Is there any truth to the talk that Port Dickson will soon have a water theme park?

A water theme park will be built by the private golf resort operator of Palm Springs near Tiara Beach Resort.
We approved the project. We were informed by the operator that the park will be for the exclusive use of clients at the resort.

Are there enough hotels rooms in Port Dickson to cater to tourists?

Definitely the room availability is sufficient and sometimes exceeds the actual demand

Is there is any mega project coming up in Port Dickson very soon?

A commercial hub costing RM1.8 billion will be completed in 2014.It will have a hypermarket, office spaces, shop lots, a convention centre, a medical centre, hotels, a private college, an international school, a theme park, factory outlets and apartments facing the beach.
And there will be a landmark project called Hibiscus Chalet, in which Menteri Besar Incorporated will be involved. It will become an icon for Port Dickson. The complex will be built at Mile 15 of Jalan Teluk Kemang. The chalet units will be arranged to look like hibiscus flowers.

Read the full interview here

.

Unknown to many, the Port Dickson Legend Water Chalet Resort changed it’s brand name to Lexis. It is now referred to as Lexis, Port Dickson. There was no official announcements or publicity that I was aware of despite me being a resident of Port Dickson. Name changes however are not an uncommon practice with Hotels and Resorts in Port Dickson.

Many Hotels changes their name after a few years and I never know the reasons why. Some says those hotels have run into financial difficulties so they register a new name and operate under another management. With these changes creditors will have no way of gong after them. However, according to my friends who has dealings with these Hotels, the new management will usually honour the previous management’s debts. Only it will take a long time for them to settle fully.

Lexis Port Dickson

Back to Lexis Port Dickson. Except the name and management, nothing seems to have changed. All the facilities and staffs have been retained and even improved. Lexis Port Dickson like the previous Legend Port Dickson consists of 283 unique seafront resort rooms facing the Straits of Malacca. It is now managed by the Lexis Group Of Hotels & Resorts, an established hotel operator in Malaysia since 1994.

It is easily accessible via the North-South Expressway and is about an hour’s drive (100 KM) from Kuala Lumpur.

The newly completed chalets adjacent to the main building seems to be ready for occupation. Rumours has it that all the units have been sold out. Most of them are investors from overseas like Singapore and the Middle East. Security seems to be tight and the whole area has been walled up with 24 hour security cameras looking over every corner.

Hop in to the Lexis Port Dickson for a look see the next time you are in Port Dickson.

Collecting Sea Shells When The Tide Is Low In Port Dickson Is Lots Of Fun.

Those who have never stayed by the sea or those who has no interest will not know the day and time when the tide is at the highest. The surprising thing is most people do not even know when the sea rises and fall according to tides. When the sea is mentioned, the impression they get a a vast ocean of water when they can just jump in and enjoy themselves.

Things To Do When The Tide Is Low In Port Dickson

When the tide is low in Port Dickson, visitors have to walk at least half a mile to reach the water. Even then, the water quality will not be at it’s best. So swimming in low tide is not enjoyable.

There are however, things that you can enjoy yourself by the beach while waiting for the tide to come in. There are thousands of sea shells to be collected. There are millions of tiny sand crabs that you can chase after. There are sand castles to be built.

Believe me, it is plenty of fun to be in Port Dickson even when the tide is low.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Port Dickson

In school you would have learned that the tides rises and fall in tandem with the moon. When you can see the moon is full or when you cannot see the moon at all, that will be the time when the tide is the highest.

The best way that I know of without having to check Internet for the tides in Port Dickson is by checking the Lunar Calender. The first day of each lunar month is the time when we cannot see the moon and the 15th is the day when the moon is at the fullest. The tide starts rising 2 days prior to these days and starts going down 2 days after.

So in all you have 10 good days in any given month which the Tide is at the high. Two days before and after the first of the Lunar month and two days before and after the Fifteenth.

These days will be the best time to visit Port Dickson.

Though not a choice destination, it makes no harm to go take a peek, just to fulfill your curiosity as to how a Marina looks like.

Many years ago, the Admiral Marina was part of the tour itinerary for the Coral Princess, one of the cruise ships owned by the Genting Group. It has a one night stopover before heading for Singapore. This however has been discontinued due to reasons unknown to me.

Like all beach resorts, Admiral Cove offers the usual facilities and recreation. Being a more elite setup however, the rooms are better furnished. All rooms are equipped with 32″ LCD TVs, Avi spa guest amenities and many more that are only found in 4 star resorts and above.

