Finding turtles and giant hermit crabs at All Hands Beach

From where I was, I could see mountain ranges that looked like sentinels guarding the valleys in between. My eyes combed the blue clouds that lined the sky. A few moments ago, I witnessed the glorious sunrise, reflecting hope and faith on the clear, blue waters of Subic Bay. The sea breeze cajoled me to do further introspection. I was at All Hands Beach, a resort designed for families to enjoy clean, clear waters teeming with marine life. Giant turtles continue to lay eggs at All Hands Beach, a marine sanctuary protected by the loving concerns of the owners themselves.

It was no coincidence at all that my brother-in-law Benny Soliven decided to spend his birthday weekend at All Hands Beach. It was a wonderful celebration where God conspired to make His presence felt during the glorious three-day affair.

Our journey to All Hands Beach on a Saturday morning started when we picked up my nephew Vince at the Gonzaga Hall of the Ateneo de Manila. The weather truly cooperated with us during this opportune time for family bonding. The weather was sunny yet cool. It was a pleasant drive.

We drove past Clark where the Ateneo team was competing in the Pilipinas Cup as my nephew was Tweeting this football game for The Guidon.  Onto the scenic road we went enjoying the backdrop of Mt. Pinatubo and green pastures along the way. Passing the town of Dinalupihan, Bataan, we entered the SBMA gate refreshed by the verdant tree-lined roads.

Our first stop was at the well-stocked Pure Gold Supermarket to load up on wine, tequila, almonds, chips and snacks. We crossed the street to get to the Nike and Adidas outlets where we found a colorful variety of rubber shoes in cute funky styles.

Our car loaded up with goodies, we proceeded to All Hands Beach resort. We were immediately welcomed by the warmest smiles from the security guard who provided us a convenient parking space under the talisay trees. The bellhop came and carted away our luggage aboard his quaint trolley shaped like a wooden rowboat on sturdy wheels.

We were given Family Room No. 2, which is a homey stand-alone one-bedroom cottage good for six people. It had a queen-size bed and two double deckers. And outside the room was a cozy terrace overlooking the beach. We happily unpacked and headed out to the bar excited to meet our friends. Our friends traveled almost 24 hours from the US and India to be with us. They said it was worth the trip as we settled down at the bar for cocktails. We dug our feet into the cooling sands and lifted our glasses toasting to Benny’s health and youthful looks, wishing him years of happiness.

Later in the day, we heard Mass at the SBMA’s San Roque chapel, a white chapel under centuries-old trees dotted with giant stag horns. We felt God’s word as we listened intently under the trees facing the altar.

Back at All Hands, a seafood feast was waiting when we arrived and Benny dug into the fresh fried crispy lapu-lapu with sweet-sour sauce on the side, grilled succulent prawns and steamed rice accompanied the feast.  

We left at 4:30 p.m. for the sunset cruise on the bay. While cruising, we were intrigued to see a structure resembling a white castle on an island. The castle remains a mystery to this day. Some say it was built as a navigational guide to ships; others say it was a major prop for a movie. The White Castle, as it is called by locals, was not built by the Americans. It was reportedly built by a Filipino family who claimed ownership of the rock where the castle stood. Originally known as the Gaviota rock, it was acquired by the Panes family and they built a castle-style structure on it in 1974.

While strolling on the beach that night at 11:30, Vince was so surprised when he spotted a huge ocean crab in knee-deep water. He turned on his flashlight, which stunned the crab into stillness, which allowed us to capture it into a pail.  Soon after, Vince spotted another surprise moving under the water — a giant hermit crab.  He yelled excitedly for his mom Michelle to see it who ran into the ankle-deep water and chased the crab all the way till neck deep. She felt the crab’s smooth shell and picked it up. Oh, my! It was red and furry, as big as Michelle’s face and she named the hermit crab Charlie Sebastian because he reminded her of Sebastian in The Little Mermaid.

The next day, the head chef of All Hands made some really fantastic paella just the way we like it with tutong at the bottom, lots of shrimps, squids, olives, chorizos, green peas topped by the huge succulent crab we caught. Pampanga-born restaurateur Alex Dayrit, who runs the resort, informed us that what we had caught was a rare delicacy called San Francisco crab or St. Francis Crab. (Talk about the Extra Ordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy by St. Francis. This crab was a gift that no amount of money could buy.)

