Things to Do in Subic Bay 2

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Last Updated on November 17, 2007

Fontana Water Park   Diving & Water Sports
Surfing Banca Boat Rides
Swimming Resorts   Wreck/Diving Details  
Subic Seaplane Subic Tourist Map  

 

Fontana Water Park

 www.fontanaleisureparks.com

    Not quite in the Subic Bay area but well worth the short trip to Clark. Fontana Leisure Parks is today, the Philippines� newest, largest and most advanced integrated leisure park centrally located in a 300-hectare property within the Clark Special Economic Zone at Clarkfield Pampanga, just 90 minutes from Mango's.  Fontana is also the only resort in the country with the magnitude of a leisure park complete with a theme water park, golf course and casino.

    The Fontana Water Park is the finest of its kind in the area. It features a world-class wave pool that can electronically produce various types of waves and three giant aqua thrill slides. The park also has other attractions like the mad scientist water laboratory, the buccaneer ship and the lazy river.

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Diving & Water Sports

   Subic Bay Aqua Sports/Scuba Shack  located inside Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) can meet all your diving needs. Wreck diving is the most popular in this area as several Japanese ships are on the ocean floor. There is also an ocean �aquarium� where you can view tropical fish in their natural setting.  


 Subic Bay has been adjudged one of the best wreck dive sites in Asia. The choices are exceptional. Most wrecks are remains of World War II in 1940's. Among the more frequently visited wrecks/marine life homes are the USS New York, a 19th century battle cruiser; and the two Spanish era hulks - El Capitan and San Quentin. The San Quentin is considered notable because it has remained in good condition up to the present.
Aqua Sports also has jet skis, paddle boards, aqua cycles and boats for rent. Parasailing too is available at Aqua Sports using the advanced 28-foot Nordic Parasail boat. For more information on Subic Bay Aqua Sports  contact them at sbas@svisp.com.  Their phone numbers are (63-47) 252-6097 (63-47) 252-7343 FAX (63-47) 252-6084.  Click here for greater detail on the wrecks and contact info. 

There is also Subic Seaplane that can take up to 3 people for excursions over Subic Bay or  Pinatubo Volcano or back to Manila, Boracay or Puerto Galera. Run by experienced pilot Mike O'Farrell you can see scenic Subic from the air. Then just a short hop and you view the infamous Pinatubo volcano and it's surrounding lahar fields. The plane seats 3 plus the pilot and costs $150 and hour. Mike will pick you up in the Barretto or Baloy area. He'll even pull the plane right up to Mango's.  You can walk out our beach, hop in the plane and walk right back in to Mango's afterwards. 
Surfing
 capones.jpg (139455 bytes)

About 30 minutes north of Barretto along the Zambales coast are the Capones Islands. Seasonal waves (usually propelled by June-Sept storms) give excellent boogie or surfboard rides. Not exactly the north shore of Oahu but it'll do.
Banca Boat Rides

One of the more obvious things to do when in Subic is to rent a banca boat. For about 8 US dollars you can get a boat and driver for 4 hours and tour the bay past White Rock, around by Subic City, past Philseco and to Gaines Beach.  An hour lunch stop with a swim and a trip back across the bay and you've had a real outing.  You can depart and return right from Mango's.  Talk to any of our helpful staff who can recommend a local Bancero.  Better yet put your wife in the boat for four hours and enjoy a beer in peace for a change!

Swimming Resorts

APO resort is behind Santa Monica subdivision 10 minutes from Barrio Barretto. Besides two huge swimming areas and the toddlers pool, the resort also boasts a golf driving range. APO is grassy and shady and comfortable. There are 3 long slides into the large pool. It is well lighted and night swimming continues until 11 PM. We've attended many receptions at APO. Shaded cabanas are rented by the hour or day. There are clean bathrooms and changing areas. We have used it for children birthday parties and the VFW has held their Christmas party at Apo in the past. Admissions is $1.00 for adults and 60 US cents for children. You can bring your own food and drinks.

