This resort on the island of Batam, Indonesia has been much raved about lately so naturally I had to give this a go as well. Developed by Singaporeans, Montigo Resorts is a mere 1h ferry ride from Singapore. Reservations for this resort can be done on MisaTravels for e.g. My friends and I got a great deal for 3D2N (breakfast included), ferry transfer and a sea view 2 bedroom villa for S$290/pax. Honestly speaking, whether you get a seaview or hillview villa, there is NO difference. There is no real sea view to speak of.


Hill view villas on the left and sea view villas on the right

Depending on which ferry terminal you arrive at on Batam, the transfer to the hotel will take approx 45mins by taxi. Do check upfront for the cost of the taxi ride with your driver. Check-in is swift and a buggy will take you to your villa (you have to call for buggy to take you everywhere). The resort is very self-sufficient with 2 restaurants and a bar (expect Singapore prices). TADD's serves international American breakfast daily, PANTAI their seafood restaurant serves fresh and pretty affordable dinners, TIIGO is the adults only bar and if you prefer a more private setting, in-room BBQ can be arranged for $50/pax.



If venturing out of the resort, there is a once a day shuttle bus at 10am to Nagoya Hill Shopping Centre. The return pick up is at 4pm at Nagoya. Montigo has an in-house spa which I did not try as Nagoya Hill has many massage joints. With an infinity pool per villa, there is no real reason to leave the resort either :)


The spacious living room (doesn't look like much but it's huge) and the disappointing seaview from the infinity pool


Master bedroom (looks small but it's not) and the guest bed room


Master bedroom bath tub (shower stalls on the left), guest bathroom and the night view when skies are clear

Playing host to an old high school friend who had migrated to Australia with her family eons ago, we did some activities which to me were quite normal, everyday-type affairs.. but to my friend were novelties and cravings-satisfiers.  It's true what they say - you only learn to appreciate things when you no longer have access to them.

First up on her list of cravings - sweet popcorn at the movies.  Now this is definitely something we take for granted.  Whilst us spoilt Singaporeans get a choice of sweet or salted popcorn (or even mixed if you liked!) at the cinema, some other countries, like Australia, only serve salted popcorn.  I've been informed that you can pay a premium for a caramelized version, but those are supposedly tooooo sweet.  Yup, our sweet popcorn is not too sweet, not too tasteless.. it's juuuuuuust nice. ;)  Come to think of it, I think it's the same situation in the U.S.. only salted popcorn available.  Sweet popcorn in hand, we caught Pacific Rim at GV VivoCity since we planned to go into Sentosa later.  It was somewhat enjoyable, but I couldn't help but wonder.. With all that technology powering the Jaegers, couldn't they have added some jetpacks to enable them to fly?  Kinda sad that they have to be air-dropped by helicopters.  I mean, even the Kaijus evolved to be able to fly...

Post-movie, we headed in to Sentosa with the aim of going for a short bike ride.  From the Sentosa Express' Beach Station, we took a short walk to the GoGreen bicycle kiosk (currently located past the beach eateries at this point of writing, but we were informed it would be merging with the GoGreen Segway kiosk just beside the Beach Station next month, so cyclists need no longer take that long walk back to the station after returning your rides. Great idea!).  The staff at the kiosk were really friendly and helpful, and having read up about the hybrid bicycles online, we decided to give those a whirl.  With the rental price being only $3 more than the normal bipedal bikes, of course you should spring for the one with a power boost, unless you're a purist and want to workout those guns.

Tanjong Beach, Sentosa

Never having ridden a hybrid bike before, this experience was a really fun one.  Not to be mistaken that the bike is going to do all the work for you - you still have to pedal before the bike motor gives you the extra boost.  The harder you pedal, the bigger the boost.  No pedal = no move / no boost.  Seriously, you guys have gotta give it a try!  With the extra help, you can easily zip up and down the beach line comfortably in an hour.  Our route was: Kiosk > Palawan Beach > Tanjong Beach > Palawan Beach > Siloso Beach > Kiosk.

