Zoobic and Gapo

In a place where the legendary "ulo ng apo" sits has beautiful attractions to offer - some tranquility, some fun, some childish. Subic and Olongapo comprises Metro Olongapo, one of the 12 Metropolitan Areas of the Philippines.

One Piso Fare Day, we hatched a plan to take the bus to Olongapo (from Manila) to spend the weekend there. It wasn't a typical rainy June weekend, the sun was energetic but the Subic air was colder than our usual afternoon walk back home. Altogether we had lots of long walks, a little shopping, loads of fun (especially at the Zoobic Safari).

Place to Stay. Firstly, when travelling, you don't really want to get a really nice (and pricey) hotel especially if you do not intend to stay in that hotel for most of your trip - but this apartelle which is located in Olongapo City just a few steps from SM Olongapo - will not hurt your budget.

C'est la Vie Apartelle offers a safe place to stay along with its amenities - a big ref, stove, rice cooker, electric heater, a microwave oven and kitchen utensils - all at PhP 1,500 per day. You will not be forced to get up and walk to the restaurant early in the morning to get your breakfast or rush to 7 Eleven for your midnight snack after a tiring day. Totally a steal deal.

However of course, given a generous budget - the best place to go is Vista Marina Resort inside Subic Freeport. It is best to note that Subic bay does not offer the best beach - but it gives you the dose of tranquility you so deserve. Quiet and Peaceful. Calm and steady. It feels like you have the place only for yourself. You can swim, jetski, dine-out, or just let the sea breeze massage your back.

Shopping. Subic also means shopping (read: duty-free shopping). Currently, it has at least four (4) duty-free shops - the Subic DFS near the Yacht Club, The Freeport Exchange (the oldest duty-free shop in Subic) in front of Subic DFS, Puregold Duty-Free and Royal Subic Duty-Free. If you have a lot of spare time left plus a good eye for bargains, browse all 4 stores. But if you are on a tight schedule and could only visit 1 or 2 stores, go to Royal Subic Duty-Free then to Puregold (which are located close to each other). Adjacent to Puregold, you can visit Nike and Adidas Outlet Stores which offers really really huge discount.


Okay, of we go to Zoobic. The highlight of our trip to Subic and Olongapo is the the popular Zoobic Safari. But how to get there? Pretty challenging but do not be discouraged, it is very much worth it!

• First, you have to set aside your 10AM to 3PM of your day. Best to prepare early, bring enough water and food to keep you full and cool (note: food in the camp is a bit pricey, so yeah, don't forget).
• Transportation is a bit tricky. If you are staying in Olongapo (like us!), all you need to do is get a transport from the place you are staying to SM Olongapo - and cross the foot-path to Subic Freeport and straight to that Mini Stop you can see ahead (yes, that Mini Stop, not the other one). Just across the Mini Stop you can see taxis parking waiting for passengers. That is where your negotiation skills will be tested. Zoobic Safari is located in Subic Bay Freeport Zone - Group 1, Ilanin Forest which is about 30 minutes drive from Mini Stop. No traffic at all. The tricky part is that once you are in Zoobic camp, you can not get a taxi back to Olongapo. Best to talk to the taxi driver and start to bargain. Normally, the cost of going there are back is PhP800 but you can work it out to PhP600. And yes, I would say it is worth it. So go.

Once you are there you can see this. That is where you register and get your tickets. After that, you will have to find your group. Each group will have their own tour guide explaining all the attractions within the camp.

She is the tour guide and we belong to Group 9. We started our tour at Zoobic Park, Bird Walk, Rodent's World, Petting Zoo and Serpentarium.

Petting Zoo is where you are able to interact with tamed animals and feed them. Be ready with your smaller bills so you can buy the animal food at the Petting Zoo. It will be a memorable experience for your little one.

Finally, the highlight of Zoobic Safari is being able to experience the Tiger Safari. Up close and personal. Our Zoo Tram has arrived and will take us to more interesting sites.

Here we are. Tiger Safari - the only one in the Philippines.

It is not a free world. The tourist are kept inside the Jeepney that will tour inside the Tiger's compound. It is exciting, fun and thrilling. Totally wonderful experience. All the passengers paid for the chicken which will be fed to the Tiger on the loose.

Off to more breathtaking sights!



On our way back to where we came from, we passed by the Aeta's Trail, saw them perform some dancing, roam around leaving our trails behind.

 The last part was the Croco Loco. It was my first time to see lots of Crocodiles which are all four-legged! (pun intended). Well, the four-legged crooks seemed to be well-behaved compared to those two-legged crooks you can find everywhere. Look at them, all asleep!

 So, thanks for the ride! It was fun sharing with you. Bye Subic, bye Gapo, 'till we meet again. Ciao!

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