One of the best places to be in Malacca, Malaysia during the weekend is the Night Market at Jonker Street in Chinatown.
Jonker Street/Walk Night Market
When: Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday
This is the heart of Malacca’s Chinatown and the official name of Jonker Street is Jalan Halan Jebat. I wrote an entry about our previous visit here during the first leg of the Malacca trip, go here: Malacca Heritage Trail: Jonker Walk / Jonker Street
In order to fully experience the local ambiance, my parents and I booked a hotel in the immediate surroundings during our second leg of the visit, in a traditional Peranakan house turned into a hotel which I will post later separately. The evening we arrived they were exhausted, the long drive from the Cameron Highlands via Kuala Lumpur had taken its toll on the senior citizens so they elected to stay-in for the night while I went out with an old university batchmate, EF, for a scrumptious seafood dinner feast at the Portuguese Village. Before said dinner feast, EF and I wriggled our way through the Night Market at Jonker Street.
You know I love markets so I was grinning from ear to ear. EF and I soaked ourselves in with the fun and the local vibe, but being mindful of our belongings as well because like any busy outdoor market, it can get suffocating here, and some itchy hands might be tempted to exercise some furtive moonlighting.
Also, the side streets along Jonker Walk are transformed into beer gardens that stay longer open than the market. We came back here after the dinner feast for a nightcap. I will blog this separately so as to give an idea how the bar scene and night life in Malacca looks like.
The night market is only open during the weekends: Friday (18:00-22:00), Saturday and Sunday (11:00-22:00). The whole stretch of Jonker Street is closed for traffic and turned into an outdoor shopping lane. Street food, clothes, decors, electronic gadgets, household products, fashion accessories and all types of Made in China knick-knacks and souvenirs? Name it, they might have it here.
I also have read that the government intended this night market project to boost local tourism and in particular, this historical street. The idea is to showcase products that promotes heritage and culture. I assure you that they have been successful in doing this at Jonker Street but do come during the day when the street is free from the market circus.
From Monday to Friday and you will see beautifully preserved Peranakan shophouses housing art and curiosa galleries, restaurants promoting Nyonya cooking, a few beautiful temples and some cosy cafes to sit down and have a respite after a walk up and down the street. Tip: try the local coffee.
Travel Period: August 2013
Destination: Malacca, Malaysia
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