Day Zero (Thursday, 03 August 2017)
Singapore - Bangkok
[6.17 pm] About to reach Changi International Airport and we were pretty early as the flight was scheduled to take off at only 8.50 pm.
Customary shot of the boarding pass; I am travelling once again on Thai Airways as the promotional pricing for the air ticket was too irresistible! Guess I would have to be mentally prepared for the lack of cold air in the plane.
[9.00 pm] The Boeing 777-300 took off from the runway and I caught the amazing night view of the Singapore cityscape that had, truthfully, too much light pollution.
[11.55 pm Thailand Time] Boarding the plane to Hokkaido. As it was a direct transfer, we didn't have to clear immigration at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Even our luggage would be moved directly from the Singapore-Bangkok plane to the Bangkok-Hokkaido one.
Day One (Friday, 04 August 2017)
Bangkok - New Chitose - Furano / Biei
[7.26 am Japan Time] All rise and shine for a filling breakfast - I must have been really tired as I managed to catch quite a few hours of sleep; an abnormal feat for someone who could only sleep well on a bed.
[8.54 am] All the timing henceforth would be in Japan time! With mountain peaks peeking out from the blanket of cottony clouds, the humongous Boeing 747-400 plane started descending from a high of ten thousands of feet.
[9.00 am] Landed safety; wasn't too happy to see a cloudy sky though as it might infer a rainy weather which would not be conducive for any travel!
[9.50 am] By the way, there isn't any Hokkaido airport and the one we arrived at is known as New Chitose Airport; the third busiest airport in Japan. So where do we proceed from here? Take the escalator to level one of the airport to take the free shuttle that would send us to the site office of the car rental company!
[11.13 am] Ride was only about 10 minutes and after going through the mandatory signing of contract with "Budget Rent A Car" and listening to all the important instructions, we were handed the key to the hatchback that would assist us in our journey for the next few days; the grey Nissan Note!
Over the next two hours, we drove through countless tunnels and stopped at a rest station (for a pee and bought some very much needed snacks). For this trip, we had a total of six persons. Two cars were rented as Alex and I would be extending our stay in Hokkaido and to have six persons in one car with all the luggage would be suicidal.
[1.35 pm] Lunch time at Teppan Okonomiyaki Masaya which was ranked #3 out of 158 restaurants in Furano! Was the meal memorable? Sure was and just a word of caution; don't opt for the counter seat unless you want to be close to the action!
[3.52 pm] Since Farm Tomita is in close proximity to our Airbnb, we decided to drive northward for half an hour to the #1 thing to do in Biei; the breathtaking flower gardens of Shikisai-no-Oka (四季彩之丘)!
Now you know what I meant by breathtaking! In my research to prepare for this trip, I had seen similar photographs but nothing beats seeing it for real with my own eyes! p.s. had my first taste of Hokkaido ice cream and I literally had my soul taken away.
[6.13 pm] Paid a visit to Ningle Terrace; a handicraft village with shops housed in little wooden cottages surrounded by towering trees. The handicrafts for sale were far too pricey for me though.
[7.08 pm] Kumagera - at a rank higher than Teppan Okonomiyaki Masaya, this was where I had my first bite of Furano Wagyu Beef Shabu Shabu and a delicious sip (maybe 2) of melon with sake!
[8.52 pm] Supermarket shopping at Ralse Mart; I could have spent hours there but time was of essence since the store would be closing at 9.00 pm! In my haste, I could only grab a few packs of snacks and a big bottle of mineral water :(
[9.24 pm] After an uncomfortable 20-minute drive with minimal street lights, we finally checked in to my very first Airbnb. Verdict? At my age, I am better off paying extra to stay in a hotel with an attached bathroom and proper amenities.
Day Two (Saturday, 05 August 2017)
Furano - Otaru
[8.43 am] Exited the Airbnb in search of a convenience stall to purchase breakfast and it's actually just right across! I love 7-11 (and convenience stalls in general) in Japan as the food selection was so wide!
[8.58 am] Farm Tomita - easily the most recognizable flower garden in the whole of Japan with loads of instagrammable spots, this would be the place to go if you ever travel to Hokkaido in summer! The only downside was that you had to jostle with tons of tourists!
Place was huge and after two hours, we only covered slightly more than half of the farm! It didn't help that the sun was all bright and sunny and time wasn't on our side as our next leg, the bustling Otaru, was about a 3-hour drive away.
[11.34 am] Whatever the case, we simply couldn't miss the #1 restaurant in the area; Furano Delice and its to-die-for double fromage cheesecake!
