Interrupting the Hokkaido group tour review with one on a staycation I just enjoyed at Mandarin Orchard Singapore.

 

 

 

 

I was looking out for a way to celebrate my birthday, when I chanced upon a deal on Facebook.

 

Mandarin Orchard Singapore had just newly refurbished their Premier Rooms, and were offering them at a deal. This was their Facebook post that caught my eye:

 

 

 

 

The 50% discount on the room rate was the real eye-catcher. To be honest, I wasn't too impressed with the remaining details of the deal. In fact, things like free Wi-Fi are getting increasingly common in the hotel industry.

 

But a 50% offer on room rates on a 5-star hotel? Nope, not common at all. And when I checked it out on their website, I was so pleased , I immediately made a room reservation for 3D2N (13 to 15 August).

 

Total cost (including tax) = SGD$399.01

 

Considering that this is a 5-star hotel in the heart of Orchard Road, I thought it was a really awesome deal!

 

 

3 days before I was due to check-in, they sent a pre-arrival update via email. The email came with details of my reservations and also included a link for any arrival instructions I might have had. The welcome email also highlighted their "signature hospitality of Asian Grace, Warmth and Care".

 

Very promising. It's exactly little details like this that tells the guests that they are valued, and those are what make for a truly awesome experience. So, I was indeed looking forward to spending my birthday there.

Plus One for them.

 

 



 

 

Unfortunately, upon arrival, it was a slightly different story.

 

I was a little early reaching the hotel, arriving at about 1:40 pm, even though the email stated that check-in was after 2 pm. Having ended a birthday lunch and with nowhere to go until a movie at 2:40 pm, I decided to try my luck to see if I could check in early.

 

The lobby was at level 5. I managed to find my way to reception and was thankfully, able to check-in. The hotel receptionist though, seemed distracted and hassled. Initially, I enquired about getting the hotel breakfast as I didn't include it when I first made my reservations, and whether I was still entitled to the promotional offer for breakfast. After consulting a colleague (which made me wonder if she was inexperienced), I was politely told to just inform the restaurant my room number. I had to ask again to confirm that the promotional offer was still valid.

 

I definitely had further clarifications, since I had no other details as to where breakfast was served, what time, etc. but I held my tongue. She was definitely polite, but I had the sense that I was giving her trouble with my questions. In fact, she was so quick and distracted with processing my check-in, I felt like I was just part of a production/assembly-line. There was no friendly smile, and none of the "signature hospitality of Asian Grace, Warmth and Care" that had been advertised.

 

In fact, there was very little information and/or conversation provided during check-in. Nothing about the hotel's facilities. In fact, now that I think about it, not even a greeting! I even had to call later to ask for my Wi-Fi password as it was not provided to me at check-in. Eventually, I figured any other questions I had could be directed to the concierge instead, and then I could also see if that advertised hospitality was merely an advertisement.

 

Minus one.

 

I was also informed by the dispassionate receptionist that my room was not yet ready as the previous occupants had checked out late. She requested for my mobile, and shared that once my room was ready, I would receive a text message to alert me. Cool! That way, I could leave my bags and go for my movie first before coming back!

 

Except, I didn't even get to step out of the hotel before my phone buzzed to tell me that my room was ready. I hesitated for a moment before I decided to re-trace my steps back to the level 5 lobby to get my bags and the room keys.

 

I have no idea what system they are using, and perhaps this might be a freak incident of efficiency. However, I did feel a little irritation that I had to go through the hassle of depositing my bags and then coming back for them barely 5 minutes later.

 

The desk clerk/bell boy helping me with my bag though, was the saving grace. He was the first one who demonstrated hospitality; he remembered me and my bag right off, without me having to say much. He also seemed taken aback with the speed at which I came back for my bag, but recovered very quickly and went on to help me with the room keys.

 

 

 

 

Mandarin Orchard Singapore has two towers -  the main tower and the Orchard wing.

