Zamba Kuta: Camping in Liw-Liwa Beach Zambales
How does drive to a beach and get to a camp there? I didn't know how until we experienced it for the first time in Liw-liwa beach in Zambales over the People Power long weekend. It was fortunate that my husband met Sir Robert, himself a Jeep owner who runs Zamba Kuta, a resort in Liw-liwa beach. All the resorts in the area were already fully booked so our only option was to camp on the beach and Sir Robert was kind enough to make all the necessary arrangements for us.
The drive to Liw-liwa beach felt like finding a secret location. It involved an hour's drive past Subic, through the towns of Castillejos, San Marcelino, and San Narciso, and right before the San Felipe arch, just after crossing a bridge that spans the Sto. Tomas river, we had to take a hairpin turn to access a narrow road that looks more like a dike. There are no lamp posts, or fences, or shoulders, or any of the usual features of a regular road, just a straight path with nothing and noone, just the vast dry riverbed to one side, and vegetation on the other side. It felt off-road, even if it really was a road that tricycles and sedans can access with ease - we could tell from the vehicles in the parking lot of our destination.
After about 2 kilometers of driving along the river, we turned into a small road where there were signs with names of resorts. We were entering a gated resort enclave in a wooded area, populated by agoho trees. Guards at the gate did the usual protocols - counted the number of heads in our vehicle, charged us the environmental fee, asked for our resort reservation, and did the health checks. Inside, we marvelled at the charming beach resorts, one after the other, on either side of the road, all of them small in size and scale of operation. One of these resorts was Zamba Kuta.
There are many types of accommodations in the area. There are private rooms, or stand alone cabins, and teepee huts with common shower, as well as tents next to basic restrooms with a hand pump well (poso). There are sari-sari stores, vendors, BBQ ihaw-ihaw, as well as restos with picnic tables or pavilions. The vibe is very relaxed and at night, there's live music. Earlier this month we spent weekends in Anilao and Laiya - how different those beach areas were! Resorts here feel more connected to one another, like a village. Amenities are simpler here, and that's part of the rustic and rugged charm. When we go overlanding, we're prepared to just use the water ration we bring with us, so access to running water is already a great comfort!
We didn't get to stay at Zamba Kuta because the place was fully booked, but we got to experience their great hospitality and service because we booked and paid for our beach camping fees through them, and because we rented one of their ATV's, we were able to ride to the resort to wash up. My kids loved the colorful hammocks and macrame swing chair scattered around Zamba Kuta. I got to take pics of the place but I wasn't able to peek into the rooms because all of them were occupied.
For one of our dinners, Sir Robert organized a samgyupsal set-up. Strips of beef, sauces and dips, lettuce, kimchi, and Tteokbokki and marbled potatoes for sides, plus a table-top grill were delivered by ATV to a nearby pavilion where we had our meal. It felt like getting "room service" even if we didn't have a room! And what friendly and attentive service we got!
We felt how attentive Zamba Kuta's team was because we saw them regularly throughout our stay. Sir Robert set-up his rig right beside ours on the beach, and he also delivered the ATV. He also pitched a flag to steer ATV riders away from our Jeep, and at one point, while we were swimming, one of our tents was blown off by the wind and to our relief, we saw Zamba Kuta folk securing our tent. And we felt safe. There's a lifeguard outpost and security guards also roam around.
My kids really enjoyed the the ATV explorations of beach, woods, and dry river bed. We loved the usual fun parts of camping, sleeping in our tents, cooking most of our meals, sleeping and waking up to the sound of waves, and have a wide stretch of sand and sky, and plenty of stars at night. And of course, there's the water! My kids loved riding the waves of the West Philippines sea and when Sir Robert saw how much fun they were having, he said he had surf boards and instructors too, and maybe they can try surfing next time we come back. That gives us something to look forward to!
We are grateful to Sir Robert and his team at Zamba Kuta for our wonderful beach weekend at Liw-liwa beach. Thank you for our first beach camping experience ever! For those who want to experience the charm of Liw-liwa beach for themselves, or those who want to try beach camping, inquire at Zamba Kuta. for the latest policies and fees.
Liw-liwa Beach, San Felipe, Zambales
Zamba Kuta FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/ZambaKuta
Related post: Liw-liwa Beach: Overlanding in Zambales
Hi, is Zamba Kuta's camp site far away from the beach shore? We plan to camp. We also want to do car camping but our Ford Ecosport may get stuck on the sand.
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