I forget the movie my boyfriend and I were watching, a movie about a family traveling and camping in an RV. I thought it looked super fun and told him I wanted to also go camping in an RV. His response, "That's not freaking camping, its glamping!". Then, he showed me some youtube videos of actual camping in Maine, and I thought that even looked more fun!
Sure, I have seen movies where people are actually camping, but for the most part, these are portrayed only at campgrounds and such.
The next morning, while I was having my favorite coffee- A triple shot, soy cappuccino, I looked online for camping in the Philippines. I suddenly remembered when my elder sister's first visit in Cebu, we visited this park about an hour and 30 minutes away in Busay, Cebu and they have a campground :D I called up three of my good girlfriends (@emonemolover, @bonjovey & Mel), and asked if they would like to go on a camping. Of course, they are always down to get out of the city!
We brainstormed on the things that we would need during the trip such as: flashlights, sleeping bags, lighters, a cooler for our food and drinks, playing cards to kill the time-And of course mosquito repellant for the pesky bloodsuckers. We all went to the mall to go grocery shopping and we got food, snacks, and some beer for the evening campfire. S'mores also? yep!
The campground
Before we left, I called the campground to verify our reservation and I was told to bring our own wood for the woodfire because they don't sell it on site. I am glad they told us that because the town is 20 minutes away by motorbike and it's a hassle if you don't have your own vehicle.
As per usual, we all showed up on the day of departure with backpacks full of things we didn't actually need, haha! The four of us met at Ayala terminal at around 9:30 am and from there we waited for the van to leave a little over than 30 minutes. When we got to the camping site, the receptionist welcomed us with a friendly smile and walked us through the things that we need to know about the site.
The Restaurant
Outdoor Swing Set
He also showed us around and we took some cool photos of the site. They have a bike trail that's laid throughout the entire park with a great complimenting view of the mountains surrounding us. Everywhere you look was green and luscious. They also have a hiking trail but we didn't try any of these activities since we wanted to spend more time at the campground and we were super excited for the evening fire for our smores.
Picnic Tables
The campfire site
We had pizza for lunch that Lence (@emonemolover) treated us to, and we chatted for a little before we headed to our tent (which was a bit downhill). The tent was perfect for the four us, although it wasn't the glamorous tent I would have imagined- It was comfortable. When I say glamorous tent, I was thought of a dramatic looking tent where there are hanging lights inside and a comfy bed? Lol. Anyways, were able to fit all our bags and still have enough space to stretch out :) There were two bathrooms, one closed door shower and few outdoor showers (how cool was that?).
We spent about an hour scrambling on the playground, climbing the ropes, chasing each other which was really fun. Our clothes were full of spattered dried muds from crawling on the ground as if we were on a battlefield. It felt like returning to our childhood, haha! Since we were the only ones there, we weren't too concerned about how goofy we looked- Only the guard dog was judging us. It's one of those rare moments in which you don't care about the rest of the world because you are having so much fun.
After a while, we sat down to relax and to drink some of the water we brought with us, and realized that we wouldn't have enough for our whole stay and we all got a little worried. We headed down to the receptionist's office and asked if they sold any water but unfortunately, we were out of luck since the clerk told us that the restaurant was temporarily closed for repairs. I thought to myself, if it's safe to drink the tap water at the campsite, why would the employees here buy their water from a water refilling station? So we didn't want to take the risk, (After all, we weren't on Survivor or Alone :) )
Our tent
We headed back to our tent to check how much water and other drinks we still had, and since we only had one liter of bottled water and 2 alcoholic drinks each, we would still need water for the next day. @emonemolover and I decided to head into the town leaving @bonjovey and Mel at the campsite. We started walking since we couldn't get a ride and after about 5 minutes we hitch-hiked a motorbike who was on his way home but this was before we reached the mall called Gaisano which was the closest place to purchase water. After another few minutes of walking, we happen to flag down a motorbike driver, who was kind enough to offer us a ride to the mall. He even waited for us and drove us back to our site, and since we didn't know exactly how much it would cost us for the whole ride so we just handed him 100 pesos ($2) and we were happy for his help.