Yay to Hybrid Bicycles!

Dinner was a sumptuous seafood feast at House of Seafood, Yio Chu Kang branch.  Do make a reservation before hand to avoid disappointment.  Must-haves: Salted Egg Crab, Fried Mantou, Steamed Bamboo Clam with Minced Garlic.  Cleanse your palate with a pot of Chinese or Chrysanthemum Tea to share.  We had 2 crabs, 6 mantou, 3 clams, a small sliced-fish dish - spent about SGD$80 per pax.  Compared to more mainstream seafood chains, I think this was pretty solid for what had to eat.  Good serving portions as well.  Left the restaurant VERY STUFFED. ;)

Salted Egg Crab

The next day, we met up with another high school friend to have breakfast at a hawker centre near our houses.  In the North-East area, I think the hawker at Kovan (nearest MRT: Kovan MRT on the North-East Line) houses a very large and decent variety of yummy hawker eats.  It's been donkey years since I've last woken up that early to have breakfast at a hawker, and I was pretty surprised at the long hello-kitty queues formed in front of several stalls already.  Singaporeans are really all about the food.  Breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, supper.. We eat 24/7, really.

On our table:  Mee-pok, chwee kueh, you-tiao (fried dough fritters), fried carrot cake, soya bean drink, kopi-o siew dai and teh.

Hawker food which I take for granted, my friend craved so badly.. Wonder if I'll crave these too if I'm ever away from SG for an extended period of time.  I think I survived 1 month+ in the U.S. without craving local food.. not sure how I'd fare longer than that.  I think I'm not too big on local eats and can satiate my hunger well with other stuff.. but then again, we'll never know till we get there, will we?

If you're looking for a quiet getaway for the weekend or travelling from the other side of the globe and looking for a quiet spot to relax by the beach, Lone Pine Hotel in Penang is the perfect place.

Refurbished from an old colonial building, this hotel is quieter as compared to its neighboring Golden Sands Shangri-La and Rasa Sayang Shangri-la Resort on the Batu Ferringhi stretch. Prices for rooms range from S$190 up but the room is big and beds are very comfortable. Reservations usually include breakfast (varied selection) and the hotel may even offer you a 15% discount at their Japanese restaurant Matsu. Staff are friendly and the hotel comes equipped with a spa (competitive prices) and is right on the beach. You never really have to leave the hotel!


A little bit of paradise

Korean Music Wave comes back for a 2nd installment this year on 15 Jul 2011, 730pm at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The concert line-up includes Big Bang, 2NE1, FT Island, U-Kiss, Miss A, Dal★Shabet, Teen Top, The Boss, Touch and X-5! Concert duration is approximately 3h with Kevin (U-KISS) and Min (Miss A) hosting the show.

Ticket prices are as follows:
Standard - S$318, S$258, S$198, S$148, S$118. Free Standing in Pen A & Pen B - S$318
Add to above price $3 Booking Fee per ticket for tickets above $20 and charges include tax.

1. Getting the tickets

• Getting concert tickets in Singapore is a pretty straight forward process as there is only 1 ticketing agent; Sistic.
• Public ticket sales go on sale at least 1-2 months prior to the concert so do log in to the relevant Facebook or Twitter page for the start date of event sales.
• 3 methods to purchase tickets: call +65 6348 5555 or buy from authorized ticketing agents in Singapore or online at the website. The website is in English and you can either look for your event by the month or category.
• Locate event page and click on "Check Availability or Buy Tickets"
• Check the seating plan and decide on the category of seats you want, price of tickets will auto populate, input quantity and select your preferred seat location. Here you can either let the system pick for you or choose a section that you want.
• Click next and your assigned seat will be chosen. Click on the "View Detailed Seating" for a breakdown of where your seat will be. If unsatisfied, remove selected item from shopping cart and go back to the selection process.
• Select your delivery method and sign in to Sistic (you don't have to be a previous member).
• Following which you will be asked for your credit card details and verification.
• Ticket collection has to be done in person at the Sistic counter in front of the Indoor Stadium or at authorized ticketing agents. Photo identification and the credit card used have to be produced.
• You can also buy tickets at the venue on the day itself but there is no guarantee that you will be able to get one.

