According to the Malay Annals, it was at the mouth of the Malacca River that the Malacca Sultanate was founded at the beginning of the 15th century, and it would go on to play an important role as a conduit for trade. Today the Malacca River divides the city in two. On the Western side, you have most of the old city and civic buildings, while to the east lays the commercial district centered around Jonker and Heeran streets. Once dirty and polluted, the River has since been cleaned up, with pretty cafes lining its length. Not everyone’s so happy about the renovation, however. When we asked our guide Collin what’s changed most about Malacca over the years, he said the smell; after they cleaned up the River, the mud didn’t smell the same anymore and he still misses the old scent that used to come wafting over the city. Read Less