Colourful and Historic Melaka
Malaysia Self-Drive
Penang to Kuala Lumpur
We were the 2nd people in for breakfast at Hard Rock Hotel at 06.30! Sadly, time to leave and be on our way. We would certainly recommend ##hardrockhotel #penangisland - the staff are amazing, the breakfasts are superb, the pool is great and the beach is right there.
We left the hotel at 8.00am - it took ages to get to the bridge with morning traffic. Then it was highway all the way to KL. From 2 to 3 to 4 lanes and busy in both directions all the time. Loads of trucks, some very fast drivers, scooters, motorbikes and trucks pulling out to overtake as well. The scenery changes as one gets closer to the Cameron Highlands area, also large Quarry and then further on palm trees. We spotted smoke up ahead - thankfully, this was on the lane going north where a truck had overturned and was on fire. Very sad to see but some of the driving is very reckless. The tailback going north was huge - must have been about 10km. This must have been so frustrating for weekenders heading away from KL.
We arrived in KL at 13.00 hrs - a 5 hr drive at the speed limit of 110km per hour or less depending on traffic.
Then the fun started - we could not find the hotel that we had booked. Driving in circles was extremely frustrating. We eventually reached a hotel with the same name but it was not the correct one! So then another 24 min drive ended up taking even longer! One benefit was the drive on an elevated freeway where I could see the centre of town and the famous twin towers. High rises where ever you look in KL.
Eventually, we reached the hotel Komune Living and Wellness at about 15.30!!
We had booked a Deluxe room. Well - if deluxe means a double bed with one side basically up against the wall, then I despair. Reception told us that they cater mainly for Chinese guests as if that was a valid excuse?
We were forced to pay extra for a bigger room with twin beds and on the 13th Floor! There is a 7Eleven on the ground floor so we could self-cater as our "fancy" and "expensive" room has a microwave, plates and cutlery but not a single glass! So water must be in the cup....
Most of the facilities here are not available to guests - only to Komune members. Never known a hotel like that where you cannot enjoy the warm pool because you are not a "member" It's weird. The ONLY saving grace is the park near by.
The driving in KL was fine - it was the Google directions that kept getting us lost and this is possibly the fault of the hotel? Inputting them incorrectly?
Tomorrow is another day!
Breakfast is a bun fight! Notices on the tables tell you not to leave anything when you fetch your food. Such a change from #hardrockhotelpenang where everything is so well organized! And not much choice either.
After breakfast we took a walk to the park where a group were practicing their #fusionlinedance for a competition 7th June!
Fun to watch and a pity we won't be here for the competition!
#komunelivingandwellnesshotel #kualalumpurmalaysia #malaysia #travel #travelphotography #travelblogger #traveltheworld #exercise #fusionlinedance
We enjoyed a walk along the lake later. Very humid once again but that's life in the East! At least it's a green lung amidst all the tall buildings in Kuala Lumpur.
And there is a wedding in the Events section of the hotel!
Traffic insane - beyond anything seen so far! It's Sunday and the Kings birthday tomorrow so driving in circles because of a road closure just added to the 5 hr journey that should have taken 2.5 hrs. The E1 highway was so congested even when 4 lanes. But we have now arrived in this historic hotel and we have a beautiful room. We are in the centre of the Historical district so lots of exploring awaits.
The population in Malaysia is 35.9 million and it is ranked the 44th most populated country. I think they were all on the E1 today!
Melaka
The temperature was 32 degrees - officially feels like 40 degrees. Humidity horrid! When ones clothes get so wet you can bring them out its not such fun!
Anyway, we walked along the Melaka River one way ( no benches for a rest) then turned and headed up to the main section.
The Stadthuys was built in 1650 and it's the oldest Dutch building in South East Asia. It is currently a history museum.
The Christ Church was built in 1753, also by the Dutch. It took 12 years to build. The pews are handmade and date back 200 years!
This area is called Dutch Square and the Red Colonial buildings are something to behold. There are numerous trishaws (not to be confused with rickshaw) in this area, touting for tourist business.
Further along the river walk it was interesting to see the colourful houses and shops. Mostly closed due to the Kings birthday weekend and a Public Holiday. There was a chap sitting on the path that stopped us to talk as he apparently knew the Minister of Transport of SA in the 80's. He was very chatty and asked us how we were perceiving the Malaysia as a country/tourist destination. He then carried on to tell us that we really should visit Vietnam next! No Self-Drive in that country!!
We popped in a huge shop on the way back to Hotel Puri ( opposite the Hard Rock Cafe)j just to cool down then bought some sweet treats for energy!
Another wander around the local streets around Jonker Street and the River area. We saw a number of temples and a mosque. The Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple was built in 1781 and it is the oldest, functioning Hindu Temple in South east Asia. Situated in Melaka it remains one of the few existing Chitty Temples in Malaysia.
We stopped at Connors along the river for a rest and some ice-cream. We could see the old man opposite who chatted to us yesterday. He did not have so many tourists today. He lives in the building where he sits - the river path is his outdoor patio!
Melaka
Today we visited the preserved village along the river. Consisting of about 50 traditional houses, it was quiet and serene. This village was gazetted under the Preservation and Conservation of Cultural Heritage Enactment 1988. The area was named after Frederick Joseph Morten, a Land Revenue Collector. The river runs along here and offers a lovely walk. It's all very well done with flowers and trees lining the walk. We did receive some friendly waves from residents in these interesting homes. Away from the bustle of Jonker Street, it made for a different outing. Many of the homes here are now Home Stays. I loved the pitched roofs and the special tiles on the steps. Gardens were miniature but interesting. A real find and a fun walk around something that has been preserved yet is so near to huge, high rise blocks of apartments.
A river boat cruise is a must if in Melaka. It's only about 45 minutes but takes you past the interesting sights and then turns around just beyond Kumpang Morten, the Preserved Malay village. The brightly colored shop fronts are similar to our Bo-Kaap in Cape Town. Very pretty and cheerful!
Melaka
Today we went up high! The Menara Taming Sari is an iconic gyro tower featuring a revolving observatory. 110 meters high this offers views over Melaka. The glass cabin has seats all round so everybody gets to see the view. Great fun! It's scarily high when you look at the tower from ground level!
Next stop was Klenang Beach for a quick view. There are loads of tables and chairs for rent plus numerous food trucks.There are also quad bikes for hire. With an International Hotel just across the water it appears to be a popular spot. Swimming is apparently not recommended.
We are reaching the end of our Malaysian trip with just 1 more day of exploring.
Melaka
Jonker Street and surrounds
It is all so colourful, vibrant and a fun place to be.
The past few days there were less tourists ( mid- week) but plenty again today.
It's a great spot to people watch. Humidity, as usual, very high. It seems only I look like a drenched rat in this heat! I suppose the Chinese, Japanese, Indians and local Malaysian folk are all acclimatised. Very few Europeans around.
We also popped into Christ Church on Dutch Square - very different to the ornate Europeans churches.
And that's just about a wrap of our Self-Drive Tour of Malaysia. It's been a very interesting experience travelling around the West Coast of Malaysia. One that we could certainly recommend.
We hope you have all enjoyed some armchair travel with us!
Until next time!
For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa
