Star Cruises, the cruise line in Asia-Pacific, is inviting travelers to explore Malacca, the historical state of Malaysia, rich in heritage buildings, ancient landmarks, multi-culture and colonial architecture with SuperStar Virgo.
HONG KONG / SINGAPORE – Hailed as “Venice of the East”, the historic centre of Malacca has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008. It was the location where colonial forces first made contact with Malaysia, eventually shaping the state into its current unique communities and culture heritage today.
Guests onboard SuperStar Virgo on the 3D2N Malacca cruise departing from Singapore will have the options to join shore excursions to visit a number of Malacca attractions.
Heritage exploration
To explore cultural and heritage sites, guests may visit Porta de Santiago, one of the four main gates of the A Famosa fortress and among the oldest European architectural wonders in Asia; The Stadthuys, a piece of artistry built circa 1650; St Paul’s Church, known as “Our Lady of the Hill” and built by the Portuguese in 1521 and Hang Li Po’s Well, built in 1459 under the royal command of Sultan Mansor Shah for his wife, the Chinese princess Hang Li Po. The well is believed to be the only source of water supply during great droughts in days of old while today it draws visitors to it as a wishing well.
Cultural marvels
Guests can also enjoy the beautiful sceneries of Malacca in trishaw ride; get close to the wilds at A Famosa Resort Animal World Safari; learn about local history and lifestyle by visiting Baba Nyonya Heritage Museum and Cheng Ho Cultural Museum; understand the typical lifestyle of a rich Malaysian family in the early 20th century with visit to Malacca Malay house; check out the first and only walk-through exhibits of 300 years of heritage and history; shop for famous bird nest products at Jonker Bird House or get to know more rubber tree and palm oil plantations and see how sheet rubber is processed and fresh fruit bunches are harvested from oil palms.
Local cuisines and shopping
On top of all these, guests can also enjoy popular Malacca’s Peranakan cuisine and many others local delicacies. They can go food-shopping at Jonker Street, once renowned for its antique shops, but has now turned into a street of restaurants with clothing and crafts outlets. They can also learn to cook like locals in Nyonya Cuisine Cooking Class, a special class created by Hotel Equatorial for Star Cruises guests and the hotel’s own guests. Other shopping spots include Dataran Pahlawan, an one- stop shopping mall built within actual historical sites and Tan Kim Hock, a local product centre where passengers can purchase an array of local cookies and candies as well as popular products such as belacan, curry powder and cincalok.
For golfers, they can swing their putter at 18-hole Tiara Melaka Golf and Country Club, surrounded by the serene tropical forest.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
