Melon Journey: Day 1 & 2 (Furano)

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

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

9. Top Foods in Hokkaido: Top Foods in Hokkaido Blog

10. Top Dessert in Hokkaido: Top Dessert in Hokkaido

Itinerary Summary:

Day 1: Flight on board

Day 2: Farm Tomita → Ningle Terrace

I have always hear from people that once you visit Hokkaido, you will go back again and again. The charming island certainly attracts my attention as I would like to explore the true self of Hokkaido and the charm that makes people come back to this beautiful country again and again. Is not hard to know why, especially after I just back from here 2 weeks ago! Once we reached the airport waiting to embark on our journey, we can already see many people who have visited Hokkaido before and they are again setting their foots for Hokkaido. There are many senior citizens as well, maybe the place is truly relaxing and suitable for those retiree? We can't wait to see the island ourselves!

And, why's that Hokkaido for us? The main purpose for us is to take pre wedding photoshoot and we chose Hokkaido as the lifetime destination. We love purple colors and lavender certainly tops the list. We like those kind of pre wedding photoshoot album feeling for memories. So, why not exploring Hokkaido at the same time after the pre wedding photoshoot?

Hokkaido is famous for winter and now slowly expanding to summer time as well. I have read a lot of blogs and articles, mentioned that if you ever have the chance to visit Hokkaido, make sure to visit it in winter time, you won't be regret as it turns into a romantic charming little island during winter. Everyone can just easily relate Hokkido during winter equals to romance. Well, we don't have the chance to see snow as we visit Hokkaido in summer, however we have the chance to self drive during summer time, stop at any places that we would love to, see the vast colorful flower fields in front of us, everyday ice cream day in different places! You will know why Hokkaido is charming during summer time as well! 😍

During our Hokkaido summer pre wedding plus road trips, we have completed below bucket lists!

💜 Immerse in purple fields of lavender

💜 Witness colorful fields of flowers

💜 Strolling in the dreamy and romantic little wooden village

💜 Self drive in the famous roller coaster road Hokkaido

💜 Be in the Mild Seven's cigarette advertisement place

💜 Be in the Apple's wallpaper place

💜 Ring the bell at Hinode Park, where couples celebrate wedding together and ring the bell together for the blessings, and the place where sunset and lavender become perfect blend.

💜 Be in the famous city where Japanese movie 'Love Letter' shooting takes place

💜 Be in the dreamy white chocolate factory

💜 Indulge in the freshest seafood that we have ever ate before

💜 Try the raw snow hokkaido crab, so fresh till we not realized it was raw

💜 Try the world's most expensive melon which melts in our mouth the moment we put inside

💜 Witness Mt. Hakodate night view, which is the top 3 Michelin star night view in the world

💜 See the active volcano in front of us, with the unbearable sulphur smell

💜 Ice cream day in Hokkaido with flavours: lavender, green tea, milk, blueberry, rainbow color, etc.

💜 Stay in onsen hotels to pamper our skins and bodies

💜 Completed our once per lifetime pre wedding photoshoot in Hokkaido!

Thanks for the great weather, thanks for the great companion, thanks for everything.. as we are so blessed that everything from the pre wedding photoshoot to our holidays are so perfect! 💏

Farm Tomita

Map Code: 349 276 804*00

Operating Hours: 8.30am - 5pm

Average Time Spent: 2 hours

Highlights: Lavender flowers, colorful flowers, pretty scenery, relaxing, lavender ice creams, lavender souvenirs

Suits: Nature lovers

Personal Star Rating: ★★★★★ (Must Go)

Description & Tips:

👉 Most famous and biggest lavender farm in Furano, Hokkaido. Especially famous during summer time, for lavender and assorted varieties of flowers blooming around.

👉 Lavender flower is in full bloom starting mid to end of Julyevery year.

👉 Very crowded with people and hard to take photos. However, a must place to visit if you come to Hokkaido from mid to end of July, as the lavender is in full bloom and the entire farm smells so calming and nice! Is just lavender kind of smell everywhere in the farm.

👉 Have a rooftop cafe in Farm Tomita to overlook the lavender farm, Furano houses and trains from afar. Remember to order the lavender limited edition foods during summer time! We got ourselves sweet baked potatoes with butter spread and lavender ice cream as dessert.

👉 Potatoes are very fresh and well cultivated in Hokkaido. The ever famous Hokkaido souvenir snack named Calbee Jaga Pokkuru is made from Hokkaido premium potatoes and it is the crunchiest potato snacks that we have ever taste! There are many people grabbing this snacks and buy many boxes in one shot, and that explains why the potatoes in Hokkaido is truly delicious! I have to admit that I really not try so nice and crunchy potato snacks before, is so yummy!! 😋

👉 Must try the lavender ice cream, which is the most famous dessert that everyone buys. It is certainly delicious and very far different from the one we tried in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. The taste in Farm Tomita is so savory nice and the lavender flavor itself feels not artificial. The light yet tasty texture of lavender ice cream makes you can't stop eating it!

Ningle Terrace

Map Code: 919 553 426*33

Operating Hours: 12pm – 8.45pm

Average Time Spent: 0.5 ~ 1 hour

Highlights: Romantic, wooden cottage, night view, handicraft

Suits: Sightseeing, Romantic

Personal Star Rating: ★★★★ (Recommended)

Description & Tips:

👉 A small area of traditional handicrafts shops and cafe which sit in the midst of forest and situated at the New Furano Prince Hotel.

👉 A romantic place for strolling at night. Furano at night is fairly quiet and shops normally close around 8pm to 9pm. The same goes to shops in Ningle Terrace, usually crowds will leave around 8.30pm.

👉 Romantic and dreamy especially during winter night time, just Google it for the images! During night time, the little wooden cottages are well lit with romantic lights, as well as the staircase surrounding the entire area of Ningle Terrace. This place turns out to give us the most romantic pre wedding photos feeling that we ever had. 💓 (p/s: Of course we are not professional DSLR peope, so slight playing with lighting already gives us an awesome factor, haha 😂)