3D2N Vacation in Melaka (October 30 to November 1, 2022)

My wife Soh Ai and I travelled to Melaka for a 3D2N short vacation from Sunday, 30/10/2022 till Tuesday, 1/11/2022.  It was a belated gift from my eldest son Wai Kit who booked and paid for the hotel accommodation in Melaka (payment shared with my second son Wai Jen) in conjunction with my 67^th birthday on 27/10/2022. We purposely chose Sunday as the first day of the trip because the night market at Jonker Street which operates weekly from Friday to Sunday is not so crowded on Sunday compared to Friday and Saturday. Another purpose of our visit is to meet up with an old friend of GBBM Cawangan PJ, Lim Poh Hua (林宝华) who lives in Melaka and whom we have not met since 1987.

The following is a brief account of our short vacation:

Day 1: Sunday (30/10/2022)

11.00am  Left home.

12.30pm  Stopped at R&R Ayer Keroh, Melaka where I took a bowl of  mee kari (RM7) while Soh Ai nasi campur (RM10.20).  Two glasses of iced coffee cost RM6.

1.50pm  Reached our hotel in Melaka i.e. The Pines Melaka at 33 Jalan Tun Sri Lanang, Melaka.

It was a Junior Suite Twin-bed Room, suitable for a maximum of 3 guests with 2 adults, breakfast included.  The total price incl. 6% VAT and 10% service charge was RM704.04.  Check-in time 15:00 and check-out 12:00. It was indeed too luxurious to me!

As we arrived at the hotel earlier than the stipulated check-in time, we could only register at the reception and waited for the room available for us to check in around 2.45pm.. We then roamed around the hotel to take a look at the facilities.

2.30pm We were given the room keys to check into our room at 18^th floor.

This towering hotel has a total of 28 floors, with the swimming pool and other amenities at 7^th floor (accessible via 8^th floor) and a restaurant called The Oak Kopitiam at the Ground floor.  Lift access to all floors above 8^th floor requires the scanning of the room keys. Car parking for outsiders is RM10 for the first hour and RM5 subsequent hour.  The parking ticket can be validated upon checking out and driving in and out of the parking floors needs the room keys like TnG card.  I had not driven out of the hotel at all since checking in as we took a Grab taxi to go out on the 1^st day, and our friend Poh Hua came to fetch us to go out on the 2^nd day.

4.30pm  I went for a swim in the 4 ft. deep pool at 7^th floor.  There was nobody except me in the pool.

5.15pm  Returned to room for shower.

6.00pm  Took a Grab taxi to Jonker Street (马六甲鸡场街).  The Grab fare was RM5 from The Pines Melaka to Hard Rock Cafe near the main entrance to Jonker Street. The journey of 1.2km took only 10 minutes.  Plenty tourists were seen there.

6.30pm  Patronized San Shu Gong (三叔公) shop and bought the following: two bottles of honey lime namely 一树陈年老桔800g and 一树酸柑露900g (each RM23.90) , ginger drink 姜母茶 (RM19.70), 老婆饼(RM15.80) and other snacks, total amounting to RM113.40.

Also bought from a stall at the night market a packet of mixed dodol (RM16.80) and gula melaka 280g (RM6).

7.00pm  Called and met up with Poh Hua (1 year younger than me) for the first time in 35 years.  He has changed little in the appearance except being bald.  

We had a good chat besides having street food: fried oysters (treated by Poh Hua), grilled stingray assam pedas (烧蒲鱼) and steamed lala (total RM40), spicy chicken feet (酸辣凤爪, RM12.50) and Lohan (罗汉果) drinks (2xRM4).     

8.00pm  Poh Hua took us to Our Kitchen Nyonya Restaurant at Jalan Hang Lekir to taste the Nyonya cendol (3xRM6.50) before bidding us farewell as he received a call for providing foot massage service (his occupation now) in the vicinity.

8.50pm  Took a Grab back to the hotel and the fare was RM8 (10 minutes ago was RM10).

9.00pm  Back to hotel.

11.00pm  Slept.

Arrived at The Pines Melaka

Reception of the hotel

Front view of the hotel

Lobby next to the reception

Swimming pool at 7th floor

Visited the swimming pool before checking into our room

Door keys

Glimpse of the spacious and comfortable suite

Kitchen top

Study table and wardrobe

Single bedroom/sofa

Twin beds

Study table and wall-mounted TV

Bathroom

View from the window of our 18th floor room

First day swimming.  Notice there were no other swimmers around.

Leaving the hotel to Jonker Street

Main entrance of Jonker Street

San Shu Gong shop

Inside San Shu Gong

Interesting billboard showing the visit by China premier Li Keqiang

Taken from the first floor of San Shu Gong

Jonker Street before dark

Jonker Street night market

Our "makan place"

A pose with Lim Poh Hua

Our street food dinner at Jonker Walk

Spicy chicken feet

Our Kitchen Nyonya Restaurant 

Nyonya cendol

VIDEO CLIP OF JONKER WALK ENTRANCE ON A SUNDAY NIGHT:

The Dutch Square at night

Night view of Melaka river from the window of our 18th floor room

Shopping loots from Jonker Street on the 1st day

Day 2: Monday (31/10/2022)

7.15am  Woke up.

