I had a month off from work! Why didn’t I plan a getaway?!? Two weeks into my staycation, I started to get ants in my pants.
Since moving to Korea, I've been wanting to check out Sapporo, but it has been difficult because many of my friends here do not ski or snowboard. Finally, I said F*ck It, and I decided to take a last minute solo trip.
Last year, when I checked flights, the cost for a round trip ticket was well over 600 USD. Since then, Jin Air started flights to various destinations, including Sapporo. The cost of a round-trip ticket was 268 USD, two weeks before my departure date. Who could beat that price!?! Thank goodness for Jin Air and their cheap flights!
A friend of mine told me about a Ski-In and Ski-Out capsule hotel in Niseko called Lodge Moiwa 834. I checked it out, and the price was unbeatable. It included breakfast and dinner too! I had heard so much about capsule hotels from other travelers, so I was excited to try it out.
I booked my bus ticket from New Chitose Airport (CTS) to Niseko online with Hokkaido Resortliner, which was roughly about 34 USD each way. I gave myself 2½ hours in between my flight arrival and bus departure time. FYI, give yourself an ample amount of time especially when traveling to a place that is known to get a lot of snow. My flight was delayed 2 hours, and I made it to the bus 10-minutes before departure.
The bus ride took about 3 hours, with a 20-minute rest stop half way there. There is no direct drop off at Lodge Moiwa 834, and the closest bus stop was at Hotel Kanro-No-Mori, which it is about a 15-minute walk without luggage. If you're traveling with gear, the walk is doable, but the streets are covered with snow so unless you want a hardcore workout, it is best to pre-arrange a pick up with the hotel.
The staff at Lodge Moiwa 834 were super nice! Although the lodge was not a 5-star resort, I was treated like a 5-star guest. I’ve always loved Japan’s hospitality.
The breakfast was your normal continental style buffet. For dinner, the 3-course meals were not your average dishes, and from the presentation to the taste, the food was nicely put together. I felt like I was at some fancy restaurant in NYC.
I met some other solo and group travelers staying at the hotel, as well as at the lodge next door. A few were going to take the shuttle bus to Kiroro Resort (Northwest of Niseko) the next morning, so I decided to follow. Since my new friends were staying at a different lodge, I took the bus arranged with their hotel. The shuttle bus was 3,000-yen round-trip, which is roughly about 25 USD.
I rented my gear at Kiroro Resort. The price was reasonable, with my lift ticket and all the rental gear; it cost me around 95 USD.
I didn’t know much about Kiroro, but one of the guys I met told me that Kiroro was known to be the snowiest place on earth! Oh boy, and he was right! It was the best place I’ve ever snowboarded in my life! The snow kept falling all day. The texture of the powder was so fluffy and soft! It was a bit cold at the top of the mountain, and the visibility wasn’t great, but the conditions were perfect.
The next day, I stayed in Niseko and went boarding at Hirafu Ski Resort. Since yesterday was my first run of the season. My calves were a bit sore. I rented my gear at Hirafu and purchased the “all mountain pass,” which could be used for all the four mountains in Niseko (Hirafu, Niseko Village, Hanazono, and Annapuri). Also, you need the “all mountain pass” to get to the summit.
In the morning, it was sunny, but I soon realized that the weather changes drastically in Niseko. We had about three hours of sun, and then it started to snow till about 2:30 pm, then for two hours it was blue skies, then it changed again!
The trails were a bit steep for me. The resort was super crowded; there were long lines to get on the lift chairs. We walked 20 minutes to the next lift to avoid the crowd. Once at the top we worked twice as hard, walking across different trails to get to another lift area that went to the peak. Maybe I was spoiled going to Kiroro, but I wasn’t too happy with Hirafu Mountain.
My last day, my friends and I decided to go to Annapuri Mountain. It was a cloudy day. I decided to rent a powder board (recommendation by a guest at the Lodge Moiwa 834). I did a test run and WOW! I was blown away by the board, as well as the trails. I was going through back trails between trees. The snow wasn’t groomed, and the board was cutting through the untouched snow so well! My new friends and I did a couple of more runs, and then we went up to the peak. The visibility wasn’t great since it was snowing and windy. But nothing beats the fresh snow.
