaurant and from the crowd gathering there, it looked like Mr. Shafie’s coconut shakes were very popular among locals and tourists alike. Various food and traditional kuih (desserts) at the restaurant are provided by the locals as he only sells coconut shakes. The restaurant operates from 11 am until 6.30 pm every day. He still maintains his old stall by the roadside for those wanting to buy a take-away coconut shake. Our verdict was the coconut shakes tasted yummy and creamy, perfect for such a hot and humid weather. Expect to pay RM3.50 per shake.

Pantai Klebang Beachfront

We decided to enjoy our desserts at the beach while waiting for the sun to set. By evening, Pantai Klebang is full of activity, filled with people playing kites, kids blowing and chasing bubbles, as well as horses carrying people back and forth. There were many food stalls there, too. Unlike other beaches, it is not advisable to swim at Pantai Klebang, but it was still an ideal place for a family picnic, though.

Pantai Klebang Sand Dunes

Here was the tricky part of the trip. The sand dunes at Pantai Klebang had gone viral for several years now but it was one of those off-the-beaten path attractions that required some navigational skills to find. Still, it attracts photographers, be it amateur or professional, who claim that this place is perfect for outdoor wedding and high fashion photography shoots.

Be prepared to walk several kilometres in or about 20 minutes on sandy terrain to reach the sand dunes. The scenery is worth every difficult step, though, especially when the sun started going down into the horizon, painting the sky with a myriad of colours from yellow to orange to red and purple before going totally dark. The changing colours of the sky also transformed the colours of the sand dunes making it look like we were on another planet. This place is definitely Instagram-worthy and has potential as a film location for movies. It has also become an increasingly popular destination for sandboarding, which is another type of high adrenaline sport.

In reality, the hills of sands which was a result of a land reclamation project in the Klebang area was a perfect mimic of the desert. It is located between Pantai Klebang Melaka and the Submarine Museum. However, there is no signboard and you have to enter at your own risk.

While you are in Pantai Klebang, why don’t you give it a try. I promise that it is one of the best places to see the sun set. And I’ll bet that it is also the best place to do a little stargazing, but only if you dare to stay at the place after dark.

After that long walk and all the climbing that we did at the sand dunes, it was time to get back the energy by having an authentic Peranakan (Nyonya) dish at the Seafarer Restaurant nearby. The food here is a fusion of seafood and Nonya-style cooking, with a hint of Chinese and Malay culinary influences. We had a nyonya-style asam pedas fish (fish cooked in a gravy of chillies and tamarind broth, thus it is both spicy and sour), sambal beancurds and hot plate tofu with white rice for dinner. Everything was delicious and combined with the restaurant’s ambience, it was a must-try restaurant. We actually took our dinner al-fresco by the beach, which was why this restaurant was so cool. It was lively and gave you that “live by the beach” vibe.

All in all, it was a well-spent day with friends at Pantai Klebang.

Categories
Travel to Melaka

Planetarium Melaka – A must-visit Place for Astronomy Lovers

Planetarium Melaka is one of the eye catching sites in Melaka where tourists who possess a special love of astronomy related subjects cannot stop them in visiting the planetarium time and again due to its vivacious uniqueness in the whole of Malaysia. The reason of visiting Planetarium Melaka is its scientific and adventurous outlook, particularly designed for the students engaged in studying science related subjects who majors in astronomical subjects basically.

Planetarium Melaka

It came into being in the year 2009 and it is found on the right hand side of the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC). If travelling from the Ayer Keroh toll plaza it will take you around twenty minutes to reach the Planetarium Melaka.

The query of how it is constructed? It is answered when you see the three-storey building inside also maintaining a set of huge houses that are known to be Islamic-Inspired Complex with plenty of capacity comprised for events therein assigned with a cafeteria. It also contains a great library as well as the giant dome movie theatre where visitors enjoy a series of various timely movie shows.

Those who wants to advance their studies in astronomy and also those who are developing their career in space technology must necessarily visit this planetarium through they can avail better knowledge of understanding by enjoying with lively space objects.

It has special astronomical features confined to children, particularly through which such children are capable to learn about the space objects i.e. planets and their orbits in the whole solar system, small objects in a space that provide thorough information related to the universe known as black holes and other galaxies evidence. Specially dummy equipment is designed for those practical space learners and astronomical lovers who wants to know about the Malaysian satellite, Hubble space telescope (invented in 1990 for capturing ongoing innovations in the universe) as well as big and large covets which keep exploding on regular intervals in our universe.

We also come to know about its further attractions in this planetarium is its movie theatres filled with 2D and 3D cinemas all around the planetarium. The 2D movies running here emphasize on providing facts and figures pertaining to the functioning of cosmic objects and discovery of the universe itself; how it was first discovered? By whom? Such as by viewing those movies, sound effects projected here are for the first time seems to be weary then afterwards it gives the hearing of original sound evaluation can be heard directly from the space.

Therefore, viewers are enthusiastically influenced for enjoying the lively effects of our huge planet. The second floor is equipped with 3D cinemas constructed for 200 audiences and every movie projected here is less than an hour and on weekends the running of movies is increased to nine times, particularly through which visitors here keep themselves relish with informative and lively movies as well as documentaries therein.

