Refer to below links for more Hokkaido summer trip blogs:
1. Our Pre Wedding Photoshooting Memories: Pre Wedding Photoshooting Blog
2. Executive Summary: Executive Summary Blog
2. Executive Summary: Executive Summary Blog
3. Day 1 & 2 (Furano): Day 1&2 (Furano) Blog
4. Day 3 (Furano & Biei): Day 3 (Furano & Biei) Blog
5. Day 4 (Otaru & Sapporo): Day 4 (Otaru & Sapporo) Blog
6. Day 5 (Hakodate): Day 5 (Hakodate) Blog
7. Day 6 (Lake Toya & Noribetsu): Day 6 (Lake Toya & Noribetsu) Blog
8. Day 7 & 8 (Noribetsu & Otaru & Airport): Day 7 & 8 (Noribetsu & Otaru & Airport) Blog
7. Day 6 (Lake Toya & Noribetsu): Day 6 (Lake Toya & Noribetsu) Blog
8. Day 7 & 8 (Noribetsu & Otaru & Airport): Day 7 & 8 (Noribetsu & Otaru & Airport) Blog
9. Top Foods in Hokkaido: Top Foods in Hokkaido Blog
10. Top Dessert in Hokkaido: Top Dessert in Hokkaido
Itinerary Summary:
Day 3 (Furano/ Biei):
Haystack Biei → Roller Coaster Road → Mild Seven Hill → Zerebu Hill → Blue Pond Biei → Shikisai No Oka → Hinode Park → Ningle Terrace
It is the 1st day of our pre wedding photoshoot in Hokkaido! The theme today is flowers as end of July is the flowers season in Hokkaido, especially the lavenders which only bloom 2 weeks per year, starting from mid July to end July. So we start our self drive journey in Furano and Biei area. Biei is the place which gets the name of most beautiful village in Hokkaido, as it boasts scenic landscape and relaxing countryside style which everyone is looking forward to. The weather is super hot on the day, it tends to get cloudy at a point of time, but glad that it does not raining. All of us including the photographer and make up artist have sunburn.. Summer in Hokkaido, especially in Furano and Biei area which there are no tall buildings to block the sun, the sun directly shines on the land and everyone just couldn't stop complain the summer heat 😅. As today will be nature and flower field day, we have arranged the itineraries to envelop the places of interest. However, not all are recommended to go. Scroll below to learn more. (Note: based on personal preference)
Haystack Biei
Map Code: 349 636 064*88 (Note: It actually is map code for Roller Coaster Road, we use this map code and on the way able to see haystacks)
Operating Hours: 24 hours
Average Time Spent: 0.5 hours
Highlights: Haystack, pretty scenery, countryside
Suits: Nature lovers
Personal Star Rating: ★★★ (Worth to Visit)
Description & Tips:
👉 The special thing about Hokkaido in summer is you get to see not only green lands, but you can see the yellow haystack as well which they have just harvested!
👉 The lands in countryside of Biei are very wide and the drive is a bit like Great Ocean Road Melbourne, in which you can feast your eyes well with awesome and stunning nature photos!
👉 There are many rolling hills in Hokkaido and once glance, you can see different colors well mixed together which makes the sight is interesting and not dull to view.
👉 Haystack in Biei can be found anywhere when you driving and normally at the end of the day, the haystack will be cleared away. We pass by the same place around evening time, and see that the field already vacant and haystack is no longer in sight.
Roller Coaster Road
Map Code: 349 636 064*88
Operating Hours: 24 hours
Average Time Spent: 0.5 hours
Highlights: Pretty scenery, countryside
Suits: Nature lovers
Personal Star Rating: ★★ (Can Skip if Time Constraint)
Description & Tips:
👉 Judging by the name, the road is actually a long, straight road which runs from one hill to another hill.
👉 The road can get quite steep and once you pass the steep road, you can see the long straight roller coaster road view in front.