8.00am  Buffet breakfast at The Oak Kopitiam on Ground floor of the hotel.  I found out later that the walk-in price for the buffet is RM30 for adults and RM15 below 12 years old.

Actually there were not many varieties of food. To name a few: nasi lemak, fried noodles, fried chicken, chicken ham and sausage, porridge, omelette, bread, Hainanese coffee and tea, full-cream milk, corn-flakes, orange juice, pineapples, oranges and honeydews.

9.00am  Returned to room.

10.30am  Went for a swim till 11.15am. 

1.35pm  Lim Poh Hua and his wife came to pick us up at the hotel entrance. The car was driven by Poh Hua’s wife. 

We went to Jonker Street by car and found that road-side parking was really a problem. Poh Hua told us that it is free parking every Monday and Tuesday in Melaka city and hence parking lots are always full. We finally parked at an open fee-payable parking area for RM6 per entry.

2.20pm  Lunch at Nyonya Kitchen Restaurant (娘惹小厨) at Jalan Hang Lekir: Sambal Squids Petai (秀花豆炒苏东RM40), Rendang Chicken (娘惹仁当鸡RM25), Fried Long Beans (娘惹长春豆RM20), Chinese Jasmine Tea (清香片茶RM8) and White Rice (道地香白米RM6).  Total including 6% service charge was RM104.95.  I paid for the lunch.

3.20pm  Poh Hua’s wife took us to The Dialy Fix Cafe at Jalan Hang Jebat and treated us coffee (we took cappuccino) and pancakes. The ambiance of this cafe was quaint and aesthetically pleasing with old English songs played non-stop.

After that, I bought from shops at Jalan Hang Hebat: Pure Gula Melaka pack (RM10), 2 bottles of AXE Brand Heat Oil (斧标正红花油 2xRM11), 2 bottles of massage oil (艾草油 & 老姜油2xRM9).,  and from J Mom (娇妈妈) at Jalan Hang Lekir a can of Pineapple Tarts (南洋黄梨酥) and Almond Cookies (白杏仁) each RM28.80.

4.10pm  Left for Pantai Klebang.  Just passed by without stopping at the beach.

4.45pm  Had Klebang Original Coconut Shake (RM4.50 per glass) treated by Poh Hua.

5.30pm  Poh Hua and wife sent us back to the hotel.

7.10pm  Left hotel and walked to Jeti Taman Rempah (about 10 minutes), Jalan Tun Mutahir to take the Melaka River Cruise (马六甲河水上巡航).  Ticket was RM25 for adults and RM20 for senior citizens. 

7.45pm  Our cruise began its journey and the duration was 30 minutes.  Very beautiful night sceneries along the river. Quite an enjoyable cruise!

8.40pm  Walked back to the hotel. 

As Soh Ai had discomfort in the stomach (probable due to the coconut shake), we didn’t go for dinner. I bought three pieces of roti-coco from the nearby Shell Petrol Kiosk's mini-market and took two of them to fill my stomach. 

11.10pm  Hit the sack.

Buffet breakfast at The Oak Kopitiam at the Ground floor

Very few guests in the Kopitiam

Fried chicken

Fried noodles and nasi lemak

My first round of buffet breakfast 

My second round of buffet breakfast

A pose with Soh Ai at the Kopitiam

A relatively quiet Jonker Street on a Monday afternoon

Our venue for Nyonya lunch

Wall decorations

Lim Poh Hua (66 yo) and his wife (61 yo)

A group photo taken by the lady boss of the restaurant

Our Nyonya food

The most expensive dish: Sambal Squids Petai (RM40)

Nest stop after lunch: The Daily Fix cafe

Quaint ambiance

Latte (pic left) and Capunccino

Pancakes

Poh Hua's car

Klebang beach

Klebang Original Coconut Shake

Coconut Shake (RM4.50 per glass)

Shopping loots from Jonker Street on the 2nd day

Route map of Melaka River Cruise

Melaka river at night

Jetty to board the river cruise boat

Entrance to river cruise

On board of the cruise boat

Various views of the cruise taken by me sitting in the front-most seat

VIDEO CLIPS TAKEN DURING THE MELAKA RIVER CRUISE:

Day 3: Tuesday (1/11/2022)

7.30am  Woke up.

8.30am  Breakfast at The Oak Kopitiam.  Same food as the day before.  Took porridge this time.

10.10am  Went swimming for the last time in this hotel.  Got Soh Ai to take two video clips of my swimming in frog-style and free-style. 

11.15am  Check out from the hotel.

11.50am  I had Ta Bak dessert drink (RM5) and Popiah (RM4.50) at Baba Charlie Cafe, Jln. Siantan, Tmn. Siantan Seksyen 2.  Also bought 2 nos. Nyonya chang/dumpling (each RM6), 5 pc. pack Kuih (RM7.50) and kuih (RM1.50)..

12.10pm  Left Melaka.

1.40pm  Had coffee and kopi-O at R&R Seremban.

3.00pm  Returned home. 

The total expenditure for this vacation (excluding hotel accommodation, petrol and toll):  RM551.40.

Last view in the morning of Melaka River from the window of our 18th floor room

A pose in the hotel room

The Oak Kopitiam for buffet breakfast

My buffet breakfast (porridge on the right)

Omellete

VIDEO CLIP OF MY SWIM:

Baba Charlie Cafe

Ta Bak and Popiah

R&R Seremabn