Pampanga Adventure Weekend

June 12-13, 2015. We took advantage of the long weekend to visit Clark Freeport Zone in Angeles, Pampanga. What used to be a haven for PX stores is now gaining popularity for its family-friendly adventure parks. Just perfect for a weekend getaway.

Here are the list of activities adults and kids alike will surely enjoy:

1. Play at Sandbox

Outdoor adventure park

Sandbox is located in Porac, Pampanga, just a quick drive if you're coming from Clark. It's an outdoor adventure park that features a zipline, a giant swing, a rope course, a wall climbing/rappelling tower, ATV rides and a whole lot more activities.

You have an option to get a package or just pick individual activities. Entrance fee is required for everyone entering the property. Since we only want to try three activities, we decided to just pay for the entrance and each individual activity. This way, it comes out cheaper.

Individual tickets for each activity.

First on our list was the Giant Swing. It looks easy from the ground but once you're strapped and you feel them pulling you 10 meters above the ground -- you'll feel the butterflies in your stomach flutter like crazy. Then wait until they slingshot you into the air and you'll feel all your insides start to curdle. My eyes were closed for most of the ride and I was definitely screaming the whole time (which was a little embarrassing as everyone can literally hear me). My son on the other hand was enjoying the whole time and actually wanted to ride again.

Literally -- a giant swing.

Up, up in the air.

My eyes were open -- at some point.

Next was the Avatar One. This is actually just my second time to try a zipline. The course was not that high but the dips and turns definitely added zest to the ride. To my surprise and relief, this ride is more enjoyable than scary.

Preparing for the ride.

One of the many dips in the roller coaster zipline.

By the time we got to the Aerial Walk, the line was unbearably long and the temperature's becoming uncomfortably hot. We just decided to skip it and head to the hotel to check in.

Aerial Walk obstacle course.

The Tower of Terror  for rappelling, wall climbing and free fall drop.

Just a few notes to help you enjoy your day in Sandbox:

1. They open as early as 9:00am so beat the crowd and be there early! They impose an admission cut-off for each activity, for more information visit this link. During our visit, the Aerial walk tickets were already sold out by lunch time.

2. Go to the Aerial Walk first as it takes a while to complete. It's an obstacle course and you'll be depending heavily on people in front of you to finish it sooner rather than later. The course should take approximately 30mins to complete.

3. It is an outdoor park, so lather on sunblock, put on a cap, lace up your rubber shoes and wear comfortable clothes.

Fun in Sandbox

2. Plunge in Fontana Water Park

This is just the kids' second time in a water park. It's relatively small with only four major slides (with one of them not operational during our visit), a wave pool, a lazy river and a couple of play area for kids.

Welcome to Fontana Water Park

It's good enough though for an afternoon of splashing, dipping, jumping and lounging.

My son's top favorite is the wave pool. He made it his mission to reach the deepest part and touch the floaty. I, on the other hand, had a rough time, swallowed liters of pool water (gross, I know) and was mostly gasping for breath while miserably failing from syncing my jumps with the waves.

My daughter loved the bigger slides. They have the usual ones where you can use a floaty or slide directly.

Hubby and I tried the Big Horn twice. You use a floaty for two and you slip in a short slide that takes you on big side to side swings before you plunge in the pool below. It's actually a fun ride but kids are not allowed on it.

Wave pool

View from the lazy river

Chilling in the Lazy River

Big splash at the kiddie area

Enjoying the giant slides

You cannot bring food or drinks inside. The entrance fee includes a Php50 voucher which you can use to purchase food or drink inside the park.

They have free tables where you can put your stuff but you leave them at your own risk. They have cabanas for rent but they're not locked nor secured. You may opt to rent a locker for your valuables instead.

3. Try wakeboarding

Deca Wakeboard Park

This was a first for the kids and they loved it! It wasn't as easy as surfing because the boards were just too big for them to maneuver easily. They managed to (almost) reach the other end of the lake in the whole hour that we spent there and they were begging to come back for more.

