Before You Read
Port Dickson is the kind of place I would recommend only if you want to chill, relax and do almost nothing. Do not expect a packed itinerary, major sightseeing or a very happening destination.
This post is based on my 2017 trip, so please check current resort reviews, room types, prices and driving conditions before booking. Treat this as a resort review / mini guide, not a full itinerary.
Trip At A Glance
| Detail | Notes |
|---|---|
| Route | Singapore to Port Dickson, Lexis Hibiscus resort stay |
| Duration | 3D2N |
| Travel style | Drive-in resort getaway, private pool, chill trip |
| Best for | Couples/friends who want a short relax-and-do-nothing break |
| Main warning | Drive/custom jam can be tiring, and the resort is quite standalone |
Before You Go
- It is better to drive there because Port Dickson is not very accessible if you want flexibility.
- The resort is quite standalone, so if you want to eat or explore outside, you need to drive out.
- Do not expect many activities. Most of the trip is about the room, private pool, resort pool and chilling.
- 3D2N is enough for this kind of trip.
- If you are going during peak travel periods, factor in customs jam. Our drive became much longer than expected.
Day 01 – Long Drive And Check-In
Normally, the drive from Singapore to Port Dickson should take around 4 hours. But we got caught in a bad customs jam, so by the time we officially reached the resort, it was already around 5pm.
We left home around 7am, so yes, it felt like a very very long drive.
Once we reached, the only thing I wanted to do was check in, get to the room and relax.
For Lexis Hibiscus, the normal rooms are mainly split into two types. If you want the ones above the sea, those usually come as a 4-pax room with two queen beds. Meaning even if there are only two of you, you still pay the same room price.
There are also 2-pax rooms on land near the main lobby area, but honestly, people usually go Port Dickson for the water chalet / sea-facing room experience. If you choose the normal land room, it kind of defeats the purpose.
The resort has buggy service to bring you around, especially if your room is far out above the sea. But sometimes the buggy takes too long, so we ended up walking ourselves.
The room was worth it for the experience. No regrets booking it.
That said, I do think they could improve the in-room pool cleanliness because there were fallen flowers/leaves in the water.
Dinner was at the main lobby buffet. It was around SGD 30 per pax then, and there was a Citibank card discount, so check for card promos if you are going.
Day 02 – Pool, Beach, Helicopter Ride And Resort Activities
For breakfast, we could choose between the Lighthouse and the main lobby. We tried the Lighthouse first and saved the main lobby for the next morning.
After breakfast, we went to the beach, but there was honestly nothing much there besides chilling. Since we were bored, we tried one or two water sports. They were not cheap, but still within the “try for fun” range.
We also came across the helicopter ride and decided to try it because none of us had taken a helicopter before. It was only around 10 minutes circling the resort, but better than nothing.
After that, we tried other in-house activities like archery just to kill time.
The rest of the day was basically resort pool, room pool, chillax, and then dinner.
For dinner, we tried the Lighthouse. It was not bad, something like a semi-fine-dining western dinner. The night view of the resort was quite nice too.
Day 03 – Breakfast And Back To Singapore
On the last morning, we had breakfast at the main lobby before checking out.
The main lobby breakfast was more international buffet style, while the Lighthouse breakfast felt more western, like eggs benedict kind. Both were included with our stay, so it was nice to try both.
After breakfast, it was time to check out and drive back to Singapore.
Overall, I would not say Port Dickson is a fantastic destination, but it works if you just need a short break from Singapore and want to chill in the room/pool. If you want more things to do, I would say Canopi has more activities.
Final Thoughts
Port Dickson is good if you want a simple chill-and-relax short getaway. It is not a place I would oversell as an exciting itinerary because most of the trip is really about the room, pool, resort facilities and driving there.
The planning is quite straightforward, so I would not overcomplicate it. The useful things to note are drive timing, room comparison, what to bring, food options and whether the sea-facing room is worth topping up for.