The Philippines is really endowed with so much beauty. It is  blessed with one of the best untouched and unexplored beaches in the world awaiting for tourists to seize them. In Mindanao, Davao to be exact, is where the Island Garden City of Samal can be found. It is located in Davao del Norte but is now considered part of Metropolitan Davao. It has a total population of around 82,600 people and it considered a 2nd class city.

To reach Samal Island, one can take the daily flights going to Davao City. There are four airlines operating with Davao City bound flights. And from Davao, one can go to Samal Island thru ferry boats from three different wharfs: Sta. Ana wharf, Sasa wharf, and Sasa ferryboat landing. Samal island, being a tourist destination, has a good number of hotels and accommodations that are very much affordable.  Most resorts are located in the Western coast of the island. For those, adventure-seekers or traveling on a budget, one can opt to bring along their tents and go camping along the beach.

In the island, one can do variety of activities from hiking to biking to swimming to diving. There are also extreme adventures available for the adrenaline junkies. Being a coastal island, Samal is a suitable place for diving with a remarkable coral reef territory. It is also a good place to commune with nature in a lot of different ways. You can go laid back with just a cool trekking or a sunset along the shore. Or one can also go adventurous by trying on the watersports to as fun as diving. Visitors can also enjoy the different festivities Samal island is celebrating annualy. And of course, no one must forget the warm sand of the island and the waters of Davao Gulf surrounding the island.

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Posted: July 18th, 2010 under Asia, camping, Philippines.
Comments: 1

The best camping grill to cook on should be portable, have efficient burners, and has a large cooking surface to have the best outdoor cooking experience.

Having the best outdoor cooking experience depends on the capacity of your camping grills. The efficiency of your camping grill will be the basis of whether your outdoor cooking experience is satisfying or not. It is important to ensure the effectiveness of your cooking grill to be able to have a well prepared meal. Factors on what a camping should have to be the best grill to cook on are elaborated below:

It should be portable

It can be considered as the best camping grill to cook on when it’s portability is maximize. Portability is maximize when it has a sturdy foundation, practical weight load, and easy to clean. It is important that the foundation should have an efficient mechanical design to ensure firmness and balance in while cooking. If the cooking grill is flatly staunch to the ground then maneuvering the food while cooking would be easier. The weight load should also be practical with the size of the cooking grill. It is an impractical choice to have a heavy camping grill as this will just add exhaustion. Also, a cooking grill is portable if it is easy to clean. A cooking grill with efficient portability are important factors that contributes to a positive evaluation of your outdoor cooking experience.

It should have efficient burners

Having efficient burners also contributes to the success of an outdoor cooking experience. Heat plays a vital role in cooking. It is recommended that the burners have constant and even heat distribution. Temperature settings should also be provided to have versatile cooking functions. It is such a hassle to encounter loss of heat in the middle of cooking a meal so take note of a wind proof heat gauge. Always make sure that the ignition power should also be adequate in all weather condition. The burners is preferred to be in iron casting. Iron cast burners have higher quality and can last for a long a time. The right heat is always the major criteria to have a rightfully cooked food.

It should have a large cooking surface

Cooking outdoors would always be convenient if the cooking surface is large enough for all kinds of meal to cook. A large cooking surface is also an advantage in cooking for a large number of people. It is also very practical since it can save you cooking time and fuel. Having a large cooking surface also makes cooking more enjoyable since one would have a large surface to work on. It is very inconvenient when one is cooking on a limited or small cooking set especially when making soup and stir-fry.

In order to have a perfectly cooked outdoor meal, a quality cooking grill components must be very efficient. Deciding which camping grill is the best to cook on means seeing to it that all the appropriate factors of a convenient and easy cooking is secured. The best outdoor cooking experience is complemented by having the best camping grill.

Posted: April 3rd, 2010 under travel tips.
Comments: 20

During the Winter, most head on over to the Tropics to get some sun and warm air, but if you’re more into the cold snow and ice, then you really have to try Mt. Hutt in New Zealand. It is one of the more popular sites during skiing season.

Besides packing your snow gear, calling up a campground near the location would be essential. One of the better options is Abisko Lodge.

Abisko provides a small modern boutique campground in the heart of Methven, Mt Hutt village.

The newly established and well appointed campground has modern facilities and is close to all of the towns amenities with shuttle pick-ups at the door and only a short walk to the town centre.

Regardless of whether you are camping in a tent or in a motorhome, the campground makes an excellent base to explore the local Mount Hutt area with great summer and winter activities.

Methven, Mt Hutt Campground

• 18 spacious and level powered sites
• Suitable for tents and campervans (option of gravel or grass)
• Cosy cabin
• Methven, Mt Hutt Campground Facilities
• Modern toilet and shower block with disabled access facilities
• Fully equipped kitchen and dining facilities
• Comfortable heated lounge area
• Free BBQ
• Dumpstation
• Internet café and wireless internet available
• Spa and Sauna (fee applies)
• Coin operated laundry on-site
• Separate lounge and dining room

The good thing about Abisko is that they also provide apartments and lodges if you’re not into camping. Pricing is a bit more affordable during winter compared to the summer months. Still, the snow is more abundant this time of the year just make sure you move out of the way when there’s an avalanche warning.

Happy camping!

Posted: November 4th, 2009 under Travel News.
Comments: none