Malaysian spices - Melaka

When Penang was known only for its oysters and Singapore was just a fishing village, MELAKA had already achieved worldwide fame. Under the auspices of the Melaka Sultanate, founded in the early fifteenth century, political and cultural life flourished, helping to define what it means to be Malay.

The town grew rich by trading spices from the Moluccas in the Indonesian archipelago and textiles from Gujarat in northwest India. A levy on all imported goods made it one of the wealthiest kingdoms in the world and it gradually expanded its territory to include Singapore and most of east-coast Sumatra. Yet, beginning in 1511, a series of takeovers and botched administrations by the Portuguese, Dutch and British, caused the subjugation of the Malay people; Melaka's modern-day authorities are still working towards reversing the city's decline.

Most people arrive by the daily ferry from Dumai in Sumatra, which docks at Shah Bandar jetty on Jalan Merdeka, close to the historical centre and the budget hostel area. There are two bus stations, both located on the northern outskirts of the city, off Jalan Hang Tuah. Buses from Singapore arrive at the local bus station . The chaotic express bus station is beyond the taxi station , a block to the south. From either, it's just a ten-minute walk over the bridge to the town centre. Batu Berendam Airport is 9km from the city centre (RM10 by taxi). There's no train station in Melaka itself, the nearest being at Tampin, 38km north; buses from Tampin drop you at the local bus station.

Sampling the spicy dishes of Nonya cuisine is a must in Melaka, with its emphasis on sour herbs like tamarind, tempered by creamy coconut milk

Melaka is famed for its antiques , and there are many specialist outlets along Jalan Hang Jebat and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock. If it's a genuine antique, check that it can be exported legally and fill in an official clearance form. Interesting places to browse on Jalan Hang Jabat include Abdu Co at no. 79 for china and glass, Wah Aik at no. 92, which sells silk shoes like the ones that used to be made to bind feet (RM75), and Dragon House at no. 65 for old coins and banknotes. For modern crafts and souvenirs, Tribal Arts Gallery at 10 Jl Hang Rebat specialises in Sarawakian crafts; and Orang Utan, 59 Lorong Hang Jebat, is the outlet for local artist Charles Cham's witty cartoon T-shirts and paintings. Estee Book Exchange, Taman Melaka Raya, has a good selection of English-language books , as does MPH in Mahkota Parade.

Melaka is famed for its antiques , and there are many specialist outlets along Jalan Hang Jebat and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock. If it's a genuine antique, check that it can be exported legally and fill in an official clearance form. Interesting places to browse on Jalan Hang Jabat include Abdu Co at no. 79 for china and glass, Wah Aik at no. 92, which sells silk shoes like the ones that used to be made to bind feet (RM75), and Dragon House at no. 65 for old coins and banknotes. For modern crafts and souvenirs, Tribal Arts Gallery at 10 Jl Hang Rebat specialises in Sarawakian crafts; and Orang Utan, 59 Lorong Hang Jebat, is the outlet for local artist Charles Cham's witty cartoon T-shirts and paintings. Estee Book Exchange, Taman Melaka Raya, has a good selection of English-language books , as does MPH in Mahkota Parade.

Legacies of all phases of Melaka's past remain in the city, constituting the main tourist sights. Of these, the most interesting are the ancestral homes of the Baba-Nonya community , a new racial mix also known as Peranakan that evolved from the sixteenth-century Chinese merchants who settled here and married Malay women. For a one-stop introduction to the city's history, watch the English-language Sound and Light Show on Padang Pahlawan