Back at our tent, I could see the relieved expressions on both @bonjovey and Mel's faces. We picked up 5 liters of water, snacks, and more hotdogs to barbecue. By the time we returned, it was already time to start our campfire. We gathered enough twigs to start the fire and put the big wood, soon enough we had a large enough fire to start barbecuing the hotdogs and the Krispy Kreme donuts we brought for dessert. When I told my friends about grilling the donuts, they were surprised that you could grill them, just like I thought the first time I had it when my boyfriend grilled some at home.
The weather was enjoyable, we played some music and danced around the fire until our knees and feet got tired. Then, we decided to sit on the large logs that were set up on the campground and played ”pinoy henyo” which is a charade-style game that I downloaded on my phone.
We were excited how we're going to survive the night but at the same time a little bit scared, I wasn't scared for my self but rather for my friends. Knowing it's just us girls, but there's a guard that roams around once in a while and three dogs that were also guarding us. ;)
One of the dogs guarding us ;)
I guess we needn't worry about wildlife like bears or wolves in the Philippines :)
After a few hours of laughing and drinking by the fire, We all went to shower, to wash the smoke and sweat off, and we headed back to our tent to play some cards. It wasn't more than an hour before when were we clean and now our faces were already smeared with soot, covered with lipsticks, (lol) as a punishment for someone losing a card game and the four of us happen lose and win somehow. We also spent the night telling our stories with each other, until each of us got tired and fell asleep.
Not long after we fell asleep, we decided to move our tent on a different ground because we were awoken of some noise under the wood slab on which our tent was installed. One of the dogs at the site was playing with @bonjovey's shoes, we were glad it was the dog and not a bear, lol.
Since we couldn't fall back asleep we decided to lay our blankets on the grass outside of our tent and enjoy the beautiful moon and stars. Everything looks and feels calmer at night-Nothing beats the beauty of mother nature-Especially in the wilderness.
The view of the moon
Before the sun reached it's highest peak, we went for a jog and was able to see more of the landscape of Canso-x. We made our last campfire and barbecued the rest of the hotdogs, donuts and marshmallow for the S'mores.
S'mores
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Enjoying our KK grilled donuts! :p
In order to get back to the city, we had to wait on the main road to catch a van and luckily, after about 15 mins of waiting we were able to ride a van. Although we only stayed for 1 night, we had an absolute blast.
XOXO,
Gilaine
What a tour! I haven't come back to the Philippines for a while. I think a trip to Palawan or Cebu is long overdue. With the landscapes you shared, I feel like being there too. Thanks for sharing.
Hello, dear friend, if you can vote https://steemit.com/architecturalphotography/@evgenya86/steemit-evgenya-foto-puteshestvie-6-germany
thank you in advance !
Nakakatuwa naman...
Ang saya-saya mo habang binabasa at iniscroll down ko ung mga pics mo..
Pra bang bumabalik tayo sa pagkabata kapag kasama natin ung mga kaibigan natin diba...
Masaya ako na makita kang masaya @purepinay
Salamat nga pla sa parati mong pagtulong sa akin..
Thank you so much..
Thank you for reading @franbel. Hope everything is going well with you ❤️
yes this is really awesome tour. It attracts me too
looks a good place follow me and i will follow u thanks
haahahhahhahaahh......funny
@newmarket65 ...haha ..good one man..
Actual comment..and that sounds good
Seriously? This made me laugh!!!!! I'm not yet 100% voting power but I'll give an upvote for you for making me laugh this morning.
Thank you at least, I was able to make you laugh. =)
Thank you as well for taking the time to read my blog, it's much appreciated. :)
What a fun adventure they have enjoyed, definitely those are the best moments of life, outdoor sharing with your friends and a beautiful landscape in the background.
Much better than watching it on film ... despite the mosquitoes XD XD XD
...
Would you like to camp here? ;)
Greetings from Venezuela, keep enjoying life @purepinay.
