Corus Paradise Resort Port Dickson

We’d made this Port Dickson beach trip, about a 2 hour drive from KL, once or twice a year for a relaxing 3 day 2 night break. We usually took the Seremban toll route and turned off at Mambau for Yong Tow Foo and Pan Mee at lunch. Dinner was seafood and a giant curry chicken bun in Lukut. At Corus Paradise Resort we spent most of our time at the beach, swimming, and playing squash. We’d also take a slow drive on the scenic coastal road to Pasir Panjang for homemade pau, greenery, and coastal flora and fauna. On the way back, we always trekked up the iconic Cape Rachado lighthouse. It’s in Negri Sembilan state but administered by the Melaka government. The uphill walk felt cool in the hot afternoon. Large trees of great commercial value covered the slopes, with birds calling and leaves rustling as we climbed to the summit, where we could see the Straits of Malacca below. The trees are protected from illegal felling because it’s a forest reserve. Our drives home from PD had always been smooth, but this time an overcast sky turned into heavy rain just a few kilometres from Mambau. Cars coming the other way flashed their headlights. We guessed there might be an accident or a road block ahead, not that the road was badly flooded. As we got closer, the downpour became torrential. We weren’t local or frequent travellers and had no idea how chaotic it would get. Mambau sits in a basin fed by Sungai Linggi, with several tributaries crossing the main road before flowing into the river. Flash floods are common in that kind of downpour. Several cars were parked on the shoulder, waiting for the rain to ease. We followed a Kancil slowly, thinking its driver knew the road and that the water wasn’t too deep. The road looked like a river, but there were no stalled cars to warn us. Following the Kancil was a mistake: we didn’t know there were two worse flooded stretches ahead. I’d even quietly admired the driver’s nerve, then almost immediately regretted it when the car turned at a junction for a Felda settlement instead of continuing. We were stuck in the second flooded stretch with no way to turn back or pull over and wait. We’d never faced anything like it. We gritted our teeth, said a prayer, and moved forward. By the grace of God we got through safely, though the runoff underneath felt strong enough to sweep us off the road. I slowed almost to a crawl for traction and edged through the flood. It was quite an ordeal for an unsuspecting driver. I’m grateful to the maker of the Proton Wira I bought some 15 years or so ago; it carried us through without incident. Afterward we stopped at our favourite Mambau Yong Tow Foo for lunch and saw a 4 wheel drive being towed past. We were lucky to come through unscathed when a larger, tougher vehicle hadn’t. In future we won’t take that risk again. Once bitten, twice shy.