The Baba House

As I was walking the fascinating streets of Melaka’s Chinatown, I grew more and more interested in the place. I began to consider whether or not I should stay the night here in Melaka. I originallly planned this to be a day trip but I remembered about the night market here and I would love to experience it. So I decide to start shopping around for some places I would stay over. I already passed by some accomodations earlier, so I decided to backtrack for a while to find out how much it costs to stay for a night. I remember passing by Hotel Puri, but instinctively didn’t bother querying since it looks too much touristy for me.

I went through my Lonely Planet to find out where cheap accomodations are but there were all outside where the action was. I didn’t manage to see any budget accomodation since I got there. One of the places I managed to ask was The Baba House, which is basically an old shophouse which was converted into a guest house. It is not quite a hotel yet, so hopefully it would be a little cheaper. The interior of The Baba House is quite elegant as it evokes of an era long past. The lobby is nicely decorated with traditional Peranakan design.

I inquired about a room and they have a single room available that day, it costs MYR 65, not too cheap but still not very expensive either. I decided to take a look. What greeted me is a traditional Peranakan house which is well maintained. It has two levels, the single room was at the ground level. There was a nice little courtyard in the middle of the building which has a nice little garden, much like the layout of the Malaqa House.

As for the room, naturally, it was small, it does however, have a tiny television, a single bed and a desk for work if you need it. The room was simply decorated though with a token photo to remind you that you are in a Peranakan house. The single room also had an attached bathroom with and a shower. Perfect since I was itching for a shower because of the hot day I spent exploring Melaka. Unfortunately, I would find out water heater barely worked and the water still not as hot as I thought it would be.

Best of all, the room was airconditioned, which was perfect for my weary body. I was thinking to myself that I would like to stay in this place for the night. After all, I don’t get to stay in a Peranakan house that often. Since a night’s stay wasn’t that expensive, and considering its proximity to Jonker Street, it would be perfect for some late night exploration. I signed up for one night and quickly got back to the room and took a shower and rested for an hour.

I managed to get a restful night of sleep, which is a welcome change from the everyday grind of Singapore. The Baba House includes breakfast, but it wasn’t really anything to write home about. They had some fried noodles and bread. I only had a token breakfast before, I took off for another breakfast somewhere else. I normally don’t stay in expensive places but I guess this place was okay. As I discovered, there were a couple more guest houses in the Chinatown area and the were probably much cheaper. The Baba House has that air of history that will make you want to experience what a Baba, or a Nyonya for that matter, felt like.

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