Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Wintry Hokkaido



Poetic Otaru

Otaru Canal
 Otaru of Hokkaido is like Venice of Italy. This small, quaint town in Hokkaido is poetic, dreamy and romantic with its picturesque Otaru Canal the focus of all Instagram. A row of stone-walled warehouses lie on one side of the bank and cobbled stone pathway on the other bank. In winter, bits of snow and melted ice scatter on the pathway and even though it's very slippery to walk, the whole ambience is lovely and even romantic. Come during sunrise or sunset and it's even more magical


Customise your own music box
Shopping is not the highlight in Otaru except for the Sakaimachi shopping street where you can find lots of quaint shops selling unique handmade Japanese crafts and snacks. Here is also where the famous Music Box Museum (or Otaru Music Box Factory) and Kitaichi Glass Museum are located, as well as other cute cottages selling exquisitely handmade music boxes, glass crafts, accessories and other specialty souvenirs. Prices are a bit high but it's worth to bring back a piece of memory in Otaru. 

There are also no lack of eateries along these streets. We wanted to try the ramen at the famed Ramen Alley but it was closed when we were there. The place which is like a ramen village comprising of several ramen and soba stalls is only open for dinner. The long stretch of Sakaimachi shopping street offers delightful peeps into every unique store. But be warned: walking in the winter cold in this seemingly endless street is quite a physical challenge. Do drop by the famous Letao shop, their signature cheese cookies are worth every morsel! 

LeTao - a must-visit

Most tourists would take a day tour to Otaru but if you want to spend more time taking in the sights in this beautiful town, staying one night here is an option. There are several hotels around the Otaru Canal, one of which is the Hotel Sonia Otaru which has rooms with canal view that overlooks the picturesque canal in snowy winter. The hotel is rather dated but tastefully furnished with an elegant European decor. It also has an in-house hot springs bath-house and charges 150 yen per adult regardless if you use the onsen. However in winter, the onsen is a much needed respite for numbing cold hands and feet.


Dazzling Sapporo 

Sleepless in Susukino
If Otaru is a sleepy small town, then Sapporo is a bustling playful city. If you have been to the Susukino entertainment area in Sapporo, you would be overwhelmed by the dazzling neon lights of numerous karaoke pubs and night clubs in that area. It's like a city that never sleeps.

We booked the Royal Stay Hotel which is situated off the busy Susukino area on a quieter side, with a Lawson's mini mart a stone's throw away and a popular ramen eatery just opposite the hotel. There is always a long queue at the ramen place, even on a chilly winter night. 

Ramen Alley
If you don't want to join the long queue, there is no lack of eateries in the vicinity. There is also a ramen alley at the Susukino area if hunger pangs strike late at night. If you are too tired to walk in the cold winter after a day of sightseeing like we were on some nights, the take-out pre-packed meals at Lawson's are not too bad. They also sell milk and other beverages, and my all-time favourite Japanese mochi (rice cakes).

Most hotel staff in Otaru do not speak much English, but the Royal Stay Hotel has at least one reception staff on duty who can speak fluent English or Mandarin. The hotel is also eco-conscious and rewards guests with a free drink of their choice if they do not require daily housekeeping.


Shopping Haven

Tanukikoji shopping streets
Sapporo has no lack of underground shopping malls and shopping streets but the famous Tanukikoji shopping streets, which are made up of seven blocks of individual shops with the last block being the wet market, is a must-visit. It is all sheltered so you don't have to brave the rain or wintry cold outside. There are many cosmetics and pharmacy stores in Tanukikoji, and prices are very competitive so it's a good opportunity to stock up your skincare products. There are also plenty of souvenir shops selling Hokkaido snacks and sweets which you can buy back as souvenirs. Some of the more notable shops are Daiso, 100-yen shop, Uniqlo and Don Don Quito. There is even a pet shop selling cute puppies and kittens.

Below the Tanukikoji shopping streets are a whole stretch of underground shopping malls known as Pole Town and Aurora Town. If you prefer more upmarket shopping, the JR Tower comprises four malls namely Apia, Esta, Paseo and Stellar Place. Do drop by the food halls at these Japanese malls. There are plenty of delicious and exquisite Japanese snacks and sweets to sample and buy. These underground shopping malls also provide a cosy respite from the freezing sub-zero degree winter outside.


Stroll in the Park 

Sea of purple at Odori Park

Sapporo is not just a shopping paradise, there are also many things to sightsee and do especially in winter. For sightseeing, take a stroll at the Odori Park and witness the beautiful Christmas light-up known as the Sapporo White Illumination at the park which is covered with thick snow as it has been snowing heavily that day. 

