[The following post is from the archives of my In Search Of Incredible blog, originally published on 1 January 2017]
How It All Began
Last year, I had a White Christmas in Hokkaido, Japan. Well, technically, I didn’t spend Christmas Day overseas but my vacation was during the December period and it snowed very heavily, so it really felt like a White Christmas. Hokkaido is a destination that my parents and I had been keen to visit for a long time and I’m glad we finally made it happen.
Having travelled independently for quite a few years now, I am much more used to planning my own itinerary and choosing my accommodation and sights to see. For my last family trip to Europe in 2014, we had taken the free-and-easy route, staying at Airbnb apartments and moving around by trains. We got through it all right and everything went quite smoothly.
However, a principle consideration this time round was that winter in Hokkaido meant icy roads so it wouldn’t be easy to self-drive in December. Travelling by train is possible but it will be quite a hassle when the temperatures are so low – the mercury hovers between -20 and 0 degrees Celsius and you don’t want to spend time in the freezing cold figuring out directions and lugging along your suitcases aimlessly. So we eventually decided that the best option was to join a travel agency.
I happened to meet KN, an old acquaintance, a few months back and she shared with me about her recent vacation to Hokkaido. She recommended me to Dynasty Travel, which is one of the leading travel agencies in Singapore. She mentioned that it was slightly more expensive than the other companies but she felt that it was worth it because their accommodation and food options were better. My family had never travelled with Dynasty before so we decided to give them a try.
I looked through their website and found that they offered two itineraries to Hokkaido – an 8D6N Eastern Hokkaido tour and an 8D6N Southern and Central Hokkaido tour. The more popular option is the Southern and Central Hokkaido package, which includes stops at Hakodate (Hokkaido’s third largest city), hot spring town Noboribetsu and the ski resort area of Furano. However, I wanted something with more scenery and sightseeing, so I chose the Eastern Hokkaido itinerary because it brought us to the more rural areas. It is also slightly cheaper than the Southern and Central Hokkaido package.
In early September 2016, we went to the Dynasty Travel office and booked our tour package. At the time, we were among the first five customers so we were offered the early bird price of S$3,658 per person. Our sales representative told us that the tour would only be confirmed if there were 20 people onboard. We were a little worried because the trip was only about three months away and 20 seemed like a big number. However, we needn’t have worried because the response was very good in the end. In fact, it was so good that when my uncle and aunt decided in early November to join us, they were told that it was already fully booked. But luckily, Dynasty managed to accommodate them so they joined us eventually, but at a slightly higher, non-early bird price.
We were also worried that December might be too early for snow because of the changes in weather patterns in recent years. The peak period for visiting Hokkaido is actually in February because that is when enough snow has accumulated during the winter, making it perfect for skiing. Hokkaido is popular with skiers because of its high quality, powder-like snow. February is also when the week-long Sapporo Snow Festival is held at Odori Park, attracting two million visitors annually. However, this fear proved to be unfounded as well, as Sapporo experienced record snowfalls during our visit.
Once the tour was confirmed and final payment was made, I was so excited that I packed my bags three weeks before we were due to depart! However, it didn’t dawn on me that I was really visiting Japan until I touched down in Narita Airport and heard Japanese being spoken about. I guess it was because with a travel agency, everything was planned so I didn’t have to do my usual research beforehand. We are paying them to do the job, so I should just sit back, relax and enjoy my vacation!
(Exchange rate: ¥100 approx. equivalent to S$1.30)
Day 1 – 7 December 2016, Wednesday
For our Eastern Hokkaido itinerary, we flew on Japan Airlines (JAL), whereas for the Southern and Central Hokkaido itinerary, it was on Singapore Airlines (SQ). At first, it seemed like we were slightly shortchanged because SQ flights are more expensive and perceived to be more reputable, but after flying with JAL this time, I really like it!
One of the reasons was that we were entitled to two pieces of 23kg checked-in baggage on JAL, compared to just one piece of 30kg checked-in baggage for SQ. Furthermore, the seats were very comfy and there was ample legroom. The LCD touchscreen was big and the food onboard was good. Not to mention the service was top notch, exactly what you would expect from Japanese hospitality. I will make it a point to fly with JAL for my future trips to Japan.
We gathered at Changi Airport Terminal 1 at 8:25pm, two hours before our flight departure. As all the other tour participants arrived, our tour leader, JJ, handed us our electronic tickets, complimentary entry vouchers to the SATS Premier Lounge and portable Wi-Fi routers from Changi Recommends, one for each family. This is my first time travelling with a portable Wi-Fi router and after this trip, I will never go overseas without one again. It is so convenient! We then proceeded to check in our baggage, and we were free to enter the departure hall and enjoy the SATS Premier Lounge. After grabbing a quick meal and a glass of white wine, we boarded our JAL flight JL36 and departed Singapore at 10:25pm.
Day 2 – 8 December 2016, Thursday
The flight took about 6 hours 35 minutes and we arrived at Tokyo Haneda airport at about 6:00am the following day. Japan is one hour ahead of Singapore. Here, we met up with our local tour guide, Ms Reiko. Our connecting flight to Hokkaido was at 8:30am but there wasn’t much time to spare because we had to retrieve our luggage and take a shuttle bus to the domestic terminal.