👉 Be sure to drive to the top ending/ starting of the road, so that you can take the beautiful long straight roller road in front. If you not sure which is the true spot, just follow the crowds, you won't go wrong! We are lost and can't find the exact road and once follow the crowd, we are back to the roller coaster road again. Life is like roller coaster, it goes down and up endlessly, but remember to enjoy the ride, live happily, laugh harder and cry lesser! 😁.
Mild Seven Hill
Map Code: 389 036 417*36
Operating Hours: 24 hours
Average Time Spent: 0.5 hours
Highlights: Commercial shooting place, pretty scenery, countryside
Suits: Nature lovers
Personal Star Rating: ★★ (Can Skip if Time Constraint)
Description & Tips:
👉 Mild Seven cigarettes, I think most of the people have heard of this brand of cigarettes. But have you all realized where is the tobacco commercial advertisement shooting place? It is actually in Hokkaido, Mild Seven Hill Biei! Since we are already in Biei Hokkaido, so it is not much effort for us to drive to this place, just to feel and be in the place which commercial shooting took place before.
👉 There is one row of larch trees on top of the hill, and it has long been there, withstand the changing four seasons in Hokkaido. You can see different colors of Mild Seven Hill in different season. In spring, you can see rich black soil and green accents. In summer, you can see white potatoes and lavender flowers. It autumn, you can see golden wheat. In winter, you can see silvery snow. When we go on July summer season, we can see the yellow and green view of Hill just like below. I think I can't see neither lavender flowers nor white potatoes? 😂
👉 Note there is a van keeps on patrolling at the area, and we are forbidden to go nearer to the hill. So we just able to take photos standing at the outermost area of hill only. They have fenced up using rope and mentioned can't trespass the area as it is private or belonged to anyone? Is written is Japanese and I can't read at all, just able to guess from the Kanji chinese words which follows the Japanese characters. The patrol van will whistle at us and keeps people away from the hill by using the speaker. Not sure when they are so strict and forbid people from going inside, so just enjoy the view and take few shots of photos from outside will do.
👉 If you continue to drive onward the road of Mild Seven Hill, you will reach a very wide and pretty place with beautiful combination of rolling hills and the beautiful blue sky as the backdrop. You can get 360 degree panaromic view of Biei here! As it is uphill, the view is so so nice! When we drive uphill a bit, we are welcomed with this superb and stunning view, which makes us utter "WOW" at the same time! So we recommend you to come here if you are already in Mild Seven Hill! To our personal opinion, this is much worth to visit and take photos than Mild Seven Hill. Nature is always pretty 💖.
Zerebu Hill
Map Code: 389 071 414*52
Operating Hours: 8.30am – 5pm
Average Time Spent: 0.5 hours
Highlights: Sunflower (depends on season)
Suits: Nature lovers
Personal Star Rating: ★★ (Can Skip if Time Constraint)
Description & Tips:
👉 We plan to visit this place just to see if there is any chance for sunflower photoshooting. However, the sunflower here is too small in scale and not in full bloom. So we not able to get any pre wedding photoshoot with sunflowers.
👉 Zerebu hill is like a park with assorted varieties of flowers, with Mt. Asahi and Mt. Tokachi as the backdrop. The place is quite a drive from Mild Seven Hill.
👉 If you just want to come here for sunflowers on end July, probably I would advise to just forget it. Unless you have time to just walk around and kill some free time in Biei, then you may consider it.
Blue Pond Biei
Map Code: 349569818
Operating Hours: 24 hours
Average Time Spent: 0.5 hours
Highlights: Blue color pond
Suits: Nature lovers
Personal Star Rating: ★★ (Can Skip if Time Constraint)
Description & Tips:
👉 We have some time after lunch and before sunset time for lavender photoshooting. So we make the ad hoc decision to go to Blue Pond Biei. It is quite a distance from the previous destination. Upon arrival, we need to queue in order to go in the parking area. You can imagine the crowds, if you need to queue in order to parking in the vast area of Hokkaido! There are tourist buses and cars cars cars. There are another Japanese couple going there for photoshooting as well. But, it is a prompt photoshooting only as the crowds are just too crazy and it is very hard for the photographer to capture the right angle. To us, the place is quite small and crowded. Judging by the traveling distance and the attraction itself, we feel it is not that recommended to visit here.
