Cabangan is among the 13 cities that make up the province of Zambales. It sits proper in the midst of the province, bordered by the cities of Botolan on the north and San Felipe on the south. Its western facet instantly opens to the West Philippine Sea. It’s about 2 hundred kilometers from Manila, which might take round 4 to 6 hours journey time.
It was as soon as a laid-back city with only a handful of resorts and vacationers, with residents largely farmers and fisher of us. Throughout the final couple of years, resorts have mushroomed throughout its beachfront and tourism has began to select up, due in all probability to the booming browsing scene on the neighboring city of Liwliwa.
Even with this, Cabangan remains to be fairly laid-back. Should you’re in search of a seaside getaway with not a lot vacationers, Cabangan could be the weekend getaway for you.
HOW TO GET TO CABANGAN
Solely Victory Liner ply the Manila-Cabangan route. From Manila, you’ll be able to take these with Iba and Sta. Cruz signal boards. These can be found for Caloocan, Cubao, Sampaloc, and Pasay stations. Journey time is round 5 to 6 hours. Fare is at round ₱370.00, give or take.
Saulog Transit additionally passes by Cabangan, however its route is proscribed from Olongapo to Iba solely.
Driving to Cabangan is straightforward sufficient. From Manila, take the NLEX (North Luzon Specific Means), then connect with SCTEx (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway) going to Subic. From there, take the Olongapo-Bugallon Freeway till you attain Cabangan. Drive time is round 4 hours.
UNDERSTAND CABANGAN
Geographically, Cabangan is especially divided into two land areas by the Olongapo-Bugallon Freeway. West facet for the seaside half, east facet for the mountain and river areas. Within the midst of those two is the city middle the place the Municipal Corridor, the market, banks, ATMs, meals locations, church buildings, groceries, and comfort shops are.
Language-wise, the city is roughly divided into two components by way of the Tangway River. The northern space speaks Zambal whereas the southern half, Ilocano. Nonetheless, everybody can perceive and communicate Filipino or Tagalog fluently. And like all over the place else within the Philippines, most can perceive English—although can’t communicate as fluently.
SAFETY IN CABANGAN
It is extremely secure in Cabangan. Being a small neighborhood, criminality is sort of low and virtually non-existent. The one factor to be careful for are the quite a few stray canines alongside the streets (and doubtless a couple of cows and carabaos, must you wander throughout farmlands, lol), which might get fairly labored up upon unfamiliar vacationers.
STAYING CONNECTED IN CABANGAN
Globe and Sensible (additionally Solar) networks have very robust alerts all through Cabangan. Web connectivity can be excellent. Personally, I can say that the Web pace in Cabangan even exceeds these in Manila—in all probability because of the low inhabitants of customers within the space.
GETTING AROUND CABANGAN
There are three modes of public transportation in Cabangan; the tricycles, jeeps, mini-buses, and common buses.
To get from one barangay to the following utilizing the primary freeway, locals use both the jeeps, mini-buses, and common buses that ply the freeway. And to get from the freeway to the barangay interiors, they use tricycles—which have particular terminals per barangay. Minimal fare for tricycles is ready at ₱20.00 per individual.  Â
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Word that it’s fairly simple to get a tricycle while you’re alongside the city middle, however when you want one whereas inside the inside barangays, you may discover it troublesome to seek out one. My tip, get the cellular variety of the primary tricycle driver you’ll journey on.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN CABANGAN
The principle purpose folks go to Cabangan is the ocean. Cabangan Seaside is split into eight barangays and these are simply accessible by way of automobile or public transport. The waves listed here are actually not for everybody, it’s robust most occasions of the yr. It does get calm in the course of the summer season months, particularly in the course of the early mornings. It’s truly as a result of these robust waves that surfers began to flock Cabangan.
The opposite sights in Cabangan might be discovered alongside its mountainous space alongside its japanese facet. Right here, you’ll be able to go to Dapya River and Agbubutilya. These are literally particular areas of the Maporac River. The previous is nice for a laid-back picnic whereas the latter is healthier for the extra adventurous guests because it entails a little bit of a hike and a few cliff leaping actions.
