Melaka City, Malaysia - Eating Out Along the Melaka River

Several heritage buildings along the Melaka River have been converted into restaurants and cafes with outdoor options facing the river. It's a short walk from the old Dutch Quarter and once you reach the walkway along the river (behind the heritage buildings), you will see some tables and chairs. Foods and drinks here target the tourist crowd and therefore tend to be overpriced. Then again, you are paying for the view.

Walkway along the Melaka RIver

Cafe (centre right) along the Melaka River

Dining outdoors

Melaka City, Malaysia - Boat Cruise on the Melaka River

My first boat cruise on the Melaka River was in 1997. It was more like a cruise on the 'Melaka Sewer', the river was heavily polluted and littered with rubbish. It also had a smell of rotten fish and the boat passed by countless rundown buildings. The boat I rode was an old wooden fishing boat that had seen better days, looked like waiting to sink and worst there was no life jackets!

The Melaka River today is cleaner and the areas along the banks have been restored and rejuvenated. The fiber glass boats are safer and passengers provided with life jackets. The cruise lasts 45 minutes passing historic buildings, old warehouses, mangrove swamps (monitor lizards are often spotted here), overhead bridges and a Malay village.

Melaka River by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen

The cruise boat

Old buildings along the Melaka River

Melaka City, Malaysia - The Melaka River

The Melaka River passes through the historic quarter of Melaka's city centre. Centuries ago, it was a busy and strategic trading port in Southeast Asia. The river's mouth silted over the centuries and eventually loss its importance as a port. Fast forward into the 20th century, the river leading to the mouth of Melaka River turned heavily polluted. I remember the river was filled with rubbish (when I visited the place in the 90s) and was more like the 'Melaka Sewer' with ts pongy smell.

Things changed at the turn of the century. The river has been cleaned-up and the pong gone, though the river is still considered polluted. The river banks have been spruced and the dirty old building along the river have been painted white. There are now sidewalks along both sides of the river and if you explore the area, you can find a few small cafes and restaurants. I should have taken photos of the 'Melaka Sewer' when I was there in the 90s and compare it with today.

The Melaka River

Sidewalk along the Melaka River

Cruise boat on the river