Villa Sentosa Melaka is a fine example of a traditional Malay village house located in Kampung Morten, on the banks of the Malacca River within walking distance of the historic Unesco World Heritage district of Melaka City.
Kampung Morten has over 50 traditional old Malay houses, all with red zinc rooftops as you can see in the foreground of the aerial shot below, which was taken from The Shore Sky Tower.
The village was named after Frederick Joseph Morten, a colonial British administrator who assisted the resettlement of the villagers to this area in the 1920s.
Villa Sentosa is perhaps the most attractive and best-preserved of all the houses in Kampung Morten and it now serves as a private museum open to the public.
It is known as ‘The Malay Living Museum’.
Upon visiting, you might meet the kindly old lady of the house, Fatimah, who will show you around. Otherwise, it might be Ibrahim, a very nice gentleman whose grandfather was one of the founders of the village.
They both had many stories to tell and proudly showed off the antique furniture, tableware, historic artefacts and vintage photos of family members.
Many VIPs such as politicians and even Malaysian royalty have toured the property over the years.
You will be asked to sign a visitors’ book and you will see a stack of old visitor books going back to the 1960s.
The house itself is made up of five interconnected pavilions surrounding an open-air courtyard, a design that helps to keep the house cool while creating a cosy atmosphere for the residents.
The wooden building is raised on stilts to avoid flooding and keep out unwanted creatures.
It is very well-kept but the kitchen section was damaged by termites some years ago and had to be replaced by a brick structure with a tiled floor.
However, this does not take away from the beauty and the story of this place. If you fancy a trip to the olden days of Malaya, be sure to drop by and revel in this marvellous, well-preserved piece of history.
Opening hours and admission
Villa Sentosa is open to visitors every day from 9am to 6pm except Friday when it is open from 2pm to 6pm.
There is no entrance fee but visitors are invited to leave something in the donation box to pay for the upkeep.
Please give generously as it would be a shame if this place had to close down due to lack of funds.