I woke up to the late afternoon sun peeping through the gap between the
heavy drapes. I could feel the intense heat of Melaka piercing through my skin
when I tried to check out the window from our comfy room at Temasek Hotel. It
was around one in the afternoon and my body still ached for rest after our
midnight flight from Manila. I effortlessly went back to bed and cocooned
myself inside the duvet. Our Melaka adventure will have to wait, we need to get
some sleep first.
It was the first day of our Same Same Summer Trip 2017 backpacking trip and this year,
me and my buddy went on with our respective moms to visit some of our favorite cities in Malaysia. We’ve been to Melaka twice before and this time around, we wanna show
our moms around so we went straight to this historic city by bus when we
arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
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| Temasek Hotel |
From Melaka Sentral (where we hopped off
from the bus), we took a cab to get to Temasek Hotel. Located at the Portuguese Settlement in
Ujong Pasir, the contemporary boutique hotel is unique with its open-aired hall
that serves as the reception and lounge area will be our home for two days.
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| Open-aired reception |
We arrived at nine in the morning but were booked the day before. So
after I explained that we came late because of the bus schedule, they
accommodated our uber late check in request and went directly to our rooms to
get some rest. I then remembered that we could have breakfast at that time, so
we proceeded to the restaurant at the ground floor to get fueled for the day.
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| In-house restaurant |
The breakfast buffet spread was a mix of local and international
dishes. I immediately went to the noodle station and had a huge serving of
fried noodles (mee goreng) that I was craving for (me and my buddy are crazy about Malaysian food). I also had some sausages,
scrambled eggs, stir-fried veggies, fried rice and watermelons for dessert. We were dead tired but still managed to have a filling breakfast.
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| My breakie plate |
We booked for two Superior Rooms and my mom was my roomie (check for discounted rates). The room was spacious enough for the two of us, it was neither huge nor
cramped, perfect for two sharing adults. The contemporary design was echoed
throughout the room while the neon green colors from one of the walls and chair
actually liven up the whole space.
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| Superior Room (twin beds) |
We had two single beds with fluffy pillows and comfy duvet,
individually-powered AC, flat screen TV with local and international channels,
wooden ledge that serves as entertainment rack and work table, wardrobe closet,
in-room safe and coffee and tea-making amenities. The attached toilet and bathroom was spotless, toiletries were also
provided for.
Complimentary WiFi was included but it can be intermittent at times,
depending on the floor you’re in. But at the lobby, the internet connection was seamless.
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| Attached toilet and bath |
We prepped up for a day of exploration at around three in the
afternoon. We hopped on a cab and explored Melaka then spent the whole day going
around the famous sights of the historic city. We ended our day at Jonker Walk
where we enjoyed shopping and street food sampling. Getting home was fast and
easy as cabs are everywhere. I slept like a baby that night.
It was our last day the next morning ‘coz we needed to go to Kuala
Lumpur that afternoon. We could’ve gone back to the city center and enjoyed the
early morning goings-on, but we chose to walk along the quiet neighborhood of
the Portuguese community right outside Temasek Hotel.
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| Kids' pool |
While strolling around, we noticed how Portuguese people and Filipinos
are similar in terms of their customs and way of life. Our moms had fun
surveying each and every flowering plant on the gardens which easily sparked up a conversation with the residents. Me and my buddy opted to have a quiet
time at the port were fishermen were busy on their morning coffee before they
start the day. One of them asked us of our origins, and when we said that we are from
the Philippines, they smiled and said that we are of the same family. It just
felt nice to be welcomed that way.
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| Fishing village at the Portuguese Settlement |
It was lunchtime and we had to leave, our bags were packed and we’re
waiting for our cabbie when the guys from the reception desk gave their
sweetest Terima Kasih (Thank You)
while placing their right hand over their left chest. We smiled and returned
the gesture with a promise of going back to Melaka and, of course, staying again
at Temasek Hotel.
No. 57 Jalan D’Albuquerque, Portuguese Settlement,
Contact Number: (+60) 6.288.3588
Email Address: info@temasekhotel.com
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