When I visited Singapore I stayed at the Fullerton Hotel, a 5-star luxury haven centrally located on Marina Bay.  I "felt" safe within the large crowds, ritzy architecture, and clean city, and indeed no adverse events occurred to me.  After three days in Singapore, I took a two day trip to Malacca, a small Malaysian town rich in history and culture.  Upon arriving in Malacca, my first reaction was that the place "looked" unsafe.  Looking back, this was probably due to Malacca's sharp contrast with Singapore, a global city boasting skyscrapers, beautiful buildings, and upscale shops.  On the other hand, Malacca is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its historical icons and preservation of traditional Malaysian culture.  
           My visit to Malacca went without incident and I had a wonderful time.  When I got home, I did some research on the safety of Malacca.  Unfortunately I couldn't mind many statistics or hard data, but a quick Google search, the consensus seems to be that Malacca is relatively safe.  Below is a sampling, the first two hits after searching for "how safe is malacca."  They echo what many other sources said.  

           An incoming PhD candidate to Northwestern’s Materials Science and Engineering program, ecstatic at the prospect of fiddling with polymers and biomaterials, I may fit the profile of a stereotypical “nerd.”  I’m also a 20-something girly-girl though, so when planning a trip to Singapore, I thought I’d go on shopping sprees and return with novel fashion items.  Instead, I did next to no shopping but found plenty of attractions, i.e. unique architectural achievements, that delighted the nerd in me.  

           When I vacationed in Singapore and Malaysia, I chose to visit a disproportionately high number of religious sites.  By disproportionate I don’t mean that tourists shouldn’t or never go to the places I went to, but they weren’t necessarily the area’s main attractions.  In Singapore, I spent the better part of one day exploring a Buddhist temple and two Hindi temples, when I could have been shopping on the famed Orchard Street.  In Malacca, my hotel provided a tourist map and the words “mosque,” “temple,” and “church” kept piquing my interest.  I understand I have a quirky propensity for religious sites, but believe they can be a great way to get to know a region – no matter what your personal beliefs.  

Related Itinerary:  Singapore and Malaysia, June 2013: Singapore – Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 | Malaysia – Day 4, Day 5 

My three days in Singapore and two days in Malaysia were well-organized and well-spent, but there's even more still to do!  Also, I discuss some minor logistical issues that might have made the trip more efficient.  

Summary: I had the morning in Malacca before catching a 1:20pm bus back to Singapore, so decided to explore some less-advertised tourist sites.  Having seen the World Heritage historical sites and downtown area the previous day, I chose to visit the Malacca Strait Mosque and shop at the Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall.

Summary: Malacca (also Melaka) is about 4-5 hours by bus from Singapore - even longer with traffic - and I woke up super early to catch an 8am bus.  It did not pick up from my hotel in Singapore but dropped me off at Hotel Equatorial in Malacca, where I was staying.  After dropping my stuff off it was past noon, and I proceeded to see the UNESCO World Heritage historical sites, explore the downtown area, and take a Melaka River Cruise at night.

Summary: I’m sure anyone who read my Day 1 and Day 2 itineraries will understand why I was a bit tired this morning – two back to back >12 hour days in >80F weather is pretty taxing.  At breakfast I was on a mission to rehydrate from the previous day's hiking, drinking four glasses of water and three glasses of juice (thanks Fullerton Hotel for the delicious juices).  My day didn't start until I caught a cab to Chinatown around 11:30am.  It was a day of religious places – I saw Sri Mariamman Temple and Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown and Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple in Little India.  They were all beautiful and, in my opinion, enjoyable no matter what your religious beliefs.

Summary: Probably my most strenuous day, I hiked the Southern Ridges and Mount Faber in 80-90F heat, with some uphill climbs, although the shade from trees helped.  In the early afternoon I explored a beach on Sentosa Island.  After a short break, I explored the sights around Singapore River and saw Cavenagh Bridge, Singapore's first and only suspension bridge.  My evening was spent around Marina Bay taking in the colorful lights, eating Singapore Chili Crab, watching the Marina Bay Laser Show, and eventually walking over to Gardens by the Bay to see the Supertree Grove at night.

Summary: I flew in around midnight and had my first glimpse of Marina Bay from the taxi ride, and it left an instant impression.  It was just. so. beautiful.  When daylight came it did not disappoint, with dazzling views in spite of the Singapore haze from Indonesian forest fires.  My first day was spent crossing Singaporean icons off my list – Merlion statue, Marina Bay, Marina Bay Sands, ArtScience Museum (lotus-shaped building, The Esplanade (durian-shaped building), and the Supertree Grove in Gardens by the Bay.  These are all located in the downtown core within close proximity of each other, but it’s still quite a walk to see them all, especially in the summer heat.  After lunch and a break, I briefly visited Chinatown.