I was given a room on the 28th floor in the main tower, overlooking the Takashimaya Shopping Mall. I had no trouble zipping in and out but my friend who joined me later, got lost and actually went up the wrong wing. In fact, I overheard a family of tourists who had also lost their bearings until a hotel staff helped them out. Perhaps some directions might be helpful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was how my Premier Room looked like.

 

I found the room spacious and well-fitted with sleek, contemporary furnishings. I thought it was great that there was a designated work desk and a divan with an accompanying coffee table, and yet still enough walking room that I didn't feel like a clumsy Baymax. The room was pretty bright too, considering I didn't even draw the day curtains when I took the pictures. I later found out that the newly furnished Premier Rooms are located on the higher floors, and offer better views of the surrounding landscape.

 

The room was also clean and comfortable, two very important Cs. I have a very sensitive nose, that reacts too easily to smells and dust. It's not uncommon to hear me falling sick after a bout of dusting or cleaning. In fact, there was an occasion where I got terribly ill for two weeks, just from cleaning and packing up to move office. And another, where I went through a holiday high on sinus meds because my hotel room was shrouded in layers of dust. So by default, my nose usually ends up being my barometer for a room's cleanliness. If at the end of a day, I don't suffer from a runny nose, it usually means the place is clean enough.

 

Mandarin Orchard Singapore passed the nose test with flying colours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bathroom and toilet was immediately to the right as I entered the room. Again, it was clean and spacious. Simple shower, no bath-tub and a sprawling vanity/dressing area with two sinks. More importantly, it was well-stocked; full toilet rolls, thick fluffy towels, ample toiletries and clean robes.

 

Thumbs up for housekeeping!

 

 

 

 

 

In fact, I met the housekeeping staff on my floor on several occasions zipping in and out of my room. They were really friendly and always smiling whenever I met them. I first met the staff when I was hauling my bag trying to find my room. The auntie and uncle there saw me and immediately helped to direct me without me even asking! And the uncle quickly cleared some leftover plates spotted outside my room and apologised for it. The auntie was also very helpful when I asked for extra towels having spilled quite a bit of water and fussed about me not having enough towels for myself after that.

Room service and the concierge also deserved to be mentioned. They were very prompt with my requests. After speaking with the concierge about my queries with regard to the hotel facilities, I requested for wine glasses to be sent up to my room. They arrived within 15 minutes. Amazing efficiency!

And the room service staff who attended to our room was completely unfazed when I asked for help to open a bottle of wine. The cork had broken off and we just couldn't get it out. He tried with the cock-screw but failed as well. Then he took the initiative to ask for permission to bring it to his colleagues for help and left the room with our bottle. Again, within 15 minutes, our wine was returned un-corked AND in a ice-bucket.

 

Finally, the "signature hospitality of Asian Grace, Warmth and Care" that was advertised.

Major plus points.

 

 

 

 

Facility wise, Mandarin Orchard Singapore boosts of an outdoor pool, a tennis court and an indoor gym. I made use of the pool early morning as I noticed that it would get crowded in the afternoons when I was there. It wasn't a big pool, but enough that I could still do laps and get my exercise quota done.

 

I didn't see the gym myself but my friend who checked it out, mentioned that it was adequate with the necessary machines, weights and bosu balls.

 

 

 

 

What I really liked about Mandarin Orchard Singapore was its location in Orchard.

 

Take the hotel lift down and I'm in the middle of Mandarin Gallery.  Orchard Cineleisure is next to it, making it easy to drop by for a movie or two. There's a starbucks right outside too and hence not too troublesome to get my daily dose of caffine. Plus, the hotel is surrounded by shopping malls. Shopping and dining galore!

 

So convenient, I didn't even get to try the hotel's famed restaurants:

Chatterbox - renowned for its chicken rice, and

Shisen Hanten - Szechwan restaurant helmed by third generation Chen Kentaro, son of famed Iron Chef Chen Kenichi.

 

Another check in the plus box.

 

 

 

 

However, I did get my breakfast buffet at Triple Three.

The breakfast buffet selection was quite varied; there was a decent spread of bread and pastries, Western and Asian breakfast items. Taste-wise, it was passable. Nothing impressive.

