Subic Bay trip snippets in bullet form

Accommodations are alot cheaper in Subic than in Tagaytay. We stayed at the Legenda Suites which is located in Cubi Point. It can be reached through winding roads and it's nestled within dense rain forests. It is nicely tucked in so the atmosphere was cool with pure fresh air to envelop you in its midst.

I've always had a soft spot for the environment. So it was deeply heartwarming to know that you only need to drive more or less 3 hours to find yourself in an idyllic ecotourism paradise. Dense thick rain forests, clear pure air, vast expanse of ocean/bay, gorgeous backdrop of mountains. It was so peaceful and serene my city gal heart was happily content to commune with nature.

I have also been an avid zoo fan. I like seeing wild animals in their natural habitats. Well in cages of course, I don't want to be their meal du jour! We went to the mini zoo at the JEST CAMP. Our guide, Albert showed us the different species of colorful birds at the Aviary, the wide variety of spiders/tarantulas at the insectarium, the brightly colored butterflies at the butterfly farm. We were also instructed by Orly, a local forest ranger who showed us the multiple benefits of the bamboo tree and gave some very useful survival tactics. It was very informative!

On May 30, our itineraries for mom's birthday were the Ocean Adventure park and the Zoobic Safari. Our hotel was located within the vicinity of these two main attractions. A winding path led to the Camayan Wharf area where the marine park is located. We were excited to watch the sea lions (Madison and Simba), the bottle nosed dolphins and the false killer whale perform their tricks. They were so cute! We also ogled at the different species of beautiful fish in their aquarium, all neatly swimming around to our delight.

I made a lot of new friends from the animal kingdom over at Zoobic Safari. I saw Colette the ostrich, George the alpha male head of the tigers at Tiger Safari, Nikolai the bear and look here's Bambi, the deer!

There was also a pot bellied pig who was so fat he (or she) could hardly stand up! There were goats, sheeps and geese just roaming around freely. It felt like you were intruding on their personal space. Our able guide, Noel gamely led us around the zoo with educational information about each animal.

Then we were locked into cages on a truck for the Tiger Safari. Huge tigers just lounging around in their habitat looking at us like we were prisoners since after all we were the ones in cages, not them! Ha! Sorry for the blurry picture, I was a bit cautious they might jump on the truck and decide to chew on my fingers for some light snack.

The highlight of the Zoobic Safari for me was being greeted by a tribe of Aetas who performed ritual dances for our group. Then to our amusement, it started to rain the moment they performed a rain dance! It was so romantic (for me anyway), here we were inside a thick rain forest, the dim clouds overhead, clear pure rain pouring down on us relentlessly but it felt so serenely calm. I didn't mind getting wet despite being under an umbrella. It was such a surreal moment, really.

The last stop at Zoobic was at the Croco Loco farm. An enclosure of hundreds of crocodiles just lying around staring up at us. They probably thought we were food while we saw them as imported leather goods at a duty free store. Heh! It was still raining heavily so all we could do was lurk over them. Did you know that a crocodile doesn't move much so they can store their energy? That once they are fed, they can last without food for 2 months straight? Interesting trivia, isn't it?

I like how everything is neat and orderly within the Freeport Area. The streets are clean, people drive within the speed limits, people follow rules. I guess it can be restrictive and too sanitized but it works. I wish there are more cities in the metropolis which function that way!

I undeniably confess the reason we kept getting lost looking for the attractions and going to and from the hotel is entirely my fault, I am a very very very lousy map reader. As attested by my sister who lost her cool every time I fumbled with the map, be sure you have a good navigator to guide you while driving. =)

I'm glad that my parents were upbeat during the entire trip especially my mother who is quite the trooper! She didn't mind sweating it out in such rugged surroundings. I still can't believe that both my parents are now in the 7th decade of their life. For me they will always be this happy couple who laughs a lot and would pack us up to go gallivanting around Europe during weekends back in the very good old days. I'm very blessed indeed for having such great parents. I'm very thankful for their indomitable spirit and their incessant joie de vivre to face each day as it dawns with loads of positive attitude which they bestow upon me and my sister with such abundant joy! =)

I conclude by saying that there are 3 vital points to remember if you want to experience Subic (1) bring pockets full of cash because entrance fees are exorbitant! But believe me, they are worth it - the facilities are well maintained and managed by good reputable companies who willingly invested in the Subic Bay area (2) it is imperative to have a sturdy vehicle for mobility's sake and lastly (3) be appropriately dressed for some tough terrain, be prepared to sweat profusely (oh boy, I must have lost a few pounds from being drenched in perspiration!) and always respect the clean surroundings of the area and nature in general.

That's all for now, folks!