Interiors of 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.
Small Garden In The Baba House
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.
Lobby of The Baba House
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.
Simple Single Bedroom at The Baba 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.
Simple but Clean Toilet at The Baba House
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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