Subic

For spur of the moment out of town trips, Subic in on the top of my list.  Subic is ideal for instant get togethers whether with family or friends.  Subic, located in Zambales province is less than 100 kilometers away and roughly 2 hours from Quezon  City with travel time made shorter with the opening of SCTEX (Subic Clark Tarlac Exchange).  Formerly a naval base of the United States, Subic morphed into an economic zone cum vacation destination after being turned over to the Philippine government in September, 1991.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Ph_locator_zambales_subic.p

Our family was recently at Subic for a much needed respite from pressures of work.  We preferred to stay overnight in one of the hotels nearby but April being a peak month for vacations, we were not able to get a booking for a room.  Instead, we just stayed the whole day in one of the  resorts inside the base, Adventure Beach.  Adventure Beach is ideal for a day at the beach but doesn't have facilities for overnight stays.  It boasts of several cabanas and a restaurant that is affordable though bringing of food from home is allowed.  It is located just beside Ocean Adventure so we were able to watch the Dolphin Show for free.  This free show made up for the very limited space of the beach.  I can't imagine how the beach can accommodate frolickers if all the cabanas were occupied.

At the entrance of Adventure Beach

The not-so-wide beach with Ocean Adventure at the background.

The cabana which is at P1500 or P750 if you occupy half of it.

Entrance fee to the resort is at an affordable P300/pax.  Children and senior citizens enjoy a discount.  Oh, to be young and to be old.  A neighboring resort, also under the same company as Adventure Beach,  charges the same rates and can bring food and drinks.  Though the beach doesn't elicit ohhs and ahhs, it was nevertheless, still worth our time.  The sea breeze makes you sleepy in the afternoon, the place is kept clean and orderly by resort staff that I think is a bit too many and there's continuous flow of water from the shower rooms.  I wouldn't mind going back even if it is not summer anymore.  Anyway, Subic is only two hours away. 

Ornamental plants

Ornamental plants

I call this the Dolphin Viewdeck.  You can watch from this place the dolphin show at the nearby Ocean Adventure for free.