Avillion Port Dickson, Malaysia

Over the Good Friday weekend, hubby and I brought baby for his first overseas trip to Malaysia! After scouting the internet on suitable locations taking into consideration the distance and resort facilities/activities, we decided on Avillion Port Dickson as it is just a 3hr drive away and the resort fits our requirements for a rest and relax getaway.

Avillion Port Dickson is not new to us, we have been there a few times but at least 5 years ago already. The last we went, the resort looked tired and needed some refurbishing and from the revamped website, it seems that the resort has been given a fresh breath of life and there is even a swanky spa (open in 2008)! Yes, I need a massage!

We set off on Thu afternoon and would return on Saturday evening as we didn't want to be caught in jam at the causeway on Good Friday and Sunday. Nursed baby just before the journey and he managed to sleep through most part probably due to the gentle rocking of the moving car :)

Reached Port Dickson in the evening and checked into our Water Chalet. Couldn't get the Premium Water Chalet with better sea view as they were fully booked. The king size poster bed certainly looks inviting and the day bed is perfect for baby to sleep on.

The signature open-air shower which I liked a lot.

Full set of bath amenities given - toothbrush & toothpaste, body lotion, bath gel, shampoo, conditioner, soap and shower cap. House brand from Avi Spa :)

Private balcony.

View from our balcony. Can only see partial sea view.

Everything is nice, except the TV which is only 24", very poor reception and limited channels; and no internet access in the room. Hmmm, they could have upgraded the TV sets and include internet access. Then again the idea of a vacation is to relax do nothing rather then watch TV and surf net right?

After nursing baby, we drove out of the resort in search of dinner. We remembered a nice chinese seafood restaurant near the town area and decided to dine there. Alas, the food quality has dropped drastically so not really worth mentioning. After dinner, headed back to the resort, nursed baby again and settled for an early night.

Woke up bright and early the next day (actually it's always morning call by baby). After nursing him, we went to the all day dining restaurant for buffet breakfast (included in the room rate). Spread was the usual - salad & fruit bar, bread, cereals, juices, popular breakfast items like sausage, baked beans, hash brown, pancakes... porridge, nasi lemak, egg station as well as roti canai station.

After breakfast, we took a stroll in the lush gardens.

The adult-only pool. We went for a swim there the next day.

Family pool with jacuzzi. There's another kid's pool with water slide.

Private beach area. We didn't go onto the beach as there might be sandflies.

One attraction for family with kids is a mini pet farm housing kampung pets like rabbits, roasters, hens, chickens, tortoises... Kids could feed, touch or bath a pet at designated timings. For city kids, I guess it's a special treat and interesting experience to see these animals up close and personal.

There's also a peacock and peahen roaming freely in the grounds.

Dropped by the Avi Spa to book appointments for our massages later in the day. The spa is housed in a new building overlooking the sea with a modernistic feel unlike the rest of the resort which looks more rustic and traditional. Will blog more about the spa, interior furnishings and treatment in another entry.

After booking our respective appointments, we headed back to the chalet where I nursed the baby and then went for my spa treatment while hubby took care of baby.

My treatment lasted 2.5hrs and we went for a quick lunch at the Village Court (all day dining restaurant where buffet breakfast was served). Hubby ordered chicken chop and mine was beef burger. Not too bad.  

After lunch, it was hubby's turn for his massage while I took care of baby.

Soon it was evening and we weren't interested in the resort's food so decided to take a 15 minute walk to the Pasar Malam area to check out eateries there. Unfortunately, the big scale Pasar Malam only operated on Sat (think so) and only a few road side stalls were opened. So we just settled for some simple Malay beehoon soup and hor fun. The next day as we drove past the area again, we realised that there were more hawker stalls and eateries if we walk another 10 minutes more. Oh well.

After dinner, walked back to the resort, relax a bit and soon hit the bed since there was nothing much to do anyway.

The next day, woke up early as usual, went for breakfast and then went for a swim at the adult pool. By the time we were done, it was almost time for check out. We packed up, checked out and drove to the town area for KFC lunch before heading home.

All in all, it was a much needed vacation for both of us and we were glad that baby slept pretty well in the car and at the resort. In fact, I think he loves air-con! He was grumpy outdoors due to the heat but very active and happy back in the air-con room. With the experience from his maiden trip, I guess we could explore more places to travel in time to come :)