 

However, what marred the breakfast experience was again the hassled feeling I sensed. Perhaps, the hotel was at peak and there was just too many people. I had the feeling that the staff were overwhelmed and not able to cope. My table was cleared just before I took my seat. Plates, cups and food kept running out and refills took some time. Queues were snaking at some of the more popular food stations, e.g. the omelette station.

 

And staff were so harried and busy, it felt like they were just dumping stuff and people at tables:

*Points* That's your table *scoot off*

(I didn't even have the chance to turn around to confirm the table with the staff)

Here's your cutlery *dump and scoot off*

 

There was no way they were paying attention to details. So they obviously didn't notice the plastic that was still stuck to my cutlery. Neither did the waitress notice the full cup at the next table when she was trying to squeeze past and that resulted in a spill.

 

 

 

 

 

The cashier probably also didn't notice that she had presented differing prices I had asked to check for the promotional breakfast offer. My first bill indicated that it was SGD$28. When she realised that I had requested for the promotional offer, she returned with a second "corrected" bill where the breakfast buffet was priced at more than SGD$30 before the discount.

Extremely slip-shod and distasteful.

 

Check-out was also less than stellar. Assuming that check-in and check-out times would entail peak traffic at the reception, there was only one person manning each counter. Queues formed and I overheard some tourists complaining about not having enough staff, or worrying about being late for their flight. Apart from that, the check-out process was simple enough. Just impersonal.

 

 

Thoughts on the staycation:

 

On the whole, while it was not a completely pleasant experience, I did enjoy my staycation. I had a peaceful time in my room and apart from the restaurant and reception, was made to feel welcomed by the staff. However, with those little less-than-stellar episodes, I would think twice about recommending the hotel to someone else. Particularly since not everyone would get to experience the housekeeping or room service staff, but everyone definitely has to go through the reception. In fact, I would think twice myself if I were to consider another staycation. Unless, of course, it was again set at an unbeatable price offer.

 

 

Hotel Contact Information

 

Mandarin Orchard Singapore

Address: 333 Orchard Road, Singapore 238867

Tel: (65)­ 6737 4411

Fax (65)­ 6732 2361

Website: http://www.meritushotels.com/en/mandarin-orchard-singapore/index.html
Reservations: resvn.orchard@meritushotels.com
General enquiries: orchard@meritushotels.com

Dynasty Travel: 8D6N Colourful Hokkaido Tour, Part 2 of Day 3

Last week's post focused on the Hakodate Morning Market,

which was, in my opinion, the highlight of Day 3.

Today, I'll cover the remainder of Day 3's itinerary

 

 

Dynasty proposed itinerary:

Hakodate Morning Market --> Onuma Park --> Konbu Museum --> Fruit Orchard --> Lake Toya

 

Actual route taken:

Hakodate Morning Market (函館朝市) --> Konbu Museum (北海道昆布館) --> Onuma Park (大沼国定公園) --> Lake Toya (洞爺湖) --> Fruit Orchard (Cherry Picking)

 

 

Right after Hakodate Morning Market,

we were packed off to the Konbu Museum.

I think our tour guide and driver were in a hurry,

as they were trying to get us there in time for the pre-lunch-time show.

 

Upon arrival, we were very quickly ushered into the museum's movie theatre.

The theatre is dome-shaped,

and reminded me of the one at the Science Centre when I visited as a kid,

the kind where you have to lean back in your seats for an immersive experience.

Those of you with motion sickness - beware.

 

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the show at all,

for the simple reason that it was a documentary in Japanese.

I couldn't understand anything at all.

And after the hearty meal at the Hakodate Morning Market,

I got into a food-coma and almost fell asleep at the show.

 

What I do know, was later learnt from a quick stroll through the museum exhibits:

Konbu, or more commonly known as kelp,

is a common ingredient in Japanese cooking.

You can often find it in Japanese broths and stews, and even as garnish for dishes.

It's also mentioned that kelp is high in iodine,

and has pretty good health benefits when consumed.

 

The museum is also connected to a Konbu shop.

