K M Cheng-Travel Journal: Japan (Hokkaido) Oct 2015

Beautiful autumn leaves in red & yellow in Hokkaido

Changing of leaves peaked in mid Oct-Nov in Hokkaido

Spectacular colour in mid-Sept

" You can always make money, you can't always make memories "

" Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer "

" Life is short and the world is wide "

" My 7 days (5 nights) joining an Autumn Fall Special (Round the Island) package tour with my wife to Hokkaido, Japan from 24-30 Oct 2015 - fulfilling our dream in seeing Hokkaido during the Autumn season "

Total expenses incurred (7days 5nights): Rm6,164 (US$1,447)

Tour Organiser: Apple Vacations & Conventions Sdn Bhd, Tel 603-21411818

Tour Package to Hokkaido: Rm6,099 inclusive of hotels, food, tips, transport, Onsen baths & travel insurance

Flight: Air Asia Departing KL23.35 Arriving Chitose 08.10. Return Flight Departing Chitose 09.20 Arriving KL 17.00

Taxi: Rm65.20
Exchange Rates: Rm1(Ringgit)=Yen27; US$1=Rm4.26; Yen1,000=Rm36

Travel Highlights (Apple Vacations Travel's Itinerary 7 days 5 nights):

1) Experience: Natural Onsen / DIY Muachi Making/Fruit Picking

2) Attraction: Akan National Park / Daisetsuzan/Otaru Canal/Hokkaido Shrine/Ikeda Wine Castle

3) Enjoy: Shopping fun at Tanukikoji / Rera Chitose Factory Outlet Mall

4) Taste: Gala Seafood Lunch, Grilled King Crab + Abalone + Scallop/ Ishikari Nabe Set + Sashimi + Hokke Cuisine/ Deluxe Kaiseki Crab Cuisine/ Seafood Steamboat + Tempura

Travel Itinerary(7 days): Kuala Lumpur > Chitose > Ikeda > Akan National Park > Abashiri > Monbetsu > Mt Daisetsuzan > Otaru > Sapporo > Chitose > Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

In mid-August, our group of 4 had signed up with a local travel agency in Kuala Lumpur for a 7 day package tour to Hokkaido (Autumn season) departing from KL on 15 Oct to Chitose via a transit in Bangkok. However, a month before the departure date, we realized that due to a lack of number (minimum of 15 people) who had registered for this particular company's tour program / date, the agency had to cancel our booking and refunded our deposits ! What a big let down !

But it was a blessing in disguise ! We ended up signing up with Apple Holiday's tour package (a reputable tour agency in KL specializes in Japanese tours) which was a better option as we were able to fly Air Asia direct from Kuala Lumpur to Chitose, Hokkaido and some saving too in terms of tour price ! The rest is history !

The number of tourist attractions we visited in this trip were superb (a good combination of city & country side viewing of Hokkaido), food was excellent and hotel accommodation was first class ! Both our Tour Manager (Lee San), Tour Leader (Felicia Ho) & Japanese driver were very professional in conducting their duties and displayed excellent team work & leadership, we were thoroughly satisfied with the excellent service they had rendered to this tour group ! After this trip, I believed Apple has scored some brownie points and overnight, we become "Apple-nian". Customer satisfaction is paramount important especially in winning business in a travel industry !

The weather in Hokkaido in late Oct was around 11c to -2 so make sure you bring along sufficient warm clothing to keep you comfortable especially in the mountainous area of Hokkaido. Otherwise, you could end up as a frozen Apple-nian !

If you love eating seafood & beef, Hokkaido makes you smile ! Plenty of seafood for you to savor and everyday is a seafood bonus day for you !

Sleeping on a Tatami bed & taking an Onsen bath (hot spring) were great experience for first timers. As a senior citizen, what an opportunity for me to strip naked, soaking my body in a hot spring bath to get rid of the tiredness due to daily morning calls and long distance travelling !

Hokkaido is a shopping haven especially for winter wears, shoes, souvenirs, cosmetics and food like confectionery, candy, dried seafood ie scallops & dried herbal products etc. For your happy & merry shopping, please bring along a stack of big Japanese notes preferably in 5,000 yen denominations - the more the merrier and shop with every opportunity in between meals in shopping streets or arcades !

Towards the end of the tour, I believe most of our group had seen quite a fair bit of Hokkaido tourist attractions; eaten gorgeous Japanese food especially seafood, tempura, miso soup , prime beef etc; having the fun of at least taken an Onsen (hot spring) bath; dreaming, snoring or sleeping soundly in a Japanese Tatami room on a cosy Tatami bed & last but not the least, shopping & shopping till the last pennies !

After the trip, I believe all of our tour members have emerged as winners of this 7 day fabulous Autumn Hokkaido trip organized by Apple Holiday. Indeed, Sapporo makes you smile, Apple makes you smile and we all smile, ever lasting smile after this Hokkaido trip !!! The pictures I posted in this travel blog said a thousand words ! Happy travelling and keep dreaming !

Day 1
KLIA2 (Kuala Lumpur) > Chitose Airport, Hokkaido (23.35>08.10 + 1)