1 of the best side trips from Hanoi is to go to Halong Bay or Sapa. Halong Bay has been decreed as a UNESCO Heritage site so this was a no-brainer in terms of choosing between Halong Bay and Sapa. You have to book a tour for Halong Bay as all junks operating in the area belong to some tour group or junk company.

Simply put, the amount you are willing to pay for your trip to Halong Bay reflects the condition and type of service you will receive. For US$100, you may get a 1 storey junk and for US$140, a slightly better 2 storey junk with meals included. There are many tour agencies organizing trips to Halong Bay and you can walk around the Old Quarters looking for the best bargain or simply arrange for the trip with your hotel concierge (and with a better peace of mind knowing the junk probably won't sink). We decided to take the Dragon Pearl 2Day 1Night tour with Indochina Junks for US$140 all meals and activities included.

Indochina Junk has Hanoi's finest luxury cruises and we were to board the Dragon Pearl I on arrival at Indochina Junk's jetty. The Dragon Pearl I was launched on June 2010 and the Dragon Pearls are modelled on the traditional Chinese junks that used to sail the Halong waters.

=======
A typical itinerary will be as follows:-

Day 1: Hon Gai Harbour - Bai Tu Long Bay - Thien Canh Son Cave

07.45 Pick up at your hotel in Hanoi by shuttle bus.
12.00 Embark at Hon Gai International harbour.
13.00 Check-in, enjoy a welcoming drink and cruise briefing.
13.30 Have lunch while cruising in the magnificent Bai Tu Long Bay, admiring the fascinating rock formations in the bay.
15.00 Enjoy swimming in the crystal clear water.
15.40 Explore the secluded Thien Canh Son Cave.
16.45 Short cruise to Hon Co Island where you can relax on a white sandy beach, swim or kayak.
18.00 Back to the junk for relaxation.
19.00 Have dinner and stay overnight on board.

Day 2: Vung Vieng Fishing Village - Hon Gai Harbour

07.30 Enjoy the bay’s morning landscape with a cup of tea or coffee. Have breakfast in the open air.
08.30 Visit Vung Vieng fishing village in a rustic rowing-boat, meet the local people and pass through the floating school and fish farms.
09.30 More leisure time for swimming in the middle of the bay.
10.00 Cruise back to the harbour while an a la carte lunch is served.
11.45 Disembark. Farewell.
15.45 Arrive in Hanoi. End of trip.
=======

Pho 24


Many aspects of Beef and Chicken Pho

Good Morning Vietnam! This trip to Hanoi was completed with Tiger Airways from Singapore. Flight cost was S$338/pax and hotel was booked on Agoda for S$39/pax/night. As a side note. there are several "hidden" costs when flying with Tiger. Should you wish to sit in a specific seat, that will cost you an additional S$10-30. Early check-in aka BoardMeFirst will be S$6 (is there really a need to board first?) and convenience fees of S$28 are chargeable (I guess you need to pay to use the toilet on board and for them to roll out the stairs to the plane).

Hanoi is a mere 3h flight from Singapore and is 1h behind Singapore time. Upon arrival at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, you will be greeted by a decent immigration counter and do check if you should be checking out from Gate A or B on the screens provided. Your driver, should you have engaged one, will be waiting for you at the respective arrival gate. I'd arranged a driver from the hotel for US$18 (1-way) as the incidence of taxi touting in Hanoi is on a high. On average, the cab ride to your hotel should be US$10-16 for 40-50mins.

