The best location for a traveler to really experience all that is the Philippines is Subic Bay. There are so many attractions to see and experience while in the lush and tropical Southeast Asian port city, the difficulty is seeing them all! From the remains of the US naval base all the way to the fascinating wreck diving right off the shore, the possibilities for a great time are endless!
The best way to travel to Subic Bay is from the air or the sea. There are two airports that service the entire area and those are; Subic International Airport and Cubi Airport. Both of these airstrips are excellent places to land and begin the adventure of a lifetime at! From the capital city of Manila, the flights take 35 minutes and are very easy to book. The flights are run every hour up until 6pm or 8 pm depending upon the day of the week and if there is a holiday or not. Once landed in Subic Bay, the next step of the journey is to hire either a driver or a Jeepney.
The Jeepneys are all over the Philippines and are the favored means of transportation for Filipinos and vacationers. From a straight one way trip to an all-day excursion, the fabulous Jeepney has everything under control. The average cost of a ride in a Jeepney, for one way transportation, is P7.50. That is really a great rate and hard to beat for the speed and comfort factor. Jeepneys are discarder US Army jeeps left over from WWII and have been personalized by the various owners to match both persona and the colorful culture that is the Philippines. There are Jeepneys of every size color variation and even horn blast so the competitive nature of these drivers is readily apparent. The favored method of hiring a Jeepney is to contract one of the wonderful modes of transportation for the entire day. For around P1, 800, the driver will take you everywhere that is required on the island of Subic Bay and will even serve as the all-important Philippines guide. The savings and the safety factor cannot be beaten from any other form of travel while onshore and exploring.
Since Subic Bay is an island destination it makes perfect sense that sea travel will be a viable mode of getting to this tropical jewel. The famous Banca Boats flotilla, that can be seen wherever there is water, are the most popular ways to arrive from island to island. The Banca comes in a variety of shapes and colors with some being monstrous triple-decker yacht-types while others a barely more than a row boat! Regardless of the vessel the safety and the professionalism of these Filipino Banca Boat captains is really something to experience!
Any trip to Subic Bay is best served with a little bit of history. In 1992 the United States Navy departed fro the base it had occupied since a few years after WWII. The reason that the US felt it necessary to keep a strategic presence in the Pacific Ocean is for the memory of what transpired in the last war with Japan. Now that the threat from Japan is non-existent and Japan is now seen as a great ally to both the United States and the Philippines, the need for a military presence is no longer warranted. The apprehension that swept over the Filipino people was great as most of the Subic Bay commerce was highly dependent upon the US Naval presence and was gone in an instant, was quite an issue. The Filipino people fought long and hard to recreate a viable and economically sustainable new Subic Bay and what they have accomplished in little over 17 years is simply amazing. Take a trip to this wonderful, diver’s paradise, friendly location of the republic of the Philippines and see for oneself what paradise on earth is all about.
Subic Bay
The best location for a traveler to really experience all that is the Philippines is Subic Bay. There are so many attractions to see and experience while in the lush and tropical Southeast Asian port city, the difficulty is seeing them all! From the remains of the US naval base all the way to the fascinating wreck diving right off the shore, the possibilities for a great time are endless!
The best way to travel to Subic Bay is from the air or the sea. There are two airports that service the entire area and those are; Subic International Airport and Cubi Airport. Both of these airstrips are excellent places to land and begin the adventure of a lifetime at! From the capital city of Manila, the flights take 35 minutes and are very easy to book. The flights are run every hour up until 6pm or 8 pm depending upon the day of the week and if there is a holiday or not. Once landed in Subic Bay, the next step of the journey is to hire either a driver or a Jeepney.
The Jeepneys are all over the Philippines and are the favored means of transportation for Filipinos and vacationers. From a straight one way trip to an all-day excursion, the fabulous Jeepney has everything under control. The average cost of a ride in a Jeepney, for one way transportation, is P7.50. That is really a great rate and hard to beat for the speed and comfort factor. Jeepneys are discarder US Army jeeps left over from WWII and have been personalized by the various owners to match both persona and the colorful culture that is the Philippines. There are Jeepneys of every size color variation and even horn blast so the competitive nature of these drivers is readily apparent. The favored method of hiring a Jeepney is to contract one of the wonderful modes of transportation for the entire day. For around P1, 800, the driver will take you everywhere that is required on the island of Subic Bay and will even serve as the all-important Philippines guide. The savings and the safety factor cannot be beaten from any other form of travel while onshore and exploring.
Since Subic Bay is an island destination it makes perfect sense that sea travel will be a viable mode of getting to this tropical jewel. The famous Banca Boats flotilla, that can be seen wherever there is water, are the most popular ways to arrive from island to island. The Banca comes in a variety of shapes and colors with some being monstrous triple-decker yacht-types while others a barely more than a row boat! Regardless of the vessel the safety and the professionalism of these Filipino Banca Boat captains is really something to experience!
Any trip to Subic Bay is best served with a little bit of history. In 1992 the United States Navy departed fro the base it had occupied since a few years after WWII. The reason that the US felt it necessary to keep a strategic presence in the Pacific Ocean is for the memory of what transpired in the last war with Japan. Now that the threat from Japan is non-existent and Japan is now seen as a great ally to both the United States and the Philippines, the need for a military presence is no longer warranted. The apprehension that swept over the Filipino people was great as most of the Subic Bay commerce was highly dependent upon the US Naval presence and was gone in an instant, was quite an issue. The Filipino people fought long and hard to recreate a viable and economically sustainable new Subic Bay and what they have accomplished in little over 17 years is simply amazing. Take a trip to this wonderful, diver’s paradise, friendly location of the republic of the Philippines and see for oneself what paradise on earth is all about.