2019 Feb. Okinawa. Japan.
Flew in to Okinawa via budget airline Peach and had an interesting deplaning and immigration experience, made me feel more like cargo than passenger. 🙂 First mission after getting rental car, was to find a nice local lunch! Mikasa Matsuyama shop serves awesome and cheap Okinawan food and was packed with locals. The champon Mikasa style tasted so delicious, even though it looked simple and somewhat messy. Must try! Continue Reading
2017 Jun. Lake Toya. Hakodate. Niseko. Otaru. Sapporo.
It was a long drive again from Furano to Lake Toya, and we decided to take the scenic local road instead of the toll highways. Stopped briefly at the Chitose Outlet Mall for lunch, before arriving at the Lake View Toya Nanokaze Resort. Practical tip regarding toll roads, and whether or not to buy the ETC per per use card or the unlimited use Hokkaido Expressway Pass (HEP). If you are short on travel time, the toll roads will get you to places much faster, my recommendation is to just buy the unlimited use pass, single toll trips are not cheap to begin with, so might as well go buffet style. But local road are definitely more scenic, so you will be missing out the views and charming towns along the way. Except for one long haul toll trip at the beginning, I took local roads throughout my entire trip.
2017 Jun. Asahikawa. Biei. Kamifurano. Furano.
After exploring the less travelled eastern region of Hokkaido, we moved on the more popular and frequently visited central region where the main attraction would be Furano/Biei. The drive from Kitami towards Asahikawa will pass by some scenic spots along Route 39, including Ginga Falls 銀河瀑布.
2017 Jun. Kushiro. Lake Akan. Higashimokoto. Shiretoko. Abashiri.
This is a highly anticipated self drive trip in Hokkaido to experience the beautiful countryside and eat the delicious seafood and dairy desserts I have been hearing about Hokkaido for years. Early June is not the typical tourists’ choice to visit, but it is the only window that fits my schedule, so I planned around to make the most out of it. This travel window should be useful to those with schooling children in Singapore, as it coincide with June holidays. My full itinerary is attached at the end this 3-part blog, in case you find the info useful as reference.