Melaka is a must-visit for anyone coming to Malaysia as a tourist.  The reason?  It has earned a mention as one of the UNESCO’s World Heritage sites (along with Georgetown).  But the place is not only known for its historic importance, as a buzzing city, with a rich cultural history Malacca is a shopping heaven; shopping in Melaka can be an exciting experience if you know what to shop for and from where!

It is good to exchange your currency beforehand, if you are coming from Singapore; the currency exchange rate in Malacca will be slightly lower.

Here are some of the places that represent the real Melaka, the places a potential shopper can’t afford to miss, or won’t want to miss!

Have a Jonker Walk! - Jonker Street is a personal treasure of Melaka.  Every weekend (including Friday), from evening to midnight, the locals at Jonker Street line up along the pedestrian walkway, setting up stalls to display and selling products associated with or reflecting the real cultural artifacts of the place, such as antique copper coins, local and ethnic traditional food, unique arts & crafts, and souvenirs.  This is the true face of Melaka; don’t you dare miss it!

The newly opened Dataran Pahlawan Mega Mall is one of the biggest shopping malls in Melaka.  You will find couple of branded outlets inside the Mall, like Bossini, Nike, Scholl, Camel Active, Adidas, Esprit, MNG, Hush Puppies, Levi’s Store, Polo Haus, Lee Jeans and many others.  You will also find a couple of factory outlets and concept stores like Padini.  You will also find restaurants, coffee shops, spas, gift shops, gaming areas, electronic outlets, mobile shops and many other stores.  There is also one money changer located inside the Mall.  You will also found Starbucks Coffee and MacDonald’s inside the Dataran Pahlawan Mega Mall.  There is also Carrefour on the second level inside the mall.

Another one of the biggest shopping malls in Malaka is the Mahkota Parade Shopping Mall.  The shopping mall represents the latest best of both East and West.  From Guardian Pharmacy, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken to The Coffee Bean and Starbucks Coffee, you’ll find every thing you need in this gigantic world of products and services.

Mahkota Parade Shopping Mall & Dataran Pahlawan Mega Mall are within the walking distance.  If you are coming by bus then get off at stop No. 7, which is the “Mahkota Parade Shopping Mall” stop.  You need to cross the road to enter Dataran Pahlawan Mega Mall.

Then there is The Orangutan House (59 Lorong Hang Jebat, +606 282 6872) which boasts a rare collection of T-shirts, as well as paintings, for sale.

Another place to shop is MYDIN Melaka Bazar 24 Jam.  This is a big supermarket which is open 24 hours.  The supermarket is within walking distance from Melaka Sentral (you can book and go to different states of Malaysia and also to Singapore from Melaka Sentral).  Here is the catch: shop at MYDIN Melaka Bazar when you are leaving Melaka; the bus stop is nearby and the supermarket is open 24 hours!

There is a popular store called JUSCO in Ayer Keroh, you can go there as well, and it’s interesting (as even the Singaporeans come to shop on weekends!).

If you are looking for real Melakan cuisine, the Tan Kim Hock (85, 87, 89 Jalan Bendahara) sells all the popular food specialties of Melaka, like Dodol, Cincalok, Belacan, dried fruits, and durian cake.  It is one of the largest food-stores in Melaka and also one of the favorites of the Melakans.

If you are an art-freak don’t forget to visit the No.4 Jalan Tokong, just off the Jonkers walk, it is an awesome art gallery of contemporary art work by Titi Kwok; the work is beautiful and the prices are tolerable.