Taken from Google Image
What to visit?
The capital of Hokkaido is Sapporo. Usually tourists came here to visit Sapporo itself, Otaru, Toya, Noboribetsu, Asahikawa and Hakodate. Below are what each region is famous of:-
1. Sapporo- Shopping, Night View, City Sightseeing
2. Otaru- Wine, Canal, Mountain
3. Toya- Lake, Volcanoes
4. Noboribetsu- Hot Spring
5. Asahikawa/Asahiyama- Zoo, Ramen(a soy sauce based broth ramen which is different from the one in Sapporo which is miso based)-There is a Ramen Village in Asahiyama
6. Hakodate- Church, Buildings, Market
We didn't go to Asahikawa because the Penguin Parade and the Zoo Train only starts in December and Hakodate because it's 6 hours by JR train from Sapporo. So, if you are going to Hokkaido, plan 2 more days and buy domestic flights to and fro Hakodate Airport and 1 more day if you want to visit the zoo.
Best time to visit Hokkaido?
Mid December as it's relatively not too cold, you can enjoy the snow, ski(if you know how to), penguin parade, Sapporo Snow festival. Another period would be during spring/summer for the flowers.
How to fly in Sapporo?
From Malaysia, only AirAsiaX operates direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sapporo since October 2015. We bought it the moment the booking started so it was only RM450 per person to and fro Sapporo, thanks to KampongBoyCityGal for the notification on Instagram.
AirasiaX-the flight was stable with minimum turbulence. The plane was A330 and kinda old with loud engine noise during our flight.
How to travel around Hokkaido?
You can use Underground Subway, JR train, buses and taxis(expensive option). Shinkansen, the fastest train in the world, will operate in Hokkaido in Spring 2016.
Underground Subway
JR Train
In the train during peak hour
Where to stay in Sapporo?
We stayed at Hotel Emisia in Shin Sapporo for the first 4 nights. Shin Sapporo is a satellite city, due to the high population in Sapporo (''Shin'' as in ''new'' in Chinese). This hotel is extremely strategic because in front of the Hotel is the underground subway(exit Gate 9), beside the hotel is JR train inside 3 big shopping malls under one roof- ARC city. There is AEON inside.
Should I use travel agency?
Our tour was half use travel agency, half free and easy. However, I don't think there is a need to use travel agency.
1. Although we faced some barriers in communication, still we managed to use sign language and they can understand some simple English words. Anyway, do not worry as Japanese are extremely kind in helping you and trying to understand you to the extent that it is very difficult for us to stop them from helping when the communication completely fails.
2. Our travel agent provided 5 nights accommodation, 2-way bus tickets from Sapporo Airport(which wasted our 1.5 hours) to Sapporo bus terminal and 2-day tour operated by local which you can buy over the counter there on the spot. It costed around RM2400 per person. Anyway, the itinerary asked us to 'make your own way to' bus terminal, for example.
3. Tour fee to Hokkaido from Malaysia ranges from RM6000 to RM8000 which is very expensive.
To save money, you can book the hotel online and buy the day tours over the counter.
How kind is Japanese people and how great is Japan?
This is a special section to tell you my great experience in Japan with its people.
People
Although Japanese soldiers were brutal in World War II to Malaysians in the 1940s, the Japanese people now are very kind and helpful.
1. They bow to all the customers as if they are King/Queen, even if you do not buy anything from their shops or use their service as this is their custom.
2. They tried very hard to answer our enquiries and even use their own cell phone to help us to call for enquiry.
3. When my sister accidentally press on the 'call for help' bell in the toilet, someone will appear to respond within 30 seconds. In Malaysia, it's not functional I think.
4. In Malaysia, pedestrians give way to the car driver. However, in Japan, car driver gives way to the pedestrians. Traffic rules are strictly followed.
Japan
Japan itself is a very organized, clean and modern country.
I especially like their toilets. Most toilet seats comes with warmer and there is warm water spray.
They provide you with alcohol and tissue papers to clean the toilet seat. To flush, just move your hand over the sensor.
At the airport. there is this small little cute sink for children.
Well, there is tobacco smoking sticks vendor machine at ARC City, which I cannot say is great.
We always see big car park, but have you ever seen such a big bicycle parking? This is around JR Chitose Station.
