isky Fly & Drive Hokkaido

Hi guys, just to share some pictures & experiences of my recent trip with everyone here.

After much preparations, took the plunge last month and brought my family for a 18-days Fly & Drive trip to Hokkaido and Tokyo.

Our Itinerary
May26 - Night flight from Singapore.
May27 - Tokyo Haneda.
May28 - Monbetsu - Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park
May29 - Biei (drove from Monbetsu) - Takinoue Moss Pink Park.
May30 - Biei - Farm Tomita, Biei's Panorama Route.
May31 - Biei - Patchwork Route, Asahikawa city.
Jun01 - Sapporo (train from Biei) - Sapporo city.
Jun02 - Sapporo - Otaru.
Jun03 - Sapporo - Old Govt House, Clock Tower, Sapporo TV Tower, Odori Park, Shiroi Koibito Park.
Jun04 - Noboribetsu (drove from Sapporo) - Hell Valley, Onsen Street.
Jun05 - Hakodate (drove from Noboribetsu) - Hiyoriyama, Lake Kuttara, Lake Toya.
Jun06 - Hakodate - Goryokaku, Trappistine Convent, Mt Hakodate.
Jun07 - Hakodate - Hakodate Asaichi, Kanemori Red Brick Warehouse.
Jun08 - Tokyo (fly from Hakodate) - Shinjuku.
Jun09 - Tokyo - Akihabara, Asakusa.
Jun10 - Tokyo - Lake Kawaguchi (Mt Fuji).
Jun11 - Tokyo - Ueno, Tokyo Tower.
Jun12 - Tokyo - Tsukiji, Nakano.
Jun13 - Fly back to Singapore.

Transit - Haneda

On Day 1, flew to Narita then transferred to Haneda by bus.
Spent the night at Haneda Terminal (Tokyu Excel) and flew to Hokkaido the next morning.


A380, always a pleasure


Haneda Terminal 2. You'll only find ANA, Airdo etc here, JAL is at Terminal 1.


First time I can see planes landing & taking off right from my room.
Refreshing!

First Stop - Monbetsu

Monbetsu airport is very small, only 1 flight a day from Haneda.
The reason we chose to fly here is becos it's nearest to our destinations - Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park.


Shot from the plane, it was drizzling and only 4 degrees celsius!




My ride for the next 3 days. The model made famous by a director here.


Nipon Rent-a-car and Toyota Rental are the 2 most common car rental agencies.
You can find them in all major cities, usually conveniently located near JR stations and airports.

Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park
http://www.town.yubetsu.lg.jp/tulippark/index.htm
Mapcode: 404 489 729

After picking up the car, drove to our first destination directly from airport, only about 30min away.
It was still drizzling and freezing cold when we got here but the view was just too spectacular to be missed.











The best time to visit the Tulip Park is around the period May 20th to June 6th each year.

Spent the night at Monbetsu Prince Hotel, one of only three major hotels in this small city. Monbetsu Prince is known for their natural onsen hot spring.


Picture shot the morning after cos previous night too cold & forgot to take pic.


Not many other guests at the hotel except a group of high school students on excursions.


Monbetsu is known for the famous Hokkaido crabs but we didn't place our orders in advance.
The bento doesn't look like much but tasted great, especially after a long day out in the cold!

Takinoue Moss Pink Park
http://www.town.takinoue.hokkaido.jp/
Mapcode: 570 699 352

Next morning, headed out for the Moss Pink Park at Takinoue-cho, about an hour's drive from Monbetsu.











It's really a beautiful place, worth the time and trouble we took to go all the way there.

OOOO!!!! I like the tulips and the pink moss also aimming at tat ! Envy u !! dun know when I can go for 18days trip in Hokkaido.. the most i did was 11 days in hokkaido..

droozy said:

OOOO!!!! I like the tulips and the pink moss also aimming at tat ! Envy u !! dun know when I can go for 18days trip in Hokkaido.. the most i did was 11 days in hokkaido..

Click to expand...

11 days good enough lah, the 18 days include 5 days in tokyo, so it's actually only 13 days in hokkaido

oh haaa... i email u numerous questions leh.. post more photos ! all so nice and pretty !

+1.

dont mind me. im bookmarking this page. its nice. keep the pictures coming

+2 ehehe
lovely pics man

Thank you for your kind words, guys.

More pictures coming right up.

very nice pictures. the flowers are so lovely, especially the tulip. hope can see such nice flowers when i go to hokkaido next year (hopefully).

may I ask if haneda airport sells japanese tidbits (e.g. tokyo banana, royce, etc)? those that can be found in narita airport?

When I was at the tulip park, I only saw the leaves and no pink moss too

fuschia said:

may I ask if haneda airport sells japanese tidbits (e.g. tokyo banana, royce, etc)? those that can be found in narita airport?

Click to expand...

Haneda (local nickname: Big Bird) is a big busy airport, there are many shops selling many types and brands of 銘菓.
Here are pics of just a few shops that I saw at Terminal 2, there are more there and in Terminal 1 too.

VD said:

When I was at the tulip park, I only saw the leaves and no pink moss too

Click to expand...

You must have been there in the earlier part of May?

I probably know how you feel. Biei/Furano were so bare & barren during this trip compared to my previous visit (July).
The best time to see flowers in Hokkaido is still July/August.

no choice, was there for sakura.. so can't have everything so perfect

Chitose airport has alotsa local products at their departure.. great for last min shopping

Biei 美瑛
http://www.biei-hokkaido.jp/en/index.html
Mapcode: 389 010 626

After seeing moss pink, we drove abt 2 hours to reach Biei, our pit stop for the next 3 days.

Biei is a nice little town located between the more metropolitan Asahikawa and the more famous Furano.
Known for its beautiful landscapes, friendly locals and local produce (milk, wheat), it's a favorite among many backpackers & DIY travelers.


Town central, just next to the JR station.


You can actually see the alps in the background.




Biei JR station


Biei Town Office


Spent the next 3 nights at this peaceful lovely hotel - Hotel Lavenir
http://www.biei-lavenir.com/


Simple but delicious breakfast served by the hotel, made with locally produced ingredients.

thanks, isky for the info and pictures. me will be travelling via haneda. good to know that i can get my food stuff when departing from the airport

Farm Tomita ファーム富田
http://www.farm-tomita.co.jp/en/index.html
Mapcode: 349 276 743

Farm Tomita at NakaFurano, is one of the most famous landmark of Biei/Furano during summer, at the peak of the floral bloom.
There is no admission charge at Farm Tomita, which make it a hotspot for tourist buses.

If you've going there by JR train, the nearest train station is the Lavender Station, which is only operational from early June to end Sep iirc, better check the JR East website for the actual dates.
If you're driving, Tomita is slightly less than an hour's drive from Biei. There are several car parks at Tomita, just dont park at the main entrance as there will many tourist buses.


Was there end May, not the best time, only a few rows of flowers in full bloom.










In the greehouse


Nice view of the alps 十勝岳 from Tomita


One of my favorite shots