Even if you are trying your best to pamper your children and keep them inside your home they would always want to break free from your grip. One of the greater manifestations that they wanted to break free from your chains is attending sleep away camps especially during summer breaks. For you to be a little relaxed when they do ask for your permission, you should check these top ten summer camps to make sure that your kids would be safe and sound even if they are away from home:

Top 1: The Appalachian Mountain Club’s Teen Wilderness Adventures

The Teen Wilderness Adventures have different spectacular locations such as the White Mountain National Forest, where your teens could get to experience some of the above-tree line panoramas found in the Northeast which is a part of the hiking and wilderness adventures. There are also other outdoor activities such as hiking, rock climbing, canoeing, mountain biking, kayaking and service and conservation adventures.

Top 2: Forest Acres Camp for Girls and Indian Acres Camp for Boys, Maine

The two camps offer the best of the single gender camp experience and the co-ed camp experience. The two camps are a brothers/sisters camp that are located two miles from each other.

Top 3: Westcoast Connection

This is also known as 360° Student Travel which is one of the largest student travel companies in North America. Right now, they are in service for 28 yers and they offer traditional Teen Tours to Community Service, Pre-College Enrichment and Adventure and Language Immersion.

Top 4: Surf Diva’s All-Girls Overnight Surf Camp, California

The all-girls, all-inclusive overnight surf’s main feature is the daily surf lessons for morning and afternoon and there are fun activities in the evening. The camp is located in the beach of La Jolla Shores where warm summer temperature, soft sand line beach and palm trees.

Top 5: Rockin’ C Ranch, Texas

It is located in East Texas and is located on 150 acres that include their own 10-acre private lake situated between Dallas, TX and Shreveport, LA. The rolling hills provide a great stage for ranch life.

Top 6: Thrill Coaster Tours

The thrill for kids ages 12-16 because of the twist, turn and plunge down on the steep hills of some of America’s most awesome “scream machines”. It is headquartered in Woodbridge, N.J.

Top 7: Cheley Colorado Camp, Colorado

Cheley has been committed to introducing children to the outdoors and by providing a challenging and nurturing environment for children to explore.

Top 8:Camp Wicosuta, New Hampshire

The philosophy of the camp is to build the girls confidence and competence in a safe and fun community which is called the “3 C’s”.

Top 9: The French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, New York

This camp is famous for music, theater and circus programs offered. They also offer individual private lessons in all types of instruments played in symphony orchestra as well as rock and roll instruments.

Top 10: Camp Champions, Texas

This camp was founded by sports legends which include Darrell Royl. Right now the camp provides 45 activities and focus on Youth Development aspects.

Mt. Eden Resort with an altitude of 2,000 feet above sea level, is a magical getaway offering breathtaking views of the surrounding plains. Cooler temperature and pure air make it a powerful place for healing mind, body and soul. This mountain resort reservation offers a cool climate, lush forest, and natural surroundings, overlooking the city and the gulf. Suitable for camping, nature hiking, bird watching, and horseback riding.

Eden Nature Park’s amenities include the amphitheater, the flower garden, hiking trails, mountain ponds, jogging lane, organic vegetable and herb garden, prayer garden, swimming pool, fishing village, campsite & camp huts, horseback riding, playgrounds, vista kiosk, seminar village and family cottages.

Eden Nature Park maybe is one of the best places to see when visiting Davao City. Eden Nature Park and Resort is situated at the foot of Mt. Talomo, roughly around 3000-ft above sea level. This mountain resort is famous for its cool climate, fresh food and green vegetation. The resort offers the best view of the beautiful Davao Gulf. Behind the mountain resort lies the majestic Mt. Apo. Eden’s cool weather is consistent all year round.

How to
Travel time from the Davao airport to Eden is approximately one hour. If taking off from Davao City proper or downtown area, travel southwards to Toril District. Travel time is about 45 minutes. The place marker is incorrect, Eden Nature Park is in the foothills of Mount Apo, not in downtown Davao where the marker shows it to be.

Accommodation
Standard
These rooms give you the basics—a clean, cozy bed to snuggle into, after a day of toil or adventure. Retire for the day at Eden’s Standard Rooms—Begonia for four (4) and Aster for two (2).

De Luxe
Our deluxe accommodations come with amenities-hot and cold shower, mini-bar, phone and a television. We have deluxe accommodations for couples: the Vista Cottages and the Holiday Lodges. Camellia and Gardenia Rooms provide deluxe accommodations for groups.

Villas & Cabins
Renting one of Eden’s villas and cabins is like having your very own house in the middle of a forest. These exclusive lodgings offer you privacy, as well as other familiar comforts–a dining area, living area and a kitchenette. Enjoy the company of family or friends in these cozy accommodations that feel just like home.

Outdoor Campsites
Experience the world beyond concrete walls. Our campsites offer you the outdoor experience while supplying you with certain amenities: toilet & bath, grilling/cooking area, and dining area.

