VISIT MALACCA

A' famosa in Malacca

A’Famosa is more than just quick photo stop opportunity for tourists. Built in 1511, the settlement used to sprawl across a whole hillside but now only a lone gate (Porta de Santiago) remains. One of the oldest surviving European architectural remains in Asia; it is set beside the Istana keSultanan on Jalan Kota.
A’Famosa is perhaps Malacca’s best known sightseeing spot. Originally constructed by Alfonso de Albuquerque (who led the Portuguese invasion on the Malacca Sultanate), the remains of the fort is now a crumbling whitewashed gatehouse and is located downhill from St. Paul’s Church.

Portuguese history

At the beginning of the 16th century, the Portuguese were establishing outposts in Macau, China and India in order to create a string of friendly ports for their ships plying the routes between China and Portugal. Malacca’s growing popularity meant that it was fast becoming an important link for Portugal to the Spice Route in China. In 1511 the Portuguese fleet, under the command of Alfonso de Albuquerque arrived and launched an attack on the armies of the Malacca Sultanate and defeated them. 
Albuquerque moved swiftly to consolidate his gains by building a fortress around a hill near the sea. He used 1,500 slaves to construct A’Famosa as a stronghold to defend against foreign invasion.

Dutch history

In 1641 the Dutch wrested control of A’Famosa from the Portuguese and drove them out of the city. What remains is largely the Dutch reconstruction as they carried out renovation works in 1670, following the siege. To this day you can see a small inscription (ANNO 1670) on the fort’s arch as well as the coat-of-arms of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). 
A’Famosa changed hands again when Malacca fell into British hands during expansionist Napoleonic times. Initially under the impression that the VOC was to act as a caretaker administration until a time when the Dutch were able to fully resume control, they had no idea the fort would soon be lost to them forever.

British history

Due to the fact that they offered too little and asked for too much, the Dutch forces soon lost the respect of their Malay subjects and in the early 19th century Malacca was fully conquered by the British. Wary of maintaining the fort, should it fall into enemy hands, the English ordered its destruction in 1806.
Fortunately, Sir Stamford Raffles (founder of Singapore) who was visiting Malacca in 1810 arrived in the nick of time. Due to his love of history he stepped in before the complete destruction of the old fortress. It was a close call though and the crumbling remains of Porta de Santiago, a small gate house, were all that could be salvaged from total destruction.When work was undertaken on the Menara Taming Sari revolving tower in 2006, another part of the A’Famosa was discovered. As a result the revolving tower was relocated further inland and A’Famosa’s newly-discovered fortress walls were reconstructed.

Baba and Nyonya Peranakan Museum

Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum Malacca situated at Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock also known as Heeren Street or Millionaire row. The museum actually is the house belongs to wealth Baba Nyonya family. The house was built somewhere 1895 during the British rules Malacca. Baba Nyonya house also known as Rumah Abu (Ancestral Home) was kept secret from the outside world until today. Most of the Baba Nyonya house have a size about 20 feet width and 180 feet long. Due of the length of the house, the air well was built at the middle of the house to allow a better air circulation.  The visitor is not allowed to take any picture or video recording during your tour to Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum Malacca.
The idea to established Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum came from Mr. Chan Kim Lay who has the opportunity to visit few museum at  overseas. Although his idea was opposed by the Baba Nyonya community for revealing the Baba Nyonya house to the public, it did not dampen his desire to share the history and the way of life of Baba Nyonya Malacca descent to the world. In here tourist able to see the original actual design and layout of the house, the mosaic and oil lamp was import from United Kingdom during the reign of Queen Victoria, Chinese Porcelain, Chinese traditional wedding ceremony and the fine art. We encourage tourist go for guided tour to better understand Baba Nyonya Malacca Culture rather visiting the Museum by own.

Pulau Besar And Tanjung Bidara

Exploring the white sands of Pulau Besar or the Rocky Headlands of Tanjung Bidara.

Taming Sari Revolving Tower

Melaka Menara Taming Sari (Taming Sari Tower) officially opened for business on the 18th of April 2008, Menara Taming Sari is the first and only gyro tower in Malaysia so far. Measuring 110 metres in height, its revolving structure offers a 360-degree panoramic view of Malacca town and beyond.

Located in the popular district of Bandar Hilir on Jalan Merdeka, only 3 minutes’ walk from Mahkota Parade Shopping Complex and Dataran Pahlawan Megamall, the tower is named after the Taming Sari keris, a mythical weapon said to possess mystical powers belonging to the legendary Malay warrior, Hang Tuah. Even the structure’s design follows the shape of the keris, with the peak of the tower resembling the its hilt.
Built using advanced Swiss technology, the tower’s structure is reportedly tough enough to withstand earthquakes measuring up to 10 on the Richter scale. Able to accommodate 80 people per viewing session, which lasts about 7 minutes, the glass cabin hypnotically revolves as it rises from the ground to the top of the tower.Once it reaches the top, a breathtaking, sprawling view of Malacca as far as the eye can see, up to the Straits of Malacca, is clearly visible, especially in good weather, with the Melaka River running through the grand panorama below.In addition to the opportunity to get a bird’s-eye view of Malacca, the attraction is also fitted with 5 commercial outlets consisting of a café, a restaurant and souvenir shops.