Travel Guide: Everything You Need To Know Before Going To Crystal Beach

by - Thursday, January 19, 2017





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First, it is not a white beach that most of us thought. Seeing all the photos over internet I really thought that this beach is as white as those in the photos I saw. Okay, I know some would say, it's in Zambales what do you expect? Again, this blog post is just about what I have witnessed face to face. I mean, let's admit it, we've used filters more than it is needed that the place became so different in personal.






But we also have to take into account those who uses high quality camera and good photographers that turn every places into magical one. Or some just happened to have a good quality camera, I think I fall on latter. K.



Please bear in mind that I used Fujifilm XA2 in advance settings in taking all of the photos here.
I am not saying that Crystal Beach is not great its just that I based my expectation from what I saw online.

Okay, let's move on from this. Overall I enjoyed my short stay here. The place is great and chill.


Here's a travel guide going to Crystal Beach Resort


How to go there?




Option 1

If you are coming from Manila, ride a bus going to Iba, Zambales and alight at San Narciso. Make sure to inform the ticketing employee that you are going to San Narciso. Fare is a lot much higher if you will not mention you are heading to San Narciso only. Fare is 270. Travel time may take up to 4 hrs.

Victory liner has a regular trip to Iba, Zambales. Please check their site for updated time of the trip. But as of January 2017, first trip is 5:00 AM.

From San Narciso, there's a tricycle terminal in front of the Church and tell the driver you are heading to Crystal Beach. Fare is 20 pesos each. Travel time may take up to 10-15mins.

Option 2

If you want to arrive in Zambales as early as sunrise you may do so. Its just you have to cut trip.

From Manila, ride a bus going to Olongapo, fare is 212 (victory liner) travel time is 2 and half hours, from Olongapo catch a bustrip to Iba or San Pedro and tell the kundoktor you are alighting at San Narciso. Fare is 53 pesos. Travel time is almost an hour.


Victory liner has a regular trip to Olongapo. Please check their site for updated time of the trip. But as of January 2017, first trip is 1:00 AM. Then 3 AM. We take the 3am trip.

From San Narciso, there's a tricycle terminal in front of the Church and tell the driver you are heading to Crystal Beach. Fare is 20 pesos each. Travel time may take up to 10-15mins.

We did Option 2.

Terminal of tricycle




Accommodation and Entrance Fee

Best option is to bring your own tent and pitch on their camp site. If you have your own tent 1 pax is 550php. That is inclusive of entrance and 250php consumable of foods and drinks. 


Honestly, we bring our own foods to lessen the expenses, but the 250php is forced and they call it "package" so we end up taking it anyway for we have no choice. When I messaged Crystal Beach on facebook they did not mention about this. They told me that the entrance fee is 295 if you have your own tent.


If you prefer getting a room you may do so, they have a wide range of rooms available, from fan room to airconditioned. Rate ranges from 1,700 php to 11,250. It will depend on the number of pax and all of the room accommodation are inclusive of breakfast.

Outside the resort, there is store that offers a tent for rent, I just don't know the price.





The only photo I did manage to take. Pardon :P







Inclusive of entrance fee for the room capacity.





Day Trip?



Possible. Day entrance fee is 195 per person. Picnic hut by the beach is 500 php good for 6 persons.

the nipa huts in the morning

nipa huts photo taken at night


Activities Offered 

  • Surf lessons by Quicksilver Surf School
- 400 php/hour/person inclusive of board and instructor's fee.
- 200 php/hour for board rentals only



Too bad during our stay they are on maintenance? So my friend wasn't able to try surfing. You may rent a board but that is if you used to surf before and doesn't need any instructor. I could surf myself but since my friend will end up just watching me and I don't want that so we just chill in the beach instead.



  • Island Hopping to Capones and Camara Island, Anawangin Cove - you may ask the help desk for the quotation of price



  • Waterfalls Tour - 
you may ask the help desk for the quotation of price



  • Body Massage - 400php/hour



  • Ball Games - Volleyball, Basketball, Billiards, and Pingpong
                          - 100php/hour/game
                          - 100php/equipment(deposit)

  • Bonfire

  • Kayak - 250php/hour








Where to Eat?



They have a restaurant and a mini store that offers rice meal, sandwiches, pasta, shakes and all. You may also bring foods inside and if you want to bring something to grill you may do so.They have grilling part and you may purchase ice and charcoals inside too.


you should try their calamansi shake its superb!




Breakfast! 

you may bring your own food like we did. :)




Contact Person



For more information and reservations, please call at 09175452791/09338509144 or you may visit their website at 


Pet?

Yep. It's Allowed.


One of the guest's pet




Parking?

Yep. They have parking lot inside.

Souvenirs?

Yep, they've got it all covered too.




Is it Safe?