We all dug into the meatiest juiciest sweetest crabmeat we had ever tasted. This crab fed all of us to loving satisfaction. It went perfectly with the tasty paella rice and sweet Zambales mangoes. (In our succeeding meals, we ate chicken adobo, tocino breakfast, turon, Pancit Bataan with baby squids, crispy pata and kare-kare. We even met SBMA chief Martin Dino, while he was enjoying lunch on the beach.) 

Our foreigner friends indulged in jet skiing, parasailing, banana boating and even scuba lessons arranged by Olongapo City Vice Mayor Jong Cortez, an avid scuba diver and environmentalist. Also arranged for them was a sunset hike on nearby Blue Turtle cove where teleseryes are shot like The Story of Us, Agua Bendita and Encantadia, to name a few. It’s also a favorite venue for company outings and team-building events.

During pawikan season, All Hands Beach reaches its peak, what with big turtles doing their pilgrimage of sorts to lay their eggs at the resort’s vicinity. The resort is a protected sanctuary. Turtles feel safe to be at All Hands Beach.
But the turtles are not the only attraction of the resort. Today, All Hands Beach is open to anybody who appreciates endless days of sunshine and rain, while basking in the cool, clean and azure waters. Right across All Hands Beach, one can appreciate the dramatic Cinco Picos mountain range that guards the cove like a sentinel, making the waters calm and very conducive for water sports such as banana boats, jet skis, parasailing and kayaking. You can also rent a yacht for island hopping, scuba diving and even wreck diving.
One of our favorite activities is to stand in ankle-deep water and throw pieces of bread, and within minutes, the eclectic and ecstatic fish gravitate towards the bread. What a glorious sight to behold. Those who wish to spend the night may do so by renting one of the seven cottages and eight family rooms replete with aircon and TV sets. It also has al fresco and air-conditioned function rooms. Each cottage is large enough for a family. Each time I am here, I savor the sight of the surreal Subic Bay sunset as it gloriously sets in the horizon yonder from the comfort of the cottage’s own balcony by the beach.
All Hands Beach Resort used to be the favorite beach of the US Navy servicemen and their families back when Subic Bay was still a military base. The resort, which is accredited by the Department of Tourism, is very clean, with friendly and hospitable staff. The resort’s surroundings, with powdery fine-caramel sand, purvey a relaxed atmosphere that is very unpretentious but inconspicuously exclusive and remarkably affordable.
The resort is also child friendly; the beach is nestled and enclosed in a cove within sight of a watchful lifeguard, while the swim area is shallow and gradually getting deeper. All Hands Beach Resort is an eco-friendly and well-maintained public beach. The resort offers use of bamboo huts, nipa sheds and beach volleyball court among others. One can bring food and beverages without having to pay corkage charges. Grilling and cooking shacks are available for use.
Under a starlit sky, we celebrated with our Indian guests as the Diwali came to a hilt. We had a happy Diwali party feast of dancing, which started in the kitchen culminating on the beach in our Bollywood dresses.  A highlight of the Diwali program was the classical dance number of 20-year-old Yesha Patel.  Her father narrated to us that he drove her to her classical dance lessons for seven years.
And we devoured Indian sweets called moantal, we celebrated Diwali or Deepavali, which is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year in autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in southern hemisphere.
We found bamboo poles and danced our native Filipino tinikling amid peals of joyful laughter. Under the beauty of God’s creation, little crablets darted to and fro as we pranced around in a circle, sparkling in our embroidered Indian outfits with bangles jingling on our wrists.
Matthew and Vince, while lounging on floating sofas in the waters of All Hands close to midnight, spotted a family of baby black-tipped sharks and a baby manta ray swimming peacefully in the illuminated clear warm waters of the beach. Thanks to the bright sky and their flashlights, they also spotted a blue and green colored spadefish.
We had an exhilarating vacation at All Hands Beach resort.  My brother-in-law Benny is already excited to go back and bring his Corratec bike in his next visit to enjoy the resort and the beauty of nature around.
The resort is a paradise within reach of the urban jungle. All Hands Beach presents a charm of its own that even the turtles and the giant hermit crabs will attest to. My wanderlust, too, is itching to return. Again.

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All Hands Beach is located in San Bernardino Road, Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
For inquiries, call (047) 252-9978 or its Manila office at 404-4784 or visit www.allhandsbeach.com.
Email the author at miladay.star@gmail.com.