A concept unique only to Admiral Marina Cove is the Sailor’s Drink Shop which is actually a pub which overlooks the full view of the Marina where all the luxurious yachts are berthed. Yacht owners can have their drinks gloat over or boast about each other’s yachts.

Admiral Marina Cove is situated along the 5th. Mile Port Dickson Coast Road about 3 minutes after Tanjung Tuan Resort.

Nightlife In Port Dickson

Sad but true, nightlife in Port Dickson Town itself is non existent. There isn’t a single pub or lounge in town where you can unwind. In fact, there is not even a cinema complex in PD. Those who wants some action heads for Seremban about 40 kilometers away. Others who can afford the exorbitant charges will simply go to the lounges opened in most of the Resorts or Hotels in Port Dickson. Most provide quality entertainment with in house band or singers.

For those looking for some cruder entertainment, they will go to a nearby town called Lukut where there are a couple of karaoke outlets. However, gang fights are quite frequent in places like these and you will not feel very safe.

Development in Port Dickson Town

In all my life if staying in Port Dickson, the town center has not taken much of a change. The most significant change happened as long 20 years ago when the State government decided to reclaim the sea surrounding the edge of the town. There was big ambitions then but the project failed to take off after the reclamation and many efforts to revive the project did not succeed.

The Duty Free Zone In Port Dickson

It was only quite recently that the Government announce that Port Dickson will have a duty free zone that the re-claimed land finally saw some revival. Constructions of shop houses in the land is at present going full steam and words has it that those shop lots are selling like hot cakes with many investors from the outer states anticipating good returns once the duty free zone is in operation.

Buildings In Port Dickson Town

Other than that, there is much constructions going around PD Town. Shops that I have visited when I was in Standard one are still standing, though the owners have changed hands many times. There are still pre-war building.

I do not know if it is true, but people say tall buildings are not allowed in Port Dickson town. The local council will not approve any building that exceeds 4 storeys. The idea is not to turn Port Dickson into another concrete jungle. Thus, the only tall building visible in town is the Police Headquarters.

Port Dickson Railway Station.

No more trains comes to Port Dickson anymore. The town’s train services used to be quite busy when I was a little boy. The railway stretches right to the Port Dickson jetty where ships will unload their goods trains will ferry those goods to where-ever it is destined for. Somehow for reasons that I do not know, these activities just stopped.

The railways also connects to the 2 oil refineries in Port Dickson and refined fuel used to be transported by rail. That too came to a stop many years ago. As it is, the railway tracks are still there but have been badly vandalized with many parts of the railways stolen and sold to scrap dealers.

The colonial era train station still stands though and credit has to be given to the KTM for still maintaining and operating the office. It is manned by a one man staff and those who wants to pre-book train tickets can still do so there but they will have to embark in Seremban.

The train station is easily the oldest building in Port Dickson and you can still see some rare items from the colonial times there.

The Port Dickson Harbor and Jetty

When I was a little kid, the harbor jetty was already in operation. The oil refineries which does not have their own jetties will rely on this only jetty to transport their crude. Ships and giant oil tankers can be seen anchored there daily and it was quite a fascinating sight. Somehow security was not so strict then and we were free to wonder to the harbor to view those majestic tankers.

Things changed when the refinery built their own jetties. Oil tankers stopped coming and the harbor slowly became deserted.

Ferry Services From Port Dickson Town To Indonesia

Many of you might not know, but there is a ferry service from Port Dickson to Indonesia. The journey takes about 2 hours and is frequently used by Indonesians wanting to return home or entering Malaysia. During weekends or holidays, there are also many tourist who takes the ferry for a visit to this neighboring country.

More about Port Dickson later.

The Regency Tanjung Taun Beach Resort is one of the oldest beach resort in Port Dickson. Also located along the 5th. Mile Coast Road or Jalan Pantai, The Regency is the only Resort in PD that sports the Minangkabau look that is unique to traditional buildings in Negeri Sembilan. Immediately opposite is the Army Quarters where most of the troops in Port Dickson are housed.

Offering apartment style living with living room dining area and a dry kitchen, all units faces the sea and has a private balcony where guests can sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery at their own comfort. In all there are 230 fully furnished apartments of various sizes ranging from 1 room to 4 rooms. Like all Beach Resorts in Port Dickson, facilities like Conference Rooms, Restaurants and other Beach Side fun activities are available.

