An Iban longhouse at Taman Mini Malaysia, a cultural park in Melaka

The Taman Mini Malaysia is a cultural park located a few kilometers outside of Melaka city center, near the town of Ayer Keroh. This is the perfect place to visit if you are interested in traditional architecture, and have limited time, like most travelers, to extensively tour Malaysia. Artisans from every state oversaw the construction of the houses to ensure their authenticity.

Each of the homes represents the architectural style of the 13 states in Malaysia and is furnished with various items, arts and crafts which depict the culture of each state. Inside each house, you can find a range of genuine handicrafts originating from each state or county.

Take a ride on a kereta lembu (bullock cart) around the cultural park

My favorite structure was the Iban longhouse. The Ibans are a branch of Dayak peoples from Sarawak, renowned for their headhunting and fearsome reputation as a warring tribe. The longhouse in Taman Mini Malaysia includes a ritual altar adorned with replica human skulls. Headhunting was once widely practiced by the Iban people of Sarawak. Human skulls were often used as adornment and in sacred rituals.

Inside one of the other houses, we had a lovely lunch of assam pedas ikan tenggiri (Spanish mackerel sour and spicy stew), tempeh (soybean cake), kacang botol (winged bean), salted egg and fresh fruit. Malaysian dishes are traditionally served on a straw mat on the floor and eaten with your hand. After lunch, there was a cooking demonstration of roti jala (net bread), a popular Malaysian tea time snack served with curry dishes.

Enjoy a traditional Malaysian lunch in one of the traditional houses

At the center of the park is a rotunda where visitors can take a ride on a kereta lembu (bullock cart), a popular means of transport in Malaysia from the 1940s to 1960s, especially in the state of Melaka. I would have loved enjoy a ride if we had more time to enjoy the park! Other attractions include weekly cultural dance shows and traditional games such as spinning the traditional gasing (wooden top).

CONTACT INFORMATION

Taman Mini Malaysia / ASEAN
Address: Lebuh Ayer Keroh, 75450 Melaka.
Open daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Tel: +60 (06) 2321334

Fax: +60 (06) 2321335
Admission fees: Adult  – MYR 12.00; Child – MYR 6.00; Student – MYR 10.00

There are also charges imposed on camera or video camera:
Camera (Individual) – MYR 3.00
Camera (School/Group Tour) – MYR 1.00

Video Camera – MYR 5.00

This blog post was made possible through Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia – Melaka, a media tour held last October 28 to 31, 2013. The event was organized by Gaya Travel Magazine and Tourism Malaysia in celebration of Visit Malaysia Year 2014. 

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I accept advertisers as long as they are relevant to tourism, adventure and outdoors. For advertising inquiries, please e-mail eazy@eazytraveler.com

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