I have to say, I was amazed at the amount of stuff that kelp could be made into;

there was kelp tea, kelp candies, kelp condiments, kelp jelly, snacks made from kelp, and so on.

There's even a stall selling kelp soft serve!

What I liked was that there were samples all laid out for customers to try.

This way, you won't regret what you bought!

 

As we were rushed in,

I didn't manage to get any pictures of the place.

And after the show, I was too sleepy to remember to take pictures.

Though, to be honest, I also didn't think the place was really that picture worthy.

 

Lunch was immediately after the Konbu museum,

and once we were done with that ,

we went on our way to Onuma Park.

 

 

 

 

Onuma Park is yet another picturesque park with great photo points.

Lakes dotted with islands, lush green forests and a majestic dormant volcano (Mount Komagatake).

I understand that the islands around the lakes are mostly linked and accessible by foot.

 

Or if you are feeling up for a bout of exercise,

you could also go boating around the lakes.

There's also a boat cruise if you wish to tour the lakes but are too lazy to do the rowing yourself.

Unfortunately, we were explicitly told that we did not have the time for the boat cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

The prettier way to go boating at Onuma Park - just hop onto a swan boat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The waterfront restaurants at Onuma Park are also renowned for their Onuma beef.

Unfortunately, we were not even in sight of any one of those restaurants,

or I would have ordered a beef stew to go.

 

All I can say is, I'm definitely going back on my own one day.

 

 

Lake Toya was a toilet stop en-route to the fruit orchard.

It was such a short stop,

I barely had an impression of it,

especially since it was another lake-and-mountains spot and right after Onuma Park.

 

Actually, wait. I do remember something.

Another crowd of rowdy tourists.

I could barely get a shot without them being in the pictures.

 

 

 

 

Lake Toya is known as an ice-free lake,

which means it never freezes, not even in winter.

This is because the lake is situated near an active volcano, Mt Usu.

I think it would be quite an amazing sight in winter!

 

 

 

 

So, not even half an hour later,

we were again back up on the tour bus,

en-route to a fruit orchard for our fruit-picking session.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once we arrived, we found out that it was cherry season.

In fact, I found out the seasons of various fruits!

 

Very important picture to take!

Then the next time I come back to Hokkaido,

I will know which fruits are in season and the best to eat!

Hahaha! Completely motivated by food!

 

So according to that banner:

Strawberries - June to July,

Cherries - June to July,

Peaches and Plums - August to September,

Grapes - September to October,

Apple and Pears - from September,

 

 

 

 

And I went nuts when I happened to walk past the grapes section.

The farmer was very nice to let me in to take a shot.

 

 

 

 

My first time picking fruits straight off trees to eat.

Well. City-girl here who unfortunately had, until then, never visited a fruit farm before.

I think I probably took more pictures of the cherries than actually going around to eat them.

 

However, cherry picking and eating was not the highlight of this portion of the itinerary.

What stole the show (or more appropriately, the tummy),

was the amazing home-made apple pie sold at the farm.

Seriously one of the best apple pie I had ever eaten in my whole life.

 

In fact, one of the uncles in my tour group was so taken with the apple pie,

he went back and ordered the 3 pieces left on the shelf.

Heh. There were only 7 pieces to begin with,

so you can imagine how glad I was that we managed to snag one!

 

The apple juice there was amazing too!

My parents and I all went back for second and third helpings!

 

Unfortunately, silly me forgot to grab a name card,

and so I now have absolutely no idea where the farm is.

Sigh. I hope I'll find out one day, so that I'll be able to go back for that amazing apple pie...

 

 

Cherry picking was the last item for the day,

and we were then driven to the Rusutsu Resort Hotel.

It was a very long journey to the hotel,

so even though I thought we ended at the farm relatively early (in my opinion),

we reached the hotel in good time for dinner.

 

As the Rusutsu Resort Hotel featured twice in our itinerary,

I will write more about it in a later post. 

 

  

Thoughts from Day 3:

 

The Hakodate Morning Market was definitely the highlight of the day for me.

In fact, I plan on coming back a second time for a more rounded experience,

including getting myself a (very) fresh seafood donburi for breakfast.