The cab ride to the Hanoi Elegance Diamond in the Old Quarters took 40min. At first glance, the Old Quarters seems like an old, derelict and smelly place. Do not be fooled by this first impression; there is much character and activity in this area. A word of advice: if you arrive early in the morning and intend to go to Halong Bay the next day, do book your trip as early as possible and buy tickets to the Water Puppet Show as they sell out early.


Map of The Old Quarters courtesy of Hanoi Elegance Diamond. Click to Enlarge.

The Art Science Museum is located within the vicinity of Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore. The museum is designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie and features 21 gallery spaces totaling 50,000 sq ft of exhibition area. This equates to 4 levels of exhibition space with level 2 out of bounds to visitors. The museum plays hosts to exhibitions curated by leading museums and collections.


Marina Bay Sands Hotel and the Art Science Museum

Getting to the Art Science Museum
Conveniently located in the central district and within walking distance from the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, the museum is also accessible from the Promenade MRT on the Circle Line (10mins walk) or the City Hall MRT on the North-South Line (15mins walk). You can also take the bus, cab or drive here.

At the time of writing, there are 3 ongoing exhibits at the museum; Dalí: Mind of a Genius – The Exhibition 14 May - 30 October 2011, Van Gogh Alive - The Exhibition 16 April - 6 November 2011 and Shipwrecked: Tang Treasures and Monsoon Winds 19 February - 31 July 2011. Tickets are priced at S$30 per adult and gives you access to all exhibits in the museum. Tickets can be purchased on Sistic or at the museum box office. Do keep your ticket with you throughout your time in the museum as you will need the ticket to exit.

It's hot out, you want some sun but with an ambient setting. Look no further than the beach bars on Sentosa, Singapore.

Sentosa now has many beach-front dining venues which include Coastes, the Bikini Bar, Café del Mar, Azzura Beach Club and Tanjong Beach Club (of which Cafe del Mar, Azzura and Tanjong Beach Club have pools). Wave House Sentosa is also where you can go for some surfing fun.

Getting into Sentosa

• Monorail - entry is at the 3rd level of VivoCity and per trip ticket will cost $3 for an adult. It tends to get crowded on weekends so expect to wait up to 45mins. Monorail will take you in to Resort World Singapore and the Beach Station
• Bus - buses can be found all around VivoCity so do check which bus you can take on the Internet. Per ride should set you back $1.50-$2
• Car/taxi - Entry per car is $7 and taxi should be slightly cheaper

Dining
Café del Mar
Food: Crowned as 1 of 2010's Best Restaurants, the quality of food here is equivalent to the price you're paying for.


Chicken Aglio Olio and Fettucine Champignon @ Café del Mar, Sentosa

Just a mere 1.5hr from Singapore, Phuket is good for a quick beach getaway if you can put up with the masses at some of the more popular beaches. Visitors arrive at Phuket Airport in shorts, t-shirts and little sundresses. Of course, there are the more sophisticated travellers who arrive in style; with little safari-themed outfits. Most budget airlines fly to Phuket now and this return trip with Jet Star cost S$264.

Lodging and transport
If you did not arrange for hotel transfer from the airport, you can take a taxi from the taxi stand to the right of the airport exit. This organised taxi booth takes your hotel location and gives you the cab fare amount upfront to be paid to your driver. An hour cab ride to Karon Beach for eg. will set you back 500baht.

The Access Resorts & Villa, Karon Beach. has a maximum capacity per room of 3 persons and don't even try to fool them by rooming 4 (which we did and had to get a 2nd room. DON'T BE CHEAP). Per night here will set you back S$70+ but you get the pool right outside your balcony. It is a MUST to bring mosquito coil to Phuket (or buy them at the beach mart).

Karon Beach
Karon Beach is accessible from Access Resorts via the Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. This gorgeous 5* hotel is right along Karon Beach and has beautiful rooms (but costs an arm to stay here per night). However, to get from Karon Beach back to Access R&V, you'd have to cut through Mövenpick's beach front restaurant. Do not wander further along the beach thinking you can cut through any of the hotels. This is NOT possible as all hotels require access cards for entry or you'd be checked by their security.

