5 kiddos rampage in Melaka

(Daddy reports)

After saying our farewells to the wonderfully cool weather of Genting, we made our way to our pit stop for the night - the city of chendol, kueh-kueh and all things nyonya. 

Hello, big(ger) tummy.

We stayed at this very beautiful and quaint boutique hotel when we were in Melaka about 1.5 years ago, and we absolutely loved it. 

So this time around, we had to make the Courtyard @ Heeren our stay for the night once again.

Location-wise, it is just situated behind the famed Jonker Street so it makes all the shopping and eating so much more accessible. And with only 14 rooms and suites, the whole place really felt cosy. Not to mention that the wifey is thoroughly in love with the hotel's furnishings and decor.

There was even an disused well in the hotel's compound, together with many mortar pounders. Which at least kept the kiddos busy for a while.

All rooms in the hotel are designed differently, each in it's own specific style, infusing the Peranakan style with modern elements. 

I would have love to show our room in its original state. 

But I had severely underestimated the ability for the kiddos to mess up the room. In record quick time no less.

Enough of the hotel. Melaka is all about food, and we of course wasted no time in gorging ourselves silly.

What else but chicken rice balls right? But this stall isn't exactly that good though. There's an even better one - one with long snaking queues - housed in a very old coffeeshop directly opposite the San Shu Gong shop. We didn't get to try that, but it's definitely on the top of my to-eat list the next time we are back in Melaka.

And after experiencing the cool air of Genting for 2 days, I guess we all needed some time to re-adjust back to the warm temperature.

Errr.... especially Ale?

She can really perspire. A LOT. 

I pray that her head doesn't stink when long hair beckons.

Anyway, the sweltering heat made for a perfect excuse to have some ice cream!

Cute little egg-shaped ice cream that came with legs - which were perfect for the kiddos 'cos it was drip-free and hence, mess-free.

And as we walked along Jonker Street, it was beginning to burst to life with many street stalls setting up shop.

And when shopping was concerned, the kiddos' enthusiasm is more often than not inversely proportional to that of the adults.

So it was probably a good idea to plonk them all somewhere and pile them with drinks & snacks, while the rest of the adults went along with their bargain hunting.

Well, at least they had live entertainment in the form of some senior citizens' Karaoke competition.

As night fell, and tummies rumbled, the shopping exercise was cut as we made our way to our makan place.

That was until we got waylaid by some cheap lelong.

Plants vs Zombies plush toys! Yah, Angry Birds soft toys are so yesterday.

Well, that certainly perked up the kiddos. And we rounded up the night with a hearty meal at Nancy's Kitchen.

Aunty Nancy is a family relative, so we always make it a point to eat there whenever we are in Melaka. The chendol is heavenly by the way! :)

And as with all holidays, the final day is always the most painful where the sense of reality of going home really starts to sink in.

Luckily, there was still the scrumptious hotel buffet breakfast to gloss over the pain somewhat.

And I, too wasted no time in huddling the kiddos together and using them as my photo models.

Luckily for me, they were all in a very obliging mood.

Even the tiniest one of them all. :)

The adults still had some shopping to take care of after breakfast.

So a bribe was in order.

I guess it worked.

A cheap price to pay, in return for more shopping time I say.

And so, that too signaled the end of yet another road trip holiday with our friends.

And the one thing I noticed on this trip? That it was getting easier to travel with the kiddos - they were actually more well-behaved compared to the previous times.

So.... more travelling on the cards? Soon?