For a fixed fee, we get to use a wakeboard and life vest for an hour and get lessons as well. Don't expect too much from the lessons though. It's just a one minute run-down of what you should do. Not much tips or whatever. It was basically, go and figure it out on your own. 

All set to try a new sport

Deca Wakeboard Park is just a short drive away from Clark. They have two lakes  /courses available -- one for beginners and one for trained riders. On a really busy day, the park gets really packed and the waiting time gets insanely long. It's best to schedule your trip on a weekday and come really early. 

4. Paintball battle

Right beside Holiday Inn Clark is a paintball arena. You need to call in advance to schedule and you may ask the front desk for assistance. 

Fee is Php500 for each participant and you'll be suited up for war and given 80 colored bullets. You may purchase more bullets if necessary. The length of the game depends on how trigger happy the participants are. Just a warning, you'll be given a helmet and body pads but note that it hurts (like hell) when you get hit. I was hit in the finger and it was swollen and bruised for days. I never imagined I was going to get a real battle scar from playing.

Surprisingly, we were able to play two rounds with a few bullets to spare for a target practice at the end. This despite the kids being trigger-happy players. My daughter was really good with her aim (she managed to hit me several times). Meanwhile, it took me the entire game to figure out how to aim on my targets. It's a little nerve wracking when you see the bullets fly and literally hear them whizzing in the air. I need to aim carefully for their body pads or I can seriously hurt the kids.

The war zone

Ready for war

5. Chill in the hotel pool

After a long and tiring day, lazing around in the pool while sipping a cold drink just sounds heavenly.

Sandbox

Alviera, Porac, Pampanga

Website: http://www.alviera.ph/sandbox
Mobile: +63936 988 6023

Fontana Water Park

CM Recto Highway,
Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga
Website: http://fontana.com.ph
Tel: +63 45 599 5000
Mobile: +63917 553 7598

Deca Wakeboard Park Clark

Margot, Angeles City, Pampanga
Website: http://www.decawakeboardpark.com/index.html
Mobile: +63905 330 1013 / +63918 459 8488
Email: decawakeparks@outlook.com

Global Gutz Clark

Mimosa Leisure Estate
Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga
Mobile: +63916 488 7771

Holiday Inn Clark

Mimosa Leisure Estate
Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga
Website: http://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/clark/clfrp/hoteldetail
Tel: +632 845 1888
Email: hircf@comclark.com

Pinatubo Trekking

March 17 2012. If bringing a 5-yr old and a 6-yr old to a two-hour grueling hike up a once-very-destructive volcano to take a swim in its crater (with depth of hundreds of meters) isn't insane enough, then I don't know what is. But hey, I'm not the twisted travelholic for nothing :)

When I received the invitation from my mom to join her and her friends on this trek, I immediately said yes and informed her that I'm bringing the kids. And since logical thinking clearly runs in the family, she said no problem. She'll just hire a porter to carry the kids, in case they get tired. 

What to wear. A knee-length comfortable pants is the best in my opinion. At least you don't need to pull up your pants whenever you have to cross a stream, which is quite a lot. I opted to wear my Crocs prepair which worked really well for me since I don't like the feeling of wet socks and shoes on my feet. A cap, pair of sunnies, and loads of sunblock are also a must.

What to bring. Plenty of water that you can comfortably bring while continuously walking for two hours. Lunch, but you can also buy at base camp (highly recommended since they'll take care of bringing it up at the summit plus you'll be helping local businesses). Snacks, we have kids with us so chocolates, cookies and chips are a must. Light blanket, where you can sit and have a picnic or lie down and relax at the lake.

Most people I know take the package-guided tours which include transfers to-and-from Manila. For our group, someone arranged directly with a 4x4 operator so we have to pay separately for the 4x4 vehicle, the guide, environmental fee and lunch. But I still think it comes out really cheaper compared to paying per head (we're 14 people in the group). 

The kids were actually excited when I told them we're climbing a volcano and we're going to swim in its crater. So I had no problem when I woke them up at 3am so we can leave for Tarlac before the break of dawn. They just slept the whole ride and took they're breakfast (bought in Jollibee on our way) when we got to the base camp.