The Regency Tanjung Tuan Beach Resort is easily reached if you are travel using the North South Highway. make the exit at EXIT 219 Seremban – Port Dickson. After paying the toll, turn right to enter the Seremban – Port Dickson Highway. Drive until you come to a traffic junction, turn right and drive through the Army camp. At the end of this road, you will come to another traffic junction. Make a left turn, drive for another 5 to 10 minutes and you should see The Regency on your right.

It is not far away and just after another popular beach resort, the Bayu Beach Resort. Bookings can be made online by searching for The Regency Tanjung Tuan Beach Resort Port Dickson using Google Search.

Many from the outer states do not know this, but Bayu Beach Resort has one of the finest stretch of beach in Port Dickson. The sand is fine and white, coupled with the fact that Bayu Beach Resort makes efforts to maintain the cleanliness of the beach makes it even more pleasant for their guests.

Located at the 5th. Mile, spoken in Port Dickson slang, the Bayu Beach Resort can be easily found as the whole building sits by the roadside. For those traveling from Port Dickson Town, pay attention to the right hand side of the road after you have driven for more or less 5 mils from town. If you are coming from the Seremban – PD highway, make the exit at the Army camp junction, make your way to the end of the road where it joins up with the Port Dickson Coast Road. Turn right and you will see Bayu Beach Resort within a minute.

Bayu Beach Resort has a 3 star rating with various kind of rooms and facilities available. In all there are 228 rooms made up of Studio Rooms, Family Deluxe and Deluxe Rooms of One, Two and Three Bedroom. Promotion packages are also available year round for special occasions like honeymooning, anniversaries and so on.

Booking and reservations can be made online. use You can find their site by typing in “Port Dickson Bayu Beach Resort” in Google Search.

When the name Port Dickson is mentioned the first thing that comes to mind will be the sea and the beaches. For those who has not visited the place, the infamous beaches are in fact located away from Port Dickson town. Though Port Dickson town is indeed sitting smack facing the Straits Of Melaka, it is not the proper place for recreation. You can sit and watch the sunset, but when it comes to taking a dip or enjoying the sand, you will have to leave town to where the action is.

Cape Racardo Lighthouse located 12 miles from Port Dickson Town

Port Dickson Beaches

Holiday beaches in Port Dickson starts about 4 kilometers from town. Beach locations are named in a very unique way, used and understood by local folks only. It is named according to the distance from PD town in miles. So if you are looking for some beaches that you have heard off and the locals tells you that it is in the 5th mile, then it means, it is located 5 miles from Port Dickson town along the Coast Road or officially known as Jalan Pantai. The most well known and most popular is simply known as 8th. mile. So if you ask for directions using Malay, ask for “Batu Lapan”. If you ask in Mandarin, say, “Ba In Li”

Like said, from the 4th kilometer onwards or roughly the 2nd Mile as we local calls it, white sandy beaches can be seen on the right from the road you are traveling. As the name suggest, this is the Coast Road, so the road meanders along the coast line of the Straits Of Melaka.

From 2nd Mile onwards, there are places to enjoy yourself right up to the 12th. Mile if you know or care to ask for the way.

Port Dickson Hotels.

Naturally, being a holiday destination, there are many Hotels in Port Dickson ranging from 2 stars to 5 star hotels. Some of the most sought after hotels during holidays are the Glory Beach Hotel, The Corus Paradise Hotel, The Regency Hotel, The Bayu Beach Resorts, Tiara Beach Resort Hotel, Avillion and many more.

Rates and services differ and most of the hotels have their own websites so if you want to book, all you have to do is to search for these hotels by name using Google and you should easily find them.

Port Dickson Budget Hotels

Budget Hotels have been sprouting up in Port Dickson in the recent 2 years or so. It is a trend that is catching up as many budget travelers do not fancy staying in classy hotels that makes a dent to their budget.

At the last count, there are at least 8 budget hotels in and around Port Dickson Town. That is not inclusive of those that re located along the coast where most holiday seeker go.

Rates are of course very affordable, starting from as low as less than 60nringgit plus plus to over hindered ringgit for bigger rooms.

Port Dickson Beach Resorts.

Besides the many hotels, there are also many Beach Resorts in Port Dickson. Most of these resorts are condo styled for small families and when they were built, the developers opened these condos for sale to the public. many who has the money invested in one or two units and they make good returns by renting out their units on weekends.

Port Dickson Water Chalets

The oldest and most famous water chalets in Port Dickson is the Avillion Water Chalets. They are called water chalets because the single storey chalets sits in the middle of the sea on stilts. Staying in such a chalet has a thrill of it’s own and thus it has become a very popular concept.

