Noboribetsu Dec 2014

Known to be the home of Hokkaido's most popular hot springs, Noboribetsu is one place you shouldn't miss out on your Hokkaido itinerary ;)

Travel time is about 2 hours and the 4th stop from Sapporo via JR train :)

A very interesting place to go to is Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura.

It's a historical theme park which highlights the Edo Period.

Aside from seeing different traditional structures and mini museums, you could also see street performances and traditional shows here ;)

This is called the Merchant's lane

You could see different souvenir shops and restaurants here.

It was soooo cold and windy...

Freezing to death as I pose for this picture haha

You could see a lot of staff dressed in different costumes like ninjas or samurais!

Wasn't able to get a picture though lol

This is called Matsuga pond.

I particularly liked this area as it's so serene and picturesque~

good thing all the other tourists where in a different place haha

they could have easily photobombed my shots here =P

was really amazed with this icy pond haha

Katakura Kojurou  Mansion

traditional houses

Kuma-san Lodge

Next stop was Jigokudani Hell Valley.

As the name implies, it's a valley noted for its display of hot steam vents.

It's basically the main source of Noboribetsu's hot spring waters.

They have different walking trails which can lead you to the Tessen Pond or Oyunuma Pond where you can have a foot bath ;)

here's a short video i took around the place

the sloping trail which leads to Tessen Pond

Popular photo spot with 2 demon statues lol

Due to time constraints, wasn't able to go to the Bear Park anymore boohoo :(

So we just tried this local delicacy, "Ikinari Dango" or sweet potato cake!

Hakodate Dec 2014

It was an early trip for us going to Hakodate.

So the whole Hokkaido itinerary was planned by my mom and as expected, she included a 4-hour journey- whole day crash tour to the southernmost tip of Hokkaido!

Good thing, trains in Japan are the fastest and most efficient in the world!

Not to mention they serve good food too haha

Here is a snap of Hokkaido's specialty yogurt and choco chip ice cream!

Ice cream for breakfast? why not! lulz

Welcomed by this city night view from Mt. Hakodate <3

I recommend going to the tourist information upon arriving the station.

You could inquire about the whole day pass for the streetcar(tram) which is the most convenient way of getting to the tourist attractions. The pass, together with the map is around 600 yen ;)

First stop is the morning market, walking distance from the station.

Here, you could spot a lot of live crabs and shellfish. Perfect for fresh seafood souvenirs! hehe

One thing you shouldn't miss though is getting the seafood rice bowl from one of the several eateries around Asaichi (morning market).

Once you see these displays, don't hesitate to enter!

Mom got the salmon + ikura set ¥1510

While I got the crab + uni + ikura set ¥1940 ❤ 

Ain't these the most beautiful seafood rice bowls you've ever seen??!

huhu it's so fresh I can't even....lol

Walking around Hakodate is not a problem too as the road/street signs have English translations :)

Tasting the locally brewed beer is also a must in Hakodate.

You could have your drinking session at the beer halls in the red brick warehouse!

it was quite gloomy and deserted walking around the city.

I could only spot a few fellow tourists like this family who's about to cross the street hehe

Spotted some Shiroi Koibito choco drinks! yum ❤

Shiroi Koibito is one of the most popular cookie/confectionery makers in Hokkaido btw!

I'll post a separate entry for that soon ;)

I absolutely love pudding ❤

and this was glorious ❤❤❤

Hiked up going to Motomachi ~which is technically at the foot of Mt. Hakodate! 

huhu what an exercise for me, it was a bit hard walking uphill as the road was super icy!  -___-

Motomachi is known as a foreign district. 

A lot of  Russian and other Western traders moved here in the past.

Here, you could see the Old British Consulate.

going up to see...

The Old Public Hall!

the view from the Old Public Hall ❤

The beautiful view of Hachiman Zaka slope (still in Motomachi)

All these trees are illuminated at night. It's so beautiful! too bad I only had a glimpse of it as we were in a rush to catch the last train going back to Sapporo!

From Hachiman Zaka, it takes about 6 minutes on foot to go to the Ropeway station and another 3 minutes to the top by Ropeway/Cable Car.

Roundtrip fare for the ropeway is ¥1200 for adults and ¥600 for children ;)

The magical view <3

FYI: There were sooooo many tourists by this time. Coming here at night is so popular

that some of the tourists, come around sunset and don't leave their spot until night fall =/

So yea after taking this picture from the perfect spot, my mom and I decided to eat dinner first. WRONG MOVE! When we came back, it was insanely crowded and most of the people didn't want to move/leave even after taking a shot. It was too cold to wait too. So annoying >:(

Anyway, here's a shot from a different angle lol

My only proper picture of the "night view" from the resto.

My mom had a better pic though haha =P

Well at least my seafood casserole was scrumptious!so cheezy nyahaha

back at the station ~pretty lights!

Jozankei, Sapporo Dec 2014

If you're the type of person who's more interested with relaxation during a vacay then I highly recommend you try out the natural hot springs that's all over Japan.

In Hokkaido though, Jozankei is one of the popular spa-towns around.

Our free shuttle bus that was included with our day tour. 

Getting To Jozankei: Subway from Sapporo to Makomanai station then bus(30mins) to Mori No Uta(our hotel)

There were so many hotel/resort spas to choose from but I chose Jozankei Tsuruga Mori No Uta as it has the best outdoor hot spring bath that I saw online hehe

They also offered a day trip which included a lunch buffet and a free shuttle bus. Nice!

The interiors were so gorgeous. 

I particularly liked their lobby lounge which had this "forest oasis" theme that guests will surely love ❤

As I mentioned earlier, Mori No Uta has the best outdoor spring bath ever!

Here's an image from Google coz unfortunately, I couldn't take a picture of it since the only thing I can bring to the hot spring is a towel (You can read more about Japanese Hot Spring etiquette HERE =P )  

~You can see more pics at their website anyway :)

It was really beautiful, the mild snowfall added a more dramatic effect to our bath experience! *lucky*

Also, they use Shiseido for their bath products too ~sosyal!

Then it was time for lunch! yahoo <3

The buffet served a lot of traditional Japanese food yumz!

look at the snow view outside!

my eats ;)

love their dessert! they even had milk soft cream which is quite popular all over Japan.

After lunch, we were just killing time waiting for our 3pm departure back to Makomanai so we just

cam-whored outside the winter wonderland surrounding the hotel haha

Little Red Riding Kaye =P