Post MCO we thought it was a good idea to bring our entire family for a short getaway, you know to finally see the world after being cooped up for so long at home. Coincidentally we decided not to go back to our hometown for Eid ul Adha. Mostly because Adam had to go back to school right away after the short holiday. There is simply not enough time (thank God). We chose Port Dickson because it is nearby and was hoping the traffic would not be so horrible this festive season.
Traffic-wise, it was quite a pleasant journey to Port Dickson via Sepang/Bagan Lalang. It was my first time using this route instead of the usual Seremban-Port Dickson highway thanks to Waze. Apart from a short jam due to (an unnecessary) road block, the journey was smooth and clear. I booked a room at the Glory Beach Resort, right in the middle of downtown PD. Starting from the long queue right at the entrance I suspected there will be an even longer queue to check in. My suspicion was confirmed when I had to queue for nearly half an hour to check in. Well, Adam did most of the queuing for me (thanks buddy). Apparently a lot of people had the same idea of spending Raya Haji at resorts like us.
I remember booking for a 3 bedroom apartment at the resort online. They kindly upgraded us to a 3+1 penthouse suite at the top floor. I can’t complain much about the room - air cond in most rooms, warm running water, nice seafront view. If only they would sweep or mop the floor before letting the guests come in. I got the feeling they haven’t let out the room for quite some time. The floor was visibly dusty and unclean. On the flip side, the beach is right outside the hotel. It was filled with people for obvious reasons. Still the kids had a good time bathing and playing by the sea. Not wanting to expose the kids unnecessarily to the crowd, we bought drive-in McDonald’s for dinner that night.
Next morning, instead of the usual breakfast buffet, the food was pre-packed and distributed to guests at the café downstairs. There’s a mix of nasi lemak, nuggets and fried beehon (all tiny portions) for breakfast. I had a hard time justifying paying another 12 ringgit for an extra pack for my kid. To be honest, I’d rather go out and find a proper wholesome breakfast outside than eat their lousy breakfast. After another round of bathing at the beach, we checked out around 11:00. Sorry Glory Beach Resort but I can only give your 2 stars for our experience.
Would we return to Glory Beach Resort again? Probably not in the near future. In fact after Port Dickson, we’re not sure we would want to experience the whole long queue and terrible prepacked buffet at another resort or hotel. Not until this whole pandemic is over.
Afterwards, Hana and Asif had a cold and fever, I suspect from bathing in the polluted Port Dickson beach. I had my reservations about letting them bathe in a beach that’s located smack in the middle of town where all the drain water probably goes. But then again, what is the point of going to a seaside resort if you won’t let your kids play on the beach right?
