Summer.

It is the most anticipated season of the year. School is out and so is the sun. Summertime is usually where people have big plans and go on long vacation. Since Daxton is going to school now, we can only have a long vacation during the summer as well.

Everything is slowly opening up now that most people are getting their vaccine shots. We initially planned to go roadtrip/camping around Europe, visiting Switzerland in the summer. Camping is a safe choice for a vacation since you will be out in nature and you’ll interact with less people.

We visited Decathlon and shopped for camping essentials. We bought our cooking and sleeping gears, keeping it to the bare essentials. But before we plan our weeklong roadtrip to Switzerland, we must first test out our camping gear nearby, just to make sure we are making the right decision.

Armed with our newly bought gear from Decathlon NL, we headed to Kemphaan for a weekend camping trip.

Natuurcamping de Kemphaan

 It is a simple campsite with complete facilities nestled in Stadslandgoed de Kemphaan. It is open for leisure campers as well as seasonal campers. Among all the campsites in Almere, Natuurcamping de Kemphaan is the the most affordable for less than €30/night.

We wanted to give camping a try first before we book a weeklong camping somewhere far. That is why I decided to book a campsite near Almere. Since it is our first time out, we settled on somewhere near. In case we forgot something, we can easily drive back home to get it and make a note for next time.

The campsite has different accommodation options like pitching a tent, place for a campervan and small lodges. We rented a place where we can pitch a tent but has access to electricity just like what the campervans use.

The toilet and shower facilities are clean and good. There are almost 8 toilets and separate shower areas for men and women. The reception will provide you shower coins that you can use for hot water in the shower. They also have sinks for washing hands and washing dishes which has hot water as well. They also provide the soaps for the sinks that anyone can use. There are chemical toilet disposal for campervans and an option for washing and drying clothes for seasonal campers.

What is nice, during the weekend, a food truck comes in that sells typical Dutch snacks like sausages, sandwiches and fries. There is a Saturday food market beside the campsite where you can buy produce and meat from small businesses around Almere. 

Overall, our stay was quite pleasant. We were allowed to pitch tent facing the playground. Daxton liked it because he can just run outside and play with the other kids. One good thing also is that the grass is well maintained. I have not seen any poop on the grass from the pets. The toilets and shower were always clean, which made camping outdoors comfortable. It is a very quiet and tranquil place to camp.

Here is a video of what went down during our camping weekend at Natuur Camping de Kemphaan:

I think we will push through our weeklong camping trip. I bet it’ll be fun and we’ll have crazy stories. 

What are your plans this Summer?

Let me know in the comments below!