I had an impression that Subic
resorts were pricey. I was wrong. Upon checking online, there are beach
cottages that are within budget. Subic is located in Zambales and used to be a
former US naval base, the largest outside US territory for 9 decades. Most of
the beaches and forest trails are preserved and turned into business ventures.
It is also home to casinos, duty free shops and theme parks.
My friends and I had a day trip
at All Hands Beach Resort. We paid P150 for the entrance fee and P400 for
the use of cabana with ceiling fan, shower
facilities, floaters and other amenities. Beach use is from sunrise to sunrise
(6am to 6am) the next day. The first thing I noticed was the pristine blue
green beach and white sand. The staff
are warm and accommodating although we didn’t have prior reservation. Thank goodness there are no videoke machines in sight.
There was just a speaker playing party music heard around the resort. Fun floaters
scattered on the beach for hanging out and enjoying the mountain views. The
beach is ideal for children with shallow waters and small waves in the
afternoon. The shoreline is not impressive but for those who just want to have
a quick escape from the city and enjoy a refreshing weekend, All Hands is
perfect. The resort also offers banana boat ride and jetski rentals. Food is affordable with grilled
dishes starting at P150. There are meals good for sharing. You can also bring food
and grill it there with no extra charge.
How to get there:
To those with vehicles, we headed
to The Subic-Tipo Expressway (also known as the Subic-Tipo Road) that provided
a direct route into the Subic Bay Freeport Zone without having to go through Olongapo
City. This is a scenic route with a tunnel and my first time to see this part
of the countryside.
For commuters, board a bus from
Cubao or Avenida going to Olongapo City. These are mostly Genesis, Bataan Liner
and Victory Liner buses. From there, a taxi can take you to All Hands for a
fixed rate of P250 to P300 per way.
Check out www.allhandsbeach.com
for details.
