Melaka Duck Tours — Attraction in Malacca

Paid RM52 per person for this:

No clear direction to pick up point despite asking multiple times. Counter staff just vaguely pointed in a direction and said “in front”. With my elderly mum so no idea how far we should walk and in what direction, and we don’t want her to walk too much unnecessarily. Had to walk back to ask the counter staff again after walking for 5 min and seeing no signage. She then repeated what she said previously and said “at the ladder.” No idea what that was but finally saw a yellow ladder with wheels and a cone that had the words “Duck Tour” scrawled on it.

Climbed up the stairs and realised seats were pre-allocated on a first come first serve basis. We ended up getting seats in the middle and no window seats.

“Tour” was a recording in Malay, Chinese and English that was played during the journey over the vehicle’s loudspeakers. However, the spluttering engine was so loud that no one could really make out what was being said besides a a few words here and there. The timing of the audio was also not consistent with the “sights” that we were passing.

The driver seemed intent on getting us through the heavy traffic to the water, sounding his horn loudly several times. When we were in the water, the boat was not balanced in terms of passenger weight and was tilted to one side throughout the journey.

When we were far out into the Straits of Malacca, the engine started overheating and a lot of smoke was produced. One of the staff noticed and informed the driver who then turned and headed us back to shore without. There, the vehicle stopped and we were told to get off without properly informing us of the situation.

There was no service recovery. They chartered cars to take us back to the pick up point and then said bye to us. No mention of refund, no apology, no explanation for what happened.

Last but not least, there were no proper safety measures besides old life jackets being strapped to the top of the vehicle. No explanation of what we should do in the event of an emergency or crisis. And the vehicle looked like it had not been serviced or maintained for decades.

It was an adventure… but probably not worth the time and money and anxiety thinking that my elderly mum may drown should the vehicle sink in the water.

I only read the reviews while searching the web to locate the pick up point. Had I known, I would not have taken this trip. Hope this review helps others.

Board at your own risk.

[Additional note: We checked our credit card bill later and realise we were not billed for this. I am guessing the company decided to refund us...

The boat ride was a letdown and certainly not worth the dosh. The entire journey was both sweltering and noisy due to the clapped-out engine, which roared loudly, making the audio recording barely audible. To add, the English explanations were riddled with errors and poorly structured sentences, making it a poor educational resource for school children. If offered limited views, with the mosque being the most notable sight amidst the dreary expanse of the sea. When the boat hit the road, it moved at a snail's pace. Considering the high ticket prices, the whole experience felt like a bit of a rip-off. For a more enjoyable and cost-effective outing, consider exploring other river cruise options in Melaka that offer panoramic views without breaking the bank. However, if you fancy giving an amphibious vessel a whirl and don't mind the limited views, you might find it worth a punt. That said, if I were you, I might try other hovercrafts in different locations for a potentially...

What The Duck! We arrived at the counter around 4.40pm and someone with a blank face expression told us that the last ride would be at 5.30pm and NOT guaranteed as the 'duck' would only move if a total number of 15 passengers were met. Like, somehow these other passengers would miraculously appear? Fine, so we returned to the counter by 5.30pm, and was then told that the duck had a physical breakdown somewhere and proceeded to refund us. Tickets are far expensive than River Cruise by the way. We did ask when would be the best time to catch the ride with enough passengers and all she said was "No idea". Seriously?

To those who are still keen to ride on one of those cool amphibious boat vehicle, maybe try the newer one...