3 Weeks in South East Asia - Day 2: Melaka

Three South East Asian cities marked the old, sea trading route from the middle east to China.

They are Penang, Melaka, and Singapore. Due to their strategic locations and importance as hubs of trading, all three cities were fought over by local and colonial powers for centuries. On our second day of this trip, we stayed in Melaka, a city that was first a Malay, Chinese, and Indian trading post where the unique fusion of cultures known as Peranakan culture was developed. Then, it was conquered by the Portuguese, the Dutch, and finally, the British over a series of three centuries. The influence of each can be seen in the old town, the culture, the food, and the architecture. It's a fascinating place to visit and made a great base for us during our first day on the road. For me, personally, it was strange to return to a city that was one of the very first places I visited when I began my backpacking ways almost 15 years ago.