Olongapo is a city of around 260,000 people on the western coast of Luzon, best known as the gateway to Subic Bay Freeport — the former US Naval Base Subic Bay, which was one of the largest American overseas military installations in the world until its closure in 1992. The base has since been converted into a freeport and tourism zone, and most of the attractions visitors come to Olongapo for are technically within the Subic Bay Freeport Zone rather than the city itself.
The Subic Bay area has developed a solid range of outdoor and wildlife activities: Zoobic Safari (the only tiger safari in the Philippines), Ocean Adventure marine park, jungle zip-lining and survival courses with the indigenous Aeta people at Pamulaklakin Forest Park, and some of the best wreck diving in Asia — Spanish and Japanese warships from various conflicts lie in the bay. The beaches along the bay are clean and calm.
The city itself, outside the freeport zone, is a working Philippine city with markets, cheap food, and the usual urban infrastructure. The name derives from "ulo ng apo" (Tagalog for "head of the chief"). It is 140km north of Manila and makes a manageable weekend trip from the capital.