You cannot just count the attractions of this Planetarium Melaka as it not only enriches you to familiarize with lively astronomical objects, but also engage you for providing authentic study materials in the forms of books, magazines and newspapers in a huge library available here. If you have visited Planetarium Melaka, please share your experience by adding comments below. Here you can find more of Melaka tourist attractions.

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Travel to Melaka

Best 5 must-visit Shopping Malls and Streets in Malacca

Malacca is a small state in the southern region of Malaysia which holds one of the most exquisite and culturally rich atmospheres. The state is rich in historical heritage and architectural building and ancient landmarks which are main tourist attractions in Melaka. Malaysia is a beautiful Asian country but Malacca is the state that adds even more beauty the country.

Every tourist want to take something back home as gifts and souvenirs for their loved ones, not to mention delicate regional crafted products for their homes. When, it comes to shopping in Malacca then there are many shopping malls streets you can visit where local vendors would be selling handmade traditional stuff. Shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur are famous in Malaysia, but Melaka Shopping Malls also offer variety of shopping options to the shoppers.

Melaka Best Shopping Malls Streets

There are a lot of things a tourist can do in Melaka. One of them is certainly shopping. Here is a list of best Melaka shopping mall and street.

Hatten Square Suites Shoppes

Hatten Square Suites Shoppes is a nice vintage styled but trendy Melaka shopping mall that has a lot of international brands in it which sell products at a cheaper rate than the international market. This mall is a four floored building that has just about everything and every souvenir that you would want to take back home for your family and friends.

So, if you’re looking for a shopping complex which is not very huge but provides all the basic facilities to the shoppers and feature shops outlets that offers local products, Hatten Square lumion Suits Shoppes is the place to go. There is a also a popular heritage street in Melaka by the name Hattan Street. The street is also known as millionaire street as it has been home of richest.

Address: G-006, Jalan Merdeka, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia
Phone: +60 6-281 7688
Read more about Hatten Square Suits Shoppes

Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall

Dataran Pahlawan Melaka MegaMall

Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall is certainly the biggest shopping mall where you can get modern as well as antique products at affordable price and are reliable. The mega mall is structured in a modern fashion to accommodate the taste of foreign people and has a wide range of shops which includes, Perfume Avenue where those who have an addiction of sweet smelling potions can buy their heart content.

Dataran Pahlawan mega mall has a lot of tourist landmarks nearby as well, so while one is visiting a local attraction there is no harm in looking around or checking stuff out to take home for beloveds. There are many tourists who seek the true essence of a country in the antique products and for those the good news is that the entire basement level of the mega mall is dedicated to handmade and locally crafted souvenirs and other gift items.

This Melaka shopping mall attracts plenty of tourist as it is located in the city center. You can not miss Dataran Pahlawan mall once in Malacca.

Address: BW05, Jalan Merdeka, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia
Phone: +60 6-283 2828
Read more about Dataran Pahlawan Melaka MegaMall

Mahkota Parade Shopping Mall

Mahkota Parade Shopping Mall Malacca

Mahkota Parade Shopping Mall is another Melaka shopping mall which is best for shopping in Malacca; if you are planning on buying discounted products and hole the energy to bargain with the vendors as well. The shopping mall is one of a kind and one of the oldest that was opened in 1994, and accommodates dos2usb more than 200 stores in it. These stores belong to both international brands and popular local brands.

For the ladies Mahkota Parade Shopping Mall is the place worth checking out since it has a wide range of shoe outlet stores and handbags that are made both locally and shipped in from the international market. This Malacca shopping mall is where you can buy cheaper wear than from the overseas outlets of the same international brand. Inside the mall are IT stores and beauty parlors located as well that offer you refreshing facials when you are tired from all the shopping.

Address: G8, Jalan Merdeka, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia
Opening hours: 10.00 am – 10.00 pm
Phone: +6006 2826151
Read more about Mahkota Parade Shopping Mall

Jonker Street

Jonker Street Melaka (Malacca)

Jonker Street, which is also very famous worldwide, is a walk worth it. It has centuries old galleries and museums not to mention a collection of local items which include the food products as well that you can buy or flavor your cuisine with it. Jonker Street includes practically all the things you want to buy for friends and family back home, from local crafts to international shipped ones and food items including famous Malaysian spices that can be taken back home and spice things up in your food next time.

If you like handmade ladies jewels then Jonker Street is the place where you will find unique and beautiful handmade jewels to take back home or give it as a gift to someone beloved.

Melaka Batik House

Melaka Batik House

Melaka Batik House, located near the international trade center is one of the few shopping malls in Melaka where you will find a great range and vibrant batik from all over Malaysia. The shopping area has many other attractions located nearby that are walking distance away and so makes it one of the places that you must check out while in Malacca.

Address: Pt 15251, Melaka International Trade Centre, 75450, Ayer Keroh, Melaka, Malaysia
Phone: +60 6-232 3900
Read more about Melaka Batik House

Melaka provides both street shopping mall experiences and it is a fun shopping in Melaka. Do let us know about your shopping experience in Malacca.