As per the receptionist, cases of theft has been reported especially on Kampsite 2. So make sure to take care of your belongings. Honestly, when we heard this, we were like, oh okay what now. Just to make sure, bring your stuff everywhere.

Did we lost anything during our stay? Yeah. But no biggie. As I've mentioned above we bring foods, that includes a whole loaf bread and tuna spread that I made during our stay in the resort. We left the bag of foods outside the tent because we don't want any ants going inside our tent if ever they decided to invade our left-overs. When we were packing up I realized that the tupperware where we mix the tuna spread is missing. It is when we were eating in Pampanga that I realized that the half of loaf bread has gone missing too. No biggie, maybe they are that hungry and we would love to share anyway.

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17 comments

  1. Ano po yung food na worth 250?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. anything you want po that is available on their restaurant and other tindahan. pag kulang, like more than 250 yung orderin niyo, you can add na lang :)

      Delete
  2. Pano pala pauwi pabalik ng Manila?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice place! There are many nice hotels in the Philippines.
    Best hotel buffet in Manila -Taste the wonderful flavors of the world, one scrumptious platter at a time at the Fresh International Buffet.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you next stop... Crystal beach! Just want to share my experience in Cagayan has been one of the best places in the world to settle down, making Pueblo de Oro Cagayan a great base to purchase a cagayan de oro house and lot for sale for your family to live.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi madam. allowed po ba alcoholic beverages sa resort? thank you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi po. May corkage fee po. I think 50 each for beer and 500 pag hard. :)

      Delete
  6. Hi madam. allowed po ba alcoholic beverages sa resort? thank you

    ReplyDelete
  7. That looks a nice place. Thanks for sharing! Anyway, you should also try to visit Glorietta. I'm sure you'll love it too.

    ReplyDelete
  8. We went there last Decmber 9,DIY trip. We ended up paying 1899/head. There was a reggae event during the time so I thought that's the reason why its so expensive. However, I still think it was too much, to think that they provided us with the regular tent. With the given fee, we could've availed the one they have on the website for 2,500. Also, it took them a lot of time to confirm which tent to offer, only to find out that it was just a regular one(tent good for 2).The fee during the time was a "unacceptable" but the PLACE was AMAZING. Good facilities too.

    ReplyDelete
  9. We went there last year december and I was surprised by the place. Very peaceful and relax. Sulit talaga! the staffs are good, the food was also good. I can say this is one of the best weekend getaway for barkadas and families.

    ReplyDelete
  10. hi po! :) ask ko lang if kong overnight lang kami pero may tent kami magkano yung entrance fee each? kailangan bang mag pa book pa rin? marami pong salamat.:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Otw po kami ngayon dun walk in din kasi fully booked po lahat may own tent po kami nag email po ako sakanila e wala na talaga avail sa mga gusto kong dates kasi thursday to sunday daw fully booked na till 3rd week of June tried to find another beaches online and have watched a lot of YouTube blogs but have not seen any beach na kasing ganda ng crystal beach sa pictures. Well sana di ako madisappoint pero base sa mga reviews mukhang mag eenjoy naman kami. Hehe.. So ayun po sorry medyo napahaba. Yes may fee pa din po actually mas mahal po pag own tent kasi 895 per head po per night ung fee inclusive of breakfast and entrance fee na po un.. Mas okay kung may accommodation talaga na available kasi mas mura un kung madami kayo. Biglaan lang dn kasi pag alis namin and dpat 3 lang kami so we bought tent that is good for 3 e nadagdag sila ate ko kasi sumama isa pa naming anak para dn may maiwan magbabantay sa tent in case wala kami salitan. Problema namin ngaun e di kami kakasya sa tent pero malaki naman sya sabi 3 persons kasya mukhang 4 to 5 persons naman.. kaso 5 adults kami and 3 children..haha ung 3 yrs old below po pla free entrance fee nyan. :) Sana lang may mabili kaming tent bago makarating dun kasi feeling ko mahal sa store na pag rerentahan na nasabi sa blog and feeling ko fully booked na din mga tents dun ewan lang kung ung tent store na un ay same sa mga nasa website ma fully booked na. Ung mga may bed na and pillow sa loob..un sana ang cucute e. Kaso wala talaga.. so sana makauna pa kami kasi first come first serve daw po pag walk in. :(

      Delete
  11. Hi. tanong lang po if possible ba yung Option 2 Transport pag day tour? Madami po ba ang byahe ng Olongapo-Iba/ Iba-Olongapo?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. basta yung first trip mam ang sakyan niyo para andun na kayo ng mga 6 to 7 am :)

      Delete
  12. Pano po ba bumalik from Crystal Beach to Manila?

    ReplyDelete
  13. hi pano po pumunta don from alabang . TIA

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for the wonderful message!