This is a rather belated post on our recent mini-vacation in Subic. We haven’t been travelling lately as I’ve been busy with a million other things. And when you can’t afford to be away for so long, three destinations near Metro Manila come to mind: Tagaytay, Clark & Subic. This time around, we chose the latter.
It goes without saying: taking the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) takes the hassle out of travelling to Subic. From the NLEX, you can easily get to Subic in two hours’ time. Just be prepared to pay much higher road fees.
Upon entering the free port zone, we made sure to drop by Meat Plus Cafe along Sampson Road. There really aren’t too many outstanding restaurants in Subic and Meat Plus is a must-try because of its affordable, quality food. Here’s what’s good about this place:
The apple fritters a la mode that my daughter had looked really appetizing.
We checked in at the Lighthouse Marina Resort which had a good location along Waterfront Road. The resort’s Aqua Terrace room had a king-size bed, 42-inch LCD TV, iPod dock and other modern amenities. I thought the best thing about the room was the ample-sized bath tub. You can see it from the bedroom, but you can always pull down the shutters if you’re not on honeymoon and sharing the place with other family members 
Lighthouse is also just a walking distance to other restos, hotels and of course the beach! Here’s the view from our room’s verandah….
The familiar Lighthouse structure. Now you know why this hotel is named so. While this resort has higher prices than other hotels in the area, they make up for it in terms of the quality of the rooms, the good breakfast buffet and the level of attentiveness of the staff.
Because we were just staying overnight, we weren’t able to do the usual things like visit Ocean Adventure or go jungle trekking with the Aetas. I had a blast visiting Royal Duty Free though. I never saw so many chocolate brands in one room 
Lighthouse Resort
Waterfront Road, Moonbay Marina
Subic Bay Freeport Zone
Olongapo, Philippines
Trunk Line (Tel/Fax): (6347) 252-5000 or (6347) 252-7545
Toll Free Manila Number: (632)711-0019
website: lighthousesubic.com