Subic's ZOObic

Renowned to be the only tiger safari in the Philippines, Zoobic makes for an absolutely great adventure in the forest of Subic’s Freeport Zone. In this sprawling 25-hectare attraction precinct, the range of animals during your two-hour tour inside the safari grounds makes an even more interesting mix!

With a starting point at the Pavilion, the entrance to the safari where we were met by a white tiger (the only one in The Philippines), I instantly knew that this would be an exciting day we would never forget! As we boarded the open-air Zooper train, we drove to the first stop called the Serpentarium where you will experience a captivatingly close encounter with some reptiles. Further down, you will be transferred to an actual highly secured safari jeep before driving into the enclosed area where the Siberian and Bengal tigers freely roam! Upon entering their natural habitat, it was incredible to see these beautiful creatures run about so freely and up close! You may also choose to feed the tigers a diet of raw chicken at an extra price, or have a Zoombic Foto taken with a tiger cub, feeding it milk directly from the bottle for a small charge.

After a short break, we toured the area Savannah, a haven where unusually exotic but friendlier animals wander around. Though we were reminded to keep our hands to ourselves, as an animal lover, I wouldn’t mind a peck or touch from these creatures. That would have only been too cute!

We later moved on to Croco Loco, a crocodile dwelling place. There were just too many of them that I completely lost count, but no way that I would ever pet them for a cost! We were entertained with music and dance at the Aetas Trail where we surprisingly met actual Aetas who hail from Zambales! What a rare find, I could hardly believe my eyes and describe my thoughts at that very moment but one thing for sure is that I enjoyed every bit of their entertainment!

Moving on to the Rodent World which hosts an assortment of rodents as the name suggests, which wasn’t very much my cup of tea but I have to admit that the collections are extraordinary. Close-by is the Hip Hop Bay-A-Walk featuring a range of lizards, then to Pet-A-Home where you are able to purchase some live animals which include fish to the furry sorts.

Cooling off at the Animal Muzooeum was another interesting break, an old bunker converted into a museum with a collection of stuffed and preserved animals, which I thought was a very informative display. The last bit of the tour was a walk through Zoobic Park, where we were able to socialize and pet some of the animals. What caught my attention were a couple of oh so adorable clawed otters, which I later learned to be creatures that would remain faithful to one partner for the rest of their life.

Your journey doesn’t end right there, you may make a few souvenir purchases at the Zoovenir Shop with hundreds of fun items to choose from or you may choose to hang around at the Aeta-inspired Buho Grill for some tasty Filipino meals, snacks or desserts.

A visit to Zoobic absolutely makes your trip worth your while. A drive up to Subic from Manila (3-hour drive) makes such a fantastic trip, one of those places to see at least once in your life. As an added bonus, an animal show and parade at the Zoobic Safari are held on weekends and holidays at 10.30AM and 3.00 PM You may also choose to book tickets in advance through their website on www.zoobic.com.ph

Fancy staying the night at a safari themed room? The Zoobic Lodge at Tiara located in Tiara Building, Cubi, Subic Bay Freeport Zone is one good choice for a fun treat! Other places of interest in the area are the Subic Butterfly Garden, Ocean Adventure and Jungle Joe’s World.