👉 The pond is definitely blue, like soft light blue. The blue color will change according to season and weather. The blue pond is actually made artificially by human, the mixture of minerals from the adjacent mountain and cliffs make the pond to be shimmering in blue.
Shikisai No Oka
Map Code: 349701188*52
Operating Hours: 9am - 5pm
Average Time Spent: 2 hours
Highlights: Colorful flowers, lavenders, pretty scenery, countryside
Suits: Nature lovers
Personal Star Rating: ★★★★★ (Must Go)
Description & Tips:
👉 Shikisai No Oka is well famous for it's colorful varieties of flower fields. The thing that captures my attention the most is the changing color of flower hills as the backdrop. The field is big and colorful enough, with the mountain background and vast green lands, it certainly makes a nice place for photoshooting or even just strolling. However, since it is summer, this place is truly hot! It is packed with tourists as well, but not as crazy as Blue Pond Biei, as no tourist buses can be seen here, or maybe the time that we visit is almost like 4pm which is quite late already. Foreigner tourists here are so friendly and congratulate us for the wedding! We can't be blessed enough to receive those kind words from them! 😍 In this place, again we meet the same Japanese couple who is coming for photoshooting before us as well, haha 😜.
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| Credit to Cindy (make up artist) |
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| Credit to Cindy (make up artist) |
Hinode Park
Map Code: 349518536*55
Operating Hours: 24 hours
Average Time Spent: 1 hour
Highlights: Lavenders, pretty scenery, countryside
Suits: Nature lovers
Personal Star Rating: ★★★★★ (Must Go)
Description & Tips:
👉 It is sunset time for us to take photoshooting with character of the day - lavender! We make the way to Hinode Park. It is a place where you can freely take lavender with close contact! Yes, it is quite hard to find places in Hokkaido which not set barrier, especially for lavender flowers. Those famous farm such as Farm Tomita has the lavender flowers blocked from tourists and you not able to be so close to the lavender.
👉 In Hinode Park, we have the positive points of less crowds (like only those pre wedding photoshooting couples only, and few tourists or locals), lavender hilly farm overlooking sunset, zero distance with lavender, smell lavender, and do as many poses as you want with lavender.
👉 There is a bell for couples to ring on top of the hilly lavender field. The place is used for wedding ceremony as well, and you will be blessed when you ring the bell together. So all of the couples will do the same in Hinode Park! 😁💗
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| Credit to Vernon (photographer) |
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| Credit to Vernon (photographer) |
Refer to below links for more Hokkaido summer trip blogs:
1. Our Pre Wedding Photoshooting Memories: Pre Wedding Photoshooting Blog
2. Executive Summary: Executive Summary Blog
2. Executive Summary: Executive Summary Blog
3. Day 1 & 2 (Furano): Day 1&2 (Furano) Blog
4. Day 3 (Furano & Biei): Day 3 (Furano & Biei) Blog
5. Day 4 (Otaru & Sapporo): Day 4 (Otaru & Sapporo) Blog
6. Day 5 (Hakodate): Day 5 (Hakodate) Blog
7. Day 6 (Lake Toya & Noribetsu): Day 6 (Lake Toya & Noribetsu) Blog
8. Day 7 & 8 (Noribetsu & Otaru & Airport): Day 7 & 8 (Noribetsu & Otaru & Airport) Blog
7. Day 6 (Lake Toya & Noribetsu): Day 6 (Lake Toya & Noribetsu) Blog
8. Day 7 & 8 (Noribetsu & Otaru & Airport): Day 7 & 8 (Noribetsu & Otaru & Airport) Blog
9. Top Foods in Hokkaido: Top Foods in Hokkaido Blog
10. Top Dessert in Hokkaido: Top Dessert in Hokkaido
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💗 Author: Ng Mei Lian/ Adrian Yeoh Aun Hong
👉 Date: 22/7/2018 ~ 29/7/2018
