Want to experience a vibrant pasar malam (night market) in Malaysia? You’ve arrived at the right place!

If this is your first visit to Melaka, you must head to the popular Jonker Street Night Market, which runs on Fridays to Saturdays, from 6.00pm till midnight. It’s fairly touristy, but the friendly and exuberant atmosphere is a big draw for both locals and visitors. 

Looking for authentic Melaka gifts to bring home? At Jonker Street Night Market, you can pick up locally made handicraft items, snacks, and souvenirs like keychains. 

But the market’s real highlight is its street food, so be sure to bring an appetite! You can sample traditional favourites like cendol (a dessert of shaved ice topped with pandan jelly, coconut milk, and palm sugar), ‘fried’ ice cream (a scoop of ice cream coated in batter and deep-fried), and carrot cake (a savoury dish of steamed ‘radish cake’ cubes). Alternatively, look at what Melaka tourists have enjoyed during their visits, and create your own foodie checklist!

For repeat visitors to Melaka, here are some weekday markets that are popular with locals:

• Monday Pasar Malam Telok Emas

• Tuesday Pasar Malam Taman Bertam Jaya

• Wednesday Pasar Malam Sungai Udang

• Thursday Pasar Malam Ayer Molek

Get directions to Jonker Street Night Market

Known to locals as the “floating mosque,” the Melaka Straits Mosque is built on stilts in water—when the water rises, it appears to float. Notably, its main dome is modelled after a Middle Eastern architectural style, while the four corner turrets are capped with typical Malaysian roofs. 

Suffice to say, the Melaka Straits Mosque is an alluring photo subject—more so during sunset or after dark, when the mosque is cast in an ethereal green light. It tends to attract more visitors during this time, so you may have to get creative to capture a great shot!

Get directions to Melaka Straits Mosque

Post-dinner, hop on a river boat to view Melaka’s attractions along the Melaka River. The 45-minute ride includes a recorded commentary, and you will get to see historic buildings, picturesque bridges, and colourful murals—all lit for your viewing pleasure. The key highlight of the cruise is Kampung Morten, a historical Malay village located along the river. Although you can book a day cruise, many visitors opt for an evening or night cruise (tours run daily till 11.00pm) to enjoy the cooler weather. 

Book Melaka River Cruise

Did you know that Melaka has a performing arts venue? Encore Melaka is a multi-venue theatre complex along the city’s waterfront, and you can check their events page to see if there’s an interesting cultural show to catch during your Melaka visit.

Get directions to Encore Melaka

Where do people in Melaka go for drinks? 

Get an early start to your Melaka bar trek at Sin Hiap Hin, an old-school bar with a fine selection of local spirits. Unlike conventional watering holes, this ‘bar’ bears more similarity to a traditional shop, with your grandmother (or a character resembling an elderly matron) serving you a drink! Sin Hiap Hin closes at 6.00pm but this hidden gem will provide a Melaka experience to remember.

Thereafter, you can head to the tourist-friendly Geographer Cafe (till 10.00pm on weekends) at Jonker, or Tipsy Bridge along the Melaka River, which opens almost daily till 2.00am. Geographer Cafe is significant for being Jonker Street’s first cafe-bar (opened in 1999), while Tipsy Bridge keeps regulars happy with specialty cocktails and a soundtrack of ‘60s rock. 

Locals also like Reggae on the River, for a casual hangout at reasonable prices.

Get directions to Sin Hiap Hin

Get directions to Geographer Cafe

Get directions to Tipsy Bridge

Get directions to Reggae on the River