- NISEKO 2014/15 -
Sent a quote out to Statravel, they found me flights for about $1200 return thru Cathay Pacific.
Fly in on the 31st Jan leave 3rd March. Melb - Hong Kong - Sapporro. - 14hr layover.. Be good to check out Hong Kong, so not too devo about it.
Return is Tokyo - Hong Kong - Melb 5hr layover.Really, my plans is to do Niseko for 3weeks then head down thru Japan and check it out, hit Hakuba a few days or a week.
Have mates in Niseko and Hakuba, so thought I might as well do both. hahaha. Greeeddy. All depends on cash really.As for spending. Im a big spender.. haha Im a chef, so super keen to check out their food. Want to experience Japan I guess.
$100 a day isnt bad tho?! I was expecting to take over 10k for a month after paying for flights?Lift tickets prices? Just checked out http://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/lift/ and its saying 4800yen, being around $50? a day?
Wheres good to stay?! and what should I be paying for accom? Backpackers? Can do it cheap, just need good sleep for the fresh stuff when it hits! Or are lodges fairly priced there?
Im also travelling alone! haha first OS trip! YeewwwwIv also been looking at this camp Twelve are running.
http://www.twelveboardstore.com.au/news/niseko-backcountry-tour-go-snowboarding-in-japan
Thoughts? Iv got a guy calling me about it for prices and what not as I’ll already be over there.
Or should I just look for something similar while im there?
Me and the Boss did a month in Japan at the same exchange rate as it is now, and all up we spent $20K!!!!!
That included flights, Accomo, food, drink, everything!!!!!
And we stayed in 5 star, and ate wherever we wanted too!!!!!
We did Niseko, Tokyo, Nozawa, Kyoto!!!!!
You’ll live like a King on $10K!!!!!
The Mint Tours Crew have been doin tours for a while now, so you’ll be in good hands!!!!!
Also check out Black Diamond as they do some pretty good tours!!!!!
Faaarrrrkkkk Kamimura is booked out until 5 Jan :(
Sent a quote out to Statravel, they found me flights for about $1200 return thru Cathay Pacific.
Fly in on the 31st Jan leave 3rd March. Melb - Hong Kong - Sapporro. - 14hr layover.. Be good to check out Hong Kong, so not too devo about it.
Return is Tokyo - Hong Kong - Melb 5hr layover.Really, my plans is to do Niseko for 3weeks then head down thru Japan and check it out, hit Hakuba a few days or a week.
Have mates in Niseko and Hakuba, so thought I might as well do both. hahaha. Greeeddy. All depends on cash really.As for spending. Im a big spender.. haha Im a chef, so super keen to check out their food. Want to experience Japan I guess.
$100 a day isnt bad tho?! I was expecting to take over 10k for a month after paying for flights?Lift tickets prices? Just checked out http://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/lift/ and its saying 4800yen, being around $50? a day?
Wheres good to stay?! and what should I be paying for accom? Backpackers? Can do it cheap, just need good sleep for the fresh stuff when it hits! Or are lodges fairly priced there?
Im also travelling alone! haha first OS trip! YeewwwwIv also been looking at this camp Twelve are running.
http://www.twelveboardstore.com.au/news/niseko-backcountry-tour-go-snowboarding-in-japan
Thoughts? Iv got a guy calling me about it for prices and what not as I’ll already be over there.
Or should I just look for something similar while im there?Me and the Boss did a month in Japan at the same exchange rate as it is now, and all up we spent $20K!!!!!
That included flights, Accomo, food, drink, everything!!!!!
And we stayed in 5 star, and ate wherever we wanted too!!!!!
We did Niseko, Tokyo, Nozawa, Kyoto!!!!!
You’ll live like a King on $10K!!!!!
The Mint Tours Crew have been doin tours for a while now, so you’ll be in good hands!!!!!
Also check out Black Diamond as they do some pretty good tours!!!!!
20k each, or combined spendings?
This is good news either way. Looks like I’ll be spending a few hours in Hong Kong, so will hopefully have some coin left when on the way home! haha
Spoke with the guys from Twelve, he said considering i’ll already be there before the camp starts, they’ll b able to do a better deal and hopefully be able to sort me out a decent cheaper bed for my stay. stookeed..
Considering making a booking now with Kamimura. Looks pretty nice!
I’ve sent them an email to see if there’s not 2 seats hiding there somewhere for the 30th…. You’d think I’d have learnt from last year. Couldn’t get in for Anniversary, couldn’t get in for New Year….in fact first date I COULD get in hubby and son #3 had already left…I ended up taking #1, #2, #4 and two of #2’s mates.
I’ve been a couple times.
It’s very nice.
The wine pairing is great, but I’m not a fan of red wine - gives me migraines - but if you drank them all you’d be rolling out.
There’s a beautiful crisp Hokkaido white that’s harvested while the grapes are still frozen - this is my favourite!
All I know is that I usually allow for around $100 AUD a day and usually come home with more than half…. so you can do the math!
Agreed!
Sent a quote out to Statravel, they found me flights for about $1200 return thru Cathay Pacific.
Fly in on the 31st Jan leave 3rd March. Melb - Hong Kong - Sapporro. - 14hr layover.. Be good to check out Hong Kong, so not too devo about it.
Return is Tokyo - Hong Kong - Melb 5hr layover.Really, my plans is to do Niseko for 3weeks then head down thru Japan and check it out, hit Hakuba a few days or a week.
Have mates in Niseko and Hakuba, so thought I might as well do both. hahaha. Greeeddy. All depends on cash really.As for spending. Im a big spender.. haha Im a chef, so super keen to check out their food. Want to experience Japan I guess.
$100 a day isnt bad tho?! I was expecting to take over 10k for a month after paying for flights?Lift tickets prices? Just checked out http://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/lift/ and its saying 4800yen, being around $50? a day?