[1.42 pm] In the midst of our long ride to Otaru. Alex and I had an understanding when it comes to driving the Nissan Note; he will take over the wheel if the distance is far as he has no trust in my driving skill after the car accident I had on Jeju Island. [2.01 pm] Darn asshole as I had learnt a lot about overseas driving after that accident; for one, we should occasionally give ourselves a rest by stopping at rest stations, like this one at Nopporo, along the way! [3.16 pm] Late lunch at Wakadori Jidai Naruto Honten in Otaru which was known for its deep fried chicken! Don't play play; it was ranked #4 out of 730 restaurants in Otaru!
[4.31 pm] Checked in to our next Airbnb which was a nice, modern studio unit with a sea view! There were two beds and a sofa bed and for proper and fair allocation, we drew lots; Alex lost.
[5.22 pm] With a super tight timeline, we made our way to the historical Sakaimachi Street and entered the first building at the start of the street; the Music Box Museum!
[5.58 pm] Not forgetting desserts as well at the famous LeTAO outlet along Sakaimachi Street with their signature double fromage cheesecake (again) and choux cream puffs.
There were so many shops along the street (especially those selling glassware) but many of them had closed for the day; typical operating hours end at about 6.00 pm.
Frankly, I was thinking of making a day trip to Otaru from Sapporo if time were to permit in the next few days. Sadly, it didn't materialize and I must admit it's one of my biggest regrets for this trip to Japan.
[7.08 pm] Literally the icon of Otaru, the canal, lined with heritage warehouses, was once an important part of the nearby port a hundred years ago. It's a touristy-must to take a picture of the restored Otaru Canal.
[7.14 pm] Less than 10 meters away from Otaru Canal would be the Otaru Unga Syokudo (小樽運河食堂); an indoor cluster of restaurants with a souvenir shop in the middle. We initially wanted dinner but there was hardly any air-conditioning, a necessity for most Singaporeans, in the building!
[7.45 pm] Spent half an hour as we couldn't decide where to satisfy our last meal for the day! Eventually, we stepped into Sushi Zammai Otaru which was owned by the man whom I would see on TV / newspaper on a yearly basis; for the past few years, he was the highest bidder for the first auction of the year at Japan’s super famous Tsukiji fish market. p.s. the sushi was terribly good and I am not even dining at the best sushi restaurant in Otaru!
[8.27 pm] The quiet Sakaimachi Street which exuded a vast difference in atmosphere when night falls. I needed to cut through this street so that I could get to my Nissan Note.
[9.11 pm] Back at the Airbnb! As the building was located at the end of the road and was also directly behind a shrine, there was an indisputable aura of eeriness. Well, please be assured that aside from the scare we had with the bloody big spider outside, the sleep was great and uneventful.
Day Three (Sunday, 06 August 2017)
Otaru - Lake Toya
[8.23 am] As I was up relatively early, I decided to check out the peaceful Suitengu Shrine which was the same shrine that bordered the Airbnb.
I can wax lyrical on how much I love the toilets in Japan; however, I did chance upon toilets that didn't meet the cut and the worst in Hokkaido would be this rather dirty one near the shrine.
[10.09 am] At the summit of Mount Tengu via the Otaru Tenguyama Ropeway, where we were blessed with a good view of the port city.
Does this look familiar? I took one of Alex a few years back when we were in Taiwan! You may check out the picture here under day one of the Taiwan itinerary. For the basic price of 1,140 Japanese yen per adult (both ways), there was plenty to see and do at Mt Tengu. One of which would be the shrine honoring the god that gives the mountain its name; Tenguyama. p.s. rubbing its long red nose can apparently protect you from evil and/or to grant you wishes.
Chipmunk enclosure where you can have the cute rodents eating from your hand (with purchase of the sunflower seeds). The problem would be finding the elusive chipmunks as I found only two.
Known as Mt. Tengu Bobsleigh, this would be similar to the luge ride we had at Sentosa; though we couldn't compete with each other, it was still a fun and breezy spree. There were more; an Otaru Ski Museum (the mountain transformed into a place for skiing in winter) and a tengu exhibition room with hundreds of long-nosed masks!
[11.33 am] Celan Curry & Cafe for lunch and boy was I impressed with the soup curry that Hokkaido has gained quite a good reputation for. Don't be worried if you have someone in your group who doesn't take spicy food as you can choose the level of spiciness and level 1 was totally not hot!
[1.22 pm] Rest stop at Road Station Akaigawa - time to get a can of warm coffee with milk! Do keep in mind that the freshly baked bread at this rest station was super duper nice!