Fresh squid is a speciality there, and if you are not squeamish about food,

you should also enquire about the squid-dancing bowl.

 

Those of you who are on a self-drive trip,

the Konbu Museum can be a great pit-stop;

a bit of an attraction, some shopping, water, food and toilet.

Admission is free and you can quickly stroll through the place.

 

For those of you who are park lovers,

I'll strongly recommend Onuma Park.

I was impressed by the beauty,

and there are definite signs that you could do quite a bit to spend time there;

boat rides, cycling, camping, hiking, etc.

This one is also on my list to visit again,

and the next time round, I must have my Onuma beef.

 

Lake Toya.

Huh. What? Did I get there?

Oh I did.

Never-mind. I'll go again next round and see if I can do more than just take 5 pictures.

However, given that it really is just a lake,

perhaps it would also be smart to check out nearby attractions and/or hotels for a better experience.

 

 

Tourist Information:

 

Hakodate Morning Market --> See previous post

 

Konbu Museum

Address: 32-1 Tōgeshita, Nanae-chō, Kameda-gun, Hokkaidō 041-1102, Japan

Operating hours: 9 am to 5 pm daily

Admission, including the theatre, is free!

 

Onuma Park

Website: http://www.onuma-guide.com/ (it's in Japanese though)

Address: 85-15 Onuma-cho, Nanae-cho, Kameda-gun, Hokkaido

I understand its less than 5 minutes walk from JR Onuma Koen Station

Operating hours: 8:30 am - 6:00 pm (April to November),

and 8:30 am - 5:30 pm (December to March)

 

Dynasty Travel: 8D6N Colourful Hokkaido Tour, Day 3 (Part 1) Hakodate Morning Market

Day 3, Hakodate (函館) to Lake Toya (洞爺湖)

 

When you join group tours,

it is not uncommon to hear of itinerary changes.

An experienced tour guide would occasionally re-arrange the sequence of some of the attractions that had been listed in the itinerary given to you by the tour agency you signed up with.

This is oftentimes to accommodate for better routes, better timings or to avoid something such as peak hour traffic, etc.

 

As part of a tour,

I feel we should not be too rigid about them making such changes.

Leave it to your tour guide, tour leader and driver.

After all, they should know better than you.
Ok. Usually they do.

 

However, as a general courtesy,
I do believe that the tour guide/leader should at least alert their paying customers if there are to be changes.
Also, as paying customers,

you should instead note that they do not short-change you on the attractions that you had been promised.

I've heard and read of stories where tour groups had some attractions on the itinerary cut out,
so you might want to be a bit more alert about that.

Unless of course, there is a very valid reason.
 

 

Our tour guide Ms Reikko had already informed us on the first day that there would be changes to the itinerary.
Day 3 marked the first changes we had to the itinerary:
 

Dynasty proposed itinerary:

Hakodate Morning Market --> Onuma Park --> Konbu Museum --> Fruit Orchard --> Lake Toya

 

Actual route taken:
 

Hakodate Morning Market (函館朝市) --> Konbu Museum (北海道昆布館) --> Onuma Park (大沼国定公園) --> Lake Toya (洞爺湖) --> Fruit Orchard (Cherry Picking)

 

My parents and I had a very good night's rest at our hotel.
I'm sure the exhaustion from the earlier flight in played a huge part.
Unfortunately, we were told to assemble at 7:30 am in the morning,
and I had to be dragged out of bed.

Heh. As a result, I forgot to get pictures of my morning breakfast at the hotel.
Not that you missed much,
I didn't eat a lot (although I still went for the yummy ikura with rice),
mainly because I was excited about our first stop of the day:
The Hakodate Morning Market!

 

 

 

The first interesting photo for the day!

This sea gull greeted us when we alighted from our tour bus,

and it was still there when we returned.

Love how it seemed so completely unfazed by all our oohing and ahhhing.

Kawaii!

 

 

 

 

Where possible, I love visiting markets and/or supermarkets when I'm overseas.

I'm a foodie, and I simply love checking out local fresh produce.