Wheres good to stay?! and what should I be paying for accom? Backpackers? Can do it cheap, just need good sleep for the fresh stuff when it hits! Or are lodges fairly priced there?
Im also travelling alone! haha first OS trip! YeewwwwIv also been looking at this camp Twelve are running.
http://www.twelveboardstore.com.au/news/niseko-backcountry-tour-go-snowboarding-in-japan
Thoughts? Iv got a guy calling me about it for prices and what not as I’ll already be over there.
Or should I just look for something similar while im there?Me and the Boss did a month in Japan at the same exchange rate as it is now, and all up we spent $20K!!!!!
That included flights, Accomo, food, drink, everything!!!!!
And we stayed in 5 star, and ate wherever we wanted too!!!!!
We did Niseko, Tokyo, Nozawa, Kyoto!!!!!
You’ll live like a King on $10K!!!!!
The Mint Tours Crew have been doin tours for a while now, so you’ll be in good hands!!!!!
Also check out Black Diamond as they do some pretty good tours!!!!!
20k each, or combined spendings?
This is good news either way. Looks like I’ll be spending a few hours in Hong Kong, so will hopefully have some coin left when on the way home! hahaSpoke with the guys from Twelve, he said considering i’ll already be there before the camp starts, they’ll b able to do a better deal and hopefully be able to sort me out a decent cheaper bed for my stay. stookeed..
Considering making a booking now with Kamimura. Looks pretty nice!
20K in total for the two of us!!!!! And that includes everything from the time we left home, till the time we got back!!!!!
We stayed at the Hilton in Tokyo, Granvia in Kyoto, a Ryokan in Nozawa, and a pretty rad apartment in Niseko, reserved seats on the Shinks, ate Chinese in Tokyo where each dish started at around ¥100,00, and generally did, ate, drank, whatever we wanted the whole trip!!!!!
If you’ve got 10K for yaself, you are gonna have a ball!!!!!
Sounds like it would of been a mad holiday!!
Makes me want to take me so I can splurge on everything hahaha.
Thinking highly of doing this Mint Tours camp. 10nights accom, lift passes, back country guides, back country hire gear. all for $2500. Havnt spoken to the bloke number two yet, but that should come eventually.
I am frothing for it!
Anything gear wise I should take that I wouldnt think of?
Biggest thing worrying me at the moment is my boots, they have pretty much fallen apart, can glue them together.
Should I buy newies before I go?
Buy new ones!!!!! The snow is light and dry, but if it works it’s way into ya boot and melts, it’s gonna get cold!!!!!
Plus there’s bugger all shops in Niseko to buy boots, and even in Tokyo you might find their boots will be majority “Asian fit”, which are wider!!!!!
Get Google Translate App, Hyperdia App (but don’t open this one till you get there as its free for a month) Transport Timetables with costs etc, Organise a data sim from B Mobile and get it delivered to your accommodation or the airport, book a bus from Chitose to Niseko (unless Mint organise this for ya), get another credit/debit card as funds, cause ATM’s are the go as Japan likes Cash!!!!! (And remember most ATMs will be at Post Offices or Banks so they close outside of operating hours!!!!!)
Ohhh, and learn some basic Japanese words and phrases as they’ll get you some great responses!!!!!
What he said! I’d definitely get new boots before you go…. not heaps of places to get new boots. Rhythm maybe in Hirafu… Takiguchi Sports in Kutchan is good if you’re a skier, but that doesn’t help us! 
There’s a board shop across the road from that but not much selection…
Speaking of Kutchan, I’d definitely get the night-go bus there from Hirafu a few times to grab dinner etc. It’s an ugly city, but there’s some awesome food and weird Japanese stuff to be found! You can get a bus timetable from the from the Welcome Center! (centre I know)... It’s around 1000 yen return from memory…. stop by Max Valu in Kutchan too to stock up on food etc! The night-go bus has a stop there. There are day buses too, but you’ll be riding - of course! 
Get your behind into an Onsen too, I’m spewing I didn’t get to one this year! Looking forward to it…
Yep definitely go to Kutchan!!!!! I think I actually like Kutchan better than Hirafu Village now!!!!! 
The night go bus is free if you have a lift ticket, but it doesn’t run till late, although there’s plenty of Taxi’s that’ll run ya back as cheap as!!!!!
We go down further into town and buy supplies from Co-Op (next to the Train Station, and has a Bus Shelter and Taxi Rank right next to it, with the Info Center about 100m up the road)
Not sure on price difference, but Co-Op is cheap as, and sooooo many goodies!!!!!
Go have Yakitori at Torimatsu!!!!!
Me and the Boss at Torimatsu!!!!!
Me like a Boss in Co-Op, with 4 litres of whiskey for $38!!!!!
Definitely get your boots here.
I went bootless one year and had to ‘settle’ for a less than perfect pair.
You do not want cold feet.
It’s a battle to keep them from getting icicle-like even without leaks.
Cash is king.
There’s a cool little travel safe if you think you’ll need it (you won’t with the Japanese but maybe if you’re sharing accommodation with dodgy westerners) - I got one for my son for 3 months at Owashi. He attached it to the underside of his bed. Secure, out of sight, and great place for a messy young man to stash his passport, cards etc, as well as spare cash.
Yeah, everyone goes to the Co-Op !!! 
MAN I didn’t know about the free night go bus ticket with a lift pass! Ripped off! 
NOICE photos Miz! I think we should start posting more photos here! I’ll go find some!
Can you tell I’m procrastinating?
Who needs a freezer?
Wall of shame….
What it’s all about:
And my most favourite…. *drumroll*
+1 for co-op and a taxi back
Niseko pic’s - bring it on!