Should You Visit Port Dickson, Malaysia? An Honest Review
Published October 15, 2019
Some of my favorite trips have been to almost unheard-of places. For example, my weekend in Corozal, a tiny town in Belize, is one of my favorite travel memories of 2018. The quiet town of Hengchun in southern Taiwan is equally lovely. But not every small town is guaranteed to offer travelers the same level of charm. My recent weekend trip to Port Dickson in Malaysia was probably the most underwhelming trip I’ve taken in 2019.
Long story short, I was sort of disappointed by how run-down the area was. Port Dickson has dozens of massive resorts that are in disrepair and slowly falling apart. Others look like they are barely staying afloat. It’s as if Port Dickson was expected to be the next Cancún and a ton of money was invested, but no tourism boom ever happened (or it came and went very quickly). In addition, the beaches in the area were only okay.
However, Port Dickson (or PD) still had some good things to offer. If you’re considering a trip to this seaside town, read on to learn the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The Good
I’ll start with the things I enjoyed about my trip to Port Dickson.
Authentic Malaysia
Port Dickson is a uniquely Malaysian experience. Little details here and there will make it hard to forget that you’re in this beautiful and diverse country.
Food Worth Ranting About
All three of my trips to Malaysia so far have been defined by the amazing food I’ve had. Despite Port Dickson’s lackluster vibe, every meal I had here was top-notch. Even something as simple as fried rice (nasi goreng) is packed with flavor, and usually goes for one or two USD.
Most dishes are based on rice, but there’s also plenty of other Indian and Chinese options as well. The area also had a lot of seafood restaurants, but most of them seemed closed.
One recommendation: be sure to try the street food. This burger I ordered from a street stall (pictured below) was excellent; the patty was wrapped in a thinly-spread fried egg, and had a distinctly local flavor.
If you stick to local restaurants, food prices will be very affordable. I don’t think I ever paid more than 10 MYR (approx. 2.40 USD) for a meal.
Street Art
One last thing I enjoyed about Port Dickson was finding all the street art hidden in plain view. Don’t walk around with your nose buried in your phone or you might miss it!
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The Bad (And The Ugly)
The following are my biggest complaints about Port Dickson.
Empty Resorts
My biggest complaint about Port Dickson is all of the dilapidated resorts. While many looked open for business, their sprawling, empty parking lots revealed at most a couple of families staying in each one. I stayed at an Airbnb in a high-rise condo, and it was the same; most of the units appeared empty. Some units had windows missing and others looked abandoned, filled with debris. It appeared that maybe 10% of the apartments in the huge complex were occupied.
Other resorts were clearly just abandoned and left to slowly crumble. One on the main road looked like a grand structure when it was in operation, but seagulls were nesting in the swimming pool and nature was starting to take over its tall towers.
Obviously, none of this directly affected me, but it did make Port Dickson seem partially abandoned. Some could argue that it makes for an interesting vibe, but for me it just felt like a ghost town. I’m curious if it’s different during the high season. If you’ve been to Port Dickson and found it to be lively and upbeat, let me know about it in the comments below!
Wild Dogs
I’ve never experienced this on any trip I’ve taken before, but I guess it was a good lesson to learn because wild or feral dogs can honestly appear anywhere in the world. However, I had a pretty close encounter in Port Dickson.
I was walking along this beach when I noticed a ton of paw prints in the sand. I looked up and immediately saw a pack of dogs (at least 10 or 12) in the vicinity. They saw me too and were clearly not happy that I had walked into their territory. They ran towards me, barking. Three of them formed a semicircle around me. I slowly backed up one step at a time, and after about a minute or so, the entire pack decided to run off in another direction.
I was really lucky that the leaders of the pack decided not to bite, because I think all of them would’ve followed suit. It honestly could’ve ended in some serious injury and I’m glad I didn’t try to run (but it was also very clear in the moment that doing so would be a huge mistake). At another point in my journey, I saw a man being chased on a motorbike by a wild dog. Unfortunately, they appeared to be somewhat common in Port Dickson, so I recommend staying alert while walking and being prepared.
Encounters with wild dogs can happen at any time, and it’s something avid travelers should be prepared to deal with. I read this advice article after my close encounter; you might want to read it before you find yourself in a similar situation.
Downtown
The downtown of Port Dickson was one of my least favorite areas. I was expecting a quaint waterfront with local shops and restaurants. On the contrary, the waterfront is dominated by a Starbucks and a McDonald’s. There’s also a sad-looking strip mall with mostly vacant spaces. The water is nice enough if the weather is sunny, but the whole area just felt sort of melancholy.