WOW, that awesome! lovely nature.
miss ko na ung cebu, hope one day makabalik ako jan sa cebu. miss ko narin ung mga kakanin :)
daghan npud diay tang mga bisaya nga steemians :D
Hi there @elizahfhaye kumusta ka naman? I'm not really from Cebu and I can't speak fluent Bisaya hehe
Pero sana makauwi kana dito. =)
alam mo sis @purepinay..
habang nagbabasa ako ng mga comments nila sau, napansin ko na halos lahat talaga nirereplyan mo... napakatiyaga mo na ipakita ang personal interest mo sa mga followers mo.
nakapagandang quality yan, at ang gusto ko na maging katulad rin kita..
Thank you much for always supporting me.
Grilled donuts.... now that's something I'm going to have to try for myself. Well, the next time I happen to be next to a grill or campfire with donuts.
Hi there, I know it's a little weird but the grilled donut is yummy. =)
Your inner beauty stands out from everything else. “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson,
beautiful and cute :)
Wow very nice! I love travel and backcountry hiking, camping, canoeing and I post my "adventures" here on Steemit also :D
You look like you had an amazing time and made a lot of great memories. Thanks for sharing @purepinay
Hi there darling thank you for dropping by, yes for sure you have to blog and post about the adventurous thing you had before. =)
Take care and enjoy the rest of the day. ;)
wow! what a fun looking time of of u had. The camping the really does sound so awesome! that's a great group of pals u have there.. but who's the new indian (native american) girl with the braids?? :)
Ahahaha native American here! 😉😁
Your writing is so lively that makes me feel at the place by myself. I could easily visualise that I have in reality got there and have been enjoying the campfire to the fullest. Frankly speaking, I have never ever have had that experience before and I have only heard about it. But nevertheless, I don't feel bad for not being able to get that experience rather by reading your article with the detailed illustration of every activity you did from the very first moment till you people came back home safely makes me feel my presence on that campground. It's difficult to for anyone to make anyone feel good and connected with the content you're into but you have done quite superbly by pulling it off and you all the time do it with ease.
good post
pacenxa nga pla @purepinay kc ngayon ko lang napansin ung post mo,, inaabangan ko talaga eto to show my support to you. kahapon kc nanganak ung kapatid ko need ko samahan si mama sa hospital..
eto xa ohhh...
baby girl..
Ay hello @franbel kumusta? Okay lang naman salamat at naisipan mong basahin ang blog ko at congrats sa kapatid mo ha? Napakaganda naman ng anghel niya sobra. =)
Great article!!
I am so jealous right now :-)
I am sat here in the UK and it is freezing and snowing like crazy!!
Can't wait for summer to go camping although this place looks incredible.
Grilled doughnuts????
Hi @furn01 thank you for dropping by, how are you?
Well, you should try the grilled doughnuts it' delicious. =)
You are a brave woman. the four of them dare to camp in the wild. salute
Hello there @meiza how are you? Yes, indeed you need to be brave enough to camp in the place where you're not familiar that much. =)
Its good to post about the Philippines and what there is to do there. I feel like it is often over looked as a place to travel to from the rest of the world.
Wow nice place..
Wow @purepinay, I just started following you recently and this is my very first comment on your post. Never knew you were a lady talk more of being a very pretty One at that. Wana seize this opportunity to gracefully thank you for curating most of my posts. I am really grateful and I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you! thank you!! thank you!!!
Guess you had so much fun camping...do you do this often or just occasionally ?
thank you for following me. I have been eyeing you for some time now, glad to see you here.
It's my pleasure, I hope it helped a little ;)
It was my first time camping and I would love to do it again. ;)
How's everything with you?
you sure did have fun @purepinay, those donuts looks yummy!
Can i have some please?
That dog sure doesn't look like one that can guide, i would like to think of it the other way, you and your girlfriends presence made the dog feel safe from harm. lol.
Try and plan one with your boyfriend soon, i am sure he would love it.
Hi there @dhamtex thanks for dropping a comment, yes pretty soon I'll bring my partner on my next adventure. =)
awesome post dear. oh i likr it thanks for shering and very beautiful photos.i all time like, support and live your post. But very miss you dear lovely frind @purepinay.so
100%like
100%upvote
100%love
keep it up dear lovely friend
@purepinay
Everything is good with me dearie...Just tryna catch up on steemit so I can be like you. Lolzz.
