Malacca with Kids: 2D/1N

What comes to mind when i think of Malacca? Historical sites + the sweltering heat.

Growing up, we've made numerous trips to Malacca but the recent trip with our children brought us to see Malacca in a different light. 

I've always liked the idea of staying in quintessential boutique hotels. More often catered for couples/solo/small group travellers, i've not come across one that is fitting for families with young children.  So, imagine finding one in the heart of the heritage row which not only met our expectations but also accessible for the kids.

Welcome to Aava Malacca Hotel. This 15 room boutique hotel is housed within 3 connecting heritage buildings that were extensively refurbished to give it a modern Peranakan feel yet maintaining the heritage structure and façade of the buildings.

The place oozed a wonderful marriage of the old & new. 

We had the privilege to stay in the Advantage Suite. 
Note: this is not a sponsored post. just sharing treasures as we come across them

Lest you be intimidated by the price tag of a night's stay, don't be, because their rates are quite affordable. The luxurious comfortable sheets & the spacious bathroom were so inviting. I like the fact that the property had little nook & corners here & there, which were nice for photos.

Breakfast in the quaint stairwell dining area was made out of a modest spread of warm croissant, toast, sausages, chicken ham, pancakes, cereals. Good enough to fill our early morning tummies before we hit the streets for another round of local fare & sightseeing. 

In my opinion, our stay at Aava Malacca was a major factor which contributed to making our trip such a memorable one.

Within the property, nestles a small swimming pool which offers guests a clear view of the malaccan river. Suffice for our happy children, waiting to splash away at any opportunity they can.

Unlimited access to old-school snacks at the lobby, much to the delight of the cheeky gal

If i had a say, what i felt could have made the property even more stellar would be to:

i. Feature & house local artisans' wares. 

Was on the lookout for handpainted peranakan tiles or any original handmade wares to take home as souvenirs. Sadly, most of what we came across was a bombardment of the typical standard magnets/keychains of sort at Jonkers
plus,

ii. Snippets of history behind the structure/house/former owners before the hotel came to be would have been nice for guests to fondly remember the place by.

Location of the property was superb as the backdoor opens right out to a section of the malaccan river. We enjoyed a lazy after-dinner night stroll, & the following day; a slow paced morning walk. The row where the property is located is home to many beautiful murals. No need for driving out/hassle of looking for parking to the places we wanted to visit!

It was also just a walk away from discovering hidden gems like the Sin Hiap Hin liquor store from pre-war days. 

Hubby accidentally stumbled upon a small backlane kedai which he ecstatically bought a parang for a steal. No need for bargaining.

Shop selling livestocks eg pigeons, rooster, white mice.

 Amidst these old & weathered shops were hipster cafes waiting to be found. We stopped by this cafe to take a respite from the scorching heat. Notice their signboard below. I like that it didn't had any fancy upmarket name!

The waffles with bacon & caramelized bananas & syrup was a winner 

The steep staircase which only fits one person at a time, leads to the upper floor

Lunch at the much talked-about Baboon House known for its juicy burgers & sumptuous salad. No food or interior photos to show, unfortunately, it was a no-photo zone cafe upon stepping into the premise.

our squinty eyes.. it was that hot!

Our dinner highlight was far from posh but something me & hubby were looking forward too - squatting in little stools, enjoying an abundance of siham (cockles), tauhu bakar, sotong kangkong, century eggs' accompanied by their tangy sauce concoction; in the backlane of Jln Bunga Raya.

 

The kids were learning to slowly adapt to this sort of dining-style. ha! They stuck back to familiar food eg fried kueyteow which i bungkus from the nearby makeshift stall. We still encouraged them to be adventurous in trying new food, which they later did!

Below is a quick highlight of the places we visited (besides Jonker Street)

1. Submarine museum @ Dataran 1Msia Klebang

Would have scored better if the tour was interactive but still, nice that we got to see up close; the submarine & fighter jets.

crammed space - not for claustrophobics

2. Made a pitstop to try the Klebang Famous Coconut shake. Super refreshing to counter Malaccan weather. No photo cos it was gulped down in minutes.

3. Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum 
Educational walk-through for kids.

We opted for a self-guided tour at RM50 for our family of 4. It helped that the kids recently watched a few episodes of Nyonya Singsei on tv & it was quite fun to see them identifying some of the antique pieces they saw.

In my opinion, the best trips are those without fixed itinerary.. going a little off-the-beaten-track. Not knowing what to expect. Venturing out with an open mind, trying new things & then, discovering little bits of history & surprises in every corner. That sense of wonderment. That's what we hope to experience in all our humble travels.