Lady M and I were considering a few places when it comes to going for our first trip of the year. We thought of Yunnan, but the air ticket was slashed to half if we were to postpone the trip just by two weeks. We considered the resorts in Langkawi, Bintan and Batam as well, but we chose Port Dickson in the end, due to the accessibility. As with our Desaru trip last year, we opted for a private hire car that brought us directly from our homes to Port Dickson straight. Due to its distance from Singapore, the cost would be approximately $350 (one way) and $600 (two way).
Here's the pros of getting a Private Hire Car.
1. Convenient and fuss-free. Additional pick-ups (chargeable, but only approx $10/location) and breaks can be arranged.
2. You don't have to worry about getting the necessary documents to clear the checkpoints.
3. They have a way to drive past the snaking queues when it comes to clearing custom.
4. You don't have to worry about your SG-registered car in Malaysia.
Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson
After researching a heck lot on the accommodation in Port Dickson, we decided on Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson - a luxurious 5-star oceanfront resort nestled along the pristine Pasir Panjang Beach and the Straits of Malacca. Considering the name, the formation of 639 pool villas of Lexis Hibiscus is shaped like the national flower of Malaysia - the Hibiscus. You know what's great? Every room has its own private pool and sundeck! Talking about privacy and convenience! Considering the sheer number of villas, you can choose amongst the different rooms and suites.
Here's a fun fact: Lexis Hibiscus has two Guinness World Records for the most swimming pools (643) and overwater villas (522)!
Prior to the trip, we had plans to travel to several attractions at Port Dickson, but to be honest, if you are staying at Lexis Hibiscus, there is no actual need to travel out the resort. Restaurants, indoor playgrounds, spas, KTV, gym, you name it. For the adventure-seekers, the private beach serves as a playground of endless possibilities. From exhilarating water sports like jet skiing and banana boating to leisure activities like cycling along the coastline and billiard, there's something to satiate every craving for the young and old. Three days are not even close to scratch what Lexis Hibiscus has got to offer.
Day 1: SG > Malacca > Port Dickson
Our driver picked us up straight at our house and we headed straight into Malaysia via Woodlands checkpoint. Please note that as of January 2024, if you are travelling via Tuas in a MPV (Alphard, Starex, etc.), you may be directed to the bus lane - yes, you would need to drag your luggage down and go through the customs! Although there was a snaking queue, our driver had his ways to get us to the front in no time. Since we are Singaporeans, we didn't have to declare or register anything, unlike last year, our helper (from Philipines) need to register via a QR code at the customs. Don't worry as it is free and will take just less than 2-3 minutes.
We stopped by Aeon at Malacca for a quick bite at Sushi King (to be awfully honest, their food CMI) and supermarket shopping before hopping onto the car again. The journey to Port Dickson isn't exactly short. It would take approximately 3.5 hours from the Malaysia customs to Port Dickson with no traffic jam. Our butts were hurting when we alighted at Lexis Hibiscus close to 5pm, but the pain faded once we entered the hotel lobby.
As expected from the 5-star hotel resort, it was huge. In fact, the whole place was ginormous. The staff rushed to help us with the luggage. As we had the exclusive check-in at the Lighthouse, we took the hotel buggy there after purchasing a Frozen-themed float from the lobby store. We were served by Ajym at the Captain's Lounge, who introduced the hotel and ensured everything was seamless for my family. His service was nothing short but impeccable.
I asked the same question when I did the booking - how the heck am I going to travel back to the hotel lobby considering our suite is located at the stigma (all the way at the end!). Fret not, they provide 24/7 buggy service to and from your doorsteps. Simply dial on the hotel phone and they will appear in a matter of minutes. How convenient is that!
Our room - Imperial Suite
The highlight of our trip is the Imperial Suite (~S$1400/night), a whopping 242sqm space with two bedrooms ensuite (3 king size beds in total), a large living and dining area, which can accommodate 6 adults. It was the perfect size for us. As compared to the other villas, this private pool is twice as large which makes for an enjoyable swim anytime. After all, it's just steps from the bedroom!
When our children, Olivia and Emmanuel first stepped inside, they were so excited as they screamed and ran around the different areas. After all, I did clocked a few laps just along the hallway myself! Trust me when I say that my IG story just on the room tour took 3 whole minutes.
As the sun shone brightly that day, it was a no-brainer as we jumped straight into the pool to cool off from the heat. If you didn't bring along your beach toys and floats, simply purchase from the convenient store at the hotel lobby. The pools even has little jacuzzis for you to relax. The toilet is another level - a centerpiece bathtub, a cubicle for bath, another for toilet, and there's a freaking sauna in it too.