Day Tour Packages
BUFFET LUNCH Php 450.00 (for adults) Php 280.00 (for children 4- 10 yrs. old)
SNACK Php 180.00 (for adults) Php 150.00 (for children 4 - 10 yrs. old)
FUN AT THE PARK Php 230.00 (for adults) Php 200.00 (for children 4 - 10 yrs. old)

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Guided Shuttle Tour within the Park Php 55.00
SkyRider (waiver is required for minors) Php 150.00
Horseback Riding Php 85.00
Entrance to the Fishing Village Php 55.00
Entrance to the Swimming Pool Php 80.00 (for adults) Php 55.00 (for children)
Tinubdan Tour Php 85.00 (for adults) Php 65.00 (for children)

Contact Information
Reservations can be done through their Sales and Reservations office in Matina, Davao City.

Sales and Marketing Office
Eden Nature Park Mountain Resort, Inc.
Matina Town Square
McArthur Highway, Matina
Davao City, Philippines

http://www.edennaturepark.com.ph
info@edennaturepark.com.ph
Voice: +63 82 299-1020
Voice: +63 82 296-0791
Fax: +63 82 299-0313
Cell #: +639189307590

The cool and arid clime of Mt. Batulao is a pleasant escape from the tropics. The moment you alight from the Crow bus at Evercrest Golf Course – the jumpoff – you will feel the same coolness felt by the visitors of Tagaytay. And this temperature will be with you all the way. Batulao is the only mountain in the region where you can wear jackets at high noon. You have to. There is no tree cover throughout the climb. On sunny days, this paradoxical blending of heat and cold, on dramatic, sometimes steep landscapes, with forceful winds that make the cogon grass dance, forming beautiful waveforms across the slopes, earns for Batulao the distinction of being the most spectacular of the mountains in Batangas.

The trails are initially rough roads, then transition to paths that are well-maintained, taking you up and down, up and down, at first gently, and then the slopes will be more pronounced later. After around forty minutes of trekking, you will encounter a hut, fondly called ‘Mini Stop’ where buco juice is sold for P20 each. 500 meters beyond this hut is the fork between the two trails to Mt. Batulao’s summit.

Route
Mount Batulao is located in Nasugbu, Batangas which is 1,5 hours from Silang, Cavite. One of famous mountains for mount climbers in Philippines.

OLD TRAIL (EAST)
Fork to summit: 1.5-2 hours. Take the left, downward path to follow the old trail. You will enter a woodland, then emerge into the campsites (or stations) marked 1-10. At the earlier campsites the facilities are larger and there is a water source. There is a logbook and you will have to pay a registration fee of P20.

Same old slopes till station 8, after which the final ascent commences. Beyond this point, at the you have to be extremely careful because the trails are really steep, there are loose stones, and the winds can set off you balance. Also, they spawn duststorms which may cause transient visual disturbances. This will just take 30-45 minutes, though. Campsites are marked from 1-10 in the final hour, with stations 8-10 being the steep parts, Campsite 10 being the summit itself.

EW TRAIL (WEST)
Fork to summit: 1-1.5 hrs. Take the right, upward path. There is a small wooden marker. You will immediately ascent into a hill, and continue ascending and descending. Around 20 minutes uphill is the lone campsite of the trail, good for several tents. There is a water station - the locals who man the site sell water which they get from a nearby river (around 30 minutes away). Here is also the counterpart registration area of this trail.

From the campsite, go up the hill and continue trekking until you reach a point where you have to go down and enter a forested area. Just proceed into this woodland and emerge 10 minutes later. The path goes between two rocks; turn right towards the summit. At this stage you are just 15 minutes away.

ITINERARY
0400 ETD bus terminal in EDSA-Taft via Crow Bus Lines to Nasugbu, Batangas (P114.00)
0715 Arrival at Evercrest
0730 Start trek
0930 Arrival at Camp 1 (fee of P20.00)
1015 Arrival at Camp 8, commence summit assault
1100 Arrival at summit; lunch
1200 Start descent
1530 Back at Evercrest; clean-up at nearby sari-sari store
1600 ETD for Tagaytay by jeepney (P24.00)
1630 ETA Tagaytay; anything goes from here

For the old trail, some would advice wearing gloves during the final ascent to Batulao’s peak, but it would depend on the hiker’s grip and convenience. For the new trail, gloves are not needed nor recommended.

Boy guides, aged 8-17, wait for mountaineers by the highway; you can secure their services for a range of prices but PinoyMountaineer recommends P300/day. Don’t worry much about the ‘child labor’ aspect as these kids are able to go to school on weekdays; they do the guiding on weekends as their part-time job.

You can save time by taking a tricycle from the highway to the end of the road - about a 20-minute trip that costs P100/tricycle ride. You can also get their cellphone number to fetch you on your way back. At the small village that you will pass by foot or trike, you can buy food and water. A local ice cream is also sold.

At Camp 1, P20 fee is collected; a similar fee is collected at the New Trail campsite. Take note: If you want to two different trails up and down, you must pay P20 on both sides.

There are no immediately accessible water sources throughout the Batulao trail but guides can access further sources, 30 minutes away for you on either trails. For dayhikes, 1.5-2 L water is advised. Cellphone signal is present throughout the climb.