Port Dickson was believed to be discovered by Sir Frederick Dickson, a British official who was looking for a suitable port during the colonial period in the 1880s’. The port was needed to facilitate the transportation of tin ore from the mines of Sungai Ujong, a nearby area, to Klang, instead of using the traditional rough road that was long and windy.
Port Dickson at that time was only a small Malay village called ‘Arang’, which means coal in Malay as the villagers made a living from making coal. Over time, it came to be known as Port Dickson. Still, another source says that the official in charge of the Port Dickson district was named ‘Dickson’, which was then how the place came to be named.
Regardless, Port Dickson found little use a port but much potential as a seaside recreational destination! At first, Port Dickson was a resort town for British officials and their families but over time, it attracted locals, especially after Malaysia received independence.
Port Dickson Through the Times
In the 1980s’, Port Dickson reached its peak. Countless hotels, resorts and apartments mushroomed along the beaches. On weekends, there were thousands of visitors consisting of locals from other states and Singaporeans. Port Dickson was truly raking in millions for the many hotels and water sport operators.
However, in the spate of a few years, Port Dickson’s popularity took a sudden dip, with competition from other beaches in the East Coast such as Cherating and tropical island destinations such as Tioman. Also compounding this fact was that Port Dickson was getting more polluted and people were drawn away to more pristine beaches. Hence, the nineties was a slow period for Port Dickson, before is started becoming more popular again thanks to efforts to clean and maintain the beaches.
Port Dickson: A New Face
As part of the government’s efforts to promote Visit Malaysia Year 2007, Port Dickson has received a massive clean-up. The hotels and resorts in the area work very closely with the authorities to keep the beaches clean and attractive. This is a far cry from the dirty beaches clogged with litter and population during its peak time many years ago.
Today, a wide variety of accommodation is available through budget motels, mid-class resorts all the way up to upmarket service apartments. The beaches are once again warm and inviting while the waters are a clear blue; extremely inviting for people in need of a convenient sea-side vacation. Port Dickson may now in fact, be more beautiful than it was before, which makes it a fantastic holiday destination for beach-lovers and families!