As we watched the sun set from the deck, we called the room service for dinner. They have a nice variety of Western and Asian-inspired dishes, which we quickly gobbled up. Here's a tip, if you're intending to get room service, do order earlier as their kitchen is located at the hotel lobby and have to travel all the way to your villa (unless you are staying at the tower block).
It was Valentine's Day, so I ordered flowers for these two loves of my life too!
Once the children were tucked into bed, I had a great time having a talk with my mummy at the deck. The seas silent, the crickets chirped while hundreds of stars hanged above us. Before we know it, it was already 1am. After living separately, these times are hard to come by. Please cherish the times you have with your parents!
Day 2: Kidz World and Spa Day!
The light rays were already peeking through the curtains when I rubbed my eyes at 8.30am. Surprisingly, except for my father, everyone, including my helper, was still fast asleep. One by one, they woke up, we freshened ourselves before heading to the Wave Dining, located at Lighthouse, for buffet breakfast.
If you booked their panorama rooms or suites, you can opt for exclusive breakfast at Wave Dining, instead of Roselle Coffee House. I am not entirely sure if the food offered are the same, but being an exclusive area, it certainly wasn't as crowded. As expected from an international buffet, you can have your usual Western-style eggs, ham, bread, they do serve porridge and nasi lemak too. What impressed me most was the attentiveness of the staff, once the plate is empty, they will be there to clear it the next second. Quite literally. Huge kudos to them!
As the sun was blasting, we decided to postpone the beach session and headed to their indoor children playground - Kidz World, located at their main tower. Definitely a nice, air-conditioned area for children to play their hearts out and for parents to take a breather. It costs only RM$20/hour/child.
If they are tired out, there are other activities such as batik painting, shirt painting, nail and face painting too. Olivia and Emmanuel opted for the batik painting, and it was great to see them being so serious doing their painting, for once.
The dark clouds started to gather and drizzled after our lunch. While the children were taking their naps, Lady M and I took the opportunity to go for a massage session at Lexis Spa. We opted for the 60-minute aromatherapy massage (RM$306/pax), where Lady M slept through the whole massage. Talking about relaxing, I'm pretty sure the masseuse did it.
It was still drizzling when we got back to the suite, so we headed to Wave Dining again for cocktail reception, where they serve small bites (for your sake, please try the sesame toast!) and alcohol from 5 to 7pm daily.
You heard that right. FREE FLOW ALCOHOL. Obviously with our children around, we cannot drink that much, but we did enjoyed a few cocktails. If you still want more alcohol, their Satellite Bar is located at the 13th floor of tower block! ;)
The rain only stopped close to 7pm, but then the sun was already setting and most of their beach activities have already ended. We went for dinner at Umi Japanese Restaurant, and that was one of the best meals we had in the entire trip. Most of us had the Unagi Don (RM$58), which is beyond excellent.
I was pretty skeptical on eating Japanese in Malaysia, but this place changed my mind. We ordered their udons, makis, tempuras, agedashi and other sides. The bill ended up close to RM$400, but to be honest, if we were to convert that to SGD, which is approximately $120 for 5 adults and 2 children, I don't think we can get this quality anywhere. Definitely a must-try when you're at Lexis Hibiscus.
Day 3: Beach, and back to SG
In a blink of an eye, the sun shone and we hurried to pack our belongings before breakfast at Wave Dining. We thank God for the beautiful weather as we were able to head to the beach - certainly something that the children looked forward to since day one!
The resort has a great stretch of private beach, completed by an outdoor playground, benches, hammocks, where you can just chill and relax for a whole day.
The children definitely had fun digging the sand and collecting seashells, while the adults were all rushing for shade under the coconut trees. We would try the water activities and archery, but the sun was blazing.
We hurried back to the suite for a last swim before waving our good-byes and checking out at the hotel lobby. The check-out was seamless, basically we just had to settle the tourism tax of RM$10/night. Our ride was already waiting and we hopped on for the 4-5 hour journey back to Singapore.
Would I recommend Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson?
A HUGE YES definitely. Without doubt. 3D2N is not even sufficient to cover all the activities there, especially if you have children around. Not to mention exploring the rest of Port Dickson. The service is impeccable, the suite is beyond marvelous, the food is great, loads of activities, what more to ask for seriously?
SO. If you are looking for a weekend getaway or a break from the bustling city life, head to Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson. I am more than sure that you will not regret it.
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This post is partially sponsored by Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson.