Located about 1.5 hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur, the coastal town of Port Dickson was a booming tourist spot in the 1980s to 1990s. While not as lively as it was in its heyday, the town still retains a certain laidback charm that makes it a semi-popular weekend getaway for locals.

If you’re planning a day trip, here’s an unhurried itinerary that will allow you to take in most of the sights.

8.30 AM: Breakfast at KAFE KAMPUNG KAW

Start the day with a scrumptious Malaysian-style breakfast served in a lush and rustic setting at Kafe Kampung Kaw. Widely regarded as one of PD’s best breakfast spots, their specialty is the Nasi Lemak Kambing Bakar, although you can always opt for the traditional pairing of roti with telur goyang, if rice feels too heavy. Other recommended orders include the soto and bergedil. The restaurant opens as early as 8AM and also serves lunch til 2.30PM. It is closed on Mondays.

Address: PT3038, Jalan Hj Sirat, Kampung Baru, 71050 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan

9.30 AM: Meet and greet feathered (and furry) friends at the P.D. OSTRICH SHOW FARM

Families with children will want to stop by the P.D. Ostrich Show Farm for a fun-filled, educational visit where visitors will get to meet, greet, and even touch some of the animals. The highlight experience here is a competitive race with Kuntum – the farm’s male ostrich track star – as he sprints across the green at speeds up to 70 km / h. Visitors can also grab a photo with Kuntum’s photogenic trophy wife, Putri. Other animals that visitors can interact with include sheep, pgymy goats, donkeys, deers, raccoon, ferrets, and deer.

Buy tickets here.

Address: Lot 1419, Jalan Perdana 4, Batu 9, 71050 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan

2PM: PORT DICKSON ARMY MUSEUM

Escape the blazing afternoon heat at the Port Dickson Army Museum (Muzium Tentera Darat), a unique attraction housed within the Port Dickson military base. The museum boasts one of the best collections of military equipment, vehicles, and paraphernalia in Malaysia – including decommissioned tanks, helicopters, and real weaponry.

The place looks deceptively small from the outside because it’s located on a slope, but once you’re in, there are several buildings spread across the courtyard (which also has a memorial fountain), with close to a dozen galleries to explore – each chronicling a part of Malaysia’s military history.

Aside from events from the last 100 years such as World War II and the Japanese occupation of Malaya, there’s also a gallery dedicated to the Malacca sultanate (complete with a wooden ship replica), and local freedom fighters from the 18th and 19th centuries who fought against British rule.

One of the highlights is an underground passageway that runs underneath the museum’s main building, which is modeled after communist hideouts. During the Malayan emergency in the 1940s which lasted until the 1960s, communist guerilla fighters often spent months, even years, in the hills, hiding out in jungles and digging elaborate tunnel systems to act as air raid shelters as they were bombarded by British Malayan and Commonwealth forces. Conditions were horrific as the corridors were often dark, dank, and wet, and its occupants suffered disease, malnutrition, and festering wounds. Sometimes the weak walls would also collapse, burying people underneath them.

Entry to the museum is priced at RM2 per adult (Malaysian) and RM1 per child. The museum is open from 10AM – 5PM and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Address: Muzium Tentera Darat, Kem, 71050 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan

5.30 PM: PORT DICKSON WATERFRONT

Catch the evening seabreeze at PD Waterfront, which houses a stretch of modern restaurants, cafes, and entertainment outlets facing the sea. The beach along the waterfront is rocky rather than sandy, and while the water is relatively clean, bathing in it is not encouraged. It’s good for fishing though, as we saw many anglers with their rods set up near the rocks.

There are several cafes here, including a very aesthetic ZUS Coffee outlet, as well as convenience stores like 7-11 where you can grab snacks. Find a cosy spot to chow down on the rocks, listen to the calming lap of waves against the shore, and watch ships bobbing on the surface in the horizon.

Food options aplenty around the PD Waterfront – including this open air food truck area offering a variety of dishes, from char kuey teow, fried noodles, rice, burgers, and more. If you’re not comfortable with outdoor dining, there are fast food joints such as McDonalds and Marrybrown, seafood restaurants, and more.

After dinner, stroll around a bit more to watch the sunset casting a lazy glow over the sea as boats return for the night, while children run around flying kites, blowing soap bubbles, and spinning colourful toys into the air. The view and the vibe are well worth the wait.

For those who would like to pack in more sights, Port Dickson has other attractions such as the Cape Rachado Lighthouse, the Kota Lukut historic fort, Wan Loong Temple, and the Alive 3D art gallery. If you don’t feel that you can pack all of it into one visit and would like to book an overnight, there are hotel options catering to various budgets. Lexis Port Dickson is a family-friendly choice with spacious Balinese-inspired over-water chalets. Book here.

GETTING TO PORT DICKSON

There are no direct public transportation routes from Kuala Lumpur to Port Dickson, but you can take a bus from KL Sentral or the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) Bus terminal to Seremban, Negeri Sembilan’s capital, and from there hop on to a local bus (T30A) going to Port Dickson. This is an affordable option that costs less than RM20. By car you’ll be taking the North-South Highway, and then the Seremban-Port Dickson highway to get into town.

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