Clark Freeport Zone Travel Guide + Itinerary: Best Stay, Eats, and Attractions

With
an international airport and two connecting expressways in its alley,
Clark Freeport Zone serves as one of the country’s premier gateways
to the world. Traveling to its nooks and crannies though, one will
find that more than a business district brimming with modern
sights, Clark also boasts nature-filled ones. 


Below is a glimpse of
what tourists can expect from the city.

SLEEP

Address: Prince Balagtas Avenue, Clark Freeport, Mabalacat, Pampanga
Contact number: (+63) 925-5263104
Email address: info@thevillagesatglobalclark.com
Rates: Rooms start at Php5,500/ night with a maximum of four to six adults per room.

Fancy a serene getaway just minutes away from tourist attractions? Parkside Green at The Villages will not disappoint. Hosting an outdoor pool and a 14-hectare sports complex with six baseball fields, this integrated community affords guests the perfect opportunity to “live, work, and play”. At 70 to 100 square meters wide, its townhouse-style accommodations are capacious enough for big groups. Rooms have full baths and balconies with expansive views of lush greens.

READ ALSO: A Visita Iglesia of Pampanga Churches




EAT

Address: 1/F SM City Clark M.A.Roxas Highway, Malabanias, Clark, Pampanga
Contact number: (+63) 906-1530242/ (+63) 915-3905000
Operating hours: daily during mall hours
Rates: ala carte meals start at Php200 to Php500

Korean food-crazed travelers will find a heartwarming respite in Yami Bulgogi. Conveniently located within SM Clark, it serves a long list of authentic Korean staples, including premium steaks (salchisal and samgyeopsal), chicken lollipops, and shabu-shabu, which also come with refillable side dishes. Warm, attentive service is a trademark of this dining hole, as well as its well-furnished kids’ play area. Drop by every Thursday from 11 am to 6 pm for unlimited samgyeopsal at only Php350!

EXPLORE

Address: Clark Freeport, Mabalacat, Pampanga
Contact number: (045) 499 8277
Operating hours: daily from 8 am to 6 pm

Touted as the “most modern water theme park” in the Philippines, newly opened Aqua Planet boasts many firsts in its 10-hectare expanse. Among these is the pulse-quickening Flow Rider, wherein guests can experience what it is like to surf, complete with instructors and surfboards. If surfing is not your cup of tea, you can choose from 24 other water attractions. Aside from two children’s pools, kids also enjoy a separate wave pool from adults, plus a lazy river, tubing rides, slides, and other activities. It is also the first of its kind to introduce reloadable wear-on passes, which guests can use to shop and dine in eight stalls in the area. If you have any excess amount under your account, you can easily have it refunded at designated booths.

READ ALSO: Snapshots of a boneyard: Air Force City, Clark, Angeles City, Pampanga

Address: Clark Picnic Grounds, Gil Puyat Avenue, Mabalacat, Pampanga
Contact number: (045) 499 3033
Entrance fee: Php250 to Php300 for students and kids; Php350 for adults
Operating hours: daily from 8 am to 6 pm

Relive the Mesozoic Era with a tour of Dinosaurs Island. Combining animatronics technology with informative guides, this theme park is an excellent way for children to learn about history while having fun. More than 30 species of moving, life-size dinosaurs are spread over six attractions, including the Dino Trail. For a nominal fee, passes can also include a tour of the 7 Wonders of the World, 4D Theater, and live shows that feature dancing dinosaurs.

Photo by Maia Imperial

Address: Gil Puyat Avenue corner Panday Pita, Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Pampanga
Contact number: (045) 499 0920
Operating hours: daily from 9 am to 6 pm (earlier rides can be arranged)

Discover the cowboy life in El Kabayo. Sitting on a sprawling grassland, this horseback riding haven features facilities akin to the Old West, including a saloon, trading post, telegraph office, and more. Built by an owner who had a lifelong dream of fashioning a cowboy town, El Kabayo is guaranteed to provide a fun Western-inspired experience. Various horseback riding packages are available for adults and kids, from 30-minute carriage and horseback rides to hours-long trail rides with snacks – all supervised by trained guides. You can also take riding lessons, which come with certification upon completion.

Photo by Maia Imperial

Address: Don Jose Street, Don Bonifacio Subdivision, Angeles City
Contact number: (+63) 905-3432412
Operating hours: daily from 9 am to 6 pm

Safety is paramount when it comes to guns, and when it’s about safe pistol and rifle shooting, there is no better place to learn than Mountain Clark Firing Range. This learning center puts such a premium on safety that even trained shooters are required one its own expert gunners. It gives customers the 101 on practical and tactical shooting, as well firearms services, including repairs, customization, ammunition reloading, and gun safety seminar.

Photo by Maia Imperial

Address: Paradise Ranch Avenue, Sacobia Valley, Clark, Pampanga
Contact number: (02) 899-9824 / (02) 899-9828/ (+63) 917-8351111
Operating hours: daily from 8 am to 4 pm

Clark’s first adventure zoo park, Zoocobia combines thrilling rides with educational farm attractions in one action-packed adventure. On site, guests will find a giant slide, camel and horse rides, and a swing ride that overlooks the scenic Sacobia Valley. They also have the option to board Zooc, a gravity-powered car that runs on a 400-meter track with hairpin curves. Children will have a blast petting farm animals and feeding birds, bearcats, and monkeys by hand – a truly enriching way to learn while interacting with animals.

SAMPLE 2-DAY ITINERARY


Public transport around Clark is complicated. Tricycles abound outside the Freeport Zone but are not allowed inside. If you are to take them, they are extremely expensive (a five-minute ride could easily cost you P100.) There are jeepneys but some attractions are not accessible by jeepneys. Your best bet would be to bring a car or hire car rental services (could be expensive as well).

If not possible, take a P2P  bus to the Clark International Airport and from there, use Grab to get to and from attractions.

DAY 1
5:30 am/ 6:30 am Take P2P bus from Trinoma to Clark/ Drive to Clark

8:00 am                 Arrival at Clark International Airport (for P2P buses)

                                         Use Grab or private car to explore; breakfast

8:30 am                           Explore Zoocobia

11:00 am                           El Kabayo; Horseback riding

12:00 pm                           Lunch at Amante Ribs and Steaks

1:30 pm                   Check in hotel

2:00 pm                   Dinosaurs Island

5:00 pm                   Oculus Firing range

6:00 pm                   Dinner at Yami Bulgogi

DAY 2

8:00 am                    Head to Aqua Planet for whole-day swimming

5:00 pm                    Freshen up; leave Clark

This article is now available as a mobile app. Go to GPSmyCity to download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the attractions featured in this article.