It always rings a bell, and if you’ve lived in Malaysia all your life then the name “Port Dickson” is no stranger to you. Despite the ongoing bad press and not so favourable publicity, Port Dickson (better known as PD) still remains as one of the nearest beach and holiday destinations for city folks.
Yes, you’d be surprised! Situated about 90km from Kuala Lumpur, the PD sea and beach sits along the Straits of Malacca, right smack in the state of Negeri Sembilan.
The coastal town is also home to many seafood restaurants which are usually jammed packed with hungry tourists and holiday seekers during peak seasons. Of course, there is that nagging perception that since the PD beaches aren’t exactly in best shape, it automatically means that the seafood is contaminated.
But the fact is, because there are so many different seafood restaurants in PD, and because the local fisherman’s catch are limited, many restaurants have no choice but to import their produce from other states. So, rest assured, PD is still the nearest and most affordable place to go to for fresh seafood!
Over the years, the town has also been put through a total makeover, and is now a busy trading centre. The rapid development and evolution brought in various hotels, beach resorts (Glory Beach Hotel, The Corus Paradise Hotel, The Regency Hotel, The Bayu Beach Resorts, Tiara Beach Resort Hotel), and water chalets (Avillion Water Chalets, Legend Water Chalets).
There’s also the newer five-star “Admiral Marina & Leisure Club“, which has good dock facilities for yacht travelers, sailboats and luxury cruisers. Live the good life of the rich and famous for one quick weekend? Oh, classy!
It might not seem like much but on its own, PD holds a large municipality with about 89,000 residents, on top of its holiday goer traffic. Until today, locals and adventurous Singaporeans alike still flock to PD because of its accessibility (it takes only an hour by car to travel from Kuala Lumpur to PD via the North-South Expressway).
Got a weekend to spare and limited budget? Say, this weekend? Why not take a drive down south to PD for a quick getaway? Though we wouldn’t advise taking a dip in the sea, PD reigns as one of the nearest beaches to have picnics or to watch the sunset.
For more information visit their website.