Budget or blow-out: Malacca

Once a bustling, cosmopolitan port of enormous strategic importance, Malacca (also known by its Malay name, Melaka) was visited by ships from all over the world. They travelled to Malaysia to buy and sell porcelain and silk from China, gold and pepper from Indonesia and sandalwood from Borneo. Today, the ornately decorated shops and teahouses where tradesmen once did business now host tourists keen to check out remnants of the compact city centre’s 16th-century glory. In fact, the architectural mix of redbrick Dutch colonial buildings, Portuguese fortifications and Chinese temples saw Malacca declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. Whatever your budget – whether you want to splurge or save – there are plenty of great ways to experience the city’s rich heritage.

How to see the sights

Trace ancient trade routes with a river cruise that winds its way towards the Straits of Melaka. You’ll pass several sites of historic significance, including Villa Sentosa in the tiny Malay village of Kampung Morten. This house was built in the 1920s and, having been handed down through subsequent generations, is meticulously preserved. Check out lavish wedding costumes, old-school kitchenware and a huge Chinese gong believed to bring good luck. Several companies operate year-round tours, with boats meandering past flower-strewn riverbanks and sleepy bars sporting colourful murals before reaching a towering replica of the Portuguese ship Flor De la Mar. At RM15 per person (around $5), it isn’t going to break the bank.

For a slightly more energetic (and expensive) option, pedal off on an Eco Tour which takes in 20km of Malacca’s stunning surrounds and passes through luscious plantations over the course of three hours. The round-trip costs RM100 (around $40) per person.

However, if you want to save your cents and still get some exercise, most hotels and guesthouses offer a free bike rental service. Pedal your way from Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, which dates back to 1646 and is the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia, past the boutiques and cafes that line Jonker Street, all the way to Porta de Santiago gate, the crumbling structure is all that’s left of A’Famosa, a fortress built in 1511 by the Portuguese.

If you don’t fancy working up a sweat, see the sights from the comfort of a trishaw – these extravagantly decorated ‘taxis’ can easily be flagged down outside Stadthuys city hall – a bold testament to the Dutch colonial era.