Melaka River Cruise

The Malacca river was the reason the city existed - the sheltered channel where the trade of the Strait was handled - and by the late twentieth century it had become an open drain running behind the shophouses. A rehabilitation programme from the 2000s cleaned it, built walkways along both banks, and started the cruise, which runs about nine kilometres return between the river mouth and Kampung Morten in roughly forty-five minutes. What you pass is the backs of the old shophouses, now painted and muralled, the Kampung Morten stilt houses, bridges, waterside cafes and the replica of a Portuguese trading vessel. It is a straightforward tourist boat and the commentary is thin, but the night run, with the buildings and bridges lit, is the version worth taking.

What you actually see

• Painted shophouse backs - murals along the walls facing the water.
• Kampung Morten from the river - the Malay stilt village on the bend.
• Lit bridges and banks - the night run with the whole route illuminated.
• A cleaned-up river - the channel that was the reason for the city.

When to go

All year; after dark for the lighting. An hour.

Honest expectations

Queues at the jetty are long in the evening and at weekends. Commentary is minimal. The river still smells in places at low water. Boats are canopied but rain stops sailings.

Nearby

Jonker Street, the Stadthuys and the Taming Sari tower are all a short walk.