This time my kids discovered the joys of palm sugar infused cendol and were more than happy to do cendol breaks at anytime of the day!

We stayed at the new DoubleTree by Hilton Melaka and truly appreciated the peaceful location, the rooftop swimming pool and the kids’ club. A list of all our favourite Melaka hotels coming soon!

Things to do in Melaka with kids

Jonker Street
The place to to be in Melaka! Read a dad’s humorous take on Jonker Street which will also lead you straight to some of the historical ruins of Melaka, including St Paul’s Cathedral, A Famosa and  Stadhuys.

Jonker is absolutely buzzing on weekends with the Jonker night market. Best to go early, we didn’t quite enjoy it with the heaving crowds.

Kampung Morten Cultural & Heritage Guided Walk
If you are a bit of history buff, it is worth doing the free walks through some of the historical quarters. Tours last an hour and a half. We felt that our kids were a bit too small for a group tour so passed on this but friends who have gone enjoyed it. The tours are organised by Sahabat Muzium Melaka, and we understand that there are limited numbers so it is necessary to pre-book. We could not find a website but this is the contact we found:

Sahabat Muzium Melaka (Friends of Melaka Museums)
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +6063333333 ext. 3700 / +606-2814226

River cruise
The river cruise is a languid ride through the city, and especially great for younger kids. It’s a nice way to end the day before dinner with tired legs. The colourful houses of Kampung Morten are just the thing that adds to Melaka’s quirkiness. The cruise starts at Muara Jetty, close to the Maritime Museum. You can buy tickets at the jetty. There are a few kiosks selling tickets as well. The ride lasts about 40 minutes, please insist on life-jackets – they are not offered unless you ask.

Trishaw ride
Save those poor little feet a few miles and hire one of the loud and bright trishaws to take you around the main sights.

Masjid Kapitan Keling
Part of the historical enclave, it’s worth a trek if you are nearby, I think. My kids yawned their way here. ‘Sounds as bad as a museum’, they say.There is also a church and temple nearby. 

Upside down house
To be honest, I find upside down house to be complete pointless but my children think they are hilarious and love the experience. On the weekend that we went, it looked like many children thought this way too because it was so full of families laughing away! Details here.

More things to do in Melaka with kids

We haven’t tried out all the things on the list but it’s good to have the research handy for the next trip! Leave a comment if you can recommend an activity or a place to visit in Melaka!

Museums

• Stadhuys is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Melaka. Inside you can find etnographic ehhibits about history of Melaka. More info here.
• Maritime Museum can’t be missed this – it is a replica of a Protuguese big ship from the olden days. Details here.
• Baba & Nyonya Heritage museum offers a self-guided tour for families. More info here.
• Submarine museum is an actual, decommissioned submarine. It also houses two fighter jets! According to the reviews the cramped space and wax figurines can be a bit scary for the sensitive kids. More info here.
• Cheng Ho Cultural Museum(郑和文化馆) exhibits the life of Zheng He and his world voyage in his fleets. Website.
• Kite Museum located at the People’s Museum, that houses a few other curious exhibitions. Read reviews here.

Sightseeing with kids

• Taming Sari Tower (Menara Taming Sari) offers a panoramic view over the city from a height of 80 metres. The duration of the ride is 7 minutes.Check out their website for more activities available. The newest one is Comos Electric Car, that can be rented for RM20 for 15 minutes.
• Melaka Duck Tour kiosk is located at Menara Taming Sari on Bandar Hilir. Website here.
• Panaroma Melaka operates city tours with a double decker London bus with affordable ticket prices. More info here.
• The Shore is a new high rise building with a viewing deck with a glass floor (read more here). It also houses a toy museum and a 3D exhibition. Full details here.
• Mamee Jonker House is a tiny exhibition dedicated to the snack all kids seem to love, with two hands-on experiments. Facebook.
• Melaka Alive offers a pirate experience for kids inside a real ship. More info here.
• Malacca Botanical Gardens(Taman Botanikal Melaka) located at Lebuh Ayer Keroh. More info here.

Extreme experiences in Melaka

• Skytrex  Ayer Keroh is run by the same franchisor at Shah Alam.  It’s in Ayer Keroh, so about a half hour drive.  On our list the next time we are there! Details here.
• Indoor go-karting and paintball are now possible at AK Extreme Go Kart and Paintball in the heart of town at Menara Hang Tuah. Don’t worry about the word ‘extreme’.  It is run by a very friendly family and the dad really helped both my first time go-karters get the hang of their machines.

Bowling

• Melaka International Bowling Centre(MIBC) located at Jalan Hang Tuah Jaya, Ayer Keroh, Melaka has 52 lanes. More info here.
• Ampang Superbowl located at Mahkota Parade has 40 lanes. Details here.
• Stars Archery at Mahkota Parade. Website.

Watersports

• Gold Coast Malacca International Resort located at Bukit Kati has a small water theme park. Website.
• Boat Explorer offers various activities like river cruises, island hopping and kayaking near their restaurant, Seafarer. More info here.
• Melaka Wonderland water theme park in Ayer Keroh. Check the website here.

Bike tours

• Melaka Bike Share has many locations to grab a bike, payment through a mobile app. 12 hours rental costs RM10. Website here.
• MelakaOn Bike. Website.

Indoor playgrounds

• Jumpers Land at the Elements mall is a brand new, huge indoor playground with trampolines and all! Contact details here.
• Kodomo Playground at Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall, Jalan Merdeka, Bandar Hilir, Melaka. Open daily from 10am to 10pm. More info here.
• Melaka Thousand Tales of Adventures promises to be a kid-friendly escape-room type of an adventure. You join Sinbad on a 7D interactive adventure as he sails through the Seven Seas. Facebook.

Arts & Crafts

• Golden Egg Craft on Jalan Melaka Raya is an art and craft supply store that also offers workshops and demos. Click here for more info.
• G.M. Choo art gallery on Jalan Tokong has art exhibitions and batik painting classes. Details here.
• Common Waves board game café. Facebook.

Animals

• Malacca Butterfly & Reptile Sanctuary on Lebuh Ayer Keroh is open daily from 8:30am to 5:30pm. More info here.
• Melaka Zoo & Night Safari in Ayer Keroh. Day zoo 9am to 6pm & Night Safari from 8pm to 11pm. Website here.
• Shore Oceanarium in Kampung Dua is open daily from 10:30am to 9pm. Website here.

Science & Technology

• Magic Art 3D Museum at Bayou Square,Bukit Katil. More info here.
• Melaka Planetarium Adveture Science Centre (MPASC) in Ayer Keroh. According to Tripadvisor reviews in need of a bit of refurbishment.

Cooking schools

• Nancy’s Kitchen teaches Nyonya cooking. More info here.
• Food Tourism House homestay offers classes in Malaysian Cuisine and dishes from Middle East, check out the site for details here.

Also check out our complete list of things to do in Kuala Lumpur and list of things to do in Penang. If you live in KL, join our Facebook group for more tips from other parents on all aspects of family life in KL!

The post Things to do in Melaka with Kids appeared first on Happy Go KL.