Travel Planning for Hokkaido Marathon 2015
Finally get to quickly do up my Hokkaido Marathon 2015 experience entries before I really forget about it since 2 weeks have passed. It will be in 3 parts and the first entry is to blog on my travel/logistics arrangement.
So, after the race registration was done which is on a first come first serve basis (thankful for no balloting!), air ticket and hotel were booked so that I could have a good location to stay and tour in Sapporo. I was surprised to see a number of Sapporo, Odori and Susukino hotels being snapped up months before the race and it was good that I was able to secure Mecure Sapporo hotel before it was also gone.
Took the promotional rate overseas wifi router with the first day rental waived off from Changi Airport (https://www.changirecommends.com/owifi.aspx) which the router's performance was good, able to last for a full day without a recharge =) Collected the wifi router before flying off and it was a short easy process at Terminal 2. Based on the costs incurred for both the ANA air ticket and hotel stay (6 nights), it was about SGD 2000+ which the ANA air ticket costed SGD 900+ (one round trip of both international and domestic flights) and hotel was about S$1.1k+.
Handphone screenshot of the wifi router pick up location for reference
Low salt in flight meal in ANA from Singapore to Tokyo Haneda Airport (select this option when booking the ticket). Egg white was served with mushroom, sliced tomato and steamed vegetables. A bun was included with fruit slices, Meiji yoghurt and orange juice. For those who had the normal in flight meals, the snack food was a packet of Lays potato chips! (the envy). Not to forget the must drink ANA Original Aromatic Kabosu (香るかぼす) which is Yuzu juice! =D (image credit to alexcj @pixnet)
When I reached Haneda International Airport (t羽田空港) in the early morning 6am+ timing, i had to clear the customs fast and retrieve my luggage to take a transfer domestic flight to New Chitose Airport (新千歳空港) which the flight time was about 90 minutes. Upon reaching New Chitose Airport around Japan time 9:30am, I retrieved my luggage and started to look for the Airport express subway train to Sapporo station with a few stops during the journey. The travel time was about 40 minutes from the Airport station.
The signboard to take the train towards Sapporo station
Upon reaching Sapporo station, it reminds me of Osaka's Namba station but simpler to navigate. Being my first time here, I decided to take the train towards Susukino station to my hotel as compared to walking from Sapporo to Susukino (3 stations length). Reached the hotel around 11am+ succesfully and deposited my luggage in the hotel as the check in time was after 2pm.
Exterior of Mecure Sapporo (decent hotel location which I will recommend though price is on the high side)
Did some area exploring before coming back to the hotel to do my room check in and spent the evening in Sapporo for my first night =)
Tried one of the ramen stall at Ramen Republic in ESTA shopping mall for lunch and I will say it was quite decent!
Miso ramen with char siew and minced meat soup base! Brand name was Jichiro ramen. Drink was wulong tea.
Dinner was at Tanukikoji (狸小路)shopping district at Susukino area which had 7 areas as at September 2015. This was at Miyoshino outlet and ordered the curry pork cutlet which was great tasting!
For the rest of my photos in day 1, they are in this dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n7ycoqkja5w7l0r/AAAm7WOykhSjly81BUvqiQ7ya?dl=0
So, after the race registration was done which is on a first come first serve basis (thankful for no balloting!), air ticket and hotel were booked so that I could have a good location to stay and tour in Sapporo. I was surprised to see a number of Sapporo, Odori and Susukino hotels being snapped up months before the race and it was good that I was able to secure Mecure Sapporo hotel before it was also gone.
Took the promotional rate overseas wifi router with the first day rental waived off from Changi Airport (https://www.changirecommends.com/owifi.aspx) which the router's performance was good, able to last for a full day without a recharge =) Collected the wifi router before flying off and it was a short easy process at Terminal 2. Based on the costs incurred for both the ANA air ticket and hotel stay (6 nights), it was about SGD 2000+ which the ANA air ticket costed SGD 900+ (one round trip of both international and domestic flights) and hotel was about S$1.1k+.
Handphone screenshot of the wifi router pick up location for reference
Low salt in flight meal in ANA from Singapore to Tokyo Haneda Airport (select this option when booking the ticket). Egg white was served with mushroom, sliced tomato and steamed vegetables. A bun was included with fruit slices, Meiji yoghurt and orange juice. For those who had the normal in flight meals, the snack food was a packet of Lays potato chips! (the envy). Not to forget the must drink ANA Original Aromatic Kabosu (香るかぼす) which is Yuzu juice! =D (image credit to alexcj @pixnet)
When I reached Haneda International Airport (t羽田空港) in the early morning 6am+ timing, i had to clear the customs fast and retrieve my luggage to take a transfer domestic flight to New Chitose Airport (新千歳空港) which the flight time was about 90 minutes. Upon reaching New Chitose Airport around Japan time 9:30am, I retrieved my luggage and started to look for the Airport express subway train to Sapporo station with a few stops during the journey. The travel time was about 40 minutes from the Airport station.
The signboard to take the train towards Sapporo station
Upon reaching Sapporo station, it reminds me of Osaka's Namba station but simpler to navigate. Being my first time here, I decided to take the train towards Susukino station to my hotel as compared to walking from Sapporo to Susukino (3 stations length). Reached the hotel around 11am+ succesfully and deposited my luggage in the hotel as the check in time was after 2pm.
Exterior of Mecure Sapporo (decent hotel location which I will recommend though price is on the high side)
Did some area exploring before coming back to the hotel to do my room check in and spent the evening in Sapporo for my first night =)
Tried one of the ramen stall at Ramen Republic in ESTA shopping mall for lunch and I will say it was quite decent!
Miso ramen with char siew and minced meat soup base! Brand name was Jichiro ramen. Drink was wulong tea.
Dinner was at Tanukikoji (狸小路)shopping district at Susukino area which had 7 areas as at September 2015. This was at Miyoshino outlet and ordered the curry pork cutlet which was great tasting!
For the rest of my photos in day 1, they are in this dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n7ycoqkja5w7l0r/AAAm7WOykhSjly81BUvqiQ7ya?dl=0