Almost Time

So, all we were waiting for was for the boys to wake up this morning. Most of the packing had been done except for the tit bits we bought yesterday from Jonker Street. We would just dump those onto the boot of the van I thought.

We would probably set off after lunch. We scrapped the plan to go via Ayer Keroh since my Dad-in-law wasn't very well. He had been nursing a cough since the beginning of the trip. We would likely be driving straight to KL from here.

The boys had another day to go before their school opened on Tuesday. I would still be on leave until Wednesday. Maybe do a bit of shopping tomorrow. We still need to get them their school bags.

I still got some stuff to do at the apartment when I get back. Busy day tomorrow I think.

More on the Melaka trip here.

Equatorial Melaka

Back during the time my parents visited me in Melaka once a month when I studied at MRSM Terendak back in the late 80s, the only premier hotel in town was the Ramada. Melaka was still a small town back then, and on this trip, I would spend the weekend with my parents in town while preparing for my SPM.

The cafe by the front deskIt was a neat hotel back then. I last states at Ramada three years ago when I have a lecture here, and the place was in need if a serious facelift. The location was also away from the main shopping district and the attractions.

The same can't be said about Equatorial Melaka. I believe the hotel must have been built in the early 90's judging by the architecture. Located smack in the of town, within walking distant to A Famosa and Jonker Street, right across a major shopping complex certainly made the decision to stay here an easy one.

The pool on the fourth floorLooking upAnd the facilities here were pretty decent too. Reasonably priced as well. The only drawback was the constructions going on right across the hotel. They were still at it at godly hours.

Food was good, and service was great. All the service staffs were locals. Even the cleaning staffs were Malays as well. Very courteous and the porters spoke very decent English.

They had a few eating outlets at the hotel itself. I mentioned about the Peranakan restaurant Seri Nyonya before. They had a 24 hour bistro for dining as well as an outdoor bar cum cafe located at the street level, also opened 24 hours. There was also a bar by the pool and a pub at the main lobby. Another cafe at the sitting area.

Since we had Club facilities, we can walk in for snacks and drinks on the top floor lounge up to 11 pm. It also served continental breakfast if you wanted to avoid the crowd at the main cafe.

The room we stayed was a suite, with a separate living area and dining. The room had a large king's bed and another bed by the alcove - where Idlan slept at. They had fast Internet for free although it was rather sluggish to set up. We used the LTE signal instead and turned my Nexus 7 into a hotspot.

Room service had good selection and the service was very fast. It was also available 24 hours. Last night we had a couple of inroom masseur coming over. Anita had a full body work while I had reflexology massage. They were from Mainland China and they knew what they were doing. My foot were still aching this morning. It was Anita's treat. The only Malay words they mastered were "sakit". They certainly knew how to deliver that!

Shopping was also simple as the hotel could arrange for beca to pick us up. I just walked across the road to shop. There was a McDonald's and 7-Eleven just across the street.

Afternoon snack at the ClubAnd the boys enjoyed it even moreThe only drawback in Melaka was the one-way traffic system. I couldn't be bothered to drive and quite rightly some area should be totally free of cars. That would encourage people to use either the public transport or just walk. There was plenty to see in town.

I would definitely be returning to the hotel in the future, due to its location, service and comfortable room. Shame that we couldn't sample the pool on this visit. The weather had not been too kind.

For entries during this trip, click here.

Muara Sungai Duyung

The original plan was to go to Alai for dinner. They have the more famous ikan bakar restaurants in Melaka up there.

We booked transport for 6 in the evening and just before we set off, we asked the driver where he reckon we should go. He gave us a few choices and by the end of the discussion, we decided for Muara Sungai Duyung.

The queue built up the moment we were done with our orders. Lucky!Proper fresh fish on offer. You just pick the ones you wanted, they would weigh it and you then tell them how you wanted it cooked. Easy!And the otak-otak? That was something else!I thought I had been here once before, many moons back. The place had changed although there were still only one restaurant there. We arrived just after 6.30 but the place was already getting full. It was Saturday night after all.

The fish and crabs there were certainly fresh. The otak-otak was exquisite. We ordered a lot, finished them all. It was that good.

Anita had terubuk all to herself. I had siakap and stingray. No complains. The only drawback was the rice was overcooked of all things.

These tasted so sweet ....We took home some coconut jelly of course ....And it won't be complete without cencalok!Muara Sungai Duyung was located about 8km from City Center. But getting there might be tricky if you were not used to the route. We had a van taking us there, arranged by the hotel.

More stories from this trip here.

Jonker with Anita

We tucked the boys at their Grandparents' room and had a quick escape to Jonker Street after lunch. Hopped onto a beca and within seconds literally, the heaven opened without mercy. Anita was soaked by the time the covers were up.

We were dropped near the entrance of Jonker Street and I quickly bought an umbrella. So, off we went.

It didn't take long before we got our hands full with all the shopping. Things were so much cheaper here compared to KL. We got tit bits for Irfan's party pack, and some lighting for the apartment.

Welcoming bistro, but it was raining and we were in a bit of a rushTaking shelter while it poured down ...Colourful!We couldn't hang around for too long though since the boys were at the hotel and we had plans for dinner. Anita was convinced to return to shop here in the future as we only managed only a single street and we haven't sampled any of the cafe yet.

Some excuse to return...

More entries from this Melaka trip here.

Flora de la Mar

It threathened to rain when we reached the next stop. It was a replica ship at a dry dock. An old Portuguese vessel, four stories high.

And in the gut of the ship was a museum, the Flora de la Mar Maritime Museum. Some really nice items inside and you could rent an audio device which gave you commentary on the items on show.

Many tales, many stories ...And using a headphone and an mp3 player, you can listen to the backstoriesAnd Irfan listened to all the chaptersAnd he would ask us if he didn't understandGood thing it was raining when we were inside and shelteredIt was still cloudy, but at least it wasn't raining anymoreBy the time we reached the second floor, it poured outside. And that gave us ample time to look things through, much to the delight of the boys. They enjoyed it. Just make sure that you hire the audio units, as it would interest the children to explore. I paid an extra buck for the units.

More stories from the Melaka trip here.