What to Wear
Loose and light summer clothing (preferably natural fabrics) is recommended for outdoor activities like sightseeing and antique shopping. Whether you join an organised tour or prefer to visit the museums and different attractions on your own you will do quite a bit of walking and there are some stairs (especially Bukit St. Paul) so comfortable flat shoes are recommended. When visiting religious sites it is always best to be on the conservative side (long pants, long skirt, shirts and blouses with sleeves and so on).

Getting Around Melaka
Melaka itself is small enough to explore on foot and good thing it is as public transport is not at all convenient, taxis are expensive (see below) and the streets are all one way, confusing the uninitiated driver and making some seemingly short trips circuitous city tours.

There are not that many taxis trolling the streets of Melaka and those that are available are, compared to Kuala Lumpur, very expensive. Be advised that there are no metered taxis in Melaka. Pickup from a hotel usually starts at a RM 10.00 minimum. On the street you will need to negotiate prior to entering a taxi and even the shortest trip will cost RM 5.00.

Also, now that the Central Bus Station has moved further out of town, expect the rate to be RM 15.00 - 20.00.

An other option, albeit nearly as expensive as taxis, are the beca - the 3 wheel pushbike where passengers sit in front of the driver (see photo this page). Whilst they may seem a bit expensive at first blush, these beca are pretty much the last of their kind in Malaysia and not a bad way to get about town. There is quite a bit of pride and creative showmanship on display with the drivers dolling up their beca with all manner of (outlandish) decoration including boom boxes and fancy lights - so for our money it's worth the little extra just for the fun of it all and to show appreciation for their efforts.

General Info
Drinking Water: Melaka is quite clean and you can drink water straight from the tap. That said, we suggest you get in the habit of drinking bottled water or using the teapot in your hotel room to boil water before your drink it. This a good habit to get into if you will be visiting more rural areas or other countries in the region.

Electricity: Malaysia's voltage is 220 - 240 AC, 50 hertz. The outlets take the large 3 prong connectors (same as most Commonwealth countries) Most large 4 and 5 star hotels can provide transformer to convert it to 110 - 120 AC, 60 hertz (for smaller hotels you'll need your own adapter).

Money Matters
Malaysia's local currency, the Malaysian Ringgit (expressed as RM) (also known as the dollar by the locals), is divided into 100 sen. Bank notes are denominated units of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. Coins are 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 sen and 1 ringgit.

There are not that many money changers in Melaka. Hotels and guest houses will exchange most major currencies but at very uncompetitive rates. That said, there are a couple of money changers in Chinatown, one of which offers very good rates is located on Jl. Laksmana just 50 metres or so down the street from the Stadthuys and just across form Malaysia Youth Museum.

Also be aware that most smaller hotels, guest houses, restaurants and retailers do not accept credit cards. If this is important to you ask before you order to avoid any problem later on.

Tipping
Tipping is not the norm in Melaka. Many hotels and restaurants will automatically add 5% service charge to your bill (some add 10%). Usual tipping of bellboys in hotels ranges from RM1.00 per medium sized bag onwards. Regarding taxi drivers, as mentioned previously, there are no metered taxis in Melaka - you will need to negotiate the fare prior to beginning your journey and the amount will no doubt be sufficient to cover any tip.

Phone Home
All telephone numbers listed herein are local numbers. From the local pay phones in Melaka, to dial any numbers out of Melaka (STD) put a "0" in front of the area code. For example: to call Kuala Lumpur where the area code is "3" you will need to dial "03" + (local number), however be warned that pay phones are hard to come by so it is better and more convenient to just dial from your hotel or your mobile phone.

Cellular service in Malaysia is GSM. If you bring your own mobile phone you may want to consider purchasing a prepaid calling card from any major telecommunications distributors like Maxis, Telekom (RM 130.00 with RM 50.00 of call time - about an half hour's worth of local calls - included. While the up front fee is steep it's still usually cheaper than using your home country telephone service - and if you plan on being in Malaysia for awhile, you can buy "top up cards" (additional prepaid call time) for RM 50.00.

If you don't have a hand phone or don't want to buy a prepaid calling card you can use the pay phones scattered about the city. Be advised that you will need a prepaid plastic phone card - so make sure the phone card you buy is compatible with the pay phone To play it safe just buy from the biggest operator - Telkom.

International calling from pay phones can be quite a frustrating experience as only pay phones marked "International" can be used. Finding one is not always easy. If you are lucky and find one, the international access code is 00 (international code) + country code + number. For most visitors calling from their hotels is the best bet.

On the other hand if you want to call to Melaka, Malaysia's country code is "60" and "6" is the area code for Melaka.

Business Hours
Business hours are very much geared towards tourists - with weekends being prime time. Freestanding shops are usually open from 10.00am until 6.00pm - a bit later on busy weekends. Shops in the large shopping centres are open until 9.00pm seven days a week. However stalls found near major tourist attractions open later and close when they are finished selling the day's preparations.

Many restaurants have peculiar hours - especially so it seems for those specialising in Nonya cuisine. Many are open from for lunch only (approximately 11.30-4.00) while some reopen for dinner on weekends (approximately 6.00-9.00). As well most restaurants close one day a week (Tuesday or Wednesday). Best to ask the hotel to call in advance.

Many museums are also closed Tuesdays. You can still walk around the historical sites but the museums themselves are closed.

Banking hours are from 9.30am to 4.00pm on weekdays and 9.30am to 11.30am on Saturday and closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Government offices are open from 8.00 am to 4.15 pm weekdays. Most government offices are closed 12.00 noon to 2.00 pm for lunch Monday-Thursday. Fridays, due to the prayers at the mosque, Government offices are closed between 12.15pm to 2.45pm.

Street Wise
Malaysia and Melaka are quite safe however there are always petty criminals lurking in any city. Whilst rare, things do disappear from time to time, so do keep an eye on your belongings. Use common sense and take the same precautions that you would visiting any tourist destination.

Drug Abuse
As mentioned in several spots throughout the site, illegal substances such as drugs are dealt with severe penalties from lengthy jail sentences to execution. Malaysian law states that all drug offenders are treated equally, in fact a number of foreigners have been convicted and sentenced to death for possession of drugs, regardless of quantity. Remember, you are a long way from home with far fewer rights than you think - best to behave and be a gracious guest.

Medical Facilities
Melaka has several hospitals and clinics to help with an emergency - however for more serious illnesses or accidents Kuala Lumpur is close by with medical facilities that are quickly becoming some of the best in S. E. Asia with any number of well-qualified, English speaking doctors with state of the art equipment. Your hotel can help you get quick assistance. For a more list of hospitals and clinics in Melaka, click here.

Outward Bound
When planning your departure, on the way out of the hotel, keep a little extra money handy for hotel bellboys.

Your hotel can arrange a taxi to take you to either the Central Bus Station (RM15 - 20) or KLIA airport RM130-160). Fyi, often your fare is not only determined by the hotel's location, the larger and more deluxe the hotel, the higher the fare in general (or so it seems...).