Carbo loading before the climb.

The ride. It was the bumpiest, dustiest and roughest ride I have ever experienced. It was an hour of lahar valleys, streams and clouds of dust. It was actually a good kind of experience, just prepare yourself for the beating your body's going to take.

The awesome ride.

The Toblerone Hills.

The trek. From the jump-off point, our guide said it's approximately 7 kms to the crater. The trek starts by crossing a stream and a narrow cliff. After which, it was a mixture of long endless lahar mountains, dusts, rocks and streams. Just make sure to stay close to your group so you won't get lost or take a dangerous trail.

Our guide/porter to carry, not our bags, but our kids.

Cookie Break.

After walking for approximately 1.5 hours, and shedding 10lbs (I wish!) we see this....

What?!? The trek is just starting?!?

This is what the guide was telling us earlier. Not so long ago, there's a path called the "skyway" where the 4x4 can travel an extra 15mins and cut the walking from 2 hours to 20 minutes! So the trek should officially start at this point. Unfortunately, this road has been damaged by heavy rains and seems to be irreparable. This part of the trek is mostly uphill and you're basically just following the stream up the summit. 

The sign says that middle-aged people should be able to do it in 18 minutes. Needless to say, it was a huge BS! Even the more experienced mountain climbers in our group finished slower that the "seniors" bracket. I would have to RUN it at race pace to finish under 15 minutes. Just to set your expectations, it is still a pretty long hike but very scenic nonetheless.

Finally, we were greeted with:

A welcome message from the DENR, LGU and PDC (Pinatubo Devt. Corp).

Now that's a view worth trekking for.

We had our lunch and was so excited to go down to the crater lake and take a dip. It was another 150 or so steps on a rocky, uneven stairs and there were a number of warnings on our way down.

Did we listen? Of course not! Haha. But seriously, extreme caution has to be exercised if you do decide to swim in the lake. Please remember that this is AN ACTIVE volcano and has already wrecked havoc a few years back and underneath is a deep abyss of deadly magma. So please, please be careful.

Moving on, the water is a deep shade of green and is so serene. I suddenly feel the urge to just sit still and admire its beauty. The sight in front of us is so breathtaking, it was actually a little hard to grasp that we are in a volcano's crater. Apparently, volcanic lakes are extremely rare because their presence requires a special balance of precipitation versus evaporation and other factors.

Enjoying the very cold and refreshing water.

The lake is packed with bikini-clad tourists swimming and sun bathing in the shore. There's even a boat which can take you to the other side of the lake where the water is supposedly warmer. The fee is PHP350 per head but we didn't really see the need for it since we were so content in staying still and admiring the view in front of us. The atmosphere is just so tranquil you'll absolutely love how it envelopes you with serenity.

By around 2pm, it's time to head back to base camp. My daughter slept the entire trek while being carried. My son, on the other hand, was still in high spirits from his swim that he walked the whole 2 hours without being carried. He was so proud of his accomplishment that he proclaimed himself a "SUPER HIKER". 

We ended our trip by feasting on old-fashioned halo-halo at base camp. Nothing beats this Filipino favorite to refresh and reward yourself.

Some things to consider:

• There is no Globe and Sun signal in the area, including at the base camp (I'm not so sure about Smart though). So if you need to be on-call 24/7 you might want to consider this before booking your trip.
• If you're planning to swim, wear your swimsuits under your clothes because there's no changing room at the crater lake. Bring floaters/life jackets for your kids and watch them very, very carefully.  
• Please check if your package includes lunch for your guide. We were already at the crater when we found out that they don't have. Good thing we packed extra food to share with them.

How to get there from Manila: The base camp is located in Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac. Take NLEX and exit at Sta. Ines. Go straight and turn right at the fork. Go straight then make a left at the welcome arc of Brgy. Sto. Rosario. Just follow the road and make a right at the end. You'll pass a checkpoint and shortly after is the base camp. Approximately 2-3 hours land travel.