Karon Beach is a long stretch of white sandy beach with deck chairs (100baht) and massage services being offered. Beach towels are not rented out so do bring the hotel pool towels.


Karon Beach and beach-fronting Movenpick hotel

Remnants of the green curry and pad thai room service


Thai style Maggi noodles with Tom Yum powder and fried cheese!

It's really easy for Singaporeans to fill out the address fields on international forms.  City: Singapore.  State: Singapore.  Country: Singapore.  Yup, like all things we love to make convenient in the forms of 2-in-1s or 3-in-1s, our little island is also a 3-in-1!  That said, you can imagine how much (or should it be how little) land we have.  Unless you count making a 1 hour-odd drive (2 hours or more if the roads are jammed) between each end of the island a road trip, there really isn't much of a road trip you could do within the country.

Thankfully, we have our much bigger neighbouring country up north, Malaysia, with lots of road-trip worthy land.  Over the years, it has become increasingly convenient and affordable to make short road-trips into Malaysia even if you don't have your own car.  For travel into the nearer states, the most popular mode of transportation would be coach buses. 

Here are some of the larger coach travel operators in Singapore:

Grassland Express & Tours Pte Ltd	Konsortium Express & Tours Pte Ltd	Luxury Tours & Travel	Aeroline

Booking your tickets:

• A return ticket costs about SGD50+ on average for a return journey booked from Singapore, prices will vary accordingly during peak/non-peak periods.
 
• Tickets can be booked online, or just make a visit to any of the tour agencies.  A good concentration of tour agencies may be found in these following locations:
  Pearl Centre / People's Park Complex / People's Park Centre / Golden Mile Tower / Golden Mile Complex
 
• It may be cheaper to book a 1 way ticket in Singapore then purchase a return ticket in Malaysia for the returning leg, as the tickets there will generally cost the same amount but in Ringgit, so it's literally half-price!  Of course, this is a riskier approach and you may get stranded should you not be able to secure a return ticket.  If you intend to travel over the weekend or during some Singapore or Malaysia public holiday, it is highly unadvisable to take this approach.  Purchase tickets separately only if you have a flexible travel schedule.
 
• The tour companies usually have several pick-up and drop-off points within Singapore and Malaysia.  Provide them with your lodging information and they will be able to advise a drop-off point nearest to your accommodation.
 
• "Relak one corner" - Depending on how generous/patient the tour executive is feeling that day, your coach may end up waiting for tardy/missing passengers.  On my return trip, we waited for well up to an hour for a tardy and unapologetic ajumma who blamed it on wrong information being passed down to her.

This weekend trip was mainly a relaxing one with some casual town exploration and lots of eating in mind.  I've heard that Malacca is like an olden Singapore in the '60s or '70s - rich in history and heritage, and so was quite intrigued to make a visit personally.  Whilst researching on the state, you may be puzzled by the presence of 2 different spellings, Malacca and Melaka.  The latter is actually the Malay spelling for the state.  Whichever name you choose to go by, it's not wrong.


Without further ado, let's take a little walk around town!


Lodging:  Hangout @ Jonker

Hangout @ Jonker - building
with the round glowing sign!

If you're heading into Malacca over the weekend, you'll want to stay somewhere near Jonker Street for easy access to the night market there which only operates on Friday and Saturday nights.  Apart from the night market, the whole stretch of Jonker Street is also lined with some of the best eats in town.  Although never having stayed there personally before, I knew of Hangout @ Mt Emily's existence in Singapore and it seemed to have a good reputation as a clean, fun and wallet-friendly backpacker's hotel.  So while there were several other options for hotels in Melaka, I decided to give Hangout @ Jonker a shot, and was not disappointed.  The hotel is safe, modern, clean, and there's wifi access in rooms as well as computers near the pantry area on the ground floor.  Best of all, it's located just a stone's throw away from the mouth of Jonker Street.  No problem going back to the hotel for a quick shower/nap in the middle of your day whenever you feel like it.  And given that the weather is similar to Singapore - hot & humid, it was REALLY GREAT to be able to cool off and rest up after a long walk before heading out again.

