"PD." a Port Dickson Travel Page by mansionion

Commonly refered to as PD, Port Dickson is the most touristy attraction in Negeri Sembilan and has long been the the favourite weekend beach retreat for city dwellers from the surrounding area. This is not surprising then as PD is blessed with a strecth of 18km of white sandy beaches that extend from Tanjung Gemuk in the north to Tanjung Tuan in the south.

PD was formerly known as Tanjung (Cape) and Arang (Charcoal) in reference to its location and a village where charcoal was made. It was later earmarked to be developed as a colonial beach resort and a port by Sir Frederick Dickson, a leading official in the Straits Settlement during the 1880s. Hence, the name Port Dickson was in honour of him.

The reason for the establishment of a port here was to reduce transportation costs for trainsporting of tin ore from the interior tin mines at Sungei Ujong. By setting up a port in PD, the cost of transportation could be reduced instead of using the old, winding land route all the way to Port Swenhentam (now known as Port Klang). However, PD was not succesfully developed into a full-fledged port but remain as a colonial beach resort as it was intended to be.

Today, PD is the most popular weekend beach retreat in Malaysia. Its location of a mere 32km from Seremban and 60km from Kuala Lumpur make it easily accesible from the city and an ideal temporary escape from the hustle and bustle of a city life.