Unique crafts at Christmas market
There is also a Christmas market going on and it was very crowed with locals and tourists as it was a Sunday. At the Christmas market, there were several quaint huts and cottages selling exotic handmade stuff from candle holders, glass accessories, snow globes to Russian dolls and music boxes. As the night comes early in winter around 4pm, it is recommended to go earlier before it gets too dark and crowded. 

Snowy Nakajima Park

Another recommended place to get a glimpse of the beauty of winter is the Nakajima Park. We have not planned to visit this park, but as it is within walking distance from our hotel, we just decided to go there after breakfast for a morning stroll. There were not many people there so the whole place exudes a sense of quiet beauty and wintry serenity with white carpeted snow everywhere. Someone even made a snowman at the park! 

Enchanting frozen lakes

There are also frozen lakes and ponds which look stunningly beautiful under the reflection of the sunlight. It was a magical feeling walking through the Nakajima Park, like you are being transported to an enchanted forest.


Winter Wonderland 

White Lovers Theme Park
Another park that is Instagram-worthy and will appeal to the young and young -at-heart is the famous Shiroi Koibito Park (also known as White Lovers Theme Park or Ishiya Chocolate Factory). We knew it would be a tourist trap and were not expecting much but were pleasantly surprised it turned out to be quite enjoyable.

Tudor-styled architecture
The whole place was decorated like a fantasy land with Tudor-styled European architecture, miniature houses and huts for the little kids to play, and lots of snowmen and Christmas lightings. When night falls and the entire place lights up, it looks like a fairytale winter wonderland! It was beautiful and definitely Instagram-worthy.

Candy-making in action
The park entry is free but you have to pay 600 yen if you want to join the factory tour. There is also a section where you can see how candies are made. The only thing that spoils the experience is the souvenir shop is so crowded it is like a marketplace. Perhaps there were several tour groups there at the same time. Despite the crowds and snake-long queue, it was rather orderly and fast-moving.


Ski Plan Derailed 

We had initially planned to go to the Bankei ski area but the ski section for kids and beginners was closed and would not be open till late December. In fact most of the ski resorts we checked were closed for the beginners/kids sections. Only the higher ski areas in the mountains for experienced/professional skiers were open as there was not enough snow in the lower part for beginners and kids to snow play.

Sapporo TV Tower

Eventually we decided to visit the Sapporo TV Tower, which was built in 1957 and an icon of Sapporo city. Standing adjacent to Odori Park, the observation deck of the TV Tower provides a fantastic 360-degree bird's eye view of the whole city and the Sea of Japan. We also visited the German Christmas markets at Odori Park again. The ambience at the park in the day time is very different from the one at night. It's a warm day that day and all the snow has melted. There is no fresh snow the night before so the entire Odori Park looks very bald without the beautiful white snow we have seen the day before.

After a late lunch and some window shopping at Aurora Town, another underground mall, we return to the hotel for some much needed rest. We have wanted to try the heavy metal-themed Haruka ramen place at the famous Ramen Alley that is highly recommended by Tripadvisor but are too tired to walk out in the chilly night to Susukino, so we just settle for take-away meals from the Lawson mini-mart just across the road.



Recommended Eatery

Otaru
Otaru Kuraya

Nestled in a stone-walled warehouse near the Otaru Canal, this small eatery named Otaru Kuraya stands out from the rest of the eateries in this Otaru Canal Food Court due to the snaking queue. Prided itself for its handmade noodles made from unique wheat flour that is 100% produced in Hokkaido, the humble looking bowl of soup noodles did not disappoint. Although the queue is long, service is rather fast and efficient. Most patrons are considerate enough to eat and go so that the next customer can have their seats.

Sapporo 

Ebisoba Ichigen
Had ramen dinner at Ebisoba Ichigen, about two blocks from our hotel. The shrimp-based ramen was cooked with shrimp and pork bones, very different from most ramen we've tasted. It was so good we almost slurped up the soup. Even though it was quite crowded, the queue was very orderly and you get to sit while waiting. The crew will come over to take your order first and you get to choose the soup base you want. Service is quite good and they even shouted "welcome" in Japanese to every customer who steps in. 



Footnote

Although we have planned to go to a ski area for some snow sledding since we are not doing any serious skiing, we were disappointed we did not get the chance for snow play as most of the ski areas closed the lower sections for kids and amateurs due to insufficient volume of snow. Only the higher sections of the ski mountains were opened for professional skiers. That is probably our only regret on this winter trip. It's also a stark reminder that global warming has seriously affected the climate change resulting in the lack of snow even in winter. 

