Port Dickson
The last time we were here was during our honeymoon. Yeap exactly 14 years ago. Any changes? Minimal I would say. More resorts and hotels have popped up to cater to the growing number of Singaporeans visiting. The place is still laidback. The only so-called mall that we visited was Giant which had just opened. Port Dickson was basically a place to rest and relax,unwind and rewind.
We had wanted to try the Grand Lexis Resort initially having heard so much about it from fellow friends but it was fully booked reason being it was the school holidays. The next best option for a water villa was Avillion Port Dickson. The exact same place we stayed for our honeymoon.At that time it had just been opened and there were parts of it that weren’t ready yet. Now it was fully transformed with a private beach, amenities and such. There was even a mini zoo also known as the petting zoo for kids. It was indeed a nice place to stay with breathtaking views of the straits of Malacca.
We took a 2 bedroom villa this time round as my mum and best friend tagged along. There were 2 king sized beds in the respective rooms and a queen lounge bed outside. It was sufficient for the 8 of us. There was even a mini kitchenette. 2 balconies too! One in the master bedroom and the other at the common living room.
One of the priveledges of our stay was the free access to the Avillion Riau Club lounge. A new addition to the resort. There was afternoon tea and evening cocktails served for guests. I loved the decor of the place as it reminded me of Miami Vice.
On our first night there we stumbled upon a cosy tomyam place, Barakat Tomyam Seafood was what it was called where we had our dinner. Just mere minutes from Avillion. Their speciality was of course tomyam. Cheap and reasonable. Food was good though served in small amounts. Eventhough it was enough to last us through the night we still had cup noodles for back ups. Heh.
We didn’t really venture out to the town. Our agenda here was just to have a relaxing time, let the kids hit the pool and beach. Basically santai. Breakfast spread was good the next morning. With roti canai as top on the list. Other than that there was the usual amaerican breakfast dishes.
I really love their private beach. So quiet and peaceful. No need to jostle with the crowd for a lounge chair. The place was ours.
The mini petting zoo was a hit with the kids and adults alike. Though not really a fan of pets I was contented to just be the camerawoman. Whtever the pets you name it they have it. They even have roosters and hens! Huge turtles too. All live as one big happy family in the same compund.
Did I state that we’re able to see ‘live’ the low and high tide of the sea? It was indeed remarkable. During low tide people would go down and look for remis and other shellfish or venture out. Like what these 2 did.
There were also millions of hermit crabs too! Well if you can see them in the picture that is. Whole families of tiny baby crabs scuttling around like ants from where we stood of course in the villa. I was too chicken to go down.
And when it was high tide the seawater went really high but it was great for fishing and crabbing which we did not have the time to do. Bummer.
On our last night we had seafood BBQ at a newly opened place at Kampung Gelam Port Dickson. It was not exactly at a typical kampung though. There were several stalls well actually 2 huge ones,the only ones which were opened that night which sold fresh seafood. Enjoyed our dinner very much. Everything was cooked to perfection. Best part? It was darn cheap.
Overall.. my take on Port Dickson? A great place to unwind. Till then wait up for the continuation of our holiday to the next state…
