If you want to see the best of the Philippines, your list should include several destinations. Start your tour with a visit to the vibrant capital of the country, Manila, where colonial history is present in historic buildings. You can also stroll through the parks and enjoy the bay or explore the more modern side of this cosmopolitan city. From Manila, take advantage of the good Philippines weather and several movie beaches as you head north out of the city until you reach Zambales Province.
This picturesque province is famous for its mangoes, but has a lot to offer, including fabulous beaches, spectacular nature, and some interesting towns. Iba is the capital city of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, popular with tourists for its duty-free malls and various attractions for visitors of all ages. If you want to know the best way to travel from Manila to Zambales, don’t miss what we tell you below.
Manila Traffic © aldarinho / Shutterstock.com
Travel options from Manila to Zambales
If you look at the map, there doesn’t seem to be a great distance from Manila to Zambales, but since the only transportation option is road vehicles, you have to follow routes that are not entirely direct. Highways north of Manila head towards the city of Angeles before turning south and approaching the coast until reaching Zambales. Thus, the shortest road route is approximately 260 kilometers. It may not seem like much, but the roads leading from Manila to Zambales are not in very good condition, because they are not highways like in other countries. For this reason, the bus journey can be quite long, with an estimated duration of 4 to 8 hours. You can also take a taxi, but it is much more expensive.
From Manila to Zambales by bus
Since the tickets are cheap and there are many options to get from Manila to Zambales by bus, it is the mode of transport chosen by almost all tourists. There are several companies that operate this route with different starting and destination points, so you will be able to choose the option that suits you best depending on where you are in Manila and your final destination in Zambales.
If you book through the website 12Go.asia, you will be able to see the search results of all available options, including prices, durations and services of each bus. In addition, there is also the opportunity to read the opinions of other passengers that can help you make a decision. Many companies offer instant confirmation when booking on this site, so you can be sure your ticket has been secured in advance.
Cisco Bus and Victory Lines are the two largest companies that can be booked on 12Go. Of the two, the Victory Liner usually offers more daily departures from different parts of the city. For example, you can go from Manila to Zambales from Pasay, south of the city, and get off at Iba or Santa Cruz. If you are closer to the northern part of the city, like in Quezon, you can leave Cubao and go to Olongapo. This route from Manila to Zambales is much shorter as Olongapo is closer. This bus trip takes only 3 hours, while from Pasay to Santa Cruz it can take up to 6 hours. The duration of the journey also affects the price of the ticket: buses going from Pasay to Santa Cruz cost about twice as much as those from Cubao to Olongapo.
Victory Liner buses are modern, air-conditioned and often equipped with Wi-Fi and on-board TVs. Since they have no bathrooms, several stops are made along the way depending on the duration of the journey. An alternative, Cisco Bus, offers departures from Cubao to Santa Cruz and from Pasay to Santa Cruz. The buses are similar to Victory Liner buses in terms of both service and cost.
From Manila to Zambales by Taxi
View from the passenger seat of a Manila taxi © Spectral-Design / Shutterstock.com
While much more expensive, consider taking a taxi from Manila to Zambales if money isn’t an issue, if you want to get there in less time, or if you can share a taxi with other passengers to split the cost between all of you.
Since taxis can take you door-to-door, the services they offer are much more personalized and practical. You can choose to be picked up from your hotel in Manila and dropped off at your accommodation in Zambales.
The exact price of a taxi depends on several factors, but the most important is the distance. Before you book a taxi, consider where you want to go in Zambales as fares and distance can vary greatly. If you go to the Olongapo area, where the Subic Bay Freeport Zone is located, the journey will be much faster and cheaper than to Iba.
It is currently not possible to book a taxi through 12Go to go from Manila to Zambales, so you will have to do some searching to find out which companies offer these routes. You can check out Grab Taxi, Dollar Taxi and MGE Taxi, but do your research and read reviews from other passengers before booking.
Since booking is so easy and there are so many departure and arrival destinations, it’s no surprise that tourists often choose this option to get from Manila to Zambales. Tickets are cheap and the journey is quite pleasant. Taxis may be a better option if you need door-to-door service and don’t mind spending more.