Malaysia Travel Blog – Port Dickson

Port Dickson has always been a perennial attraction for locals in need of a convenient holiday spot. Fondly referred to as ‘PD’, this quiet coastal town is located just 32 km away from Seremban and 80 km away from Kuala Lumpur.

This makes it a very accessible sea-side destination, nearer than other beaches for city-folks from the Klang Valley. In addition, PD’s beaches are not confined to a single spot, but the whole length of the road that runs along the coastline to PD are potential beach-side relaxation areas.

Activities At Port Dickson:

Beaches
The stretch of beaches starts from Port Dickson town all the way down to Pasir Panjang in the south, which is roughly around 15 km long. Along this long stretch are many popular spots for swimming, sun-bathing and water sports. Most of the hotels and resorts are located from 2nd-8th Miles but a few are scattered further down.

Different beaches offer different kinds of recreational activities; such as water sports such as jet-skiing, canoe riding and parasailing; nature-based activities such as bird watching and jungle-trekking; as well as angling for saltwater fish and crabbing.

Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is located at the 10th Mile from Port Dickson town, and is one of Port Dickson’s more quiet and peaceful beaches. Sheltered by two capes, a narrow road takes you into this short stretch of beach where a few resorts and guest bungalows provide homely accommodation. The right area of the beach is where most of the visitors go to, while on the left side the beach gradually fades into a swampy area as part of the Cape Rachado forest reserve.

The beach is usually clean and the waters are nice and warm. During the night and at low tide, the shores off the cape on the right side of the beach provide some good hunting ground for crabs. The seas waters melt away at low tide and reveal hundreds of tunnels in the murky sand, which provide some good fun for spearing crabs for the barbeque pit at night.

Bagan Pinang
The Bagan Pinang beach is a popular and convenient location for most visitors, located between 2nd – 4th miles, making it near the town area. Most of the resorts and hotels are also located in this area. Bagan Pinang is a large and wide expanse of sand that stretches for a few kilometers, and many couples and families enjoy strolling in this area.

Somewhere towards the end of Bagan Pinang is a small mangrove swamp, where an area of rocks is revealed during low tide. Many people come here to look for mussels and crabs and you can walk across the rocks and marvel the scenery. This is also a popular spot for fishing. During the mornings and evenings, you can see fishermen casting their lines from rods or nets into the waters.

Teluk Kemang
Teluk Kemang is Port Dickson’s most popular beach located between miles 7-8. The beach has a wealth of facilities, with shower bays, souvenir shops, car parks and food stalls scattered evenly along the sand. The beach is covered with fine orange sand and dotted with plenty of coconut and casuarina trees. This beach also attracts a high volume of visitors on the weekends so it’s often a party atmosphere!

Teluk Kemang is also the place to go if you’re looking for water sports. You can rent jet skis, speed boats and canoes from operators along the beach. A new attraction is the ‘banana boat’, where a speedboat tows a large and long banana-shaped float that has a group of people perched on it. It provides for some real splashing fun especially when people fall off it

Tanjung Tuan
Tanjung Tuan is also known as Cape Rachado, named after a naval battle between Portuguese and Dutch forces during colonial times. A light house sits on top of a hill on the cape, and is still functional today. The whole cape is actually a forest reserve, with a mix of coastal jungle and mangrove swamps. Nature is at its richest here, and an amazing array of migratory birds can be spotted flying in the air.

Besides watching eagles and kites soar in the sky, there are jungle trails for visitors to follow, enabling them to see the flora and fauna of a coastal forest. The trails also lead to a beautiful unspoilt beach. It is because you need to walk through the jungle to get to the beach that not many come here. However, the sight that greets you at the end of the trail is simply amazing.

The waters are almost crystal clear and an array of rocks landscapes the area. Many trees provide shade and the waves gently lap the shore. Over here, you can swim in complete tranquillity and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, surrounded by pristine natural sights. Between September and March, bird-watchers will have a field day observing migratory birds make their way to and from Sumatra.

Telok Pelandok
Telok Pelandok is located much further down South from Tanjung Tuan. The waters are a little murky, and the beaches are not made of fine white sand, but harsh gravel and pebbles. Some people do swim in these waters as they are deep, much deeper than the beaches nearer to Port Dickson town.

The main attraction of Telok Pelandok is actually the fishing. Here, you can walk to a wooden bridge on stilts that connect to a tiny mangrove island. From the beach or bridge, avid anglers can fish to their heart’s delight for fishes such as cod, cat fish and sting rays. Many local fishermen also park their boats here and repair their nets in wooden huts.

Getting There:

Port Dickson can easily be reached by car, cab or bus from Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway. At the Seremban turn-off, a separate expressway links the main highway to Port Dickson, which enables you to reach the town in a matter of minutes.Alternatively, you can take the trunk road from Seremban which will allow you to see many country-side sights.