Port Dickson, Malaysia

Port Dickson, Malaysia (or PD to locals) is a coastal, resort town in Negeri Sembilan about 90 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur. It has some great beaches and, thanks to this and the Port Dickson location close to KL and Kuala Lumpur International Airport. it’s a popular tourist destination. It’s also very easy to reach from Singapore.

Spreading from Port Dickson town in either direction is a lovely coastal area with many beaches, calm seas and plenty of nature to enjoy.

The most popular places in the Port Dickson area are Teluk Kemang beach, Blue Lagoon and Bagan Pinang.

There are also other Port Dickson attractions beyond the beaches but these are the prime drawcard. All the popular beach areas have a range of accommodation, restaurants and other services perfect for any Port Dickson trip.

Below, we tell you the history of Port Dickson before sharing everything you need to know for an excellent Port Dickson holiday with all the best in Port Dickson!

A holiday in Port Dickson is one of our favourites thanks to great food, nice beaches and really amazing accommodation.

History

Port Dickson was first known as “Arang” meaning charcoal which used to be produced in the area from a carbon mine. At this time, it was a small, Malay coastal village with fisherman and traders. It was also known as “Tanjung” which means “Cape” in Malay due to its geographic position.

Later, in the 1820s, tin ore was mined in Lukut in the Port Dickson area, which lead to many Chinese migrants arriving in the area.

The British could see the potential of Port Dickson as a harbour and a retreat and, in the 1880s, the name changed to Port Dickson thanks to the British High Officer, Sir John Frederick Dickson who was posted here at the time. 

Port Dickson was a strategic location on the straits of Malacca between China and India. A seaport was built along with a railway line to what is now Seremban to make the most of this harbour.

It was a success and the area started growing into what it is today.

Port Dickson no longer relies on iron ore or trading and instead Port Dickson tourism plays a major role in the area although it is still a popular harbour for yachts. 

Originally, the British were the first to visit Port Dickson for a Port Dickson vacation. However, over time it became a popular place for locals to holiday and by the 1980’s, it was a very popular spot with many visitors from Malaysia and Singapore enjoying the Port Dickson sea.

Then more competition arrived from other destinations in Malaysia like Cherating and Tioman Island and Port Dickson went into decline until 2007. At this time, the government along with local authorities worked on a massive clean up of the area to keep the beaches clean. Port Dickson as we know it today was born.

Today, our Port Dickson review finds a lovely seaside area with a small Port Dickson city and then many beaches in both directions up and down the coast. There is a wide range of accommodation for all budgets like the fabulous Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson and there are many places in Port Dickson to relax, chill and enjoy the beach.

Port Dickson Attractions

Port Dickson has some great places to visit from the beaches to temples to an Army Museum and more. Read about them below.

Port Dickson Accommodation

There is a great range of accommodation in Port Dickson from luxury resorts with private pools to cheap options on the beach or in Port Dickson town. Find our guides below.

Port Dickson Travel

Port Dickson is easy to get to from anywhere in Malaysia or Singapore. It’s also very close if you are flying into Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Read our detailed guides to how to travel to Port Dickson from Kuala Lumpur/KL Airport or Singapore.

If you are coming from elsewhere in Malaysia, Seremban is the gateway to Port Dickson. From here you can catch a local bus. There is more information about this in the following guides.

You can find more information on other destinations in Malaysia across this site.