Wish we weren't far away from each other, would have loved to go on the next camping trip with you. #smiles....never camped before though so I don't know what it's like.
"Glamping" is fun and can combine both a roadtrip with camping so don't dismiss that just yet.. Camping outside is a nice way spend your time and when camping in the Philippines you even have the nice warm weather, at least most of the time.
I'm sure some of you had some personal boundaries moved a bit on the trip and I can only recommend to go and explore some more, maybe outside an established camping site next time? Sirao Peak is an amazing location for camping with one of the best views over Cebu available, plus you can hike down the day after through Budlaan (might require a guide the first time)
Anyways, keep it up and happy camping, those s'mores does look tasty for sure! :)
Oh I have heard of camping in Sirao Peak from a habal-habal driver when we visited the Sirao garden. I thought he was talking about just camping at the Sirao Garden, lol...I'll look it up soon, thanks for the recommendation.
Thank you, the s'mores were delish! ;)
hiii my Lovely & Sweeet Friend @purepinay,
Always feeling Glad to see your adventurer post, wonderful photography. I think you are much lucky who enjoyed your life a lot. during camping here alongwith your besties is full of joy and awesome entertaining moments. Love that. I like this picture much more. take care and stay blessed.
Thank you dear! ☺️
Beauties on fire
dear @purepinay this very nice photography i like it so much
Sounds like quite an adventure! Good thing you had great friends to do it with you!
Nice one... Am definitely happy because this is my first comment to your post as I have much long to do that since I started following you.
i #resteem your post
Cool Girl pic;
Oh, wow! Thank you I appreciate what you've done, it is always my pleasure to create a nice content for you guys. =)
What a nice place!
Looks like heaven on earth 😍
Why Cebu got so many great place? I'm so jealous!
Hahaha, I am happy we have the chance to live and explore this beautiful places. =)
I agree with both of you @purepinay, @rechellomataro. You both are lucky enough to be living there. I think it's time for me too for exploring my own place and then wishing to visit yours someday :)
Exactly!, perhaps it's a way of appreciating what God created for us. :D
@purepinay you're an amazing traveler. :)
@atikahnoh your right, but you can visit Cebu Philippines anytime you want and explore too,
http://www.everythingcebu.com/natural-wonders/
But i believed @atikahnoh that Kedah, Malaysia also have wonderful places.
just like here:
Dayang bunting, langkawi :D
Thanks @rechellomataro. You're right, we still have wonderful places here in Kedah but as far as I know the greatest is only Langkawi. I've only went to Dayang Bunting twice in my life (so sad) so I wonder when would I get a chance to visit Philippines.
Anyway, how did you know that I live in Kedah? Did you checkout my #introduceyourself post? If you did, I have to say that you're really awesome!
@atikahnoh , yeahhhh Everything will be granted in a right timing just wait for that time.
Yes, in regards with your question I have red your #introduceyourself and it's amazing ;)
Hope you like this! :)
Yeah, you're right and thank you..I love that!
nice blogg... nkakamis din mag camp ;)
wtf? soy cappuccino? we used to walk from city to our mountain village. it takes a day walking, sometimes it gets too late at night we have to sleep under a tree. no tent, no fires, just a backpack for a pillow. it was fun. not!
Yep, soy cappuccino, you should try it sometime 😁
Wow that's the real adventure! Must have water and energy bars or dark chocolates at least hehe
Luckily there are spring water on the way that we always visit to fill up and have a refresher. I do miss the mountain air.
Your guard dog looks like he's about to fall asleep on guard duty. :)
@purepinay
What a wonderful adventure together with your circle of friends
thanks for sharing this, I've enjoyed reading and seeing all the photos you share.
truly you always amazed us all..
XoXO
@mrblu
wow...very interesting in such a beautiful place and the moon photography is just awsome.
