Not all out of town trips have to be long and expensive. Believe us, for less than 1,000 Php, you can go kayaking, biking, ride an off Road Dune Buggy, have lunch in a kawayan kubo and experience a unique kind of stress therapy. Not just that, but you can actually do all of it in a day and still get back to Manila in time for dinner! Sounds impossible? Well it’s not! Once we realized this, we decided to pack our bags, go on a drive and head to the city of Tarlac to try it all out for ourselves.
Tarlac Recreational Park
Departure: 5:00am
It took us just 3 hours to get to the Tarlac Recreational Park from Manila. We passed through the North Luzon Expressway, exited through SCTEX Mabalacat toll booth and paid a total of 322 Php (Individual cost may vary depending on how many are going on the trip). We then exited through N. Luisita, proceeded to MacArthur Highway, took a few left and right turns, until we finally got to our first destination, the Tarlac Recreational Park.
Arrival: 8:00am
The Park opens at exactly 8 in the morning. We went to the ticket booth to ask about all the things we wanted to try, and were assigned guides, for safety. Here’s a look at all the activities and their rates:
Kayaking in the Lake – 50 Php per head – 30 minutes
Biking – 50 Php per head – 30 minutes
Off road Dune Buggy – 150php per head (2 people in 1 Dune Buggy) – 20 Minutes
If you want, you can also go fishing the entire day for just 100 pesos (bring your own rod), go swimming, ride the zip line, or go on a picnic.
Isdaan/Tacsiyapo!
We left Tarlac Recreational Park at 12 noon and got to the well-known Isdaan restaurant at 12:30. When we entered the restaurant, we were immediately welcomed by friendly staff who put flower garlands over our heads and led us to a little “kawayan kubo”. There, we ordered their best selling “bangka meal” which is basically a big sizzling platter with a variety of food (shrimp, chicken, pork and togue), cooked right in front of us. We also ordered their Shanghai rice and fresh buko juice which was served in the actual buko shell.
The experience was unique, as when we entered Isdaan, we felt like we were no longer in the Philippines, but on some getaway island. Aside from this, we also got to feed the fish,
were serenaded by a trio,
and took photos with mascots and statues. All of this for only 500 php per person (Price for two people).
But wait! There’s more! The highlight of our stay in Isdaan was definitely the Tacsiyapo! wall which offered guests a unique stress therapy by smashing things from simple, everyday items like mugs (20 Php) and saucers (25 Php) to bigger items like television sets (2,000 Php) and tables.
The Isdaan experience was definitely a one of a kind food trip, that we would love to go back to Tarlac for. Maybe next time we’ll even bring our family and friends along. If you have more people in your group, the cost will definitely be lower, as we ordered food good for 3-4 people.
Departure to Manila: 2pm
After taking tons of photos, looking around, and basically having the time of our lives, we decided that it was time to head home. We drove through NLEX and chose not to pass through SCTEX to avoid additional toll fees. Because of our decision to do so, we only paid a total of about a hundred plus pesos (Individual cost may vary depending on the number of people in the group).
Arrival in Manila: 6pm
It was a 4-hour drive home, which was an hour longer compared to the time it took for us to go to Tarlac City. Seems like a long time, but with good company, a drive that long is nothing.
Just invite a few people, hop on your ride, and get ready for an adventure that you definitely wont forget. The next time you feel like going on an out of town day trip, check out the city of Tarlac.