Prior the trip, I had already found out that there was a lot of seafood to be had!

 

I didn't get my donburi (seafood rice bowl) nor did I have much time to fully explore the place,

but I still left the market with a full stomach.

 

 

 

 

Melons!

If you ever head to Hokkaido during melon season,

you have to MAKE SURE you have them.

 

At Hakodate Morning Market,

you can find slices of these really sweet and yummy melons on sale.

Prices of each slice ranged from 100 to 300 yen.

All I can say is you pay for what you get,

the 100 yen ones are yummy,

but the 300 yens are super-duper awesome.

 

 

 

 

It so happened that again, we met with students at the market.

Ms Reikko explained to us that the students were there as part of their learning journey to experience different aspects of life.

The students were sent off to various shops to help out as part of their learning!

I've heard a lot about how the Japanese value character building in their education,

and I think it is a privilege to see it happening with my own eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

All over Hakodate Morning you can find loads and loads of fresh seafood.

The hawkers were very nice,

they not only let me take pictures,

they also tried to offer their explanations of their wares and one even passed me a crab leg to sample!

 

And those crabs?

They're seriously huge-ass.

They're even bigger than my palm,

some bigger than both my palms put together!

 

 

 

 

At Hakodate Morning Market,

you can also purchase dried seafood to bring home.

My family and I are enjoying the packets of dried scallops we bought home,

they're super sweet and I love it when my mom boils soups with them.

 

 

 

 

At one end of the main street at Hakodate Morning Market,

you can also purchase a packet of dried squid snack (see pic above) to accompany you on your journey.

We finished one packet in our hotel room just 2 days later,

and bought another packet home.

That one didn't last too long either.

 

This probably doesn't make much sense,

I mean, how can dried squid be fresh,

but seriously, it was the freshest dried squid I've ever tasted.

It was so sweet and I could still taste the sea in it!

 

 

 

 

I mentioned earlier that I left with a full stomach right?

This was one of the stalls where I had my fill of fresh and grilled seafood,

including abalone, prawn, crab legs and...

 

 

 

 

Uni!

Fresh yummy uni! Cracked right open in front of me!

Absolutely delicious! Yums!

I'm drooling just thinking of it right now.

 

 

 

 

This was another stall where we had more grilled scallops and abalone (see pics below).

 

 

 

 

 

Simply awesome.

I was so glad I didn't eat much earlier at breakfast,

otherwise I doubt I would have filled my tummy with so much fresh, yummy seafood.

 

So if you ever visit Hakodate Morning Market,

make sure you have your breakfast at the market itself!

I'm pretty sure with such fresh seafood around,

you can get a great bowl of seafood donburi!

 

 

Tourist Information:

 

Hakodate Morning Market

Opening Hours: 6 am to noon (January to April),

and 5 am to noon (May to December)

I'm told that its only less than 5 minutes to the nearest JR Hakodate Station.

Bring cash along, I hardly see much credit card machines around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dynasty Travel: 8D6N Colourful Hokkaido Tour, Part 2 of Day 2

I've already covered Fort Goryokaku in last week's post.
Today, I'll share about the rest of Day 2 in Hakodate.

 

Day 2, Hakodate (函館): Fort Goryokaku ( 五稜郭) --> Motomachi District (元町地区) --> Mt. Hakodate (函館山)

 

 Motomachi District was a short ride from Fort Goryokaku,
and pretty soon, we were disembarking again from the tour bus.

 

 

 

Hakodate was one of the first Japanese ports opened to foreign trade,

and I was told that many foreigners settled in the Motomachi District.

Motomachi District hence acquired this interesting fusion of Western-influenced Japanese architectural  streetscape.

 

Add in the sloping streets and scenic port views from some of these slopes,

and you'll really have the makings of some really pretty pictures/memories to bring home.

 

 

Picture above depicts the remnants of a Western-style Samurai abode.

I was told that the windows were reinforced with metal to defend against enemy attacks.

Unfortunately, only this part of the building now remains,

it is not open to the public

and the city is trying to preserve it.