The trails at Annapuri are wide with lots of backcountry skiing/snowboarding. I was very pleased with this resort. Also, it was a lot less crowded than Hirafu Mountain.
PLACES TO EAT
I spent a couple of hours in the town of Hirafu, which has many eateries and shops. A very cute town!
We had lunch at a farm to fork place called Green Farm Café. I ordered the Wagyu Beef Burger. The burger was enormous and came with potato wedges. It was juicy and sooooooo delicious! I was very hungry, that I totally forgot to take a pic! My acquaintance had the chicken parmesan, which I got to sample and it was cooked to perfection! The chicken was tender, and the breadcrumbs were crispy. The portion was huge, and it came with a side salad.
I was still hungry, so I took a chicken pie to go. The crust was warm, flaky and there was a good amount of filling. It ate it all within 5 minutes! I tried to go back to the café the next day but missed the last bus into town. I highly suggest grabbing some bites here! The café is situated on the corner of the two main street intersections, next to Rhythm Snowsports Shop.
When in Japan one must eat ramen every day! Well, almost every day.
One night we ventured off to an Izakaya called Kobito.
The doorway into the Izakaya is a bit small, and if you’re not paying attention, you may bump your head. I almost did, and I am only 158 cm tall. As soon as you walk in you see the bar and cooking area. Each table is separated by separators. Therefore, giving customers some privacy while dining. The place is small and very cozy. We ordered some small dishes, rolls, and ramen. We paired it with some dry, cold sake, which warmed our souls from the outside cold. After, dinner we made our way back to our hotel for some more drinks and conversations. When you make a reservation, the establishment will arrange a pickup and drop off from your hotel for free.
My last night, I spend packing and dropping my baggage off at the Hotel Kanro-No-Mori, which is the pickup location for the Bus Resortliner. Since my bus departure time was at 7 am, the hotel was unable to offer a drop-off. It was too early, and only one staff member was working the morning shift at Lodge Moiwa 834. Unfortunately, I did not know that the shuttle bus or any transportation provided by the hotel was unavailable before eight in the morning.
The manager called five cab companies to order a car to drop me off in the AM, but they were all pre-booked, so nothing was available. The manager was kind enough to arrange the bags to be stored overnight at Hotel Kanro-No-Mori. She, personally, drove me there and helped me by communicating with the staff. If you are planning to stay at the Lodge Moiwa 834, it is best to prearrange everything at check-in to avoid any issues.
My morning walk to Hotel Kanro-No-Mori was very pleasant. Walking on the empty road, the stillness of the air, while the town was still asleep was all so harmonious to me. It was a great way to take in my surroundings before leaving Niseko.
After checking into my flight, I decided to explore New Chitose Airport (CTS), since I heard so many good things about it. My cousin @mahtjip told me about an underground seafood market with the freshest Toro. Unfortunately, an hour and a half didn’t give me enough time to find it. I was able to find Ramen Street and the famous Ebisoba Ichigen, but there was a long line to get a seat. Since I was pressed for time, I set myself at a different ramen joint called Ajisai, and order myself a Shio-Ramen. Usually, I get a miso based ramen but decided to try something different. It was a bit on the salty side and very hearty. I wasn’t able to finish it because the bowl was huge, and it came with five pieces of roasted pork, boiled egg, and veggies.
I was able to do some quick souvenir shopping. If you love matcha and chocolate, pick yourself up some Matcha Truffles at the Royce Chocolate Factory. Yes, the airport has a Chocolate Factory! These treats are one of the best things, I’ve ever tasted! Literally, it melts in your mouth.
Also, you can’t go to Sapporo without checking out the Hello Kitty store! The airport has a Hello Kitty and a Doraemon store.
Overall, my short quick trip to Hokkaido was truly amazing! It was my first real solo trip. I made some cool friends from different parts of the world. I realized snowboarding by myself isn’t as scary as I thought; there are plenty of people to meet on the slopes!
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