Growing up reading Enid Blyton’s Famous Five adventures, I always
imagined that the Malaysian equivalent to those English seaside
locations could be found in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. Just 90
minutes’ drive away from Kuala Lumpur, Port Dickson had all the
necessary geographical landmarks for adventure: secluded beaches, a
lighthouse, mangrove swamps, jungle and more!
This seaside town
on the west coast of Malaysia was especially popular among
holiday-makers in the 1980s. Seaside beach houses were easy to rent to
accommodate entire families and although there wasn’t plenty else to do,
the refreshing air, the long, quiet beaches were enough to fill a
weekend getaway there. And for a little girl who spent most of her
school holidays there, it was the perfect place from which to cook up
great imaginary adventures!
The Early Years
For
many, Port Dickson would always be remembered as a beach destination.
Historically, though, it began as a small Malay fishing village and
trading post called Tanjung. There are some references to Port Dickson
as “Arang” as well, probably due to a small coal mine in the vicinity.
But Port Dickson really began to prosper during the time that a
high-ranking British officer by the name of Sir John Frederick Dickson
was posted there in the 1880s.
Leveraging on Arang’s industrial
boom and the surrounding area’s commercial potential, Dickson turned the
area into a deep-water port to serve ships from Singapore and Port
Klang, later adding on a railroad system of 39km to Sungai Ujong, or
what is now known as Seremban. The development of such an extensive
transportation infrastructure required the labour of many men, and the
British authorities brought in a workforce from India to fulfill this
ambition. The completion of the railroad system brought about a formal
name change from Tanjung to Port Dickson and boosted the town’s standing
as a major trading hub of spice, rice, tapioca, and tin, the last being
from Sungai Ujong.
It wasn’t long after that the existing
infrastructure and growth potential of Port Dickson began to attract the
interest of international oil giants the likes of Shell, who, in 1901,
set up its petroleum refinery there.
Seaside Charm
Despite
Port Dickson’s economic transformation, it was the calming breeze of
the sea that really brought the public to its shores. The charm of a
seaside resort – and one that was just a mere 1 ½ hours away from Kuala
Lumpur – easily won the hearts of many hardened city dwellers. Even
today, many still prefer a quick drive to Port Dickson to enjoy a
weekend away from the city traffic.
The choice of hotels,
restaurants and things to do are wide and varied compared to several
decades ago, and this is thanks to the Government’s effort to upgrade
the facilities and services there. Over the years, heavy investments
have been channeled into Port Dickson, elevating it into a resort town
with five-star hotel accommodations, spa facilities, and park and
recreational centres. A major highway was constructed in the 1990s to
shorten the travel time between Seremban and Port Dickson, the 30-minute
drive offering a breezier alternative to Federal Route 53.
Tourism
promotions have also leveraged on Port Dickson as a bird watching
paradise. The small town’s population swells each year during the Raptor
Watch weekend (usually the first weekend of March), a festival by
Malaysian Nature Society, to celebrate the return of the migratory birds
of prey or better known as raptors on their journey back to their
breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere.
Stretching over 18km
of the Negeri Sembilan coastline, Port Dickson has many beaches – some
popularly frequented by the locals and others still a secret from many.
One of the better ones is Pantai Cahaya Negeri (between 5th and 6th mile
of the coastal road) with its fine white sands. For further
explorations, take the wooden footbridge to the nearby mangrove island.
Hugely popular is Pantai Teluk Kemang with its orange-hued sands and
wide expanse of beach – great for strolls, kite-flying and camping. A
nearby park, shopping and food stalls complete the facilities here.
On Dry Land
There
are several worthy attractions around Port Dickson to fill up a
visitor’s weekend. Cape Rachado, also known as Tanjung Tuan, is a
historic lighthouse, forest reserve with secluded
beaches and patches
of mangrove swamps, a bird watching spot, and in 1606, the site of a
significant naval battle between the Dutch and Portuguese.
The PD
Ostrich Show Farm and Aquarium located at the 9th mile of the Port
Dickson beach road would be a fascinating and educational visit for
children. Besides ostrich, the farm also has a large number of peacocks,
pheasants, jungle fowls, monkeys and farm animals. Visitors can ride
and feed the ostriches for a fee, while at the restaurant, they can try
some ostrich meat cooked a variety of ways.
For military buffs,
Port Dickson’s Army Museum is a great place to look at army regalia,
weapons, equipment, and even explore the insides of common military
vehicles. The outdoor premise has several decommissioned military
vehicles on display, while the indoor museum has dioramas and exhibits
of Malaysia’s military history. Don’t miss exploring the underground
tunnel that replicates subterranean passageways used by soldiers in the
past.
Other equally interesting attractions at Port Dickson are
Wan Loong Temple which pays homage to oriental deities such as the
Goddess of Mercy and the Monkey King; the megalith stones and tombs of
ancient warriors at Pengkalan Kempas; Teluk Pelanduk where one can do a
spot of fishing from the wooden pier; and Fort Lukut Museum with
artifacts of the town’s tin mining days.
For evening
entertainment by the sea, nothing beats a nice spot at PD Waterfront,
the town’s lifestyle and food centre. Along its promenade are
sea-fronting restaurants and cafes, perfect to while away the last hours
of the day.
Modern Port Dickson has much more to offer, and in
some ways, much less, too. While progress had taken away some of the
charm that the older generation remember it for, the economic boom right
up to the end of the 1990s had spilled its fair share of wealth along
these touristic shores, making Port Dickson a worthy destination to
check out.
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