 

 

The Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward.

An ornate pale blue and yellow mansion that looked impressive and regal from the outside.

It is a notable historic landmark in the area near the top of a slope.

The Hall had also hosted members of the Japanese Imperial family.

The Hall is now open to tours,

although I believe you have to pay an entrance fee to get in.

Unfortunately, again, we did not have the luxury of time,

and could only stand outside for quick shots.

 

 

The road from the Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward to the Hachiman-Zaka Slope will lead you past several churches, including the Roman Catholic Church (pic above).

The Russian Orthodox Church is next to the Roman Catholic Church.

However, I could not get decent pictures

as there was a rowdy horde of Chinese tourists blocking the entire entrance.

 

 

 

 

That same route from the Old Public Hall of Hakodate Ward to the Hachiman-Zaka Slope

is also lined with stalls selling soft serve cones!

The soft serve comes in interesting flavours as well,

like melon, squid ink and miso!

Or if you could stick to the safe and ever-good Hokkaido milk flavour.

 

I was still high on the melons I had from Fort Goryokaku,

and so continued on the melon streak and ordered a melon soft serve for myself.

Amazingly good.

 

Be sure to grab one to accompany you on your leisurely stroll!

 

 

 

 

One aspect that captivated me was the fact that Motomachi District is a current residential area.

It felt like I was going house-viewing,

and I enjoyed appreciating all the lovely home designs and décor that were on display.

There were many photos that I did not dare take,

even as I longed to capture them on camera.

I was worried that they would consider it rude to take unsolicited shots of their homes.

 

That being said,

I actually wondered why some of them would choose to reside in a tourist zone.

Given the rowdy crowds I saw that day,

I imagine it won't be really peaceful at all.

 

 

The lovely port view from the top of the Hachiman-Zaka Slope.

 

I braved the onslaught of traffic for this shot,

but I honestly think that the locals there are used to the tourists doing so.

The drivers were the most patient bunch I've ever met,

and graciously let us take our photos before driving past.

Not a single horn was sounded!

 

 

 

Our stroll ended at Perry's Square.

Another slice of the local life,

and amazing views of the port.
 



 

 

Once we were done at Motomachi District,

we were brought to our hotel to freshen up and for dinner.

Our tour guide was concerned that we would miss dinner if we headed off to Mt Hakodate first.

 

A pretty good move too.

My parents and I were already exhausted from the lack of sleep on the flight,

and we were not the only ones in the tour group.

The hotel stop really helped to perk us up a little.

 

 

Our very first meal provided by the tour at Hotel Kahantei.

The ebi tempura was already cold by the time we got there,

but the ikura (fish eggs) rice bowl was good.

Even my mom who's not a fan of ikura changed her mind about fish eggs and enjoyed it.

 

Also, our very first taste of crabs.

What you see in the picture is the Hairy Crab.

It's not very meaty but the meat and roe were sweet and succulent.

I love my crabs but this one ain't really my favourite.

I'll get around to the best (in my opinion) in later posts.

 

 

Once we were done with dinner,

we hopped back on the tour bus and headed up Mt Hakodate.

 

Mt Hakodate is listed as one of the Top 3 Best Night Views in the world,

with the other 2 being Hong Kong (The Peak) and Naples.

I'm fortunate enough to have been to The Peak twice already,

and now only have Naples left on that list.

 

I have to say, I LOVE the night view.

I actually sat at the observatory for a good 30 minutes,

just appreciating the night scenery.

 

I also have to agree with mom on this,

between The Peak and Mt Hakodate,

I prefer the night view at Mt Hakodate.

The Peak presents a night scene that appears pulsating and more vibrant,

reminiscent of Hong Kong's pace of life.

Mt Hakodate however, seems softer and more romantic or peaceful.



 

Unfortunately, I could not get to the best vantage point to grab shots.

In fact, this was the best position I had in the biting cold wind.

It so happened that there were hordes of Japanese school students on excursion then,

and that added on to the already tourist packed crowd.

Plus, this group of savvy photographers who set up business taking class photos and tourist photos.

