A year before my son’s 7th birthday, I was contemplating if we will give him a big party with a themed-cake, nice balloon decoration, exciting magic show with games, sweet bar with beautiful setup and a lot more like what he had when he was one year old. Our dilemma started when he particularly requested that all of his classmates must attend the party which I know will not be possible since there are those who really don’t attend in most parties. He also wanted to have a magic show. How can we assure that they will all come including other family friends and relatives? We also noticed that he is no longer interested to join kiddie games when attending birthday parties. He just stays on his seat watching. That is the time I decided not to have a big party anymore but instead have a short out-of-town travel and a simple birthday party in his school with magic show of course.
Since he love dinosaurs and visiting the zoo, we decided to go to Dinosaur Island in Pampanga and Zoobic Safari (Subic).
We purchased Dinosaur Island’s and Zoobic Safari tickets from Metrodeal at 199.00 and 298.00 pesos per person respectively. We also booked Vista Marina in SBMA for 2 nights stay. We packed our bags and we were off to Pampanga and Subic last June 2016.
We took a bus to Dau, Pampanga (Victory Liner) from Pasay. The tickets was bought days before the travel date so that there won’t be any problem securing them. You may visit Victory Liner’s website for fare matrix information here.
Clarkland Dinosaur Island
From Dau terminal, we took a tricycle going to SM Clark. It cost us around Php 100.00 and I find it expensive since SM Clark is just nearby but we still took it since we were 3 adults and 2 kids and a big luggage with us. If you don’t have any heavy luggage with you, you may walk towards the highway and take a jeepney with SM Clark signage.
In SM Clark, we rented a private car going to and from Dinosaur Island at Php 500.00 pesos. The driver waited for us in the park. Parking area are also available. You can also have a side trip at Paradise zoo which we didn’t do because we will be visiting another zoo in Subic. I have no idea if there is a cheaper way to commute to the said park but I heard that if you pass by in Mabalacat you can get a jeepney from there. If you have any knowledge on how to commute to Dino Island please help comment in this blog.
We were lucky that we were the only guests during that time. We immediately registered and submitted the voucher I purchased from Metrodeal. There was a lady tour guide that helped us go around. The place is not that big that you can finish the tour in 30 minutes.
Inside the park, you will see some life-size animatronics dinosaurs. They even produced roaring sounds when you passed-by each dinosaur.
You will also be able to climb up in a tree house where you can take a quick photo acting like feeding a T-Rex.
At the end of the tour, there was a Dino Dancing Show. A train ride was also included in the tour where you will be attacked by moving dinosaurs as the train passed through the jungle.
Vista Marina stay
In the afternoon we went ahead to Subic and rode a van in Dau terminal. We booked Vista Marina hotel’s corporate deluxe room at 3,000 pesos per night. It is located at Moonbay Marina Area Waterfront Road SBFZ (Subic Bay Freeport Zone). You may check their website here. The room comes with one king sized bed. We were glad that they let us borrow one extra mattress for my mom without a fee. Maybe because there were only few guests stayed during that time. The room is clean and big enough for us.
Zoobic Safari
On our second day, we had a quick breakfast in the hotel and called a taxi to bring us to Zoobic Safari. We paid 600 pesos for one way. You must tell the driver to fetch you in the afternoon. Don’t forget to get the driver’s mobile number so you can call him if you are about to finish the safari tour so that both of you will not wait that long in the waiting area to go back to the hotel or whichever you would want to go after the tour.
The safari day tour is very well guided. It includes the Zoobic Park, Forbidden Cave, Savannah, Aetas Trail, Bone Muzooeum, Tiger Safari, Animal Muzooeum, Croco Loco, Serpentarium, Tiger Close Encounter. Tram-Train is also available to bring you from one place to another. The staff of the zoo were very accommodating when I printed a wrong voucher which was the voucher of Dinosaur Island. They allowed me to use their computer in the office to access my Metrodeal account to get the correct voucher.
While I was downloading the correct voucher, they already allowed my companions to go ahead and start the safari show that showcases different animals and tribal dances.
At the entrance there is a pet shop where pets like rabbit, birds and the like are being sold.
After the show, we were directed to ride a tram-train to the tigers’ den where you get to experience a close encounter with the tigers and feed them with chicken meat.
Then we visited other spots like Zoobic Park, Forbidden Cave, Savannah, Aetas Trail, Bone Muzooeum, Tiger Safari, Animal Muzooeum, Croco Loco and Serpentarium.
The tour ended around past 1:00 in the afternoon and we returned to the hotel for late lunch. We enjoyed the day at the resort and checked-out the next day.
Must try restaurants in Subic/ Olongapo
- Xtremely Xpresso for pizza, nachos and pasta.
- Meat Plus for steaks.
- Cocolime for all time Filipino dishes.
- Wimpy’s for burger.
- The Coffee Shop at Barreto Olongapo City. You need to take a blue jeep bound to Zambales. If by car, from SBFZ exit at Kalaklan gate long Dewy Ave. and pass through the coastal road going to Zambales.
- Pier 1 along Dewey ave is also a good place to eat.
- Scuba Shack bar and grill for seafoods.
How to commute to Dinosaur Island in Clark Pampanga
Take a bus bound to Dau, Pampanga. We took Victory Liner from Pasay. From Dau, we hired a tricycle that cost 200 pesos to bring us at SM Clark Pampanga. We opted this ride since we have bags with us. For cheaper option, you may walk to the highway where jeepneys passes by that will bring you to SM Clark at a minimum fare. Then rent a private car (just ask the guard they know who to contact) from SM Clark to Dinosaur Island. They charged us 500.00 pesos round trip.
How to commute to SBFZ and Safari.
Pasay to Olongapo or Cubao to Olongapo. Take a bus bound to Olongapo City. If you are staying inside the SBFZ take a bus bound to Olongapo via SCTEX. Let the driver drop you off at Ayala Mall.
If from Dau, you can either take a bus that comes from Baguio bound to Olongapo. There are also van in the terminal that also goes to Olongapo via SCTEX and drop off in Ayala Mall.
There are taxis available at the main entrance of the mall to bring you to your destination at a flat rate of 60.00 pesos in our case since we stayed at Vista Marina Hotel.
It will cost your 600.00 pesos to Zoobic Safari for one way. You may get the mobile number of the taxi driver to fetch you again in the afternoon.
If you are staying at outside the SBFZ, drop off at the Victory Liner terminal. Tricycles and jeepneys are available to take you to your destination.
A day to day life 