Shopping

Port Dickson offers shopping for visitors in the form of its night market, which has since been turned into a daily affair to cater for tourists. Meanwhile, the town area has a few shopping centers, such as the Store and Billion, but nothing as large and varied as malls you would find in cities. For souvenirs and handicrafts, the Central Market located within town has a number of shops dealing with these kinds of items. The popular beaches such as Teluk Kemang and Bagan Pinang also have shops and stalls that retail a similiar range of products. If you want to have a larger range of modern shopping opportunities but do not want to travel too far out of Port Dickson, you can check out Seremban, which is only 15 minutes away by car.

The Night Market, or Pasar Malam as it is known by locals, is a traditional shopping experience found throughout Malaysia. It takes the form of an open-air bazaar that is temporarily held in designated areas, usually along main roads or open spaces near residential areas. It is held most often during the night at least once a week, but it can held daily demanding on the demand, such as in tourist destinations.

In the night market, traders set up make-shift stalls that are lit with either fluorescent tubes or warm bulbs powered by generators, which is why the overall atmosphere is quite noisy when compounded with the din of haggling among customers. The Port Dickson night market used to be held only once a week at the 4th Mile, but it has now become a permanent fixture along the main road in keeping with the influx of tourists coming to shop in Port Dickson. The market is now open not just during the night, but from the early afternoon onwards. It's hard to miss it along the main road as there are colourful circular tubes signifying its entrance along with the clusters of cone shaped stalls behind them. In the night market, visitors can find a large variety of goods, ranging from food to souvenirs and electronics to fashion clothing. Bargaining is encouraged as this is the local style of shopping.

Along most of the beaches in Port Dickson, there are many stalls and shops selling souvenirs and beach gear. Teluk Kemang has the highest concentration of such stalls and shops. Some of the stuff to be found are T-shirts, toys, boards, caps, slippers, beach balls, floats, canopies and other things. Other than beach-related stuff, you can even find traditional souvenirs such as wooden carvings, rattan baskets and hand-woven bags.

Located in the center of Port Dickson Town, the Central Market is a square dedicated to shops and food. Originally promoted as a bazaar, the Central Market is today more of an antique center. Inside the square is a large food court which sells mostly local Chinese and Malay cuisine. Hence, it is a great place to experience the local culinary delights.

The shops which are situated in the complex in a circling fashion are mostly retail outlets dealing with ornamental commodities, decorative items, glass ware, handicrafts and antiques. If you intend to get anything, remember to bargain. Still, the place offers a pleasant stroll for leisure shoppers as there is little else to do other than heading to the beach in Port Dickson.

If you find the shopping in Port Dickson bland, as most do, then head over to Seremban, the capital of Negeri Sembilan state which is only 30 km away from PD. As this is a new and bustling city in the south of Peninsular Malaysia, there are many shopping opportunities to enjoy. A simple bus ride or if you have a car, will take you less than half an hour to reach Seremban.

Some of the shopping malls and complexes here include Jusco Seremban 2, Wisma Punca Emas, KM Plaza, Centre Point, Giant Hypermarket, Seremban Parade, The Store, Terminal 1, Tesco Extra and Era Square. At these places, expect a mix of modern and traditional shopping, along with the usual range of fast food outlets and branded establishments.