They had the best position but refused to let me even grab one quick shot.

Yes, and the wind was biting cold.

My dad and I enjoyed it but mom was freezing.

So those of you who are afraid of the cold,

my advice is to wear something thicker and to bring along a windbreaker.

(It's really more the wind that will kill you)

You might want to watch out for your camera too,

in case it gets those blurry spots on the lens.

 

 

We then queued for almost an hour to take the ropeway down.

Thank goodness the car was huge,

and could accommodate the crowds.

Even then, it felt like I was in a bird-cage with all the chirping and screaming school kids.

So while I did enjoy the view on the way down,

I was also very relieved to get out.

 

I believe on normal days,

the ropeway would be an awesome way to get up Mt Hakodate and worth every penny.

 

Tip for those of you taking the ropeway:

If you're going up Mt Hakodate,

face the back of the car, and to your right for the best view.

So if you're coming down,

it would be the front of the car.

 

 

By the time we got back to our hotel,

we were dead beat and I was entertaining the beginnings of a headache from the lack of sleep and the screaming kids.

So I was most pleased to see that they had already laid out our futons and duvets on the tatami mats.

 

Our room at Hotel Kahantei was small, clean and basic.

In fact, it was so basic, our very first allocated room had no bathroom attached.

 

We later understood that the hotel was frequented by locals.

In fact, I think we were the only foreign tour group there then.

Every other guest I saw were Japanese!,

Also, Hotel Kahantei branded itself as an onsen hotel,

so most locals would take their baths at the onsens.

 

Unfortunately, this was not an option for us,

and we requested for a change of rooms.

So if you're interested in this hotel,

you might want to make a note of it when making your reservations.

 

Otherwise, this was the typical traditional Japanese tatami room.

I always had trouble with the small-sized Japanese rooms,

so it was amazing that for once, I didn't hit myself in the small, cramped bathroom.

 

And to give you an idea of how small that bathroom was:

The bath tub/shower sits on one side of the room,

and the towel racks on the opposite side.

It was effortless for me to stretch across the room after shower for my towel,

and that's stretching across the toilet and sink as well.

 

That said, I was otherwise quite pleased with the room,

and fell dead asleep very quickly.

 

 

Thoughts from Day 2:

 

Fort Goryokaku is what I consider a "hit-and-miss".

It's one of those attractions that you might want to consider going if:

a) there is additional spare time to be had, or

b) if the "season" is right for it, e.g. during hamani or cherry-blossom viewing

 

However, if you do get to Fort Goryokaku,

I do hope you'll get to the Observatory Tower for the bird's eye view.

Drop by the Lucky Perriot for a meal too.

 

I strongly recommend Motomachi District and Mt Hakodate on the itinerary.

In fact, both are close enough to each other that you can do them on the same day.

 

In addition, you should also consider getting to the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses along the Hakodate Bay Area.

In fact, I was sore that we did not get to the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses in the tour.

That would be a haven of shopping for curios,

enjoying the food at the various restaurants

and having a sip at the famous Hakodate Beer Hall.

 

 

Tourist Information:

 

Motomachi District

Go to this link and download the Hakodate City Walking Map.

It details a really good route to take through the various landmarks in Motomachi District,

the Kanemori Red Brick Warehouses and all the way to the Mt Hakodate Ropeway.

 

 

Mt Hakodate Ropeway

Website: http://www.334.co.jp/eng/

Operating Hours: 10am to 10 pm (25 April – 15 October),

and 10 am to 9 pm (16 October to 24 April)

The car departs every 10 minutes.

Fares: Adult fare is 660 yen for one-way and 1,200 yen for a round trip.

Child fare would be 330 yen for one-way and 600 yen for a round trip.

Do note that if you have at least 15 persons,

you can enquire about the group rates.

 

 

Hotel Kahantei

Local name:  ホテル河畔亭

Address: 2-5-23 Yunokawacho, Hakodate 042-0932, Hokkaido

Local address: 〒042-0932湯川町2-5-23

I couldn't get a hotel website,

but you can google and book the hotel through various third-party sites.