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Sunday, December 08, 2019

Rocking Splashing Time


 
Rocking Great Stay
If you have never stayed in a Hard Rock Hotel, you really should. 

Iconic Hard Rock Hotel

It's our first time staying in a Hard Rock Hotel and we absolutely love it! Everything is great from the hotel room with Hard Rock signature everywhere, the super comfortable bed and pillows, to the creative design of the room with sliding panels separating the bed from the bathroom. We also love that the shower area and toilet are separated. The balcony with a small table and relaxing lounge chairs are a bonus for those who want to order room service for breakfast or dinner. 

One of the best part of this hotel stay is surfing through the great varieties of music and TV channels, as well as movies-on-demand which include some recent blockbusters and good movies. There is also a lap pool and a restaurant that serves rather good local food. Another plus is the hotel is a stone's throw to the Desaru Coast Adventure Park.

Splashing Aqua Adventure

Thrilling roller coaster ride

This water park is pretty much the same as the Adventure Cove Water Park in Singapore and the water park in Johor's Legoland. The same lazy river, wave pool with man-made beach and some thrilling rides and water slides. The entry price is more expensive than Singapore's Adventure Cove though. 

There are not that many rides and slides for adults and teenagers, but younger kids will enjoy more varieties of water play. We went on a weekday and it was not very crowded even though it was the school holidays. Perhaps they need to add more interesting rides to attract the crowds and make the entry tickets more value-add.

Fresh Scrumptious Seafood
Just a short drive from the Hard Rock Hotel is a nice unassuming eatery by the sea. This place, named Nelayan Seafood by the Coast, serves fresh delicious seafood and home-cooked dishes, where you can pick your own lobsters, crabs and fish from the tank and they will cook according to your preference. We ordered crabs, lobsters and fish, as well as a few other dishes and they were all very fresh and delectable. 

Fresh delectable seafood

The place was also very crowded on the two nights we were there for dinner, which shows how popular this seafood restaurant is among the locals and tourists alike. Go there earlier for dinner as it can get full house soon, and do bring along your mosquito repellent.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Dream Escape


The iconic mermaid at Genting Dream

Before we embarked on our short getaway on Genting Dream, I read up some of its reviews online which are mostly lukewarm and not too positive. As we have already booked the cruise, we decided to just take it easy and go with the flow without any high expectation.

Chinese fine-dining

As it turned out, it was not as bad as some of the online reviews. There is a Chinese fine-dining restaurant and an International buffet restaurant that serves both Indian and International buffet spread. There are also other specialty restaurants which are chargeable. To be honest, I find the food only passable. 

Personally I prefer the buffet spread to the Chinese fine-dining food as there is a wider selection and their desserts are good. My only complaint is that the buffet restaurant is always very crowded and hard to find seats. We even had to stand and eat on one occasion! Kudos should go to the service crew who tried their best to clear the tables as efficiently as they could.

The show on the first night was not spectacular but quite entertaining. There's a mix of acrobatics, dance and some magic performances. The background and special lighting effects were very good though. 



Zouk At Sea

Genting Dream is known for its zouk at sea but surprisingly it was very deserted when we checked it out on the first night. There was hardly anyone there. The second night was not much better. Only a handful of people turned up for the Rock n' Roll Night. Perhaps the novelty had worn off or maybe it was the weekend crowd which was made up mainly of families and retirees.



Zip line obstacle

As we only had one full day on board the ship, we decided to seize the day and waste no time. On the second day right after breakfast, we explored the rest of the ship and watched people attempt the harrowing zip line and challenging water slides. For the adventurous and those looking for adrenaline-pumping thrills, you wouldn't want to give these activities a miss. 


Rock wall

For the less adventurous and young kids, there are kids' rope obtacle course and water slides. There is also a rock wall for climbing but it was closed that day due to the wet ground after the rain. For those who love working out at the gym, this one comes with a spendid view of the open sea.



Scenic view from the ship

Overall, the Genting Dream cruise was not as bad as the reviews I've read online. In terms of food and entertainment, it may not be as great as some other cruises but its service and amenities are on par though there is definitely room for improvement. Maybe we came with no expectation but just to have a good and relaxing time, and that was what we got.

Wintry Hokkaido

Poetic Otaru Otaru Canal  Otaru of Hokkaido is like Venice of Italy. This small, quaint town in Hokkaido is poetic, dreamy and ...