Melaka (Malaysia) Day 1: Malacca River + GravyBaby Melaka + Jonker Street

Scoot recently launched flights to Melaka (formerly known as Malacca) starting in October 2024, I used this opportunity to revisit this city. Although I had been to Melaka before, my previous trip was just a short one day trip, leaving some places unexplored. This time, I want to cover them and also to revisit old places.

I reached Changi Airport Terminal 1 at 8.53am for my 10.15am flight. Clearing custom was fast and only took less than 10 minutes.

We spotted I Love Taimei and stopped by there for a quick 15 minute breakfast, sharing a pack of Mini Hashbrown (S$4.80).

After completing the bag check, we proceeded to a waiting area one level below, as we needed to take a bus to the remote bay and board the plane via the stairs. However, the plane was delayed for an hour due to technical issue and Scoot had to arrange for another plane. We finally boarded the plane at 10.45am.

After completing the stretch, we made our way back to the starting point to explore another picturesque part of the city. It took us about an hour to finish the vibrant street lined with 17th-century shophouses to and fro.

We crossed the river to discover more of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the primary attraction of Melaka. These historical landmarks showcased the city's rich heritage, preserving its history under Dutch and Portuguese colonial rule. 

Here at Dutch Square, also known as Red Square due to the surrounding buildings were painted red. We stood at one of the red buildings to seek shelter from the scorching sun.

Christ Church is the oldest functioning Protestant church in Malaysia built in the 18th century. I missed this historical site during my last visit, so I made it a point to explore it this time to appreciate the prominent and distinct red architectural design.

It was nearly 4pm when we stopped at Scoops & Smiles for a rest, the dessert shop we saw across the river during lunch.

I had a scoop of Biscoff Gelato topped with Corn Flakes at RM8.90 (or S$2.97). The gelato was creamy and smooth, but melted fast, making it a satisfying treat on such a hot day.

Now we were at the opposite side of GravyBaby, seated under the shade of an umbrella. We just chilled for 20 minutes while having the gelato, relaxing and soaking in the picturesque scenery. 

After the break, we embarked on a 6 minute climb up to St. Paul's Hill (or Bukit Melaka) via the sloped pavement and stairs. Among today's activities, this was a revisit for me, yet the place was still captivating. Taming Sari Tower stood prominently from the hilltop.

The ruins of the Church of St Paul looked the same as I remembered. Built in 1521, it has a rich history tracing back the eras of Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonization, adding a touch of culture to our visit.

We came down to the foot of the hill and arrived at A Famosa, the only remaining structure of the Portuguese fortress and a historical landmark in Melaka. All these attractions are well positioned and easily accessible to explore by foot. Every few minutes walk will lead us to another site.

We walked over to Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall for a quick 20 minute shopping before going back to hotel since it was along the way. The mall is large, offering a wide variety of retail options, from international brands to local boutiques.

I stopped by at Mix Store and got some snacks at at RM19.90 (or S$6.63) for my family. By the time I was done with my purchase, it was already 5pm. We decided to head back to the hotel and check into our room.

The World of Studio Ghibli at ArtScience Museum

After the lunch, we made our way to ArtScience Museum for The World of Studio Ghibli exhibition.

The exhibition will be in Singapore for five months running from 4 Oct 2024 to 2 Feb 2025. We got the tickets at $29 per pax, local resident price for weekdays.

Spread across two levels, the exhibition features theatrical sets depict iconic scenes from 11 Studio Ghibli films handpicked by Studio Ghibli, giving visitors a truly enchanting experience. Of which, I am only familiar with two of the films. Let me bring you to the realms of these films.

1. Howl's Moving Castle

We started off with this exhibit when we entered basement 2.

This story is about a strange tale of the love between a handsome wizard and an elderly woman. 

Howl is a wizard who lives in a massive moving castle that rumoured to eat the hearts of beautiful girls. He rescues an 18-year-old milliner, Sophie, when a soldier hits on her during a military parade. 

