Subic in Two Days or Less

Although I was once a self-confessed city rat, I have now discovered the joy in finding new adventures whenever I travel, whether it be out of the country or even just outside Metro Manila. One of the easiest places to go to during a long weekend (or even on just a regular one) is Subic Bay, Zambales. I've gone there on spur-of-the-moment day trips, long weekends and even on a week-long hiatus when the time permits. Commuting there is no issue as Zambales is a popular bus route. But whenever I get the chance to go by car, the views on the Subic-Clark-Tarlac-Expressway (SCTEX) is always one worth seeing.

It's been a long time since I last headed far North. One of my closest friends used to be based there but they have since moved abroad, which gave me less reasons to frequent the place. I arrived in Subic on a Friday, a little after 6 pm and was hoping to find a hotel right on the Baywalk area. Unfortunately, almost all the places were booked (because of the Bonifacio day weekend and a kayaking convention). But it wasn't a real bother because in Subic, there are a multitude of hotels, inns and resorts to choose from in the area. I ended up finding a gem of a hotel on Dewey Avenue, just one street away from the Boardwalk! It was called Mango Valley although it didn't look very promising on the outside, but once I saw the room, it was at par with 5-star hotel level (especially the beddings). I even got it at a good Subic rate ($30) because they had a Oct-Nov low season promo. Aside from the flat screen TV, king-size bed, and fridge, there was lots and lots of moving space! The bathroom itself was big enough to be a small room which would definitely appeal to anybody (especially claustrophobes like me!).

Since I was already hungry when I checked-in, I decided to walk to the nearby boardwalk for dinner. Surprisingly, despite the long weekend there weren't that many people walking around Subic freeport and even some of the bars were closed. We decided on eating at one of the biggest restaurants in the area called Texas Joe's which boasts of the best ribs in town. I ordered the 3-rib meal which came with two sides and was definitely meant for sharing. I thought their prices were pretty reasonable and was even contemplating on buying a cowboy hat they were selling for about $6! Even some of the patrons were wearing it which I thought was nice and festive. After a filling meal, we decided to go to the nearby local carnival, called a perya, where there were lots of stalls for shooting guns, darts and piso-piso gambling. But the highlight of my night was finding this ride from my childhood there!

 
Called "Taga-Disco", meaning "From the disco," this bumpy ride goes around and tries to shake you off your seat. Surprisingly, despite all the deliberate turbulence, no one ever gets injured. Although I admit I have seen an occasional shoe fly in the air or baggy pants fall off, it's still all in good fun. And everyone gets off looking mildly dazed and happy. In fact, I highly recommend that everyone whose had an off day should end up going for a spin on this because it literally shakes off all the bad vibes. Guaranteed!

The next day, I contemplated on waking up early to go to the JEST Camp (Jungle Environmental Survival Training) but decided to just have a relaxed morning and do Zoobic Safari after lunch (P495/pax). Lunch was spent checking out the usual duty-free-sports outlet shops area and having a quick lunch at the S&R fastfood in Pure Gold. Although I was happy to find some potty-training pads for puppies at Royal Subic Duty-Free (just $1.50 for 3 pads!), there was really nothing else there that I can't get in the city for almost the same price. Same goes for the sportswear brands. I think checking out the outlet shop in Mamplason and Market!Market! and Olympic Village outlet shops would get you better deals when it comes to sneakers and soccer cleats.

When I do finally make it to Zoobic Safari after braving an unbelievably long queue at the entrance (four windows and only one cashier), I was a bit disappointed to find out that all the baby animals had been moved back inside unlike before where you can pet a baby bearcat, pig, and tiger while waiting for your group to go in. But once we got inside, things started to look up. I met these two baby lions who were born right in Subic! Both their parents came from abroad after being donated by the prime minister of Dubai.

My favorite animals the bearcats are nocturnal, which meant they were mostly asleep not exactly picture-friendly during our visit. The camels on the other hand, were quite easy to photograph.

For the first part of the tour, we basically walked around to different areas in the zoo and then we sat in a covered area for the animal show which was very fun to watch as well. I'm not sure I was amused by the Aetas doing their own version of Gangnam Style though.

For me, it just didn't seem as enjoyable for them as when they were demonstrating their own war, courtship or harvest dances during the start of the show.

The second part of the tour included riding on the tram (additional P50/pax) and getting on and off various parts of the park including the Tiger Safari.Unfortunately for our group, the tigers had already had their fill of chicken that day and so we weren't allowed to feed them anymore. This was okay except the tigers don't really go near the buses anymore and are either just lounging around or hiding. Good thing they included an up-close-and-personal visit to the tiger cages after that part and got to see these awesome looking creatures up close. One tiger was so bothered by our group that he couldn't stop growling at us, which made the tour even more exciting! We also rode by areas where different animals could graze together like wild boars and ostriches.

The Crocodile park was also pretty exciting even if it wasn't feeding time. The crocs looked like statues with their mouths open. I wish I had that kind of muscle control!

After Zoobic Safari (which took us around 3 hours to finish), we saw this sign right outside that said Bunker Bob's and decided to check it out. Here's what we found inside an unassuming bunker.

Filled with war memorabilia and military-themed decor, Bunker Bob's turned out to be an Italian restaurant complete with pool table and fully-stocked bar. There was noone else inside except the staff but we decided to give it a try before driving back to Manila. It turned out to be a good decision.

Their Caprese appretizer was delish and fresh! Their burgers didn't need any sauce because it was tasty and cooked just right. Their thin-crust pizza was freshly made and good enough to eat even the day after. I was so happy to discover this place after finding out that la Tavola restaurant near Royal Subic closed down already.

I apologize for not taking better pictures. I didn't even think a blog entry would come out of all this. But I was happy with our one-and-a-half day stay in Subic. It wasn't hectic nor was it lacking. With an extra day, I think we would've considered doing Tree Top Adventure, JEST Camp, Ocean Adventure or even just checking out the mangroves or watching the bats come out int he afternoon. All in all, it was worth the 2-and-a-half hour's drive from the city. Subic Bay is definitely one road trip worthy destination.