Heheh yes, it's awesome and it was so relaxing at night time there staring at the moon and having a little chitchat. =)
wow nice pictures of the tour. I will visit this place soon
That was a amazing experience have fan
Thanks for share @purepinay
Indeed it was and looking forward to my next adventure thank you by the way @mizanuk. =)
Yeah you are most welcome im waiting ur next post bcz i love ur all post keep it up im always here as a big supporter
I hope you follow back me n visit my blog n reading regards :)
Dear friend @purepinay
The more you see, the more I love you,Actually the Creator made you very beautiful,
Long time no see,, Where were you been?
I missed you my dear friend @purepinay
I JUST #RESTEEMED YOUR POST
Hi there my dear friend thank you for dropping by, I was just so busy with my personal errand. =)
And I am flattered that you love my blog and you take your time reading it. =)
Thank you and take care!
hey @purepinay it's great to see you enjoying your life, now days its hard to live with motivation but seeing you make me motivated have a great journey on steemit
Followed and resteem by @shaheem
Oh, I am happy and amazed to know that I motivate you to do better and I hope to continue doing that. =)
Keep up the good work with your own blog, I know you can do it. =)
Nice one, i wish i can be there too someday. Keep sharing and exploring rest of the world. Thank you!
Hi there @izhhar thank you for reading my blog, much appreciated! =)
Sure, definitely you should visit this place and I know you'll love it.
glad to meet you here!
Sarap ng mga pagkain @purepinay lalo na yong inihaw na saging, yummy!
Tga cebu ka lang ba din?
Hello sad to say but I'm not really from Cebu yet I grow up in one of the beautiful provinces here in the Philippines which is Samar. =)
ahh okay @purepinay but you are here in cebu right now
I'm a fan of your post, you had been travel different places you really show's how beautiful the philippine is. I'm from cebu but I did not yet exploring this place I had been but a little, I hope one day it will. Just continue to inspire people by your post.godbless...
Hello kumusta? I hope next time gumala ka din para masaya. Hehehe
Ang dami ng magagandang places dito and nakaka surprise nga eh. =)
O wow thats cool of you along with your friends, i love camping and specially to hilly areas where nature can be explored in different ways.. your boyfriend is a lucky one cause he is having you. Keep posting such amazing stuff
How are you, @khanaasim?
it's good to get back to nature and helps you feel calm ^_-
Thank you for dropping by, I hope you have a good one!
I am good, @purepinay you are such an awesome person, everytime i come across your posts i find it full of fun and they are really enjoyable.. it would be great if you visit my blog.. thanks in advance
Hi there @khanaasim thanks and I appreciate it by the way, and definitely, I will visit your page soon enough. Take care and more power to you! =)
The outdoor swing set looks adorable and very inviting :-) The view from the picnic table is also amazing; just like the view you could have in Tagaytay, just minus Taal Lake. What's with camping and s'mores by the way? I mean, it seems campings are never complete without it.
I love the outdoor swing! Never been to Tagaytay, hopefully someday, I just don't like the traffic in Manila ;(
It's a popular dessert in the USA when they go camping ;) you roast the marshmallow in fire until its hot enough to melt the chocolate, then you make it into a sandwich using graham crackers, yum! ;)
Yes unfortunately. Traffic here is terrible. :-( Still, Tagaytay is worth checking out for you. Just don't visit during the weekends.
Wow! Thanks for the tip. We always roast the marshmallows every time we go overnight at beaches but we never tried making it into a graham sandwich. Hmmm. Something worth trying out soon. :-) Thank you @purepinay!
The dog was like; "what do they think they are doing?"
nice post.
i have not been to cebu, but i heard its very place.
maybe i will try it this vacation
You should come and visit Cebu especially this summer a lot of things to do. lol
The dog is a little sleepy look at her. =)
Sounds like quite an adventure! Good thing you had great friends to do it with you! I have camped probably 1000 or more times and in Maine as you mentioned. The problem with camping in the movies, it usually has a madman with a chainsaw or axe included and only some of the camping party makes it back.
Never roasted a donut. The part I missed was if they supplied a tent. Camping in America, you usually bring your own tent! Camping on the beach is great.
Also, do you know if anyone has ever done a Steemit meet in Cebu?
Thanks for sharing your adventure!
omg! you scared me with the chainsaw and axe! haha
The roasted donuts were amazingly good, you should try it at home if you have a grill or maybe with a torque? haha, Camping in America is way better am sure, it's easy to get things that you need for camping.