APO Resort / 9 AM-11 PM Open daily / Adults P50 Children P30 / Ph (63-47) 232-2411

Another neat pool is in Castillejos at Country Cottage Resort. Castillejos is 20 minutes north of the Barrio Barretto, through Subic City and over the hill. Two signs alert you to the turnoff. It's then 3 1/2 kilometers. Beautiful grounds. Tropical cool. Green. There is one large pool and one small one for young children. Shaded tables. Barbecue areas. We hit this one several times during the season.

Country Cottage / Open Daily / Adults P40 Children P30 / Ph (63-47) 232-1364

The other local pool we used this summer was M & N resort in Subic City (Calapandayan). It's on the side of the mountain and overlooks the bay. Big pool with a half dozen slides running into it. Child's pool. Shaded patio areas. All pools were clean. All the pools said they had lifeguards too, but watch your own.

M & N Resort / Open daily / Adults P50 Children P45 / Ph (63-47) 232-2580

We also wanted to do a few overnights with the kids following the swimming theme. We drove the Zambales coast just past Iba and stayed at Palmera Garden Resort. Nice little cabanas. Gardens, play area with swings and slide and a swimming pool right outside. No small item is that they had cable TV. Without a maid or ya-ya the Disney Channel comes in handy. (When you come to think of it Walt Disney is the world's greatest baby-sitter!) Anyways, the restaurant is in a huge, tropical Nipa hut and the food is good.

Palmera Garden / Rooms from P1000 / Ph (63-47) 811-2109 / palmera@mozcom.com / www.palmeragarden.com

Heading back toward Olongapo, a rustic place right on the ocean is called West Coast. (Formerly Fil-Aussie) A little more primitive. A half dozen rooms. We barbecued fish outside while the restaurant provided rice and vegetables. No cable TV but they did have the requisite pool. It's on the coast so the sunset was sensational.

In Angeles City, Woodland Park Resort is like an island of sanity in the AC pandemonium. Coming off of McArthur Highway through Dau it is a left turn. Two hundred meters and you're in another world. Rolling manicured lawns the size of soccer fields. Palm trees everywhere. More pines than Baguio. Tailored bamboo restaurant next to an Olympic sized pool. Huge rooms with cable TV. There is even a McDonald's down the street. We swam until 11 PM. Woodland Park is nice.

Woodland Park / Family Room P1700 / Ph (63-45) 892-1002 / woodland@mozcom.com

 
 

Special Section

THE WRECK DIVE SITES

USS New York is the star attraction in Subic's underwater world. The USS New York was a battle cruiser launched in the USA in 1891. She had a long and illustrious career - including time as a fleet flagship in the North Atlantic - and was once the pride of the US fleet in Asia. When World War II broke out, she was virtually retired. When the Japanese swept the US Marines out of the Philippine territory, the Americans had no choice but to scuttle her as they departed Subic in early 1942.

The USS New York now lies on her port side in 27m of water between Alava Pier and the northern end of Cubi Point runway. A green buoy marks the spot. The 120m-long hull presents excellent opportunities for swim-through.

A standard dive starts at the stern with a slow swim around the propellers and up to the aft gun emplacements then to the vast mess room, down to the bow section for another brief spell inside. Its abundant marine life in and around the wreck, combined with the clearly defined structure of the vessel, makes it an unforgettable dive.

El Capitan is another excellent wreck dive. It is a 3,000-ton freighter, about 130m long, that crashed down the mouth of Ilanin Bay, a small and pretty inlet on the east coast of Subic Bay. Visibility is excellent during dry season. The top of the wreck is just 5m below the surface which makes it an easy dive.

The wreck is not in great shape though. The superstructure has disappeared and some 2-cm of ash and sand from the Mt. Pinatubo eruption covered the hull. But this is more than compensated for by the incredible abundance of marine life and an easy swim-through amid shafts of light that beam down through the holes on the sides. Snorkeling is also enjoyed in this site.

San Quentin is the oldest known wreck in Subic, a wooden gunboat scuttled by the Spanish in 1898 in a futile attempt to block the channel between Grande and Chiquita islands against the invading Americans. It is a popular dive spot not because of its visual impact since there is little left of the hull but because of its historical interest.