The latest addition to this kind of living is the Legend Water Chalet. Owned and developed by an international hotel group, the Legend Water Chalets offers some totally different feature. Apart from standing in the middle of the sea, the chalets has a see-through floor that lest you see right through so you can watch the fishes in the sea below you.

Port Dickson Sea Food Restaurants

When in Port Dickson, do not have the impression that since this is a coastal town, the sea food is bound to be fresh. As there are many so many restaurants and catches by local fisherman are limited, many restaurants in Port Dickson have no choice but to import their sea food from other states.

That is however not to say that these sea food are not fresh, but it will be almost the same with what you get in other places and not exceptionally fresh as in just out of the sea.

As in many other holiday destinations, be wary of some Restaurants when you make your order. There are some unscrupulous restaurateurs that has no business ethics and out to make a quick buck, especially when Port Dickson is jammed packed with hungry holiday seekers during holidays.

Do not be shy to ask for the price of each item you order if the restaurants do not have a menu. When settling, insist for a itemized bill. Double check to make sure you have not been taken for a ride.

There have been many reports of restaurants cheating on their customers in Port Dickson and thatis not good publicity at all.

Port Dickson Is Still The Best And Most Economical

Having said all that, I still think Port Dickson still offers the best value for money if you were to take a one day picnic trip with your family. From the capital city of Kuala Lumpur or Selangor, it is only a 1 1/2 hours drive. Like wise for those who are traveling from Melaka.

If you bring your own food and drinks for your picnic by the sea, it will not cost you more than a hundred ringgit for a one day trip for the whole family. Barring any shopping sprees of course, but then honestly, there is not much shopping to do in Port Dickson except for those souvenir stalls you see by the beach.

Corus Paradise Resort Port Dickson

One of the prime resorts in Port Dickson is the Corus Paradise. Located just about 4 km away from Port Dickson town, this beach resort, on it’s whole sits by the sea along the best stretch of coastline along the beaches of Port Dickson. If viewed from the main entrance, Corus Paradise might not look too promising. Once you enter the lobby, it takes a whole new atmosphere with the sea breeze blowing right in.

Consisting of 200 rooms including suites, guests are pampered by various facilities saunas and steam baths. There are also Tennis Courts, Squash Courts and Gym for the more active.

For food lovers there is a coffee house called Dickson’s which serves Asean and Continental cuisine. For relaxation and entertainment, the Rhapsody Lounge where you will be entertained by the resident band and indulge yourself with beers and cocktails.

Corus Paradise is easily accessible if you have already landed yourself in Port Dickson Town. Take the Coast Road or Jalan Pantai. Keeping at 12 0′clock without making any turns, you will, after 3.5 km see the oldest school on Port Dickson, the Sekolah Tinggi Port Dickson on your left. Corus Paradise is about walking distance away from the school, sitting on the right.

During long weekends, Corus Paradise is usually full occupied and parking your cars can become a nightmare.  As the parking bays within the Resort is limited, many guests are forced to park their vehicles by the road side. It is rather inconvenient not to mention parking summons you  might get if the local traffic police decides not to be forgiving on that day.

So if you plan for an enjoyable stay in the Corus Paradise Resort Port Dickson, make sure you check in early to get a good parking spot within the Resort.

Le Paris Bowling Alley

Le Paris Hotel And Resort in Port Dickson was once more known as Cost Rica Hotel. In fact, the big neon sign on the top of the building still remains as Costa Rica. The word is, Le Paris is the hotel while Costa Rica manages the holiday apartment.  Le Paris Hotel and Costa Rica Apartment has 4 star facilities with 316 rooms for holiday seekers.

Located also along the Port Dickson – Seremban trunk road, Le Paris Hotel and Resort is about 2 kilometer away from the Port Dickson town center. It was one of the favorite destination for soft entertainment for local folks like me as there  is a bowling alley that was opened to the public. So on weekends, we go for a game or two of bowling before having a few drinks.

Though still in operation with quite a good occupancy rate on weekends, Le Paris fortunes seem to have taken a dip in recent years mainly due to the stiff competition from newer resorts that offers more facilities.  Furthermore, the beaches along the Resort is not as attractive as other places and sea sporting activities are quite limited.

The easiest way to find Le Paris Hotel is to land yourself in Port Dickson Town. From town, find the Police Headqurters and almost 1km away from the Police Headquarters, keep an eye on your left. Le Paris is half hidden behind a row of shops with the oldest Catholic Church in PD on your right. You should easily spot it as the building rises up majestically from amongst all the houses around it.  Remember that on top of the building the sign displayed is still Cost Rica and not Le Paris