At 8:30am, we departed Haneda for the short, 1 hour 35 min flight to New Chitose Airport at Sapporo. We touched down at about 10:15am and departed the airport at about 10:58am. The temperature today was about -6 degrees Celsius! It was the coldest I had ever experienced but luckily, the sun was out so it felt warmer than it really was.
The first order of the day was lunch and it was at a restaurant conveniently located near the airport. It consisted of a mini hot pot rice with oyster, saba fish, salmon sashimi, cod fish and tofu in soup. It would be one of the many hot pot meals we would have over the course of the next seven days. To be fair, the food was quite good and it was very filling. It was alright, just that you know it was mass produced and catered to tour groups so it doesn’t feel as special as a restaurant you picked yourself. It took me some time to adjust my mindset that I was travelling with a tour group and not independently on my own agenda.
After lunch, we proceeded to the nearby Rera Chitose Outlet Mall, arriving at 12:10pm. There are about 140 shops and restaurants here, including Adidas, Nike, The North Face, Columbia, Coach, Gap and more. As always, the prices aren’t exactly cheap and you won’t really go crazy shopping here. I only bought a Columbia bag and a pouch, and two sets of The Beatles Yellow Submarine Lego.
Do note that if you spend ¥5,000 (approx. S$65) in a single receipt, the 8% consumption tax will be exempted. The tax rebate process is actually very fuss free – all you need to do is to present your passport at the point of purchase and the 8% savings will be given on the spot. The cashier will staple the purchase proof document (receipt) to your passport and this document will be collected by the Customs official upon departure from Japan. You are supposed to take the purchased products out of Japan, meaning, you are not supposed to consume the product while you are still in Japan. So if happen to buy any food, medicine or cosmetic products, the package must be kept sealed.
It was very convenient and it sure beats having to queue up at a counter at the airport to submit the receipts, and claim the tax rebate in cash (what are you going to do with the extra local currency at the end of your trip?!) or have it credited back to your credit card a few months later.
At 2:37pm, we left Rera Chitose Outlet Mall and made our way to Tokachi. The drive took about 2½ hours but it was very scenic as we drove out of town and into the wilderness, so to speak. It was just stretch after stretch of mountain scenery with coniferous trees topped with powdered snow. There was snow everywhere and it was simply beautiful. As it was winter, the sun set at about 4pm so it was already dark when we arrived at our hotel at about 5pm.
Hotel Daiheigen
Address: 15-1 Tokachigawa Onsen Minami, Otofuke-cho, Kato-gun, Hokkaido 080-0263
Tel: +81-155-46-2121
Website: www.daiheigen.com/lg_en
The hotel was quite big but a bit old. Reiko had already pre-empted us and managed our expectations before we arrived, by playing up the hotel’s onsen instead of the room. The room was tatami-style and we would sleep on futons tonight. A futon is a traditional Japanese bedding comprising a quilted mattress that is usually laid on the floor. The room was not very big but we still had some space to put our suitcases and walk around comfortably.
The downside of travelling in a family of three is that an extra bed or futon would be added to our room. Our room is the same size as that assigned to a family of two, and yet we are paying the same price per person. So it was essentially the same amount of space, with three persons cramping into a space meant for two persons. So no matter what, we will always be disadvantaged.
Dinner was buffet style and it was quite appetising actually, with a good variety of sashimi, tempura, cooked dishes and desserts. I went straight for the sashimi, while my uncle piled on the tempura. The beef steak was also particularly good. After a short rest, it was time to visit the onsen, but first, we had to put on the right attire.
As our hotel was an onsen resort, yukatas were provided in every guest room. A yukata is a Japanese garment, a casual version of the kimono. It is a robe that you wrap around your body and fasten with a sash, known as obi. Yukata literally means bath(ing) clothes, and it is standard attire when you visit the onsen.
As Reiko explained to us, the correct way to wear the yukata is to fold the right side first and then cover it with the left side. In other words, left over right. Do not wear it the reverse way because it means something inauspicious! After that, secure the robe with the obi, which is usually folded into a little pentagon. I just found out that you’re supposed to cross the obi around the back and tie it in front. For men, the obi should rest fairly low on the hips while for women, it is tied at the waist. Lastly, the knot should be positioned on the right hip. In cooler weather, you may also wear an outer jacket over the yukata. For illustrations, you can visit this useful website here.
For the first night, only my uncle and I went to the onsen. As Reiko had extolled the virtues of the onsen earlier, I went in with high expectations. The entire onsen floor area is quite big, with many shower points. There were two indoor baths and one Jacuzzi spa. The outdoor bath was very small, only big enough for about five people maybe. It was very disappointing because I thought the onsen would be bigger as the hotel was quite big. Nevertheless, it was still shiok to dip in the hot bath amid the cold night air.
I was quite tired by the end of the day because I didn’t sleep very much on the plane, so it didn’t take me long to enter La La Land. End of the first two days, all ready for tomorrow!