[2.34 pm] Fukidashi Park where you should fill your empty water bottles with naturally cold spring water from Mount Yotei. Initially, this wasn't on my itinerary but i spotted the place when i was going through my planned driving route on google map! I cannot imagine living without the technology we have nowadays.
[3.53 pm] Sairo (Silo) Observation Platform - the place to have a rather good view of Lake Toya! If you have the cash, you may even book an around-the-lake ride on a helicopter.
[4.56 pm] Just 1.6 kilometers away would be lake-hill farm with beds of pretty flowers in front of an English cottage! It's more than just the highly-claimed soft-serve ice cream; there were bunnies, pygmy horses, goat and you could even play badminton and football on the field at the back.
The soft-serve ice cream wasn't the highlight in my opinion; i was more taken aback by the bursts of juiciness as i took a bite of the grilled sausage rolled into a coil! The shop wasn't in the cottage; it's next to it and manned by a burly guy wearing a polo shirt with the words "no meat, no life"!
[5.26 pm] Checking in to Daiwa Ryokan; finally had separate rooms even though there was no en-suite washroom. I can still reluctantly accept the aforementioned but i couldn't accept no-air-conditioning and that the room had no curtain! You know what time the sun rises in Hokkaido during summer? On average 4.30 am and my sleep is easily disturbed by bright sunlight!
[6.55 pm] We were too late for Sendoan (仙堂庵) at Wakasaimo store and relied on the map given by the kind operator at Daiwa Ryokan to source for a dinner place; it shall there be ramen at 一本亭.
[7.30 pm] As there wasn't much to do at night in Lake Toya, we drove back to the inn and walked towards the location of a summer festival; there were dancing, street food and traditional Japanese market games for the children.
The scale wasn't big and we got bored after a while. I remember seeing a foot bath on the map and it didn't take us long to find it! Ahhhhh.... so relaxing to have our tired feet soaked in the mineral-rich hot spring water.
[8.45 pm] Caught the nightly fireworks (only during summer) at Lake Toya! p.s. the fireworks were launched on a moving boat, so be prepared to move along the coastline. Alternatively, you may pay around S$20 per person to take the cruise ship which would follow the fireworks.
Day Four (Monday, 07 August 2017)
Lake Toya - Noboribetsu
[7.15 am] I mentioned on day three that the inn didn't have curtains and this had an impact on my sleep as i woke up insanely early. Lacking the ability to go back to bed again, we drove out to take in the beauty of Lake Toya! We even ventured to the Usu Volcano Global Geopark where a fairly young volcano dome, known as Shōwa-shinzan, stood and continued fuming.
[10.00 am] Alex persuaded the rest to check out the geopark and we took the Usuzan Ropeway for a fantastic view of Shōwa-shinzan and Lake Toya!
[12.18 pm] Strongly recommended - fruit picking at Sobetsu Fruit Village! A normal pack of about 20 cherries cost 600 yen and for only 880 yen per adult, i had more than 50 cherries and countless blueberries! Definitely worth the deal. p.s. apple wasn't included and Alex was just tasked to pose for the above photo.
[2.33 pm] Following a drive of less than an hour, we reached our next destination; Noboribetsu and the first thing we did was to check into Takimoto Inn so that we can continue our exploration of the hot spring town.
Demon statues dotted the town and some were actually adorable! Anyway, we were in seek of a suitable place for lunch! I had indicated ramen on my itinerary but our last ramen was less than a day ago.
[3.56 pm] It's hard to nail down a place when there were so many options and we eventually settled for a mother-daughter eatery (think the name is たこ焼き 永森) where i had a good beef bowl.
[4.28 pm] Takimoto Inn was situated at a very convenient spot; it was at the start of the main street in the hot spring town, beside it was the Sengen Park with a sheltered geyser (above) and it was super close to Hell Valley.
[4.52 pm] There were numerous trails to check out the natural attractions like Hell Valley (above), Mount Hiyori, Oyunuma, Oku no Yu. Even though some of the attractions had parking facilities, the rate was expensive and i personally feel that walking in nature is a therapeutic (and of course, healthy) activity.
[5.56 pm] Oyunuma Natural Footbath - a must-visit and must-do if you are in the vicinity! After all the walking, having the feet soak in hot spring water was most shiok!
[7.32 pm] Dinner at いせくら; although the place was built for self-grilled food, we opted for chef-cooked dishes instead! Mine was ginger pork set (noboribetsu whey pork loin).
[10.00 pm] Abandoning all shyness, i bravely stripped naked and stepped into the large onsen bathhouse (said to be the largest in Hokkaido) managed by Dai-ichi Takimotokan.
