Escape to 18 degrees north: Find yourself, leave only footprints

With a picturesque view of the wind farms in Ilocos Norte, best seen in sunsets, to overnight camping and hanging out with friends, family, lovers or even wanting to retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life, the 18 Degrees North Camp proves that we should only take memories and leave nothing but footprints on Sunday, 28 April 2024.

18 Degrees North Camp is Located in Barangay Baruyen, Bangui, Ilocos Norte, just right after the welcome arc of Bangui, and has since become the go-to place of those who seek to reconnect with nature and find themselves again.

Jed Arnel Raquel and Kriza Acuna-Raquel established 18 Degrees North Camp after the Pandemic as this was already their dream and also for them to help their friends who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

As OFWs, they have been living in Norway and they decided to invest in the property. The couple says that Norway is full of picturesque sceneries of nature wherein they found peace in enjoying the nature that surrounded them while camping together with their friends and families.

“In 2018, a friend offered us a lot not knowing first what it could offer so we tried to research on that particular lot our and were intrigued by its location and asked our parents to check the lot. When our parents sent the video of the view it offers, we did not hesitate to purchase the lot,” Jed and Kriza say.

The 18 Degrees North as a name was inspired by the Norwegian place called 71 Degrees North. “We were in love with the place when we went there for a vacation. We then tried to figure out the latitude on where the lot is located and it is 18 Degrees North,” the couple says.

So far, the 18 Degrees North Camp is now attracting local and foreign tourists and has been accepting campers fort them to enjoy the mild cold breeze at night despite the hot summer season. The 18 Degrees North camp is teaching tourists that there is life in simplicity, that there is a place for us to destress, to reunite with nature, and make plans for the future. The couple reminds us that in everywhere we go, we should always remember to take nothing but memories and leave nothing but footprints.