It is the closest wreck to the open sea, making it more visible than the wrecks in the inner harbor. Schools of fish near the open sea are also bigger.

An LST is situated between Grande Island and the southern tip of the runway. This landing craft lies 32m deep, sitting upright with its doors open. The average dive is 28-35m. The wreck is visible within 15-30m, slightly deeper than on the other wrecks.

Oryoku Maru is located 400m off Alava pier. The site is 20m (60ft) deep and visible within 5-15m (15-45ft) depending on the time of the year. The Oryoku Maru was an outboard passenger ship carrying families and 1,600 American prisoners of war when the ship was attacked by an American aircraft. The site has varied marine life due to the shallow depth.

It was flattened by explosives for navigational reasons. This tangled artificial reef is home to all species of shallow water marine life, clown fish, angelfish, spotted sweet lips, lobsters and regular schools of barracuda and jack swimming overhead.

Seian Maru can be found between the Alava pier and the northern end of the runway. It is a Japanese cargo vessel approximately 30,000 tons sunk by the American Navy in 1945. The Seian Maru lies on its portside at 27m (85ft) deep. As you swim through its cavernous holds, you will encounter species like jack, spotted sweet lip and coral trout. The average dive is at 18m (52ft) up to 24m (75ft) with visibility from 5-15m depending on the tide.

A Patrol Boat can be discovered in Triboa Bay at a depth of 20-25m (60-75ft). Sitting upright, the wreck is a great dive with its vast array of corals and tropical fish. It is visible from 7-13m (20-40ft). There exists a cable from the bow of the ship across the coral reef that allows a diver to finish the dive in 3m (10ft).

LCU Landing Vessel is also situated in Triboa Bay but closer to the end of the runway and lies on the edge of a reef with its starboard side lower. Depth is 5-20m (25-60ft) with visibility from 10-16m (30-50ft). This is a great dive for an underwater photographer.

BEST TIME TO DIVE

Wreck diving in Subic Bay can be done the whole year. But best season is from January until the end of May.

DIVE PACKAGES


The international dialing code for Subic Bay is +(63-47) and for Manila +(63-2).

SUBIC BAY AQUA SPORTS, INC.
Bldg. 249, Waterfront Rd., Subic Bay Freeport Zone,
SBMA, Philippines 2222
Tel No.
+(63-47) 252-3005 / 252-7343
+(63-2) 813-5688
Fax No.
+(63-2) 813-5677
Ctc. Person(s) Jinky / Cecille / Ailyn
e-mail: sbas@svisp.com

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

The Subic Bay Freeport still maintains its recompression chamber from the U.S. Navy days with a 24-hour service guaranteed.

The Subic Bay Health and Welfare Dispensary is open 24 hours daily.
Bldg. 280 along Dewey Avenue.
Tel Nos. (63-47) 252-4169/4880/4161.
Fax No. (63-47) 252-4208.
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Subic Seaplane, Inc. is an Air Transport Office & Civil Aeronautics Board Approved non-scheduled Air Charter Service.  Based in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Subic Seaplane is available for business, sightseeing, vacation or emergency flights to and from any point in the Philippines.

Subic Seaplane pilots have over 30 years of experience, are U.S. Trained and hold both Philippines A.T.O. and U.S. FAA Licenses.  The Senior Mechanic has over 25 years of experience and is U.S. Trained, with both Philippines A.T.O. and U.S. FAA Licenses.

Subic Seaplane, Inc. Lot 14 Argonaut Hwy, Magellan's Landing, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines 2222
Phone: +63 47 2522230  Fax: +63 47 2521844  Cell: +63 919 3251106  info@seaplane-philippines.com
 

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Subic Tourist Map

Tourist Map Of The Freeport Click here to download a copy of this in 640 x 480 pixel size for screen viewing (101Kb)
Click here to download a copy of this in 800 x 600 pixel size for screen viewing (139Kb)
Click here to download a copy of this in 2850 x 2409 pixel size that when printed at 300dpi yields a 9.5inch x 8.0inch printed map (802Kb!)
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