It’s also very clear that a revitalization effort was made here maybe a few years ago, but that it never came to fruition. You can just see from street level that a ton of apartments and businesses are empty.
A little further away from the waterfront (in this general vicinity) looks a bit more traditionally Malaysian, but I was surprised to see that most restaurants and shops were closed at noon on a Monday and Tuesday. I still found a delicious meal from a food truck for lunch, but even this area felt unusually quiet for a town center.
Things That Were Okay
Here are some of the things about Port Dickson that I felt were neither amazing nor terrible.
Beaches
Most of the beaches in Port Dickson were nice enough, but in my opinion they don’t compare to others in the region. If you’re based in Vietnam and in search of stunning beaches, look no further than Phú Quốc Island. Since it’s a domestic flight from Ho Chi Minh City, flight tickets are frequently as low as 40 USD round-trip. Meanwhile, round-trip tickets to Kuala Lumpur are usually around 100 USD due to international taxes, etc.
Blue Lagoon and Cape Rachado Lighthouse
This particular beach and small hiking area with a lighthouse on Cape Rachado got good reviews online, but I was ambivalent about both. The weather was pretty cloudy when I visited, so I’m sure the Blue Lagoon would’ve been nicer on a sunny day. However, one thing I did enjoy was seeing the thousands of sand bubbler crabs here, which are fascinating to watch.
Similarly, I think I was expecting panoramic views from the Cape Rachado Lighthouse, which it did not offer. For one, the lighthouse is not open to the public, but also after dragging yourself uphill for twenty minutes or so, you’ll only get to see the lighthouse surrounded by pretty dense forest. Sunnier weather wouldn’t have really made a difference for this one.
The Lexis Hibiscus Resort
If you do a bit of Googling, you’ll see that the Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson is one of the main landmarks of the area. Check out this breathtaking image of the hotel, which of course enticed me to go check it out in person.
Here’s the good news: there is a rooftop bar that you can visit to see the flower even if you’re not staying at the hotel. But the bad news is that you’re not going to get a stunning picture like all the promotional images online (which are clearly taken from a plane, helicopter, or drone). The main building of the hotel is only 13 stories tall, so you’ll have to take a panorama and the picture won’t be great. This is the one I got.
The drinks at the bar were good but also fairly expensive at 32 MYR each (remember that most meals in town are less than 10 MYR).
In addition, this hotel just gave me the vibe that it was trying a bit too hard to be fancy. The actual units making up the flower have such a strange look to them; massive concrete walls separate each room from the next for privacy, but it just gives the place an almost industrial feeling. Although this was the one resort I saw that actually seemed to be full of guests, the whole thing just came off as a bit tacky to me.
Getting Around
Port Dickson is easily accessible by Kuala Lumpur International Airport. It’s about an hour by car without traffic, and expect to pay around 75 to 90 MYR per ride (using Grab).
Port Dickson is too spread out to walk, and as far as I could tell there was no public transportation. However, Grab operates in the area and it shouldn’t cost more than about 15 MYR to get from one end of the town to the other (as far south as Cape Rachado).
The Verdict
So, should you visit Port Dickson? I would say if it’s your first, second, or even third trip to Malaysia, try out another place first. Kuala Lumpur is a lot of fun, and Penang is another destination that has a lot to offer. However, if you’re spending an extended period of time in KL and need a change of pace for a day trip or weekend, PD could be a good option.
Have you been to Port Dickson? If you have, was it eerily empty when you went? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Thanks for checking out this post on Caffeinated Excursions!
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This post was published on Oct 15, 2019
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Port Dickson seems to be a place which was developed without proper planning to attract tourists to the area. The condos on the beach front looks there was no care of the coastline.
Oh man, what a shame. You can now file Port Dickson away with your travel experience stories, but it doesn’t sound like it’s worth spending the money to go to. Thanks for your honest review.
Love your honesty here and despite some setbacks and the cost of those drinks at the bar, Still doesn’t look like a bad area to go to but hopefully the flaws will be sorted out soon,.
I have only visited KL for business, but the food was amazing! There is a lot of Malaysia that I would like to explore – plus eat more food!
When I see street Art in this place, I thinking about the Phuket old town where a lot of street art. The local food look like our Thai food mix with indian food Great.
