Travel: Trip to Sapporo-Otaru-Hakodate-Onuma, 17-27 Apr 2016 (Part 1 - The Cost, Flights & Hotel)

I have to say that our honeymoon in Hokkaido was one that's truly enjoyable & worth sharing :) In fact, it's one rare trip that we actually spent without holding back much, yet at the end of the day find out that we didn't spend THAT much after all!

Inclusive of flights, accommodation for 9 nights, food, snacks, transportation & souvenirs, we spent a 'lil more than RM5k per person for this trip (it's an 11 days 9 nights trip) :) It's pretty good, I've to say, considering we didn't go with some tour package that provides group discounts & all, but did up a rough plan on our own & just enjoyed our vacation at the pace that we desired! Tour packages for that duration comes up to more than RM8k per person & you may not get to experience certain things that only non-tour-package travelers get to experience ;)

How did we managed to get such a good deal, you may wonder? We actually booked our flights + accommodation via AirAsiaGo.com! I was considering between Air Asia & ANA as both the prices are comparable (inclusive of the add-ons/services provided). I ended up choosing Air Asia over ANA as the former is a direct flight into Sapporo while ANA has a 3-hour transit at Tokyo. I know that ANA would be more comfortable, but frankly speaking, I don't fancy the hassle of transits & so does my hubs.

Right on, let's begin with the flights!

Total cost: RM3344.16 for 2 pax (RM1672.08/person)
Flight name: Air Asia
Inclusive: 
Return air fare
Airport taxes
KLIA2 fees
GST
Processing fee
Air Asia Travel Protection/Insurance
Seat Reservation
Checked Baggage 20kg (both ways)
1 x Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak (return trip)
1 x Uncle Chin's Chicken Rice (return trip)

As it was our honeymoon, I did some "extensive" research & went ahead with booking Tokyo Dome Hotel Sapporo as it's a 4-star hotel (according to Agoda.com) & from its website, it actually looks quite nice. Reviews were also good compared to the many other hotels within its league, plus it was one of the nearest hotels to the subway station, which to me is EXTREMELY important.

Total cost: RM1683.50 for 9 nights/ 2 pax (RM187.06/night/2 pax)
Hotel: Tokyo Dome Hotel Sapporo
8, Odori-Nishi, Chuo-Ku
Sapporo, Hokkaido
060-0042 Japan.
Tel: (+81)(11) 2610111
Note: Opposite the well-known Odori Park at the heart of Sapporo city, Hokkaido

We were given a superior double room on the 11th floor (non-smoking) of this 14 floors hotel. The interior of the hotel was actually really pretty, neat & clean - kinda "Christmasy" looking as it had fairy lights alll around :)

The hotel

Photo taken from: www.hakonavi.com

Odori Park opposite our hotel during day 1 of our trip

It was drizzling on that day & the temperature was still very cold for 'spring'; it felt more like end winter. The trees were still barren, the sky was still slightly gloomy, but the cool weather was just terrific for both of us since Malaysia was SO hot!

Our Room

Yup, it's small! From what my friends have shared, most hotel rooms in Japan are considerably small, but at the very least, they're all clean, tidy & comfortable. 

How our room looked like

We only had a double bed, which thank goodness fit both of us well enough, considering we're not the smallest size of couples *lol* All the basic amenities like the electric kettle jug, mini fridge, flat screen television & a safe box were available. 

The view

Unfortunately, it slipped my mind to indicate in my booking that we would prefer the Odori Park view from our window, so our room was facing the back of the hotel, where all the buildings & a small shrine was at sight. 

Feels like living in a 'cold room' of sort... 

The bathroom

 Yeah, no brownie points for guessing how small the bathroom would be, but it was cozy enough for the many nights that we stayed at the hotel. The shampoo, conditioner & shower gel were REALLY nice to use as well (smells good & doesn't cause the hair to feel dry) & you get your daily supply of toothbrush, shaver, comb, shower cap & towels.

The toilet bowl seat was also heated, so it was VERY comforting to just sit on it for your 'me time' :P 

We were quite pleased with our hotel for the 9 nights stay. It may not be as spacious, but hey, for the price we paid for the package, I think it's TRULY worth every penny! No complaints, really.

Up next, I'll take you on a virtual journey with me to the food & places of interests that we visited :D Stay tuned!


We miss Hokkaido,