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Entertainment options in Malacca began to multiply in earnest from the early 90s along with rapid commercialization and development. A sustained tourism boom fuelled a mushroom cloud of world class hotels and resorts, golf clubs, family theme parks and so forth, adding considerable depth to the range of entertainment choices in this historic city in addition to its inherited legacy. In the process, Malacca developed a night scene that positively rocks with a great many hangouts competing to serve every taste and mood.
Bars, Pubs and Karaoke
The conventional idea of watering holes takes on several guises in this city. For a start, top-draw hotels have some good spots for a beer or two. At The Renaissance, for instance, the Utan Fun Pub regularly features live music by Filipino and local bands, while the lobby-level Famosa Lounge occupies a quieter corner in which an informal business meeting may not be too out of place. The Traders Lounge is an equally enchanting venue for drinks in a relaxed atmosphere. Several other reputable hotels also offer pleasant in-house watering holes for the convenience of their guests. Drinks prices are generally higher in the hotels by about 15%.
Stepping out, the draw of the Malaccan night focuses on the district of Taman Melaka Raya. For pub crawlers, the Crocodile Pub, Chelsea Pub, and Ling's Sports Cafe are ideal for light drinks and people-watching with games and music TV thrown in. Fans of Karaoke and its accompanying titillations have more than a dozen joints to choose from in this part of the city alone. Big Bike Pub and Karaoke is one of the most popular, complete with dance floors and good-sized singing rooms. Smaller but no less scintillating are Ginza Karaoke, Light City (KTV) Lounge and Portugis KTV.
Elsewhere, several smart night spots have sprung up in the historic Jonker and Heeren streets. Crafted from century-old shophouses, clan-houses and temples, these carefully refurbished premises are often things of beauty well worth a visit in themselves. The deceptively named Restoran Hoi San is in truth a pub, Italian restaurant and disco rolled into one, under the ancient beams and roof tiles of a formerly dilapidated Chinese temple. Milder in taste but no less captivating, the Coconut House Studio is a marvellously restored triple-storey café and pub featuring an authentic 200-year old drinking well for good measure. The Geographic Café combines vintage views and a pleasant atmosphere for dining and late-night drinking.
Yet more watering holes of unique Malaccan mould can be found in Chinatown and at the fringe of Bandar Hilir. A four-storey café, pub and restaurant called the Discovery Cafe stands in day-glow cheeriness on the bank of the Malacca River like time’s gatekeeper marking out the new from the old. Almost an institution among guidebook dependent package tourists and backpackers, the Lonely Planet Cafe resembles a cross between the warungs of Bali and a Malaysian old-time coffeeshop, with an eclectic menu and plenty of beer on tap. Two other café-cum-pubs stand out along Jalan Laksamana. The Iguana Riverfront is a winner for its unique river views and that bright green animal in a tank, while at the Manis Cafe, a great sense of style and décor prevails and has the effect of transporting one into another era, away from the touristy theatre at the Dutch Square just across the road.
Discos and Nightclubs
Disco goers can boogie to the beat of R&B, rock, techno and special requests at Sparks. Hardcore techno freaks—head on to Downtown, where the night seems to go on forever. This saucier side of Malacca nightlife also counts nightclubs and cabarets, or kelab malam as the locals call them, where a fifties-style set-up and atmosphere—often accompanied by variety acts, floor shows and live bands—is wholeheartedly embraced and enjoyed by a group of patrons equally nostalgic and freewheeling.
Wholesome entertainment
Contemporary movies—of the American imports variety—are reliably put up at the Golden Screen Cinema in Mahkota Parade. The other theatre downtown, Fajar Cineplex, screens a mix of Hindi and mainstream productions.
Cultural performances and special events are a good source of enriching entertainment for the family. The Portuguese Square plays host to traditional folk dances every Saturday night, starring among the performers descendants of 15th century Portuguese conquistadors. Other shows and demonstrations of folk arts and traditions are held regularly at the open spaces in Bandar Hilir—check for details at One Stop Services. And one of the most aggressively marketed must surely be the Light and Sound show at Padang Pahlawan, which attempts an audio-visual enactment of the history of Malacca on a grand stage.
The city at night is not short of colourful places even if one happens to be not drinking. A walk along the bustling Chinatown, rummaging for bargains among the street peddlers of the Jalan Kee Ann Night Market, followed by light snacks and cooling desserts at the adjoining Open Air Eating Stalls is as fun as it can be insightful.
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