Formerly the largest and strategically most important port of the colonial era, Melacca now offers a step back in time to a city formed by strong Dutch, British, Portuguese, Chinese, Hindu and more recently Muslim influences. Upon arriving in the city the first thing one sees is a large Dutch square with a clock tower, a city hall, a windmill and a large river separating the different parts of the city. We were surprised how much resemblance this part of the city bore with Amsterdam.