Subic 2016

[Russ_UK]

I'm after a bit of information and advice if anyone can be kind enough to help us.
We are going to go to Subic for 1 week in early March next year (after going to Coron), and from what I have read in here we will probably stay at Johans. We are a group of 4 adults.

Is there any evening entertainment (discos etc..) nearby to Johans or would be have to travel to the Freeport zone each evening ?

How far is it from Johans into the Freeport zone ?

What transport is available & approximate costs ?

Can we rent motorbikes anywhere near Johans (& any costs again) ?

Any other places to visit that are easy & quick to get to from Johans ?

What is the cost of a private transfer van from the airport ?

---------- Post added April 23rd, 2015 at 11:30 AM ----------

Not so sure about staying at Johans now. My mate has been looking on trip advisor and said there are many poor comments and not recommended. Has anyone any other suggestions ? Our budget is @ 2k per night.

 

[Sevenrider860]

You may want to look at Arizona Resort. http://www.arizonasubic.com

I have been staying there for years. Great diveshop at the hotel also. Arizona is a little closer to the Freeport zone than Johans, but that is not where you need to go for any evening entertainment. The Freeport zone has a shopping mall, some chain restaurants, and some other restaurants. Both Arizona and Johans are in Barrio Barretto and there are plenty of bar/disco establishments located there.

 

[modustollens]

I stayed in Subic for a month last summer diving with Andy Davis. I stayed at Johan's when I first arrived there and did a few dives from his place. I liked it at Johan's; it had a good atmosphere. The food was nice too.

I also rented a little apartment with a kitchen and cooked a lot of my own food - there is a great deli up on the main road with fantastic steaks and salami. The apartment I rented was across the road from Johan's.

I never spent a night in the free-port zone; it looked like a ghost town any time I went there. The dive shop I was diving with is in the free-port zone.

Johan's, on long beach, is down a tiny side road. But there are a tonne of bars about a 10 minute walk up to the main road.

I did rent a motorbike from a hotel about 300 metres from Johan; it is on the first corner down the side road that leads to Johan's. It could have been from the seascape hotel or harely's pub - I can't remember; but you will see the bikes for rent enroute to Johan's.

Motorbike taxis are almost always available just outside Johan's; and, once up on the main road there are jeepnies going past every few minutes. I can't remember the exact fare but the jeepnies are cheap so it is easy to get to the freeport entrance or Olongapo.

There are lots of good places to eat all up and down the main road too. The sit'nbull has great food - I ate a tonne there!



MT

 

[Centrals]

1. Dive with Johan. Big selection on European beer and even have the matching glasses for them(Belgium).
2. Take a look at www.baloybeachresorts.com eg. Blue Rock(200m from Johan but closer to the main road). Treasure Island(next door to Johan). Both places and Arizona have 'floating bar"!
3. Transfer from Manila airport is about P4,000.00 each way.
4. Forget about the Freeport, it is very inconvenient to get around. It is P13.00 for a jeepney ride from the mainroad(off Baloy Beach) to Olongapo.

---------- Post added April 25th, 2015 at 09:40 AM ----------

One more thing to add: Johan has more than one dive boat. So your group might be able to get your "own" boat. And ask Henry as guide.

 

[Russ_UK]

Thanks for all your replies, very helpful and informative.
The Arizona does look quite nice, but when ever possible we like to try to get the larger rooms which puts it a bit over our intended budget at the moment same applies to the Blue Rock, so maybe we will have to increase our budget for the rooms.
Is Johans really as bad as the comments say on trip advisor ?
Johan's Beach Resort (Olongapo, Philippines) - Resort Reviews - TripAdvisor
(There also some good comments on there)

 

[Sevenrider860]

I honestly have never stayed or dived with Johans. I have eaten there twice, both times the service in the restaurant was very poor and I have never bothered to return. There are too many options available where the service is so much better.

With that said, I know a number of people that have dived with Johans and they all have related a good experience. If I did not have the multi-year established relationship with other dive shops, I would not hesitate to dive with them.

I have a TripAdvisor review from July 2012 concerning the poor service.

 

[Centrals]

Is Johans really as bad as the comments say on trip advisor ?
Johan's Beach Resort (Olongapo, Philippines) - Resort Reviews - TripAdvisor
(There also some good comments on there)

Out of the 76 reviews:
Excellent: 15
Very Good: 23
Average: 15
Poor: 11
Terrible: 12

Food, restaurant services and the dive operation are good. Never stayed there so no comment.

 

[Russ_UK]

Well for better or for worse we have booked a week at Johans for next year, than you for all your help and comments.

What is the money changing situation like there - are there many (or any) changers anywhere near to Johans, or will we need to travel a little bit & what are rates like there compared to the airport rates ?

 

[modustollens]

Yes - there is - or at least there was when I was there last summer - a money changer on the corner as you make the turn from the main road down to Baloy Long Beach road en-route to Johan's. There were also many up on the main road too, albeit further east.

I also stayed at the Coffee Shop Hotel (it is across from Arizona Dive Centre) up on the main road when I was there; and there was another money changer adjacent to it (to the west).

I almost universally avoid changing money at any airport - better rates are usually found elsewhere; but I can't remember what I was getting last year.

The tacos at that Coffee Shop Hotel are insanely large; don't order two .

Just around the corner from the coffee shop hotel was a fair size mini-market.

The Dryden Deli - 400 or 500 metres east of the turn down to Johan's has fantastic deli meats and cheeses - I made a tonne of super sandwiches for my surface intervals.

The thing I liked about diving at Johan's was waking up, having coffee, getting geared up and walking 20 metres to the boat on the beach just in front of the hotel. No taxi, bus or packing/unpacking gear every day. Rinse and hang the gear up about 20 paces from my door's room, ready for the next dive.


MT

 

[PhatD1ver]

If you contact Andy (and plan to dive with him), he can hook you up with good accomadation recommendations... I personally like a place that has good BBQ, I love the Philippines, but if I am going to have a meat heavy diet, I want it to be more on the grilled side.

I'm off to Coron next month, and I'm going to do a weekend hop to see Andy in August. Let you know how it goes...