Kuto, Isle of Pines

On my last post, I mentioned Atchu Camping but didn’t elaborate on it. This is where we pitched our tents for four nights in Isle of Pines. Sleeping in tents was the only camping activity we did though, for our stay here was a lot more comfortable.

Atchu Camping is situated on the other side of the eastern point of Kanumera Bay. And at the end of the dirt road that’s to the left of the Ouré Lodge reception. The easiest way to get there is by shuttle bus which you can book online at the same time as your camping. Note though, that the shuttle drops you off at Ouré Lodge reception and you’ll have to walk the rest of the way to the campsite. It’s a five to ten minute walk so don’t bring too many or heavy things. You’ll have to walk back to the reception when leaving too. Road’s a little bumpy for a small car but you can drive right to the campsite if you hire one. Now don’t be fooled by the name, Atchu Camping is much more yet stays modest. There’s a family hut and a few bungalows if you prefer a little more comfort than a tent. There’s a small snack/restaurant, Chez Didas, that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is simple with bread, butter, jam, fruit, juice and tea/coffee. Lunch is more on the snacks side of things with burger, panini, sandwich and dinner is a small menu of five or six dishes. We tried all three and can highly recommend eating Chez Didas. Reserve in advance though. They do have an outdoor kitchen with, just about, everything you need to cook. It’s a another way to save money and meet people. And talking about meeting people, if you’re someone who’s constantly connected to social networks, don’t worry, free WiFi is available throughout the campsite, except when eating. That’s right, they turn off the WiFi at breakfast, lunch and dinner times and I’m guessing it’s to promote their own social network between their customers. I think it’s a great idea. We ended up meeting and conversing with people at breakfast and dinner, and had a great time. They also have a couple of outdoor sheltered seating areas with electrical power strips to recharge your batteries or whatever. What more can you ask for? Toilets? Showers? Yes, they have those too but bring your own toilet paper and soap. Atchu Camping is constantly windy, which is great for those hot and humid summer days and nights. The campsite is clean and quiet, perfect for those looking to get away and relax. And it’s only a fifteen to twenty minute walk to Kanumera Beach.

We had our tents pitched about ten meters to the left of this photo. I was waiting for my friend and her two kids, to head to breakfast, when I took this shot. It just seemed like a nice scene. Sun, sand, palm trees, turquoise water… it was a beautiful morning. The shot was taken with a polariser filter to remove glare from the water and accentuate the colours. I over-exposed slightly to what the metering gave me and glad I did because I got more details out of the shadows. Editing was very basic apart from an orange/red cast on the wood fence and ground which reduced with the red saturation slider under Calibration (Lightroom). I played around with the other two sliders, the green and blue saturations, to make the colours pop a little. I tell you, the Calibration sliders can do wonders to an image.

Well that’s it for now, the next image is a night shot, I think, from this little beach. Cheers.

SONY a7 III

full-frame mirrorless camera (body only)

TAMRON E 28-75mm ƒ/2.8 Di III

standard zoom, E-mount lens for Sony cameras

LEE FILTER HOLDER

100 mm filter holder

LEE ADAPTER RING

67mm thread adapter ring for LEE 100mm filter holder

LEE POLARISER FILTER

100mm circular polariser filter for LEE 100mm filter holder

SANDISK EXTREME PRO CARD

128GB SDXC memory card