Local Eats:

A&W Fast Food Restaurant Being an '80s kid, going to the A&W house along Thomson Rd was part of my early childhood.  It was a major bummer when A&W disappeared from our sunny shores around the late '90s, so I can never resist a meal at A&W overseas when I come across one! Miss those curly fries and coney dogs!  Find an A&W outlet in Malaysia at their official website. Calanthe Art Cafe A very quaint cafe with the attraction being the 13 different states' coffee types on their menu.  A must go to satisfy the coffee connoisseur in you. ;)  Address: 11,Jalan Hang Kasturi. The famed Crumble - much toooo sweet, even for sweet-toothed me. Sak Ke Mah Surprisingly, not many of my peers know what this snack is.  I've had it since I was a toddler, and it's also another damn hard to find snack in Singapore today.  Even in Hong Kong, I could not find Sak Ke Mah (沙琪瑪) of the standard I remembered from my childhood.  BUT.. I found it here in Melaka - at the large pastry manufacturer, San Shu Gong (三叔公) right across the street from my hotel! San Shu Gong building Also a relatively new landmark in Jonker, the San Shu Gong building stands 4 storeys high, and the ground floor is filled with oodles of asian pastry delicacies at very reasonable prices.  A great place to stop by to pick up some snacks as souveniers.  Address: 33 Jonker Street Restoran Sup Lembu Tangkak (东甲牛腩面) What is this?  It's cow intestines soup noodles. :P  Unlike pig intestines which have a really unique texture and taste which I cannot bear, cow intestines are really clean and taste almost like normal meat, 'cept a bit more chewy.  The restaurant seemed pretty popular too.  Worth a stop if you're in the area.  Address: 37, Jalan Merdeka, Tmn Melaka Raya

Chop Chung Wah Hainanese Chicken Rice Malacca is famous for its authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls.    Right across the street from my hotel, I was able to beat the long queues for this Chicken Rice by heading over early.  The rice balls are about the size of a ping-pong ball and have a nice sticky consistency which I liked.  The chicken however, I found rather tough and stringy. What? I can't haz dark soy sauce?! :( Note: They do not serve you condiments other than the chilli sauce on the table.  Not being a fan of chilli sauce and liking the dark sweet soy sauce with my chicken rice, I asked for some, and got a very grumpy reply that they did not have any available, bleah. Retro interior Opens at about 9am if I remember correctly. Head there as early as you can if you want to beat the insane queues which start forming as early as 11am, especially on weekends.  Address: 18, Jalan Hang Jebat Jonker 88 Laksa Another famed eatery with long queues along Jonker Street.  Served up here are variations of Nonya Laksa, and a really rich chendol dessert.  Not for the health conscious!  Address: 88 Jonker Street (Jalan Hang Jebat) Teh-si goodness Stopped for afternoon tea at a random coffeeshop along Jonker Street.  It's really awesome to just sit down for a cup of coffee/tea and watch the world go by.  And you don't have to be in a snooty or atas coffee place to do it.