AEON Chitose- very near JR Chitose Station
They sell plastic bags to you and you bring it to the side and fill in your groceries yourself. This aviods long queue.
My first time seeing self-service check out groceries. You need a member card for that.
Japanese carpark for efficient use of limited space. There is a big machine inside where a lot of cars will keep rotating up and down.
Plus, there is Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for medical emergency use everywhere!
To summarize, Japan is just simply the opposite of Malaysia. That's why there is the slogan 'Look to the East'!
Ready for the trip? Now I will describe the itinerary of our trip!
Day 1(17 Nov)-Flying
Flying in Sapporo from KLIA2 airport at midnight. The flight took around 8 hours 40 minutes.
Day 2(18 Nov)-Sapporo+Susukino
Arrival
From the airport, we took the Chuo Bus to Sapporo Bus Terminal, then took the underground subway to our hotel in Shin Sapporo with inconvenient transit at Odori Station. Why did the travel agency ask us to use this way?? This wasted around 2 hours++. We can just use the JR Line Airport Express from the airport to Sapporo then use JR line to Shin Sapporo. This saves time and doesn't cost very much more anyway. We refunded the return bus ticket from Sapporo bus terminal to Chitose Airport, luckily they allowed the refund.
After checking in, we went to ARC City Square for lunch.
The food is very delicious. All the restaurants we went to has delicious food anyway.
The outside of restaurant
After that, we went to Mount Moiwa to see the panaromic night view. There is a free shuttle bus from a nearby tramway. The tramway/streetcar is the same as the one in Hong Kong, a cheaper, fixed (170 yen) price mode of transport.
Tramway- Japanese public transport is special as in you need to pay in exact amount but they have a special machine where you can insert 1000 yen cash in return of coins. In Malaysia, you are forced to waste your excess fare if you do not have small change because most drivers won't give you change, or else, you have to exchange cash into exact change and wait for the next bus, which comes 1 hour later.
The view of Sapporo is simply amazing and the weather at the top is freezing cold.
Lover's Sanctuary
After that, we used the free shuttle bus to the tramway and use the tramway to Susukino, a place near Sapporo Central. This place is lively with a lot of restaurants. Japanese people like to go to these restaurants to drink beer and have dinner. We went to Nanda seafood buffet, a very famous place where travel agency always bring tourists to. Nanda is situated in Cyber City Building. The buffet is charged per head in 70-minute or 90-minute time limit and not very expensive also.
''People Mountain People Sea''
Aim for these seafood instead of the meat. These king crabs are very expensive.
Later, we walked around Susukino. There are underground shopping malls around here too.
Day 3(19 Nov)-Sapporo
The hotel stay came with breakfast. They never changed the menu, so we had to have the same food for 4 days straight.
Western+Japanese style breakfast
Then, take JR train to Sapporo and walk to the bus terminal according to the signboards.
Go to the floor above the buses to buy your regular sightseeing ticket under Chuo Bus. If you are worried that the ticket might be sold out, you can call to reserve.
There are two brochures according to the period in the year.
H-2- Our Day 4 tour
Our Day 3 tour is A+B
The bus is well-equipped with multi-language audio system, including English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. The audio system comes with translator which translates immediately what the tour guide says.
The bus will pass by Odori Park.
Our first stop is Hokkaido Shrine, where temples are located.
You can take picture with the cherry trees. The view is amazing.
Then, we went to Shiroi Koibito Park- a chocolate factory, which manufactures the most famous Hokkaido gifts biscuits. At the airport, I saw people packing boxes of these biscuits. One small piece of biscuits with chocolate/white chocolate filling costs around RM3 and the price is standard everywhere, but if you buy inside the Airport International Terminal, it's tax free!
Ice cream
This train operates at certain hours, so make sure to check the time immediately when you arrive there.
The small bed for children inside the small house above. So cute..
Next, we went to the Central Wholesale Market. Well, there is nothing we can buy here because all are seafood and we don't know the immigration regulations of Sapporo Airport. We had our lunch here at a traditional Japanese restaurant. It is directly opposite the place where the bus will stop.
Our first Ramen!
We went back to the bus terminal to wait for the next departure- B.
The first stop is Mount Okura Ski Jump Stadium where Winter Olympics was once held.
The Ski Jump Equipment
The 2nd stop is Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill.
In general, it is just another mountain to view the city but with sheeps on the hill.
