Negeri Sembilan in 36 hours…

Negeri Sembilan got its name from the nine (sembilan) villages or nagari in the Minangkabau language (now known as luak) …

The main Malay ethnicity here would be the Malay-Minangkabaus, whose ancestors originated from West Sumatra (in present-day Indonesia)….

Minangkabau features are still visible today in traditional architecture and the Malay dialect spoken here…

Unlike the hereditary monarchs of the other royal Malay states, the ruler of Negeri Sembilan is known as Yang di-Pertuan Besar instead of Sultan… Their election of the Ruler is also different since the Ruler will be selected by the council of Undangs who lead the four biggest territories of Sungai Ujong, Jelebu, Johol, and Rembau, making it one of the more democratic monarchies…

Yours truly was over in Negeri Sembilan with the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association / Tourism Productivity Nexus at the Royale Chulan Hotel in Seremban, a 4-star hotel resort in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan and stayed a night there..

Accomodation wise, it is said that the Royale Chulan Hotel provides the best rooms in Seremban..

And personally I could not agree more since it sure is cosy, comfortable and the only thing I am complaining about is not being able to indulge in the facilities…huhuhu… since we were there for work and on a very limited time frame..

Here I am sharing some of the notable places we visited that might interest you both in Seremban and Port Dickson…

Galeri Diraja Tuanku Ja’afar

Seremban has its own royal gallery… and so if you want to know more about the state’s royal history, this is just the place to go to….

You can go for the guided tours (advanced booking is neccessary)or wander around the museum on your own….

In this royal gallery, you can check out the various royal collection on display…

Of course.. you will also definitely refresh or get a little history lesson of Negeri Sembilan and also the background of Tuanku Ja’afar, the former Yang di-Pertuan Besar of the state…

Address: Jalan Taman Bunga, 70100 Seremban

Note: Wander to the side of the gallery outside and you can find the first rubber tree planted in Seremban… it is gigantic but well preserved and still thriving…

Colours of Negeri Sembilan

Negeri Sembilan is rich with music and dance cultures too… and their traditional music comes from the Caklempong, Dikir Rebana, Tumbuk Kalang, and Bongai….

These musical instruments naturally bear some semblance to those in Sumatera, the ancestral home of the Minangkabau people…

Check out the Colours of Negeri Sembilan and be mesmerized by beautiful languid movements of the dancers with their colorful costumes in the Tarian Piring and other traditional dances and listen to some rendition of Minangkabau songs… giving you a glimpse of the past…

NS Chocolate Galleria

The little chocolate factory/gallery is just opposite the Negeri Sembilan State Museum where the owner and chocolatier makes her own hand made chocolates here…

I even had a chance to experience making a tray of chocolates and trying the yummy chocolates here…

Since it is a small factory/gallery, the ambience is pretty homey and cosy..

Homestay Pachitan

Kampong Pachitan gets its name from a district in East Java called Pacitan.. visitors will be welcomed with Kompang, Bunga Manggar and a traditional Silat Performance as well as traditional dance.. they also give foreign visitors a chance to witness a mock Malay Traditional wedding and dress up in local traditional clothing….

For locals (city dwellers) who just want to experience kampung life, this is also a perfect getaway as the houses here are pretty clean and comfortable and your host family will house you, feed you and do their best to ensure you have a cosy and memorable stay…

Sungai Menyala Edu-Ecotourism Center

The Sungai Menyala forest is one of the largest lowland Dipterocarp forests in the region… The forest consists of regenerated grown trees as well as virgin forest that includes a 300 year old hollow tree and a 45 metre high Jelutong tree which might just be the tallest in Malaysia…. You can also find plenty of Red Meranti and Keruing trees here.

About 15% of the reserve is made up of swamp which contributes to the wide variety of flora and fauna found here.

You can actually stay close to nature since there are pretty affordable accommodations here!!!

You can get a stay at twin rooms for just RM 100 per night with private bathrooms, TV, fridge and air-conditioning!!!!

Or just rent a bed at the male or female dormitories and share the room with up to 16 people for just RM 15 per person!!!!

