Angeles Travel Guide

In a nutshell

An economic, entertainment, and culinary hub, Angeles City has more to offer than appetizing sisig, duty free shops, and job opportunities within Clark's freeport zone.

Why go to Angeles City

Once a year in January, people drive to Angeles City from all over the country to witness the annual International Hot Air Balloon Festival. A month prior, the neighbouring city also celebrates Christmas on a grand scale, literally. The giant lantern festival is held each December and is participated by various barangays competing for the best and most intricately designed lantern.

Besides these annual events, there are plenty other activities to keep you busy in the metro. For an action filled adventure, you can fly an ultra-light aircraft, do some target practice at a firing range, or gallop at full speed in a Wild Wild Western themed stable.

If you need a breath, you can get a spa treatment at a hot spring resort, or at one of the numerous water parks and pool resorts. Put on your walking shoes and visit some of the cultural and historic sites like Nayong Pilipino, Stotsenberg Park, Air Force City Park, K-9 Cemetery, and Clark Veterans Cemetery.

In the evening, you can let yourself go in one of the many bars and clubs like Midnight Rodeo, Tao, and High Society just to name a few. Many of these bars can be found in Balibago along Macarthur Highway. There's also a red light district in Fields Avenue.

When to go to Angeles City

Like the rest of the country, Angeles has predominantly two seasons, wet and dry. If you are planning to spend outdoors as much time as possible, then avoid the months of July to September. It usually rains in the evening and late afternoon but weather can be unpredictable. Dry months are from March to June but it can get very hot and humid. Best time to go would be during the cooler months of October to February.

Where to stay in Angeles City

If you wish to maintain some distance away from the red light district, then book a hotel outside of Field's Avenue. While this area and the rest of Balibago district can be seedy especially at night, it is also located right smack in the middle of everything. A major mall is within a walking distance, the airport is a few minutes drive away, and there are tons of restaurant around.

If location is your main concern whatever, there are other options that meet the same criteria without worrying about pimps and their ladies. Malabanias area is a prime location and you can book a good hotel from 1,500PHP to 8,000PHP per night.

You can also opt to stay within the Clark Freeport Zone but rates are understandably higher as most of these hotels are the resort type. Most hotels have pools alongside with standard facilities like free WiFi, free parking, gym, and airport shuttle. Most hotels also have in-house restaurants and bars with smoking and non-smoking rooms.

Where and what to eat in Angeles City

The question of "where" to eat in Angeles City hardly matters as much as "what". The former being hugely dependent on your budget but regardless of where you decide to have your gastronomic adventure, you are sure to have your taste buds fully teased and satiated.

First of all, you cshouldan never leave Angeles without a sizzling plate of sisig – a dish made of pork head and liver that originated in the city. Anthony Bourdain himself was quoted saying that this dish will "win the hearts and minds of the world".

As a historic city that has survived both human and natural devastation, Angeles inhabitants’ resourcefulness and creativity brought forth experimental dishes like betute tugak (fried frog stuffed with minced pork) and kamaru (rice field crickets). Another kapampangan specialties are tokwa't baboy (pork with tofu) and chicharong bulaklak (fried pork intestines). Also try their buro – it's a dipping sauce made of fermented rice and shrimps. For desserts, Corazon's halo-halo, Gill's sherbet, and Nathaniel's Buko Pandan are hard to beat.

How to get around Angeles City

Jeepneys are the primary mode of transportation in and around the city of Angeles. You can easily identify these refurbished US military jeeps as they ply around the city at all hours, night or day. Their route is normally displayed on the windshield and on the side. Fare is about 8PHP to 10PHP. For a ride from the main gate to inside the Clarkfield zone, fare is 15PHP.

Tricycles or trike (motorcycle with side car) are another common mode of transportation and normally services subdivisions and barangays not included in the Jeepney's route. Fare differs according to distance but is anywhere between 10PHP to 50PHP. Each tricycle can accommodate about 3 people. Make sure to prepare loose bills and coins.

Recently, Grab launched GrabTrike which covers Zone 1 to 3 (please check their website to see the list of barangays). Fare is 25PHP for the first kilometre with an additional 10PHP for each succeeding kilometre on top of a 25PHP booking fee. It's currently on its beta phase but they're looking to expand to include more areas.

How to get to and from Angeles City

With its own airport, flying is definitely the fastest way to get into the city of Angeles. Cebu Pacific have domestic flights from Cebu (1 hour and 25 minutes), Bacolod (about 2 hours via Cebu ), and Caticlan ( about 1 hour and 25 minutes ). If you book early, you can score tickets for as low as 800PHP otherwise prepare to pay between 1,500PHP to 4,500PHP one way.

Philippine Airlines also flies from Caticlan, Cebu, Davao, Busuanga, and Cagayan de Oro with fares ranging from 1,200PHP to 12,000PHP for a one way ticket.

Air Asia has flights from Davao and Kalibo however flights are sporadic.

Internationally, there are flights from Doha (Qatar Airways), UAE (Emirates), Hong Kong (Dragon Air, Cebu Pacific, Tiger Air), Incheon (Asiana, Jin Air), Macau (Cebu Pacific) and Singapore (Cebu Pacific, Tiger Air).

You can also travel to Angeles City from Manila overland via North Luzon Expressway. Depending on the traffic, travel time will take about 2 to 3 hours.

There are several bus companies that ply the Manila/Clark/Dau route. The first one is Luzon North Transit which has a terminal in Cubao and the fare to Dau is 139PHP. You can also hop on a Five Star Bus and get off at Marquee Mall in Angeles. They have terminals in Pasay and Cubao with fares between 109PHP to 146PHP for air-conditioned buses. Also in Pasay, Victory Liner have Dau-bound buses for abound 150PHP. Dagupan and Lingayen bound buses all stop at Dau. From Dau, you can simply take a tricycle or jeepney going into the city centre.

Is Angeles City a safe place to visit?

Long after the American bases are gone, the rampant prostitution and girly bars remain and have given the city a far from stellar reputation. The usual rules still apply though such as never to flash valuables in public and to stay away from dark alleys.

However, there are certain common sense rules one should stick to. Do not get drunk with strangers and if possible do not engage with them in the first place. There are strangers who will pretend to befriend you and bring you to some brothel with the end goal of theft or mugging. Do not get involved with prostitutes, some of them are minors and you could get in big trouble. Also, some of them may even be in connivance with local police. You never know so it is best to avoid.