With seven different bath types and numerous tubs, i must admit the experience was mind-blowing good! I felt extremely refreshed yet at the same time, totally relaxed when i left the onsen. Needless to say, the sleep that night was deep. And the inn had curtains.
Day Five (Tuesday, 08 August 2017)
Noboribetsu - Sapporo
[7.19 am] Breakfast at Takimoto Inn which was covered as part of our booking; this also made it the first time in our trip that our breakfast wasn't from the convenience stalls.
[7.43 am] Yuzawa Shrine; this would be my third shrine after Suitengu and i must say in general, the simplistic Japanese shrines (especially the smaller ones) didn't quite appeal to me.
[8.41 am] Just like the onsen, we needed another go at the Oyunuma Natural Footbath! This time, we drove to the carpark close to it and take a short walk. We were the only patrons and it felt as if we owned the entire stretch of foot bath.
[11.25 am] Departing from Noboribetsu at 10.00 am, we split up with our four tour mates as they would be leaving for Bangkok the next day and prefer to have more time to explore Sapporo. For us, our intention would be the barbecued wagyu beef at Log House Wagyu Bibi Restaurant; said to be the best in Hokkaido!
In a nutshell, we were 100% satisfied with what we had and the only regret was not having more. Beside the log house is a tranquil river that have people canoeing on it. It's a good place to chill out and there were plenty of big fishes in the river. The serious issue i faced? I chanced upon a snake that appeared as startled as i was scared out of my shit.
[2.40 pm] Soothing my nerves with shopping at Mitsui Outlet Park! I was so glad i didn't allocate more time (would have spent more) and we couldn't afford to as we needed to return the car to the rental company by 4.30 pm!
[3.18 pm] Drove past Sapporo TV Tower - driving in Sapporo was way more stressful given the jam, the sheer number of cars and the many traffic lights! We were rushing for time as it's much easier for us to check into Unizo Inn (our hotel in Sapporo) and unload our luggage first before returning the car!
[4.03 pm] Stress level was up as there's no drop off point, the road outside Unizo Inn had only a two-car lane and we still needed to pump the petrol. Whatever the case, we conquered everything and managed to return the car before the deadline.
[4.47 pm] After all the stress, mostly originating from Alex, we went back to the inn where we can take a breather and decide where to go! Love the hotel room which was tiny but had everything i needed; curtains, air-conditioning, en-suite bathroom, international adapter etc.
[5.23 pm] Walking across Odori Park; after being pampered with a car for the past few days, Alex couldn't withstand the constant travel on foot and his nagging can be incessant! It might be easier for me to travel with my dad who loves to walk and holds the same belief as i do.
[5.33 pm] Tanuki Koji Shopping Street; i was expecting one short street and was shocked to find a long stretch of seven segments that cut across 6 roads! So much to shop and there's even the 24-hour Don Quijote (which would be setting shop in Singapore this year)!
[8.07 pm] On our way back as our frail Alex was exhausted from all the walking. Chanced upon the beer fest at Odori Park and even i was tempted to indulge in a mug of cold Hokkaido beer. Alex said no...
Day Six (Wednesday, 09 August 2017)
Sapporo
[8.17 am] First take on the subway going to Nijiuyon-ken Station. Buying the ticket wasn't difficult as there's an English option; however, we were split on whether to purchase the one-day or per-trip ticket.
[8.48 am] Objective at Nijiuyon-ken Station - source for breakfast at Jyogai Ichiba (Sapporo Central Wholesale Market) that's known for fresh seafood and not as touristy as the downtown Nijo Market!
What's for breakfast? In addition to the ear of sweet Hokkaido corn, we had a satisfying four-legged king crab and raw scallop sashimi! The meal was so filling; our next main meal was at 5.00 pm.
[11.06 am] After making the 15-minute walk from Maruyama Station to Maruyama Zoo, we were devastated to find the zoo closed on that day!
[11.44 am] Life went on and we paid our respect at Hokkaido shrine; the oldest shrine on the island. I am usually not superstitious but i decided to ask for 'life directions' using the O-mikuji (sacred lot). p.s. Hokkaido shrine had much more appeal compared to the other shrines i had visited in this trip.
[1.13 pm] Alex was grumbling about the amount of walking and i knew i must placate him somewhat; hence, desserts at Rokkatei which we didn't manage to have at Otaru and thank god for its amazingly good strawberry short cake!
[3.34 pm] Rested 45 minutes back at Unizo Inn and we stepped out again to JR Station to advance purchase the train tickets at to New Chitose Airport on 11 August. I had wanted to go up to JR Tower for a panoramic view of Sapporo and was rejected by Alex who felt that the pricing wasn't worth it. Frankly, i was secretly happy as i figured the view would not be stunning as the building wasn't that tall at only 173 metres.