Bad experiences, run-down places, trips that are par below your expectations—-that’s all part of traveling. We have learned to appreciate all things bad and good in each places. All of them make the travel experience unique. I mean, no place is perfect anyway. I would like to still visit Port Dickenson if given the chance. 🙂
I’ve never been to Malaysia but Port Dickson reminds me of The Atlantic City during the Christmas. I had the worst experience during my visit. There was no festivity, the beaches and hotels were empty and the strip looked doomed. Though the local food looks quite delicious in your pictures.
First time hearing about Port Dickson and sad truth of buildings and resorts that were created to attract and boom with travelers but are getting ruined. The Lexis Hibiscus Resort looks amazing with surrounding blue waters.
Love your review!! I personally haven’t visited Port Dickson but Malaysia is an incredible country. I love how extremely diverse its culture is but yet people managed to keep harmony and peace between them. Second best thing about Malaysia is the food!!! I Loved the food.
I also like to visit places that are hidden gems. I don’t like typical tourist cities with a hundred things to see, I prefer smaller villages and towns. Port Dickson looks like such an authentic place I would like to visit. I like to taste local cuisine so I would definitely try Malaysian specialties there. Last but not least, I fell in love with the street art you showed! I especially like this fan eyed robot. 😀
I loved your honest reviews about Port Dickson. It is bad that they have constructed so many resorts and many of them are vacant. Also the local municipality do not control wild dogs which is very bad. But good to know that you found authentic Malaysia here and some cheap eats with lots of local food.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it here. I’ve got to admit, I personally like visiting places that aren’t overrun by tourists, but at the same time I do like a few creature comforts. The empty beaches and amazing food would certainly be a bonus for me, but there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to do, and that would drive me mental.
Emma | https://geekytourist.com
I’d never heard of this place but thanks for putting it out there. I’ll keep it in mind for later.
Wild dogs and empty abandoned resorts. Despite the kudos for food and the clearly outstanding street art, I think I shall be avoiding Port Dickson should I venture into Malaysia.
I agree that if you have been several times, it might be okay to visit. I haven’t been to Malaysia though so I probably wouldn’t go on my first trip. But the Lexis Hibiscus looks incredible and I love your food recs so that is a plus. But the dog thing…that is not cool. I’m glad you didn’t run but honestly, “don’t run” were the words our guide had us repeat a million times in the case of coming in contact with a puma in Patagonia. It’s not what you would think you would have to say to yourself over wild dogs!
I’ve been to Malaysia several times but for some reason have missed Port Dickson. The food does look great as has been our experience right through SE Asia but I think the east coast would be a priority for us next time. And yes sadly dogs are not looked after in this part of the world. I experienced a similar encounter with one in Bali when there was a rabies outbreak – no fun!
I have been to Port Dixon, years ago, and it was ok, but I was not overly impressed. I think the new hibiscus development has taken away a lot of business from other establishments. Hopefully, the rest of the town will improve in the future. But there are other much nicer places in Malaysia to go, as you say. The food is always a highlight and cheap. Drinks however are often pricey as it is a Muslim country. Love your honest review.
I don’t instantly think of Malaysian food when I think of the cuisines around the world that I love to dive into, but it does look like there’s some great dishes that I need to try. I’ve got to say, in the realm travel blogs, it’s refreshing to actually see an honest review as opposed to just mindless positivity – thanks for that!
I’d be depressed by the massive, abandoned resorts and terrified of a pack of feral dogs. However, the street art you shared is gorgeous and you did experience a place w-a-y off the beaten path which is one of the reasons most of us explore!
Thanks for your honest review! Every country has its towns that aren’t worth visiting or don’t represent that country as a whole. This place looks rather depressing, and since I’ve never been to Malaysia, would definitely not want it to be my first experience there.
Sorry to hear that you were disappointed by some of the things at Port Dickson. It’s sad to hear about all those resorts and lack of public transportation does make it hard for tourists to explore the destination. Encountering a pack of wild dogs can certainly be quite disconcerting. I’ve yet to visit Malaysia so I appreciate your honest review of this destination.
Like Anna said, I also havent heard of this place before until I read your article. Looks interesting but its a pity that you didnt like this place.
Nate
https://www.top10citiestovisit.com/
Yes… PD needs upgrade & most important, Theme Park.. 👍
Malaysian food is great! Did you try the Gula Malacca? Bliss! Sad to see PD has deteriorated – it seems to have been overdeveloped by speculators without drawing in the tourists at the same time. Such a shame. Do they have king crabs hidden in the sand beaches like in Penang? – You need to be careful to avoid those! Did you visit the East Coast resorts, as I heard they are attractive but I have not been yet?
