Kg. Morten Walkabout

Melaka, being listed as a Historic City of Malacca alongside Penang’s George Town, is a popular tourist destination. If you visit Melaka (Malacca), you would most probably get yourself caught up in the historical aspect of the city.

A good place to start is through a walkabout in Kg. Morten (Morten Village), located along Melaka River. This most famous traditional Malay village, Kampung Morten, is named after a collector of land revenue during the British-era, an Englishman by the name of Frederick Joseph Morten.

Tucked in the Malay village enclave is Villa Sentosa, a model traditional Malay kampung (village) house, that you must visit should you find yourself in the area.

When my friends and I dropped by, we were taken on a half-hour tour of the house by its third generation descendant, Tuan Hj. Ibrahim Bin Hj. Hashim. The house, which was built in 1922, was only opened to the public for viewing or photography since 1990.

At this moment in time, it is open to visitors from 9am to 6pm daily. A guide is available to take them around the house, to explain about the significance of each section of the abode and its various exhibits.

Besides this Malay living museum of Villa Sentosa, some other houses in the village are also open to guests. Although it is a no-cost activity, visitors are encouraged to donate a token sum to the property owners as these houses are privately managed without financial assistance from any governmental organisation.

Kampung Morten walkabout is actually a new tourism product that was only launched in August. Tours of the village are available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from about 4pm.

This Kampung Morten Melaka free guided walk is led by Friends of Melaka Museums. For more information, contact their Facebook page.

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