[4.34 pm] The Hokkaido Old Government Building - with so much walking that day, we were less keen to visit historical buildings and our growling tummy was finally telling us to find food.
[4.56 pm] An early dinner (or super late lunch depending on how you see it) at Soup Curry & Dining Suage+, ranked #1 out of 8,548 Restaurants in Sapporo!
[5.44 pm] Hopped onto the Sapporo Streetcar where we were on our way to take the Mount Moiwa Ropeway which would allow us the opportunity to take in one of Japan's top three night views. Unfortunately, we were informed that the top was too foggy and the plan was axed.
[7.11 pm] With plenty of time to spare, we had a shopping spree at Tanuki Koji Shopping Streets that lasted us till over 10pm!
Day Seven (Thursday, 10 August 2017)
Sapporo
[8.37 am] Finally had MacDonald's; to be honest, this was quite an achievement as we would usually opt for fast food if we were undecided on what to have and that's usually at the beginning of the journey.
[9.03 am] I was hesitant to pencil this in my itinerary as every blog covering Hokkaido would touch on Shiroi Koibito Park but i am so happy i did as it was almost like a journey to Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory!
Desserts at the Chocolate Lounge within the main building of Shiroi Koibito Park! There were plenty to do although time was a luxury for us as it's our last night in Japan. p.s. sugar overdose when i exited the lounge.
[Noon] Lockers in subway stations - i never knew their convenience until i bought way too many things at Shiroi Koibito Park and had to utilize the locker service to store the items.
[12.27 pm] Why can't i bring them to where i was going? Because i would be visiting Maruyama Zoo (it's open this time) and aside for the physical exhaustion from carry bags of stuff, there's a likelihood i would be a key target for the animals; one, for bearing delicious snacks and two, for being slower as i would be carrying a heavy load.
[3.19 pm] On a budget as you near the end of your trip? Check out the generous beef bowl from Matsuya Foods (松屋) which was comparatively cheaper at only 290 yen (less than S$4)! Plain water was also provided for free!
[3.56 pm] After unloading our bags of snacks back in Unizo Inn, we ventured out again and this time round, we strolled past Sapporo Clock Tower; a wooden structure built in the 1870s.
[4.21 pm] No time to explore the clock tower as we were in a hurry to visit Nijo Market before it closed for the day! It was a constant mad rush for us on day seven and i regretted not extending my stay for a couple more days...
[5.09 pm] Since we didn't want to go up to JR tower, the next best alternative for a city view would be the pink ferris wheel on top of NORBESA; an entertainment complex at Susukino that had an internet cafe, a bowling alley, a karaoke lounge, a large comic store etc.
[5.58 pm] Queuing to enter Daruma Honten (ranked #8 out of 8,548 Restaurants in Sapporo) for the mutton BBQ; the wait was an hour long and though the meal was excellent, i would very much prefer the wagyu beef at Log House Wagyu Bibi Restaurant.
[7.52 pm] Signature shot of Hokkaido's night entertainment district; Susukino! Following which would be another round of last-minute shopping before we scrambled back to the hotel and scratched our head on how to put everything in the luggage.
Day Eight (Friday, 11 August 2017)
Sapporo - Bangkok
[6.08 am] Taking the underpass connecting Odori and Sapporo Station; reasons being we would be sheltered from weather elements and the loud noise emitted from the wheels of our luggage would not be disturbing any nearby residences. I know right; we are so considerate! :P
[6.39 am] Indicated to depart at 6.31 am and as promised, the train trudged out of Sapporo JR station on time! Don't you just love the punctuality?! Contrast that with Singapore's MRT trains where an indication of 5 minutes on the live panel may mean much longer than 5 minutes.
[8.17 am] Checked in the luggage (mine was 400 grams short of exceeding the limit; phew) and explored New Chitose Airport which had a Royce's Chocolate World, a Doraemon Sky Park and a Happy Kitty Happy Flight!
[9.03 am] Cleared immigration and had our breakfast at the food court wing within the departure zone of international flights; out of so much good food in Hokkaido, this bowl of ramen took the cake for being the worst.
Those looking for last minute Hokkaido-snack shopping would be pleased to know that you could find a wide variety in the departure zone and you know what's the best thing? They were all tax-free and you didn't have to commit to a minimal amount!
[10.40 am] Bidding our goodbyes to the beautiful, polite and clean country! You be sure i would be back again; either to explore the other cities in Japan or to experience a different season in Hokkaido!
