THE BOOK VILLAGE

One day, we took a wrong turn on the road and ended up at an unexpected building. We drove on and on along a winding road amidst some lush greenery oblivious of where we were going to.

Then at the end of the road, we saw this building - KAMPUNG BUKU MELAKA (The Melaka Book Village).

I knew one existed somewhere in Melaka but not here in the Botanical Garden, Ayer Keroh! It is the only one in Malaysia after the first one in Langkawi closed last year. It was officially opened on April 9th 2007. The children and I were excited when we entered the building, because there were many books - old and new - for sale and also could be read in the cool, air-con rooms. I think it is a good idea to have the book village in such an environment. The area is popular for joggers and picnickers who could stop by and browse at the many books displayed. Unfortunately when we were there, there were very few visitors. Maybe it is not widely advertised. At the end of the visit, we bought several books - three old novels and a couple of new craft books. Must visit the Book Village again!