THEY all abound around the historic Dutch Square in Malacca—trishaws decked out in colorful cartoons, movie themes and storybook characters including the all famous Hello Kitty, Pokemon, Frozen, Snow White, Cinderella, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Minions, Sponge Bob, Barbie, Angry Bird, name it and it’s there.
The trishaws or bicycles with sidecars attached to them are one of the top attractions in Malacca, and a visit to this part of the world is just never complete without getting on one.
I saw my very first trishaw while I was descending a flight of concrete steps from St Paul’s Church ruins. The trishaw owner was definitely a hello kitty fan. It was decked out with a big pink hello kitty on the front, hello kitty designs covering the tires, a pink umbrella with bright pink flowers and more hello kitty faces all around the umbrella. It looked like a girl’s toy tricycle but it can carry up to three persons including the driver. The trishaw was parked along the brick paved curbside waiting for passengers.
Some of the trishaws are covered in colorful flowers, flags, and flashing lights making you feel like a prince or princess in a float for a parade in the streets. Some put on blaring music to add to the festive ride so you can go rocking and rolling along the streets in style. One more notable thing is the trishaws come alive with colorful glowing lights at night but this is one thing I missed.
There are hundreds of trishaws in Malacca and they are usually found in the Dutch Square in front of the Christ Church offering tours and excursions around the town to visitors as well as provide a bit of history about Malacca.
Trishaw rides are one way visitors can support the local tourism industry. It also allows tourists to visit nooks and crannies that regular tour buses and cars cannot penetrate. With all the trishaws in the city, it looks like an everyday parade, one you must not miss.
Trishaw ride prices differ depending on how long you want your tour to be. According to the Malacca Facebook page, one hour trishaw ride costs RM40 for two persons at one time.
I did not get a ride at a trishaw for two reasons. First, I did not have the luxury of time since I was with a group tour, and second, I preferred to take photos of the colorful trishaws from the roadside but next time, I will.
Malacca, or Melaka’s rich blend of Portugese, Dutch, Indian and Chinese heritage remains strong as evidenced by its landmarks, old buildings, ruins and iconic destinations. The city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.