Due to her interaction with Howl, Sophie is transformed into a 90-year-old woman by the Witch of the Waste, who is constantly stalking the wizard.

Sophie leaves home and takes up residence in Howl’s castle as his housekeeper. 

Sophie spent her days living with the fire demon Calcifer. She discovers that Howl is really a timid, kind youth, and she begins to fall in love with him. 

2. Castle in the Sky

This story is about the people of Laputa raised a large island into the sky using a giant Levitation Crystal that contains the power of Laputa, and ruled over the lands below with their superior scientific knowledge. Seven hundred years have passed since that time, and Laputa is now merely a legend.

Pazu, a boy who works in a mine, dreams of completing his late father’s quest to find the lost island of Laputa. One night, a girl falls from the sky into Pazu’s arms slowly, protected by the Levitation Crystal in her pendant. She is Sheeta, heir to the throne of Laputa. 

Pazu protects Sheeta from government agents and air pirates who have their eyes on the Levitation Crystal and Laputa’s treasures.

3. My Neighbour Totoro

This story is about two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, and the mysterious forest spirits that they encounter. They moved into a ramshackle old house with their father so that their mother, who is at that time in hospital, can recuperate in the fresh, clean air. 

One day, when Satsuki is at school and her father is busy with work, Mei is playing outside by herself. 

As she playfully explores her surroundings, she meets Totoro, a strange creature who has resided in Japan since ancient times. Totoro eventually reveals itself to Satsuki as well, and begins a series of whimsical encounters for the sisters.

We then proceeded to level 3 for more exhibits. While the space may appeared small, it still managed to showcase many iconic scenes from the films. The creative use of wall art and character sculptures brought the films to life.

4. Porco Rosso

This story took place in the Adriatic Sea of the 1920s, during the tumultuous aftermath of World War I. Poor aviators have turned to air piracy and are running amok, but there is one man they fear; the bounty hunter they call Porco Rosso.

Porco Rosso flew the bright-red prototype fighter seaplane, Savoia S.21, in his battles against air pirates and rivals over the Adriatic Sea. 

5. Pom Poko

This story is about a group of tanuki who have been living in the lush nature of the Tama Hills, find themselves threatened when humans start clearing the land for a large-scale residential development, resulting in them losing their home.

Gathering for a meeting, all the local tanuki decide to revive the shapeshifting skills of their forebearers in order to challenge the humans and stop the development.

6. Princess Mononoke

This story is about A ‘demon god’ attacks an Emishi village—home to an ethnic group of people in ancient Japan. Ashitaka is forced to slay it to save his village, but it curses him before it dies. Ashitaka sets off in search of a way to lift the curse. He arrives in a western land covered by the sprawling woods of the Deer God. 

Ashitaka meets San, Princess Mononoke, a girl raised by wolves who hate the humans that defile the forest.

7. Kiki's Delivery Service

This story is about a girl named Kiki who just turned 13, the age at which apprentice witches must leave home and spend a year in an unfamiliar town. 

Kiki sets off with her black cat Jiji and arrives in the bustling seaside town of Koriko.  The owner of a bakery lets her stay in the spare room and Kiki helps out in the shop while starting a ‘delivery service’ using her one and only magical skill—the ability to fly on a broomstick. 

She drops things and struggles to deliver a package, only to get a negative reaction from the recipients, but she matures through her experiences and interactions with the people she meets.

8. Spirited Away

This story is about a ten-year-old Chihiro wanders into a strange town with her parents, who were tempted by the delicious smells from a food stall; but after eating the food set out there, they transform into pigs. 

A boy calls Haku comes to the terrified Chihiro’s aid, and she ends up working at a bathhouse run by the witch Yubaba, where a myriad of gods and spirits come to relax and refresh themselves. As she does so, the power to live that has lain dormant inside her gradually awakens in her.

We spent an hour for the exhibitions but missed out on some stories. The exhibition is worth a visit only if you are fans of Studio Ghibli films, otherwise, the exhibits felt less meaningful which was the case for me.