Yes, we've had a few times and a lot of Steemians from Cebu, check out @steemp.cebu to see if they have any upcoming meetups.
Thank you for visiting my page, I appreciate your time.
Have a good one! ;)
its a scene from Freddie...friday the 13th hahahahaha
i have a beach forest farm you can camp here
You know have never gone camping, I hope to try it soon but something I learnt from this post was that your friends are on steemit probably except Mel, have been on steemit for like 2-3 month now but my close friends I could go on camping with are not yet on steemit little did I know a camping trip post could make me run over to my friends room to tell him about steemit again.....cute pictures wait do they also have boyfriends* 😉
Hi there @izzrael you should start convincing your friends to join here. =)
Yes, all of them are taken and happy with their love life. =)
Great, what a nice camp. You always enjoy in the company of your best friends and more in such a beautiful place.
Yes, I am enjoying their company and we had fun. =)
I'm happy for you, I hope you keep living and sharing more adventures with us.
Enjoying life at its fullest.... Thanks for introducing the real sense of camping in us... Love your blog...
You're welcome and I'm happy that you love my blog. I'll see you around and take care. =)
I can see you had so much fun! It's like reading a short road movie~ Thank you for sharing ^^
Yes, we had so much fun and that was a crazy and adventurous getaway with my girlfriend. =)
Awesome photos, great place, well-written article and a cool author!
Indeed, thank you for dropping by glad you like it. =)
You're welcome, Ma'am. I make sure to always drop by whenever you post. Your articles are worth reading.
Wow, great adventure hanging around with friends ha. How's that toasted donut, never tasted it so far:)
It's delicious by the way, hahaha. We had fun and we did a lot of fun stuff that I never tried before. =)
You really do have a high taste on traveling but i never saw camping coming.hehehe, always flawless with your pictures and descriptiin and oh yes tge grilled doughnuts got me.
See the way you took at that glance at the moon thats awesome.
The dog gaurding you? Hehehe atleast it could kill a snake. Thanks @purepinay for sharing these amazing memories.
Hi there @iconnelly I'm so happy that you like my blog, well I always love surprising people so this is just another surprise, little by little revealing my adventurous and fun side. =)
Hi Pure. We’ve been thinking about camping for a while. We did find a place that we have registered for for mid April for 3 days. It is on a private beach with no cell phones or electricity and we must bring water and food for three days. The pictures looks beautiful there. I used to camp back in New York / New Jersey / Pennsylvania Usa and I miss it much. It looks like you had a great time camping. At least there’s no dangerous animals around here to be aware if. I think. Lol
Oh that's amazing, no phone no electricity on a private beach sounds fun and thrilling. ;)
I will do that next time and imagine going back to the old times wherein no phone, no internet, no social media just for once. =)
I like the area up in the mountain..
I was surprised about grilling the donuts also haven't tried it yet....
You should try dear it's fun, hehe! ;)
Next time I hope that all steemian will get the chance to go camping and do some fun stuff para masaya lahat at maka pag bonnding naman kahit papaano. =)
Yes true... If ever you decided to go again invite me hehe.. 😊
Seriously... I can't even remember when was the last time I went out for a camp! By looking at the photos, no doubt you girls had so much fun there..
thank you for dropping by, @connie1018
indeed it was a lot of fun, I'd like to do it again ;)
There's somewhere in bacolod that I plan on going to, I forgot the name of the place but I'll update you as soon as I find out. It's a lagoon and they have sort of like an outdoor hotel of some sorts. But it's amazing how I've been in Cebu my whole life and not know this place, I should check it out soon, I've been DYING to get away :(
oh wow! that's cool, I hope you can go camping with your friends or fambam, it's a good stress relief! ;)
You sure had fun, I've never gone camping, I hope to go soon and I'll make sure I have some smores with me
thank you ;) smores a must ^_-
It’s so amazing you grilled the donuts. I even reacted when we grilled the marshmallows before but I think this is fun,wanna try it someday if i have time together with my friends. Thanks for sharing @purepinay
thank you for dropping by, @rezel ;)