The Philippines, an island country located in the Western Pacific, stands out in its individuality. Although it belongs to the continent of Asia, the Philippines has many Spanish roots due to its history of Spanish settlement. Most of the inhabitants of the Philippines live in Metro Manilla, the region of the Philippine's capital. However, there are many geographical divisions of the Philippines that are less populated but just as intriguing. Subic is a coastal city on Subic Bay that is northwest of Manilla. Subic is in the region of Central Luzon, and there are countless distinctions of Subic that attract the adventure seekers from all over the Philippines and the world.
The Trip
Taking the trip from populated civilized areas to Subic will be an adventure in of itself. The sights of neighborhoods and skyscrapers will dwindle, and the sights of trucks hauling pigs and motorcycles carrying cut up cows will be the replacements. Rice terraces are scattered in the countryside, emitting a sense of peace and showcasing the traditional Asian landscape.
Rice terrace
As you're entering Subic, you will start to notice that the surrounding tropics are home to many monkeys. These monkeys hang out by the side of the road: an entertaining welcome into the beautiful coastal gem. Although you can pull over and see them up close, it is not recommended to feed them because it might create dependency and possible extinction.
Farther along, the air is fresher and saltier. Subic Bay lies in beauty and restfulness on the coast. With the tropical climate and the picture-perfect bay, Subic has many resorts that you will see as your get closer to the heart of the city. Because there are so many options of where to stay, I would recommend doing some research beforehand. I have heard that Camayan Beach Resort and Hotel is a great option with a terrific view and good accommodations. However, I think it would be hard to go wrong with choosing a resort in Subic.
Zoobic Safari
One of Subic's main attractions is Zoobic Safari, an adventure park where animals and tourists roam together in harmony. The park contains a tiger safari, a crocodile-feeding exhibit, shows, a close encounter with young tigers, and much more.
Tigers
Zoobic Safari is well known for its tigers and the interactions you get to have with them. The tiger safari is an adventure on an encaged truck riding through a simulated tiger environment. When on the ride, you may purchase a raw chunk of meat that you may feed to the tigers through the cage. Sometimes tigers even leap on top of the vehicle or chase it as it drives away, which is both astonishing and terrifying.
Another experience for you to have in Zoobic Safari is a close encounter with a Siberian or Bangala tiger. Most of these tigers are young and not too much of a danger, and you are allowed to pet and even feed these particular tigers. For a keepsake, there is a Zoobic Safari photographer to capture the moment of your feeding the tiger.
Closer encounter with a tiger
Crocodiles
Along with tigers, Zoobic Safari is home to many crocodiles. The crocodile exhibit, called Croco Loco, gives you an opportunity to walk above a pit of around 200 crocodiles. The steel-grate bridge offers protection, but the dangerous reptiles wallow in the waters below. If you desire, you may buy a raw chicken, put it on a bamboo fishing pole, and lower it into crocodile territory. Witnessing the crocodiles jump and fight for the dangling chicken is quite an adventurous and entertaining experience. You will be terrified and fascinated by how high crocodiles can really jump.
Crocodiles eating raw chicken
Located in Croco Loco, the Crocodile Café invites you to dine and snack while examining the crocodiles from a water-level point of view. This is a unique feature of Zoobic Safari, and adventures like these must be taken advantage of while in Subic.
Aeta Trail
The Aeta are an indigenous people that live in the northern Philippines on the Luzon island. They are so skilled in jungle living that they were employed to train the American military in the past. At Zoobic Safari, you can get a taste of their beautiful culture by watching traditional performances and by seeing a realistic village complete with homes and cooking areas. The performances include tribal dances and demonstrations of their amazing gymnastic and tree-climbing abilities.
The Aeta Trail is just a small portion of Zoobic Safari, but you don't want to miss it. Zoobic Safari contains a plethora of adventures, and there is even more to experience of Subic, Philippines, outside of the safari boundaries.
Aeta performance
Tree Top Adventure
Also in Subic is Tree Top Adventure, where you can zip line 100 feet above the ground through the rainforest tropics. Different from other zip lines where you are uncomfortably strapped in, Tree Top Adventure allows you to fly through the sky in unique positions like sitting in a chair, lying horizontally, or standing upright. Each of these rides carries you through jungle beauty for a unmatched adventure.
The accommodations provide comfort and security yet thrills and new perspectives. The natural beauty of Subic makes Tree Top Adventure's location favorable and gives you the view of a lifetime with adrenaline-inducing speed. The facilities also have opportunities to rappel down a 60-foot tree, trek on a skywalk, and other kinds of zip lining. This is the perfect destination for adventure seekers because of its many options for adrenaline and beautiful views.
Beaches
Every adventure seeker needs a beach to decompress and pursue even more ocean-related activities. Subic Bay hosts some well-known, amazingly beautiful beaches. Among these is the beach just off the resort mentioned earlier: Camayan Beach. This beach has white sand, palm trees, clear water, protected reefs, and an alluring view of greenery and mountains. In addition, the beach is full of sea turtles and crabs waiting to be sought out.
Since the ocean by Subic is technically a bay, the calmer waters allow for more water sports and activities. Clearly, swimming in a lively beach environment is advisable, but you may also snorkel, kayak, rent a jet ski, scuba dive, hike, and even go parasailing at certain beaches. There are endless adventures you can uncover at beach paradises in Subic.
Camayan Beach in Subic
Bat viewing
Bats seem to be a turnoff for many people, but if you are truly longing for an adventure out of the ordinary, you have to experience the captivating bats of Subic. Along with the monkeys, bats are Subic's totem and enchantment. These bats aren't the ordinary, creepy creatures that you instinctively think about, but they are exotic and can only be found in the Philippines. These creatures are called Philippine giant fruit bats. Although big, these bats only eat plants and are therefore not a threat to you. Since they are nocturnal, you can find them sleeping in trees during the day and flying around searching for food during the night hours. Subic even has a bat kingdom, where you can learn even more about these intriguing creatures and see them in a monitored environment. For maximal adventures in Subic, the bats are something you need to see. Live on the edge and observe the habitat of the Subic bats.
Philippine giant fruit bats in a tree
Conclusion
Subic, Philippines has plenty of adventures waiting for you to discover. These adventures provide ample opportunity for great photography moments. See other blogs for more picturesque locations.
By: Hannah Veldkamp
All photo credit goes to Micah Varberg and the Varberg family