Port Dickson is located in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia). It is about 1 hour 15 minutes driving or 90 km from Kuala Lumpur, through the North-South Expressway. Port Dickson is originally named from Sir John Frederick Dickson. He was a British High Officer who posted at the British Straits Settlement. Locals called Port Dickson as Tanjung (in English: cape) due to its geographic location.
During British Straits Settlement (1826-1946), Port Dickson used to produce charcoal. Since tin ore was discovered in Lukut (northern area), lots of Chinese miners came to the town.
Since then, Port Dickson became a busy trading centre. A 39 km railway was constructed in 1891, linked Port Dickson and Sungai Ujong (known as Seremban).
Those developments converted Port Dickson from a small town to an international business centre. More than 600 ships from Singapore were docked at Port Dickson to deliver goods to Sungai Ujong by train.
There are several ways to go to Port Dickson:
There is no airport in Port Dickson. But, you can arrive in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) then driving to Port Dickson. The journey takes about one hour.
Transportation to and from Kuala Lumpur International Airport
You can go to and from Kuala Lumpur International Airport using several transportations:
Cityliner Bus
There is no direct Cityliner bus route from Port Dickson to the airport, so you have to take a connecting route from Serembang. Cityliner bus operates from 06:00 to 19:00 and leaves every 30 minutes. The journey takes about one hour.
Bus fares one-way from Serembang to the airport:
There are several tourist attractions in Port Dickson:
It is believed to be the oldest lighthouse in Malaysia. Cape Rachado Lighthouse was built by Portuguese in 16th century. It is still in use for guide ships to the Port of Malacca.
On top of the lighthouse, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Sumatera, across the straits. During the migration season (September to March), you can see many species of birds such as eagle, hawks, sparrow, etc.
Cape Rachado Lighthouse entrance fee: MYR 1.00
Maybe you will be interested with a time capsule inside the museum, but unfortunately it was buried and will not be opened until 1 March 2033. But it isn’t the only attraction.
There are 9 galleries showing Malaysia's military history. You can see military vehicles and weapons such as Japanese canon and British armor train.
Muzium Tentera Darat is located next to Malaysian army base at Kem Sri Rusa 71050, Port Dickson.
Muzium Tentera Darat opening hours 10:00 - 17:00, from Wednesday to Sunday
Teluk Kemang Beach is the most popular and the biggest beach in Port Dickson. It is only takes around 20 minutes driving from downtown to Teluk Kemang Beach.
There are various accommodations at beach area such as guesthouses, resorts and hotels. Other facilities such as souvenir shops, jogging track, restaurants and kids playground also available at Teluk Kemang Beach.
There is no entrance fee to Teluk Kemang Beach.