One other river vacation spot is the Namnel Watershed. Getting there entails passing by means of personal roads marked with No Trespassing indicators although, so I’m unsure if it’s actually authorized to go there.
For these wanting a little bit of a hike, there’s additionally the Matag-Ay Lanum Falls in Barangay San Juan.
For these actions, I strongly advise that you simply contact the Cabangan Tourism Workplace.
â–ºFb, (0929) 816-5103, cabangan.mto@gmail.com
One other picnic place we frequent is the Bangan Pier river cottages. Bangan actually interprets to an estuary—a physique of water the place the river meets the ocean. The water right here may be very heat, shallow, and brackish. Small rentable huts have sprouted alongside its banks and comes with limitless balsa or raft rides.
In addition to the seaside, most of those vacationer spots—that are picnic locations—truly require a full day or, on the most, half day expertise. These are particularly pleasing for giant teams.
Cabangan can be a superb place for birding fans. I’m no avian knowledgeable, however I do see lots of fowl varieties each time we keep there together with kingfishers, crows, bulbuls, nice egrets, Brahminy kite eagles, to call a couple of—or truly, these are the one ones I can establish.
Should you go to throughout Christmas season, head over to the Cabangan Municipal Corridor in the course of the evenings to see the annual Cabangan Christmas lights show. Individuals from throughout Zambales flock the city for this.
WHERE TO EAT IN CABANGAN
In addition to the same old carinderias and road meals stalls discovered alongside the primary highway of Cabangan, there are a couple of notable eating places you’ll be able to go to on the town. There are the basic go-to eating places like LC’s Cease & Chow and TCT Emily’s which serves conventional Filipino and Western fares. Then there are the brand new ones like twenty first Bean (a resto cafĂ© serving fraps and pastas), 1st Streat (good for picnic take-outs), and Arya’s Chill & Grill (Center Japanese dishes).
Getting meals whereas on the seaside is a little more difficult since there are hardly any locations to eat within the space aside from the resorts’ in-house eating places. One place we frequent after going to San Isidro Seaside is a straightforward mami and goto place, Mami Madz.
WHERE TO STAY IN CABANGAN
As of final depend, there are a minimum of seventy resorts dotting Cabangan Seaside. These vary from actually costly seaside homes and resorts, to DIY pitch-your-tent type of locations. That’s from ₱10,000.00 plus per evening to lower than ₱1,000.00 per evening.
For essentially the most attention-grabbing lodgings, take a look at my Finest Cabangan Seaside Resorts article.
For inexpensive lodging, I recommend trying out Google Maps, since most resorts in Cabangan don’t have Agoda listings.
WHAT TO BUY IN CABANGAN
The one vacationer associated memento I purchased in Cabangan is a San Isidro Seaside shirt from Mami Madz, moreover that, there’s about zero memento objects on the town.
Neglect about your Cabangan keychains and ref magnets, what you’ll be able to carry house as an alternative are native foodstuff you should buy on the public market—panutsa (cannon-sized candy sugar cane balls), pilipiting (dried anchovies), alimagmag (dried tiny shrimps), and rice cake treats like suman, patupat, and cascaron. And don’t neglect the mangoes—Zambales is famous for his or her candy dinamulag mangoes they even dedicate an entire pageant for it, the Dinamulag Competition.   Â
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If in case you have a cooler with you, you may as well carry house contemporary barillete fishes, these are skipjack tunas that are like smaller variations of yellow-fin tunas.
CABANGAN TOURIST SPOTS MAP
CABANGAN SAMPLE ITINERARY
Not like different seaside locations in Zambales, visiting the city of Cabangan will not be actually match for a two-day weekend. Nicely, you’ll be able to undoubtedly do it, for those who simply zip by means of the sights and easily chill on the seaside. Or you’ll be able to take away the Day Three of the itinerary, however you’d need to sacrifice your time on the seaside.
