Luxury Hotels in Masjid Tanah

Masjid Tanah or literally translated as Soil Mosque is a town and also a sub-district or “mukim” located in the state of Melaka, Malaysia. It is approximately 30 kilometres away from state capital, Melaka Tengah, being administered under the Alor Gajah Municipal Council. The town started off humbly from a small village back in the year 1500s before it went on to grow into one of the major towns in the state. It gets its name from mosque built entirely by soil by a religious man in the 1800s with the help of Haji Sulong bin Sibeng. Since then, the mosque becomes an important part of the town since it is used by several nearby villages. It has been partially destroyed before underwent restoration works in 1951. Considering the town’s location which is closer to the nearby state of Negeri Sembilan, it shared a lot of cultural similarities with the Minang culture that is unique to Negeri Sembilan, with some residents being able to speak in Negeri Sembilan dialect. Later in the 1990s, the property value of the area boomed due to the state government’s decision to build a Petronas-owned oil refinery plant in Sungai Udang, which is not far from the town.

How to Get There

By Car

People driving from Kuala Lumpur may drive through the North-South Expressway (PLUS) exiting at Simpang Ampat before continuing the journey towards Masjid Tanah. The journey could take up around one hour and thirty minutes depending on the current traffic situation.

By Bus

The nearest express bus terminal is the Alor Gajah Sentral which is located fifteen kilometers away from Masjid Tanah. Take the trip directly to Alor Gajah Sentral from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) terminal using express bus services such as Cepat & Cekap Express and Transnasional Express. From here, hop on a local route bus to Masjid Tanah.

Tourist Attractions

Melaka Tropical Fruit Farm

Built on a 173 acres of land, the Melaka Tropical Fruit Farm is a great place for families to experience nature up close. It is well equipped with sport and recreational facilities for fun activities such as kayaking, fishing, mini zoo and accommodations. Managed by the Melaka Agriculture Development Sdn Bhd, it is one of the major agro-tourism drivers for the state with the most highly anticipated visiting time during the fruit season. During that period, visitors would be able to enjoy the variety of fruits available at the farm such as durian, duku, rambai, rambutan and many others.

Sungai Udang Recreational Forest

Another interesting place to visit when visitors are in Masjid Tanah is the Sungai Udang Recreational Forest, which is located about seven kilometers away from the town. Managed by the state’s Forestry Department, it is declared as a reserved area back in 1987 over 335 acres of forest. Being a lowland dipterocarp forest, it is home to many species of flora and fauna including several valuable timber plants. It is only launched as a recreational forest recently around 2005 as a brainchild of the chief minister back then, Mohd Ali Rustam. From the main entrance, visitors can immediately find an administrative center, food stalls, parking lots, walking trail, camping site, resting hut, fishing spots, playgrounds and other facilities which are spread out through the forest’s four main zones. There is no entrance fee being charged to the visitors and it is open daily from 7 am to 6 pm.

Hotels

The Orchard Wellness & Health Resort

A well-decorated and luxurious five-star hotel situated in Jalan Solok Uban. Located close to some of the highly visited tourist attractions of the state, it comes with a wide range of facilities and services such as television, bathtub, shower, minibar, in-room safe, spa, sauna, steam room, fitness center, health club, library, restaurant, snack bar, indoor and outdoor pools, money changer, concierge, medical services, meeting rooms and WiFi.