One of the common activities for tourists visiting Dutch Square is to hire a trishaw driver for a tour around the main tourist areas of the city. If you are feeling overwhelmed by Melaka’s steamy weather or you are tight for time, I would recommend hiring one.  However, if you are up for a bit of a workout, most of Melaka’s top attractions can be easily seen over the course of a day or two by simply walking around. Either way, the trishaws are a colourful and unique addition to the streets of Melaka.

Literally minutes away from Dutch Square is famous Jonker Walk – the main artery of Melaka’s tourism industry. ‘Jonker’ is lined with shops, restaurants and it is famously known for its thriving weekend night market. I personally love the energy and the multicultural feel of this street. You will find tourists from all over the world checking out local art shops and traditional snacks on offer.  If you can visit Melaka during the weekend, I would recommend it. If you spend the night, this will provide you with an opportunity to see the night market.  It can get extremely busy, however, so keep this in mind or otherwise you might feel slightly claustrophobic (especially on a long weekend).

Two noteworthy sites to see right in the vicinity of Jonker Walk are Kampung Kling Mosque and Cheng Hoong Teng Temple. They are both located on Jalan Tukang Besi, which is the street that runs parallel to Jonker Walk. I often prefer to walk down Jalan Tikang Besi if I want to avoid the tourist crowds along Jonker Walk.  If I were you, I would allocate about 30 minutes to seeing both Kampung Kling Mosque and Cheng Hoong Teng Temple.  There are also a few interesting craft stores and cafes in the same area if you want to slow down and take a minute to get away from the sun for a while. This is also a great area to book your room in because it is extremely close to the night market, but far more laid back and quieter than Jonker Walk.

Once you have rested up, one affordable activity that I would highly recommend doing while in Melaka is going on a Melaka River Cruise.  The Melaka River is so conveniently located that it actually passes under Jonker walk and runs adjacent to Dutch Square. It’s quite rare in South East Asia to find a river running through such a scenic city, so take advantage of the opportunity. It’s no Venice or Amsterdam by any means, but the Melaka river cruise is still a fun thing to do!

During my first visit to Melaka, I felt like I needed to get a different perspective of the heritage area. To do so, I walked by Dutch Square along the River to Menara Taming Sari.  If you are unfamiliar, Menara Taming Sari is sort of like a Melaka’s version of a sky tower. It differs from most sky towers because you travel up the tower in a rotating elevator that serves a dual role as a viewing platform.

Once at the top, you will get stunning views of Melaka’s historic area and other regions of the city proper. Some of the noteworthy landmarks you will be able to clearly see from the top include Melaka River, the Flor del la Mar (a recreation of the 16^th century ship), and St. Paul’s Hill.  I would recommend placing a trip up Menara Taming Sari as one of the first “to do’s” in your Melaka itinerary. The justification for this is that once you get an idea of where the main sites are located in the city, it will make the rest of your navigation around the city that much easier.