We stopped at Sapporo Clock Tower and went to this travel agency called Nippon Travel Agency with another 4 Malaysians we met during the sightseeing tour, to arrange for the tour on Day 5. After half an hour of struggling to communicate with a Japanese regarding private tour to any snowing mountain, only then she told us there were Chinese/Cantonese speaking workers. Since there were no snowing mountains, we arranged for a tour to Noboribetsu Hell Valley, Lake Toya, Mount Uzu and Bear Ranch. A private tour of 8 people with English speaking guide costed 11000 yen per person.
Then, we went to a restaurant nearby for dinner.
Day 4(20 Nov)-Otaru
First, we visited Otaru Bine and there was free tasting.
Next destination is Otaru Canal Terminal. This place is nice especially when there is snow.
Then, we had free time to walk around Otaru.
Green Tea Ice Cream
Then we had our buffet lunch at Grand Park Otaru Hotel. Chinese+Western food.
Hotel Lobby
Then, we visited Tanaka Shuzo Kikkogura Brewery.
Free tasting.
After that, we went to another tourist area in Otaru called Kitakoro where Music Box Museum and Glass Museum are located. It is just a shopping area.
The famous 9-layer ice cream
There is a large UNIQLO store within walkable distance.
Next, we went to Mount Tengu-Tenguyama Ropeway which operates only after 21 Nov which we missed. So, we can only take a few pictures there.
The view is like Busan which faces the sea.
There is a glass studio there too.
Our bus stopped us at Sapporo Clock Tower.
Sapporo TV Tower
Then, we had Soba Noodle as dinner in one of the underground shopping malls in Odori.
Then, we went home and did some shopping in AEON, buying Green Tea Kit Kat which costs only around RM10 instead of RM20 in Malaysia. It is not sold in the Airport International Terminal.
Day 5(21 Nov)-Noboribetsu and Toya
On our way to Lake Toya, we stopped somewhere because finally it was snowing in the mountain!! My first time!
Sairo Observation Platform-Lake Toya:
With our new 4 Malaysian friends
Isn't the view of the lake stunning? It looks like ocean with waves.
Next, we went to Mount Uzu/Uzusan. There is live volcano here. We went up the mountain by ropeway.
Ropeway
With our friendly and helpful guide
Can you see the smoke coming out from the live volcanoes?
We had our lunch which was included in the tour at restaurant Funkatei. The food was tasty!
Small steamboat with pork
Then, we went to the Bear Ranch. The admission ticket is expensive so we just took picture outside.
Then, we went to Noboribestu Hell Valley, another must-go place!
This is not volcano, but hot spring. There is a Hot Spring Resort around here.
We then went back to our hotel. We went to ARC City for a traditional Japanese meal then did some shopping.
Day 6(22 Jan)-Chitose
After breakfast, we checked out then went to the hotel in Chitose to check in. We use the non-express train and regretted. The train kept stopping to let the airport express train to pass by. The journey took around 1 hour.
Tired of waiting...
After checking in, we took bus to Chitose Airport from JR Chitose Station.
We had our lunch at the Ramen Alley
The Open Air Observation Deck
Too lazy to walk so use the buggy service
Doraemon
There are UNIQLO, Steiff Nature World, Royce Chocolate Factory, Market etc. at the airport.
Buy your souvenirs here
Then, we went back to Chitose and shopped at AEON Chitose. The 2nd round wipe away of Green Tea KitKat.
We had dinner at this corner restaurant with the big yellow banner. It's directly opposite the main entrance of JR Chitose station.
Image from Google Streetview
Their famous ''Dan Dan'' Noodle
Japanese traditional alcohol
Day 7(23 Nov)- Sayonara
That's the end of the wonderful trip! Remember to buy tax-free biscuits inside the International Terminal and claim your tax refund if any.
Strawberry Cheese Kit Kat
Strawberry Kitkat which we cannot find elsewhere except at the airport-1500 yen for 10 packs of 3-piece as shown.
3D picture along the connection from Domestic to International Terminal
Our total cost including air tickets, food, biscuits, tour fees was around RM4000 per person.
What we missed?
Genghis Khan meat buffet- because we ate too much meat so we don't dare to try more meat.
Garaku Curry at Susukino- I found this only during the 2nd last day so we have no chance to try it out.
Hi Jery, I commented this post 5 years later.
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