Photo credits: JacksonKoh If you're not at Capitol Satay by 5pm, you can expect to queue for at least an hour to get a seat.  Not being the kind to queue that long for food, we sussed out another Satay Celup place and found Restoran Ban Lee Siang.  It was also pretty packed when we arrived, and a snaking queue also started forming when we were about halfway into our meal.  After eating at the restaurant, we concluded that Satay Celup is definitely not for the hygiene freak. The pot of satay sauce is never changed between groups of customers.  I guess as long as people do not 'double dip' their half-eaten food into the sauce.. it's not soooo bad?  Also helps that the pot is always over a fire.  Heat kills a good percentage of germs, right?  Address: Jalan Ong Kim Wee Popiah uncle doing his thang! During the day, street vendors along Jonker Street are a common sight.  I'm always a sucker for street food when I'm travelling abroad, so if the stall looks relatively clean I'll take a whack at it.  Must eat local food to get a feel of the local life, mah! :) Yummy popiah! Ringo Bar 1 of the 2 most popular bars along Jonker Street, Ringo Bar has a live one-man band.  With his trusty guitar, he belts out mostly oldies which come in a variety of English, Mandarin and dialects.  Right across Ringo Bar is the Geographer Cafe. The 2 bars are friends, and their live bands take turns performing throughout the night.  Address: 11, Jalan Hang Lekir Foreground: Cheap beer Background: Young beer girls on duty During happy hour, beer is as cheap as 40RM for a bucket of 5 bottles.  C & I averaged 2 buckets a night. -__-"

What to do, what to see:

Night market in action

Wooden clogs, how retro.

Jonker Walk - Apart from the food, Jonker Street also has shops selling apparel, crafts and other knick-knacks.  The highlight would be the night market which has many stalls selling all sorts of stuff at wholesale prices, and flavourful street snacks.  Open on Fridays and Saturdays from about 6pm onwards, till about midnight.

Left:  A night market stall owner has all his stuff jammed into his car.  Really quite a sight to behold!  Wonder if he can even see his rear view mirror... Lol~

Right:  Wooden clogs, or cha kiak, for sale.  This was also a common form of footwear in Singapore in the '70s.  I loved stomping around in these to create a ruckus. ;)

Christ Church Melaka - An 18th century Dutch Colonial architecture, this church is the oldest functioning Protestant church in Malaysia.  The unique coral red paint on the building makes it a very prominent landmark in the town.  Also present are lots of gaudily decorated trishaws in the atrium area outside the church, something you won't typically see outside a church in other parts of the world!

Ruins of St Paul's Church - Another historical site left behind by the Portuguese, this church is no longer functional since the erection of the Christ Church Melaka.  For those who have never walked amongst historical ruins before, this is probably a good place to start.  Perhaps because I had just returned from Angkor Wat not too long ago, I wasn't that awed by the ruins here...  It's still always fascinating to see historical architecture though!

A'Famosa Fort Melaka - One of the oldest European (Portuguese) surviving architectures in Asia, the tiny gate house is the only part of the fortress still standing (and looks like it may well crumble to a pile of rubble in a few more decades).  The fort is heavily touristed during the cooler parts of the day, so if you want a clean shot of the fort, you'll have to brave the sun.  In the vicinity of the fort, there appears to be a museum of historical modes of transportation in an open park setting.  Quite interesting to see these up close as well.

Portuguese Village - Descriptions/photos of this place on the tourist map make it a whole lot nicer than it really is.  Unless you're intending to go for a seafood meal (which does not look cheap either), skip this place altogether.  It's quite a far walk from the town area (and this is assuming you know how to navigate there correctly the first time), and there really isn't much to see.  We set out in the morning, got a little lost, and finally found the 'village' about an hour or two later.  When we entered the 'village', it was a really 'WTF' feeling... Apart from the signboard screaming 'Welcome to Portuguese Settlement', it seemed like we walked into a huge empty carpark by a dirty beach, with an old school-like building at the side. O_o""""  Other than the couple of tatty wooden boats on the beach shore to entertain us shutterbugs for awhile, there wasn't anything else interesting in sight.  We weren't keen to shell out good money for whatever seafood cuisine there was either, so after taking a breather under the shade, we left the place hot, hungry, and feeling totally deceived~~~

Some other interesting sights spotted along my walks around the Jonker area and its vicinity:

Release the Kraken!

Spot the sleeping shopowner?

Singapore in the past, Melaka today!

Check out my Google Map of Melaka below!

View Melaka, Malaysia in a larger map