By Bernard L Supetran
If you happen to be in Kuala Lumpur, and you have time to spare before your evening flight, swing by the neighboring state of Negeri Sembilan.
Situated less than an hour away from the airport, Negeri Sembilan, as it is fondly called, packs an eclectic charm, especially after having a blast in the pulsating urban heart of Malaysia.
State Museum. The mandatory first stop of your day swing is the State Museum Complex in the capital town of Seremban, the repository of local traditions and cultures that can give you a glimpse of the soul of the state.
Negeri Sembilan is an amalgam of Malay and Indonesian cultures, and is most evident in the Minangkabau architecture of the museum, characterized by pointed edges shaped like a buffalo horn. A Sumatran influence, many of the old and contemporary buildings around Seremban showcased this design theme.
Within the complex is the Istana Ampang Tinggi (High Dam Palace), a royal residence built in the 1860s as a wedding gift of the local ruler to his daughter. The 67-foot-long hardwood was dismantled in the 1900s and reassembled in its current location to serve as an architectural showcase.
Right beside is the Rumah Negeri Sembilan, an example of a typical “state house” that was taken by the British government to London for an exhibition in 1924. The house is recognized as a heritage building by Malaysia’s Ministry of Culture.
After a heady museum tour, sink your teeth into the finger-licking Chocs Valley chocolates, which are concocted just a few steps away. This confectionery whips up artisanal chocolates, which the amiable staff will gladly demonstrate for you.
If time allows, swing by the iconic Istana Seri Menanti in Kuala Pilah District, a four-story timber palace built in the early-1900s, which has been turned into a museum for the house royal regalia. One of the biggest of its kind in the world, it has 99 solids timber pillars and used hardwood rods in place of nails. Adorned with a floral motif, it is topped with buffalo horns, which are regarded as a protective Minangkabau symbol.
The palace, however, is undergoing a drawn-out restoration and visitors can only view its exterior.
Port Dickson. If you’re a beach bum, this getaway is a must visit. The nearest beach to Kuala Lumpur, this district is a haven for Malaysians and Singaporeans longing to laze at sleepy shores of powdery beige sand.
The long coastline has several coves, each with a distinct character—Tanjung Gemuk, Saujana, Cahaya Negeri, Purnama, Bagan Pinang, Tanjung Biru (Blue Lagoon) and Teluk Kemang. The latter is the most popular beach, dotted with restaurants, souvenir shops and groceries for local snacks.
One of Port Dickson’s imposing structure is the luxe Lexis Hibiscus Resort Hotel, where you can grab lunch and laze around for the remainder of the day. It has nine dining outlets, but it is Roselle Coffee House and Umi Japanese Restaurant that are open round-the-clock for walk-in guests.
You can feast on mouth watery Malay specialties, halal food, international dishes and Japanese favorites in an opulent setting.
If you want a more scaled-down experience, there is the Hibiscus Walk, which is dotted by hawker food stalls that evoke the typical Malaysian “pedestrian” feel in the classy enclave. There is a wide array of traditional dishes from Malacca, Penang, India and China, which make up the entirety of Malaysian cuisine.
A must taste is Negeri Sembilan‘s signature dish, Masak Lomak Lado Api, a combination of lemongrass, turmeric, small extra hot chilies simmered in coconut milk, which produce the spicy aroma of a mouthwatering dish, which can be paired with fish, meat, prawn, or chicken. Named after the country’s national flower, Hibiscus is a waterworld in itself, being adjudged recently by the Guinness World Records as having the “Most Swimming Pools in a Resort” and “Most Overwater Villas at a Single Resort.”
With 522 floating water villas scattered over a kilometer into the sea to form the shape of a hibiscus, the resort is a swell place to engage in water sports, such as banana boat, kayaks and Jet Skis. Sip coffee or your favorite beverage on the beach as you watch the ships, or the world, go by. These are some of the adventures you might have missed in the cosmopolitan hustle and bustle of Kuala Lumpur.
Near the farthest “petal” of the hibiscus villa formation is a 400-feet water fountain, which forms part of the resort’s landscape and the tallest of its kind in the country.
Lexis Hibiscus also boasts of 117 well-appointed rooms in its tower hotel, which overlooks Straits of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest sealanes, and the silhouette of the Indonesian province of Sumatra in the horizon.
Garden Café. Cap your day tour with a hearty meal in this cozy restaurant in Nilai district, which is arguably the place to be for authentic Malay and Sumatran cuisine that is owned by the amiable self-taught Chef Aunty Aini.
If she’s not too busy, she’ll gladly take time out for a brief tête-à- tête, being a celebrity cook in her own right. Culinary TV stars Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay have come all the way to this part unknown, just for her fabled heirloom cooking. And if it’s your lucky day, you might be rubbing elbows with the Malaysians in the country’s who’s who list. Those are reasons enough to make Garden Café your dinner place, which incidentally is closed on Monday.
This itinerary has just scratched the surface of Negeri Sembilan’s must-see places. There’s the Army Museum, the Fisheries Department Aquarium, Wan Loong Chinese Temple, Ostrich Farm, the recreational parks of De Bana Recreational and Ulu Serting, Kuala Klawang Customs Museum, Lukut Historical Complex and everything in between.
The state also has an intriguing royal sultanate system, which is unique.
With all its natural and cultural wealth largely undetected by the Filipino tourist radar, it might as well be the main destination of your next Malaysian journey.