Zoobic Safari As Easy As 123

When you want to have an exciting getaway outside Metro Manila, common choices are Tagaytay, Batangas, Cavite and other neighboring cities. However, if you like to go farther than that, you might want to consider going to Subic. Can you go to Subic during your one and only rest day for the week? Of course. Believe me, this is easy as 1,2,3.

1. Go to Victory Liner or other Bus Terminals that has Manila - Olongapo Route.
- I suggest that you take the Victory Liner Bus since it's very convenient. Well, aside from the free wi-fi on board, they have trips every 30 minutes. Travel time from Manila to Olongapo is approximately 4 hours. Bus fare is 218 php, so set aside 440php for your round trip fare.

Note: There's also a trip to Olongapo via SCTEX where you can get to Subic faster because travel time is just 2 hours and 30 minutes but buses going there have schedules. When we arrived at the Victory Liner Terminal at around 8:00am, we asked for the Olongapo trip via SCTEX but the ticketing staff told us that the bus for that trip is scheduled to leave at 2:00 pm. So if you intend to go to Subic fast by taking the SCTEX route, make sure you call the bus terminal for the schedule.

2. Go down at the Olongapo Terminal and look for a taxi.
- At the terminal, there are already taxi drivers waiting for tourists. There are also fast food chains around that area so I suggest that you fill your stomachs first because restaurants and food inside the Subic Bay are quite expensive. Also, food are not allowed during the tour so make sure you are full. You can bring beverages, though.

After eating, you can now look for a taxi. Taxi fare from Victory terminal to Zoobic Safari is 400php (for one way trip and not per person). These are revo type taxis so it can accommodate 5 - 9 persons. There are no maximum passengers for taxis in Subic so if you are a group of 8 and the taxi driver told you to take 2 taxis because he can only accommodate 4 passengers, leave him and find another one.

Note: Regular one way fare is 400php so don't agree with a price higher than that. Some taxi drivers can be very opportunistic that they charge as much as 600php. Always make sure that you agree with the price and destination before you take the ride. Some drivers might offer to fetch you after the tour, so if you don't want any hassles, you can agree with the price for the round trip fare. If you are lucky and you found a nice driver, you can haggle.

3. Arrive at the Zoobic Safari, buy the ticket and start your tour.
Ticket is 495 php + 50php for the Zoobic Tram ride. Tram ride is optional but I strongly suggest that you purchase it because some tours require a ride, and surely, no one wants to walk under the heat of  the blazing sun.

Entrance Ticket already consists of 12 tours inside the Zoobic Safari namely:  Zoobic Park, Muzooem, Tiger Safari Ride, Croco Loco, Aeta's Trail, Zoobic Cave, Forbidden Cave, Bird Walk, Serpentarium, Rodent World, Savannah and Close Encounter.

My top 3 favorite tours are:

• Tiger Safari Ride - To maximize your Tiger Safari experience, make sure that you buy a chicken for the Tigers. Chicken costs 200php, but this will be divided into your groups. In our case, we shared the expenses with the other group, so we paid 100php for the chicken. It gets exciting when the tiger approaches your jeep and show you his deathly claws and teeth. Here's a pic of my sister with the hungry tiger.

• Bird Walk - In bird walk, aside from seeing different type of birds, you'll have a chance to get inside the cage and let them feed in your hands. 

• Aeta'sTrail - In this tour, guests will have a sneak peak of the Aeta's culture as they performed their ritual dances. Also, the trees and statues in this area will make you feel that you're in Siem Reap.

The Zoobic Safari tour will last for 3-4 hours and the entrance fee is really worth it. It's also nice to listen to your tour guide because he/she will give you infos about the animals. During the tour, I don't really mind what our tour guide was saying, but when I intently listen to her, I learn something. Here are the things I learned from my attentiveness (Naks, Ako na!!)

• Lions are called kings of the jungle not only because they're fierce but also because their lazy. They live a king's life because they sleep for almost a day and the lioness are the ones who look for their food.
• You'll know when a monkey is irritated and ready to attack, when it shows and grits its teeth.
• The size of an ostrich's eyes are similar to golf balls but their brain is sized of a peanut. When our tour guide said this, I heard one child asking his kuya, "what did she said?". His Kuya answered back, "In short, they're stupid!". Lol

The 12 tours are all fun but it is also very exhausting. So if you plan to visit Subic Ocean Adventure and Tree Top after your Zoobic Safari tour, make sure that you arrive early so that you'll have time to rest.

Few more things, I suggest that you'll be in your most comfortable clothes since the activities are outdoors, it is very hot and you'll be sweating a lot. So, don't forget to bring your towels, handkerchiefs, bottled water and extra shirt. You might also want to try their zip line for 199 php.

Have a Fun-tastic day in Subic!

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