Naturally if you stay here.. you really have to go jungle trekking and check out wildlife here.. if you are lucky.. you might just see a red giant flying squirrel or some snakes…

Personally.. I would really love to check out that 300 year old hollow tree and that 45 metre high Jelutong tree… hehehe

Address – Pusat Edu-Ecotourism Sungai Menyala N8, Jalan Sua Betong, Port Dickson

Dickson Dragon Cruise

The Dickson Dragon is the first of her kind(a Trimaran) .. yup.. it is somewhat a catamaran but with additional err… edges..

Built in Phuket as a Party Yacht and the Dickson Dragon was then brought to Port Dickson to give us all a sailing experience on the Straits of Malacca….

Since we were on a tight schedule.. we only managed an afternoon cruise.. but I heard the sunset on the Straits of Malacca can be pretty breathtaking, so try not to miss out on that if and when you are in Port Dickson…

On the way to board the Dickson Dragon, we managed to sneak a peek into one of the luxury yachts mooring at the side that brings Crazy Rich Asians to mind.. there was the White Rose and there was Sabrina..

These yachts along with the Dickson Dragon are operated by Platinum Charters, the best choice for luxury yacht charters in Malaysian waters…

So yes, if you have money, money, money and fancy a weekend gateway or sailing vacation, a private wedding or honeymoon reception, the nice people at Platinum Charters can make your private yacht charter dream a reality… and you can live it up the Crazy Rich Asians life..

Psst… chartering these gorgeous yachts and her crew cost anywhere from RM10k and above for 4 hours and above…

If you just want a teeny bit of affordable luxury.. then get aboard the Dickson Dragon cruise… hehehe.. there are beanbags and sofas on the top deck, lounge chairs and bar stools on the lower deck.. and the bar serves up free flow of orange juice and filtered water…

On a nice hot day, climb down the rope net to enjoy natural Seawater Jacuzzi (have to bring your own bathing suit and bathtowels of course).. or sing your heart out karaoke style…

The Dickson Dragon Cruise operates from the Admiral Marina and Leisure Club or the Lexis Hibiscus in Port Dickson…

PD Upside Down House 3D gallery

You can have a pretty fun time here and make nice memories with all those creative pictures of the gallery here….

The place is nice on a hot day as you can run inside to a full air-conditioned place which is comfortable and have some fun with the gallery there….

PD Ostrich Farm

PD Ostrich Show Farm is one of the main attractions in Port Dickson, having heard so much about it, I only manage to visit there for the first time and again since we were on a pretty tight schedule, it was a hit and run…

Tired and exhausted.. I just remember seeing goats.. we were given some food for the excited goats to nibble from our hands… and it was a bit fun.. and I was also tired..

But then the owner went inside the goat pen and brought out a baby goat /kid and I was so excited… I got to cuddle the cutie.. who proceeded to think my hair was food and started chewing on my hair… lol…

After a few minutes, had to pass her on to someone else to hold… and we came to the ostrich pen… we got to take photos with Puteri… the ostrich.. as well as feed her…It was funny seeing the travel agents shriekjng when feeding Puteri since she was literally pecking the food off their palms…

From there we headed on our short cut tour bypassing camels, donkeys and cows…

And there was the area you got to run with the ostrich… please be reminded ostriches are one of the fastest birds on land…

Until we reached the canteen or cafeteria where we were given the challenge of stepping on ostrich eggs!!! what!!! But well, ostrich eggs are the largest of all eggs and have a shell so tough that it could support an adult’s weight.. I gingerly tried stepping on it and yeah nothing happened, it was like stepping on a huge pebble…

Herbal Oasis

Our tour continued with the Herbal Oasis, a pretty herbal show garden which is smack in the middle set of the PD Ostrich Show Farm (it however requires a separate entry ticket)

There are over 60 types of herbs planted in this garden and we are taken for a little tour with a guide explaining the uses of these wonderful herbs and their medicinal or health benefit values…

Once we finish our tour, we are given a little taste of the tea of the day.. before led to a little workshop where we participated in making err.. rainbow salad using fruits, herbs and flowers!!! Initially it looked strange.. but once younfonoshed your work and try the salad, it is practically so damn good!!!! and nutritious to boot…

The PD Ostrich farm also brought out ostrich satays for us to try.. said to be more healthier and lower in fat then the normal satay we eat, I did not want any though.. I cannot eat these meat.. the furthest I ventured was just a little bit of duck and venison /deer… I won’t eat rabbit, porcupine, ostrich or so on… but my friends who tried it said it is nice..