Malacca Shopping

Where to Shop and What to Buy in Malacca

Malacca is most famous for its sale of antiques when it comes to shopping. However, there is a fine balance with modern shops and malls if you're looking for designer brands.

Handicrafts and cultural souvenirs are also found in abundance, so you'll always have something to bring home for remembrance.

Shops in Malacca

If you are looking for interesting gemstones, jewellery and other trinkets, look no further than Jonker Street. You can also shop for material to make traditional Baba Nyonya costumes. Those who love antique currency can find old notes and coins on sale. Ceramics are popular as well and there are a few shops selling China and porcelain ware.

If you have developed an interest in the traditional costume of the Nyonya ladies, check out Kubu street as there are shops that specialise in the sale of traditional Nyonya shoes and slippers. You can get a pair of beautiful hand-sewn cloth slippers embroidered with intricate patterns and beadwork after making an order. Be warned that you need to wait a few weeks. If not, you can purchase ready-made Peranakan slippers but it will not necessarily be the right fit.

Antiques in Malacca

It is apt that Malacca, being Malaysia's historical city, has an amazing array of shops that sell antiques. Some of the items have been discarded; only to be picked up by enterprising businessmen who restored them and now, no longer regarded as junk, are worth quite a fortune. There is an abundance of antique shops in Malacca and one can have a marvellous time admiring the beautiful handcrafted furniture, the fine embroidery and beadwork on clothes and linen, painstakingly done by hand, and other curious souvenirs.

Most, if not all of these antique shops, are to be found on Jonker Street (also known as Jalan Hang Jebat) and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock. Things you can find here include antique furniture, porcelain and old coins, oil lamps of all shapes and sizes, traditional Malay costume material, various arts and crafts as well as other relics. These musty old shops with Peranakan designs hide some of the best range of antiques to be found in Malaysia. Some of the antiques date quite a long way back and not necessarily all are from this country. As usual, visitors are encouraged to peruse the whole range of stores to get the best items and prices.

Bargaining is a much-needed skill. No price is set in stone and you are encouraged to haggle your way to the best prices. Also watch out for traders passing off contemporary items as antiques. Once you have ascertained the authenticity of the piece, check to see if it has to be exported legally. The dealer should have the official clearance form for you to fill - you will then not be held back by customs and being accused of smuggling antiques out of the country.

Arts & Crafts

Visit the Karyaneka Handicrafts Emporium on Laksamana Street as they have pretty traditional pottery and handicrafts for sale. Also on sale are lacquer ware, brassware and various items made of rattan, a type of vine-like wood. Lightweight and practical, these hardy items last a long time and the smaller ones would make ideal souvenirs to bring home.

There are also handicrafts for sale in shops along the Laksamana Street where most of the items come from Indonesia, including handsome and well-made modern pottery tea sets.

To buy or look at crafts specially brought in from Sarawak in East Malaysia, head back to Jonker Street for some creative woodwork with engaging carving and colourfully designed mats woven from plants at the Tribal Arts Gallery.

Another great place to get cultural souvenirs is at the Cultural Museum besides Christ Church near the Tourist Office. Cheap and affordable, they make nice gifts for your loved ones back home.

Finally, to get some items with individualistic creativity, Jonker Street has shops that sell items like T-shirts, mugs, key chains and other items you can personalise yourself.

Modern Shopping

Althoug a small city, Malacca does have its share of department stalls and malls. The biggest is Mahkota Parade, a modern shopping complex located along the coast with a wide range of goods and commodities on sale. For groceries and household stuff, the best places are Giant hypermarket and Jaya Jusco departmental store located near the exit to the North-South highway.