I don’t know about the king crabs, I only saw the small sand bubbler crabs in Port Dickson. But I’ll definitely remember that for the next time I’m in Penang! I haven’t been to the east coast of Malaysia but it’s a country I’m really looking forward to returning to and exploring in more depth once Asia is fully open again.
Stayed at the Lexis Hibiscus in May 2022. The place looked abandoned and run-down. The beach was mediocre. The friendly people and the great food made up for the poor hotel experience, but I wouldn’t go back to Port Dickson. There wasn’t much to see, even though the Ikan Bakar Tiga Rasa tasted delicious. Ipoh and JB have more to offer.
Sadly a depressed area to visit. Stayed a ocean view resort( booked for 2 weeks but left after 2 nights). A place full of low income residents and some empty apartments. To say dystopian apocalypse type of place! Awful…. Moved for a week in PDickson. Ok good but nothing to really see from a visitors point of view. Bring a good book!
Most packed seasons there are during long public holidays or towards end of the year beginning from Nov to Dec or during the school semester holidays. Otherwise, expect emptiness from most hotels or restaurants/commercial lots. Traffic could even get congested during those peak seasons. There are other resorts too there worth checking into beside Lexis. There are the Avillion, Avillion Admiral Cove, Thistle, Corus Paradise, Tasik International and few more other luxury ones. However, activities are basically about the same. Maybe facilities would differ. Few places also have its own private pool of its own room. Including at the Lexis.
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There are lots of villas/homestays/apartments but all depend on the seasons and locations you chose for better prices, activities and food. The Teluk Kemang beach in Port Dickson usually is the most popular for locals with lots of stalls and with sometimes activities or events hosted by the district authority or local organizers.
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The first section of PD (in short known to locals) which is the town center has commercials lots and some hotels. Also a bus terminal. The shipping cargo port is before the town and is guarded by customs in an older road. (Therefore the port is non-accessible for common public.)
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Onward, you will find resorts/apartments closer to the yachting. Moderate spread crowd with campers on a stretched land of coconut trees before the beach.
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Further to the mid section of PD, the crowded stretch. With less commercial lots but more stalls/ food hawkers. Where the Teluk Kemang stretch is at. More of motels and smaller hotels. Fun activities on the sea like motorboating, banana boat (which to some is considered dangerous or lil scary due to the consented act of the boating transporter for letting the passengers hurl flying onto the water while going at speed. Thrilling but scary for some who fear of drowning in a deeper area of the sea. Safety float jackets are provided though and the boat riders are experienced to aiding them get back onto the banana safely.)
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Next, more residences/villas/apartments and greenery. With more greenery after, you will appear to more luxury hotel resorts and then to the military camp which is closer to the blue lagoon beach. Lesser crowd and said to be cleaner, quieter beaches around forest. Even less commercial lots or stalls. Which is as said closer to the Cape Rachado and the lighthouse. More private villas with a golf resort around the area. After which, you will come to a fishing village area.
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About the last end of PD after the resorts, toward the next state border of Malacca you will find the Eagle Ranch resort which is around the forests. It has the beach behind and has more shades with some good sporting activities in the resort. Way less commercial lots and way less hawkers. Lots more mangroves. Another big project of a resort or themepark was scheduled to be developed before it near a secluded golf resort there. (I don’t know its current status.)
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Toward the Malacca state border, there is a Go-Kart circuit but i’m not sure how active it gets because it is already located very much further from the crowded area of PD. Then, a bridge over a large fishing boat river that flows to the sea a few kilometres before the Malacca border.
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That’s as far as it goes for PD / Port Dickson. This beach is cheap, more easily accesible but less pristine in beauty and exclusivity than the ones toward the north east, north western such as at the Redang Island, Teluk Cempedak, Tioman Island, Pangkor Island, Langkawi Island, Perhentian Island, Kapas Island in the East Malaysia (Peninsula) and Sipadan (Pulau Tiga beach which is the most famous from a survivor tv reality series) and Tanjung Aru in the Borneo (West Malaysia).
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Hope that gives more ideas for your travel. I’m not promoting them by the way.
Thank you for all the great info! This is very comprehensive!
Great read! Interesting and valuable insights on visiting Port Dickson, Malaysia. Your personal
experience about this place will help visitors make an informed decision. Thanks for sharing your
honest review and genuine thoughts.