One of the many reasons we are delighted about the reopening of Japan’s borders is that we can share about one of the finest hotels we have stayed-in in Hokkaido: Hinode Hills Niseko Village. We will always remember the warmth and comfort we got at Hinode Hills. Part of YTL Hotel group, we stayed at Hinode Hills Niseko Village during our very last trip to Hokkaido pre-COVID in December 2019. It was newly opened then and we were among its first guests! Unfortunately, as March … [Read more...]
DIY Nagoya Japan with Kids – Itinerary and Recommendations
We have been to Japan multiple times and have covered the ‘major’ cities, including the three major amusement parks (Click here for our post on our itineraries and experiences to 16 countries including Japan). Legoland Japan, really takes the cake with some seriously good activities. On our last trip, we decided to visit Nagoya before going to Hokkaido, as we wanted to discover a new city other than Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. We were so thrilled to find Autumn blooms at … [Read more...]
DIY Family Travels with Kids – Itineraries | Reviews | Tips
16 Countries from Canada to Cambodia, Japan to USA, Scandinavia to Indonesia, Iceland, Finland, New Zealand, Thailand, (and God-willing many more 'lands'!). Cities include: Bali, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Hokkaido, Kyoto, Osaka, Penang, Queensland, , Reykjavik, Siem Reap, Tokyo. Activities include: Ski lessons in Hokkaido, Self-Drive Iceland, Self-Drive Hokkaido, Farm stays in Taiwan, Northern-lights and Santa Claus Park in Finland. Theme Parks include: Disneyland (Anaheim); Tokyo … [Read more...]
Learn Skiing in Niseko – Journey of a Beginner Skier
“I like Coach Iku…she stayed with me to help me and makes sure that I learn.” Just like that, Buddy, all 5 years old of him, summarized his ski experience at Hanazono as we were having dinner on our final night in Niseko. It’s obvious that this has been on his mind. We enrolled our kids, Buddy and Dana in the children's ski programme at Niseko International Ski School (NISS) in Dec 2019. Our cautious little guy is not as gung-ho as his older sister. As parents, we know that … [Read more...]
Skiing with NISS – Diary of a Ski Girl
When we first started our daughter Dana in skiing 4 years ago in 2015, we had no idea she would come this far. After all, coming from sunny Singapore, our kids only get a chance to ski once a year perhaps (if we can afford a trip to a snowy country that year). However, we were pleasantly surprised. What started out as a recreational activity for our daughter then has turned out to be a sport she has taken to quite seriously. She last skied in Hokkaido two years ago in 2017, where she … [Read more...]
How to Dress Kids for Winter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwzJbrqUiOg&t=21s Thick and big won’t do the trick Believe it or not, I’m not naturally inclined towards winter vacations, in particular trips involving snow due to the sheer amount of ‘logistics’ involved. But once there, when we see so much joy on our kids’ faces, all these inhibitions just melt away. From trial and errors, we realized that wearing copious amount of thick puffy jackets will only add weight to our family’s luggage yet they may not … [Read more...]
Hokkaido Ski Resorts – A Comparison
'Niseko', ‘Rusutsu’ or ‘Tomamu’ Which one? Hokkaido is one of the top Winter destinations for many families. Travellers come from all over the world to experience a white winter filled with ‘Jap Pow’ – the famous fine powder-like snow in Hokkaido. Top among the ski resorts in Hokkaido are Niseko Village, Grand Hirafu, Rusutsu and Tomamu. Since we have many readers writing in to ask which is the ‘best’ place to ski, we have summarized our recommendations of 3 resorts which we've stayed in this … [Read more...]
Rusutsu Resort – Best of Hokkaido, Under One Roof
A Chance Encounter With a 2-Storey Carousel We first stepped into Rusutsu Resort by chance. During our Hokkaido trip in Dec 2016, we took the airport shuttle bus from Niseko en-route back to New Chitose Airport, and it made a quick stop at this resort to pick up passengers. We took the chance to come down and stretch our legs but what greeted us left us awestruck – a two-storey high carousel (free for in-house hotel guests) complete with a warm, inviting, almost Disney-like ambience. I … [Read more...]
Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU with Kids – The Complete VLOGs
Post Alert! Tons of Tips for Families headed to TOMAMU: This is an extension of our first post on our recent unforgettable winter trip to Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU with two lively young kids in early December 2017! When travelling with children, there are so many things we have to pack and prepare. It gets more challenging when you travel in Winter! In order not to forget these precious lessons we’ve learnt from our trip, we compiled them in 5 VLOGs complete with itinerary and tips! 1. … [Read more...]
Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU, Hokkaido 星野リゾート トマム
Hokkaido, Japan boasts one of the world’s best snows in the world! Skiers come from all over the world to experience the pristine ‘Jap Pow – Japanese powder snow every winter. Families too, are drawn to Hokkaido for its amazing scenery and gourmet food. However, not many know that Hokkaido has more to offer than just snow sports. Our recent 4D3N stay at Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU – a popular family resort shows how diverse and memorable a winter vacation in Hokkaido can be. From learning … [Read more...]