Should you actually need to maximize your time on the town, three days ought to do it. Why that lengthy? It’s as a result of most locations in Cabangan are picnic locations, they require a minimum of half a day to actually get pleasure from it. Cabangan is a gradual journey kinda place.
All these locations are reachable by way of public transport, however it may be a problem. Having a non-public car is unquestionably a bonus. Be warned, some areas in Cabangan require tough driving, so be certain your automobiles are match for some grime highway actions.
And once more, contact the Cabangan Tourism Workplace for steerage and an precise bodily information if you wish to go go to Matag-Ay Lanum Falls, Agbubutilya, and Dapya.
As for the journey finances for a three-day trip in Cabangan, I’ve but to know the precise charges for the far-off vacationer spots on the town. I’ve contacted the tourism workplace, and so they stated that they may formulize a regular fee for such quickly. I’ll replace this half as soon as I’ve extra information.
DAY ONE | ₱XXX.00 PER PERSON BASED ON A GROUP OF TWO
Early morning arrival
Early examine in at resort (depart luggage on the foyer if not allowed)
 ₱40.00 – TRICYCLE TO RESORT FROM BAYAN, PER PERSON
 ₱2,000.00 – AVERAGE RESORT RATE, GOOD FOR TWO PERSONS
Swim at Cabangan Seaside
Picnic lunch at Bangan Pier (carry take out meals from Bayan)
 ₱40.00 – TRICYCLE TO BAYAN, PER PERSON
 ₱200.00 – TAKE OUT FOOD PER PERSON, APPROXIMATE
 ₱??.00 – TRICYCLE FROM BAYAN TO BANGAN PIER (ROUNDTRIP, GET DRIVER’S MOBILE NO.), APPROXIMATE
 ₱500.00 – COTTAGE RENTAL
Swim at Bangan till sundown
Dinner at twenty first Bean
 ₱250.00 – AVERAGE MEAL PRICE PER PERSON, APPROXIMATE
 ₱10.00 – JEEP FROM 21ST BEAN TO BAYAN, PER PERSON
 ₱40.00 – TRICYCLE TO RESORT FROM BAYAN, PER PERSON
DAY TWO | ₱XXX.00 PER PERSON BASED ON A GROUP OF TWO
Breakfast at resort
 ₱2,000.00 – AVERAGE RESORT RATE, GOOD FOR TWO PERSONS
Go to and hike to Agbubutilya
 ₱40.00 – TRICYCLE TO BAYAN, PER PERSON
 ₱200.00 – TAKE OUT FOOD PER PERSON, APPROXIMATE
 ₱??.00 – TRICYCLE TO AGBUBUTILYA JUMP OFF POINT
 ₱??.00 – GUIDE FEE
Hike right down to Dapya River
 ₱20.00 – ENTRANCE FEE
Lunch at Dapya River (carry take out meals from Bayan)
 ₱300.00 – COTTAGE RENTAL
Early dinner at LC’s Cease & Chow or on the resort
 ₱??.00 – TRICYCLE FROM DAPYA RIVER TO LC’S STOP & CHOW, APPROXIMATE
 ₱250.00 – AVERAGE MEAL PRICE PER PERSON, APPROXIMATE
Sundown on the seaside
 ₱10.00 – JEEP FROM LC’S STOP & CHOW TO BAYAN, PER PERSON
 ₱40.00 – TRICYCLE FROM BAYAN TO RESORT, PER PERSON
DAY THREE | ₱XXX.00 PER PERSON BASED ON A GROUP OF TWO
Breakfast at resort
Chill on the seaside
Try of the resort
  ₱40.00 – TRICYCLE TO PUBLIC MARKET, PER PERSON  Â
Purchase pasalubong on the public market
 ₱XX.00 – TOTALLY UP TO YOU
Depart Cabangan
► ₱XXXX.00 ~ TOTAL BUDGET PER PERSON BASED ON A GROUP OF TWO
