Ever since I’ve been in Singapore, I’ve been curious about visiting Malacca, Malaysia, which is just around 230km away, about a 3-hour drive from here. Malacca, or Melaka as it’s also known in Malay, was a Portuguese territory centuries ago. To learn more about the Portuguese influence in Malacca and the ruins that remain of their presence in the region, check out the post on Things to do in Malacca.
As my parents came to visit us in Singapore in August, I thought it was an opportunity not to be missed, because as I always say, there’s no point in coming to Singapore from Europe and only staying in Singapore when there are so many other countries to visit close by.
We opted to travel by private car, which I arranged here. However, there’s also the option of taking a bus from Singapore to Malacca, for example with Luxury coach. Apparently, the bus is quite comfortable, but the downside is that you have to get off the bus at the Singapore-Malaysia border for immigration checks, which can take some time due to the queues (and the same goes for the return to Singapore). Try to avoid the border into Malaysia on Saturday mornings, and the return to Singapore on Sundays. From what I’ve heard, this return trip can be VERYYYYY long, about 8 hours in total by bus.
Having heard these stories of long waits at the border, I booked the trip to Malacca on a Sunday, and as we also added a visit to Kuala Lumpur after Malacca, we flew back to Singapore on AirAsia.
All our arrangements with the private car company were made via WhatsApp, and our driver arrived promptly at the scheduled time. The journey took about three and a half hours, and crossing the border by car was indeed hassle-free. The queue at the immigration control was not very long, and we only needed to show our passports, which were quickly returned to us without having to exit the car. For more details on entry requirements, healthcare, etc. check the Before traveling to Malaysia post.
Tips for withdrawing money in Malacca
In Malacca, and later in Kuala Lumpur, we were able to pay for many things by card, but for smaller expenses and in the markets, it’s always best to have some cash on hand, so we withdrew the local currency, the Ringgit, from an ATM. The first time we tried to withdraw money, we were a bit far from the historic centre, in a desert shopping centre , and not only did the ATM take longer than usual, it also started making strange noises, so we immediately cancelled the operation. Sometimes you hear stories that cards can be copied inside the ATM itself, so you should always be careful.
I recommend that if you decide to withdraw money, you do so in a more central location. For example, you can use the ATM inside a 7-Eleven store in the main streets of Malacca’s old town, Jalan Hang Jebat. Since banks usually charge a fee for each withdrawal, it’s better to estimate how much you’ll need and try to withdraw money just once, if possible.
Check also the post Hotel in Malacca / Melaka for suggestions on where to stay in Malacca, and you can find here all the posts about our stay in Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur.
