Hokkaido - Sapporo and Otaru - Day 2 & 3

Hokkaido Day 2 & 3 : 
This is continuation of my Previous blog Hokkaido Snow Festival.

Day 2 : Kaitaku-no Mura (Old Village), Shiroi Koibito Park, Sapporo Beer Museum 

Kaitaku-no Mura:

It is an Open Air Museum, Exhibited with 60 buildings in four styles as Town, Fishing Village, Farm Village and Mountain Village. 

It took around 40 mins from Sapporo station to Kaitaku-no mura and requires transit at Shin-Sapporo station, if you use public transport only buses can reach here.

In Weekends and Public Holidays you can enjoy riding on Horse Cart.       

Shiroi Koibito Park: 

This is exactly opposite side of Kaitaku-no mura from Sapporo, it took around 50 mins to reach here from Sapporo. Hokkaido's well known cookie Factory.

Inside Shiroi koibito Factory

Kids can really enjoy the time in Park just outside the factory.

You can make your own souvenirs either edible cookie or non edible souvenirs like this and If you want make your own cookies you have to book your appointment a day before you arrive there.

Sapporo Beer Museum: 
It shows history and Growth of Sapporo beer factory. you will get an idea about how they make beers.These buildings are famous for its age and red bricks.

There is a restaurant Nearby where you can enjoy Grilled Meat. 

 You can taste Three kinds of beers,  Black beer, Classic and Kaitaku-no Original beer.

Day 3 : Otaru & Aquarium :

The train travel from Sapporo to Otaru is really awesome and sure you will get lost in the beauty of the view on the way with mountain covered by snow on one side and the sea on other side of track.  

Penguin Show at Otaru Aquarium

Do not touch they can taste your flesh

Sea Angels (Cliones) - I have seen this for first time in my life

Otaru Canal:
The Canal gives pleasant look in the day time and romantic atmosphere in night time once the gas lamps are lit up. People come forward to decorate the lighting event that happens in the evening.

Jin Rickshaw : Ride to see very old buildings near Otaru canal

Jin Rickshaw person will help you to take photos.

Otaru Shopping Street : Famous for souvenirs made of Glass

Courtesy to Sankei Travels for this Trip.
Hope you enjoyed my  blog on Trip to Hokkaido, Keep Reading and Keep Sharing.
Cheers!!

Hokkaido Snow Festival 2015 - Day 1

Hokkaido – Northern part of Japan

The city gets heavy snow fall in the winter when compared to other places in Japan and is famous for Snow, Sea Food, Snow Festival.

Let me share about my Hokkaido Experience.

I planned for a three day trip in which I covered two places Sapporo and Otaru.
The main reason for my winter trip was to see the snow festival and enjoy the food. When one talks about snow in Hokkaido without second thought He or She will talk about Sea food specially Russian Crabs.

A Special thing about Hokkaido is powder snow, It attracts most of the people those who love Snow, Skiing and Snow Boarding.
You can eat fresh Sushi, Sashimi(Raw Fish), Crab, Scallop etc, Very popular foods are Sea Food Soba(kind of Noodle), Soup curry Rice , Miso Soup Ramen(Kind of Noodle)

Those who don’t do sports activities don’t worry, you can visit other places.

Day 1: Clock Tower, TV Tower, Sapporo Snow Festival and Susukino Site (Ice Festival)

Clock Tower - It is a tourists Iconic place, very old western style building which is one among the few.

Clock Tower

Snow Festival happens each year in the month of February.
The Snow Festival took place in Odori Park, Sapporo. It takes 10 mins walk from JR Sapporo Station to reach this place. you can see the panoramic view of the venue from Sapporo TV Tower.

TV Tower

Snow Festival – Sculptors from different countries engaged themselves and made big snow sculptures. Some sculptures are good at night view.
The most popular one in the snow festival is "Snow Star Wars".

Snow Star Wars

Since it was my first trip I was having lot of questions in my mind, is it Snow and Ice festival are same? or different? , But now I can say it is different.

Sazae-san

The Sheep Year 2015

Sheep Year

              

In all the stages some events was going on 

The Manila Cathedral

Kasuga Taisha

Susukino Site Ice Festival: 

Again 10 mins walk from Odori park you can reach Ekimae street, The venue of Ice Festival. I was unlucky, due to bad weather most of the Ice sculptures melted only few I enjoyed , but it still worth Sharing it.

Okinawa Dragon Palace

I really wondered, how they made wall in Ice for smoking area!

Hope you enjoyed my blog.

My Upcoming blogs on Day 2 & 3 will be more Interesting than Snow festival, I wish you should enjoy that as well.

Cheers!!!

Monkey Park - Jigokudani, Nagano Pref, Japan

A Popular Tourist place, for sure this place popup in all Japan visitors wish list.

My Journey Starts

Jigokudani - Hell Valley, because of the location steep cliff and smoke from the onsen(Hot Spring) it is called so.

From Tokyo I joined a bus tour on 14th Feb 2015, It took around 4.30 Hrs by bus and we took two breaks and reached there around 11.30am. The park will be open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The snow monkey park is on top of the mountain, It took us 40 mins to walk 2kms from the Foothills. the walk was really awesome and thrilling, as the boundaries of the pathway are covered by the snow. by enjoying the scenery once you reach the cliff, you can buy tickets to enter into the monkey park. It costs around 500¥. The things you get at top of the mountain is Tea, coffee and Water, No other snacks.

Smoke from onsen (Hot Spring) photo taken from Mount cliff

The monkeys in the park will never hurt you, until you follow the rules, Follow simple rule  "Do Not Feed".

Monkeys  really enjoy the winter than us, I guess

I am Not Eating Snow

Not all the monkeys will enter into Onsen(Hot Spring) only strong Monkeys and those who like will enter into onsen

I can see Myself in Water 

People those who love spending time in onsen(Hot Spring), you can also enjoy and relax in the onsen(Hot Spring). 

Onsen (Hot Spring) near Monkey Park

There are other onsen(Hot Spring) , Dinning place and Hotel for stay is available in Foothills.

If you are really lucky, you can spot Mountain deer and different kinds of birds.

Getting down from the hill is more adventures than climbing up , because some people fell down at least once, so if you didn't fall down just raise your collar and Say Hey yeah.....What Next ???..

Hope you like this post please leave your comments!!!