Adventure in Hokkaido (Day 4 and beyond): Otaru and Noboribetsu

Hello!

As finals week is now approaching for the students at Sophia University I thought it was time to wrap up the Hokkaido series. Otaru and Noboribetsu are two places that I would highly recommend checking out if you come and visit Hokkaido. Otaru, is known for its aquarium and Otaru Canal. I did not have time for experiencing but I do recommend the canal ride at night. At night, the bridge and walls that surround the canal light up giving you a pretty sight, and if you time it right you may be able to catch a bit of sunset (which we could not do since it was about 5). This costed between 10 and 15 USD. Also, since Otaru is a relatively small town if you want KFC on Christmas you have a high chance of getting it here. 

Next, is Noboribetsu. If you want to go to an onsen and stay at a ryokan this is the town to be in.  For those that do not know, a ryokan is a Japanese style hotel room with tatami mat and everything. Plus, at least with these, you had access to their onsen. In my opinion you only need one night in this town since there are only a few places to visit that you may be able to do in a day. My friends and I were only able to go to Hell Valley, but that was enough for a day trip. To get to Noboribetsu you will need to take a bus which can be a bit confusing if you do not know where to go. When you take a bus from Sapporo to Noboribetsu area you will be dropped off a bit away from the main station, but there are signs to help you get there. For our ryokan it cost about 80 USD for one night, and it included a buffet-style dinner and breakfast which I thought was worth it.

That concludes the Hokkaido series. These are two places and activities I recommend in Hokkaido, and I hope it was helpful.

See you next time!