Tourist Guide

Visitors and tourists to Malacca can expect an easy and enjoyable holiday to plan when visiting this historical destination. In this section, pick up travel tips on weather, climate and best time to go to Melaka. Learn about the transportation methods and options in the city as well as where to get them. Finally, learn a bit about the different cultures and ethnic groups that make Malacca such a colourful place to discover.

Malacca's weather and climate is hot and humid throughout the year. This state gets a relatively higher amount of sunlight than most other states in the country. When it rains, it does get dramatically cooler. You can visit Melaka anytime throughout the year, but if you prefer a cooler climate, the best time to visit is during the rainy months between September till February, as a result of monsoon winds blowing in the east coast that spill some of the rain over to the west. If you prefer sunnier weather, visit between April till August for best results as there is less rain during this time. The temperature usually ranges between 31°C to 36°C during the day and between 27°C to 30°C during the night. Rainfall will drop the temperatures, drastically if it's a thunder storm. Finally, if you wish to avoid a large crowd in Malacca on your holiday, travel during non-peak tourist seasons and avoid national holidays and festive periods.

Malacca has a good network of roads, though most of it is narrow in the major parts of the city. Some of the roads around the main historical center of Melaka travels in one direction only, so know your way around in advance if you don't want to double back over a long distance. Cabs and taxis can be hailed from anywhere while bus stops are placed at strategic points. Although regulated by law, most taxi drivers will not use the meter and will charge you a fixed sum depending on where you go, since Malacca is a tourist haunt. If you like a scenic way of travelling, try the trishaw, or rickshaw, rides. Most of these trishaws are stationed around the Stadthuys area, and you can charter one for an hour to see the landmarks and buildings around the historical center of Melaka. Decorated with garlands of flowers and equipped with radio speakers, these trishaws are hard to miss and easy to spot. A trishaw sits two people comfortably, but up to three adults can fit on one.

The population of Malacca reflects the general ethnic diversity of Malaysia. The three major ethnic groups are Chinese, Malays and Indians, but in Melaka, there are an additional two special people groups that originated from Malacca's history. The Baba Nyonya, also known as the Peranakan Chinese, are people descended from the first Chinese migrants to Malacca, somewhere in the 14th Century. This group of people intermarried with local Malays over time and adopted some of their customs and traditions. The second is the Kristang people, but known locally as Portuguese though it is technically incorrect, as they are mixed. These Portuguese people were descended from the Portuguese colonists that conquered Malacca centuries ago, but again over time, intermarried with locals, including Chinese, Malays and Indians, to create this special ethnic group. Everyone in Melaka speaks Bahasa Malaysia, but most can converse in English.