Shakotan

The trip was relaxing and enjoyable, the attractions were beautiful, and the itinerary was generally quite long. The tour guide provided information on the historical background and precautions for each attraction along the way, making it a very good experience.

Victoria was very helpful, accommodating, and friendly. Couldn’t have asked for a better travel guide. The amount of time given at each destination was also great.

First, I want to thank our tour guide, Xiao Hong, for his dedication and professionalism. Even while ill, his service remained impeccable. Before departure, he contacted all group members via Line and other apps, sending reminders of times, bus numbers, and travel information throughout the trip. He also quickly found some members who were late. Cape Kamui is a highlight of the trip due to its beautiful and magnificent scenery, but the trail is steep and narrow, making it difficult to navigate on a crowded weekend. Following the original itinerary made it hard to reach the end and take photos. I recommend wearing suitable hiking shoes if you plan to climb. Otaru's scenery is decent, but the food is delicious, such as the sukiyaki at the meeting point and the Royce chocolate. However, if you want to visit the movie "Love Letter" attractions, the itinerary might not have enough time. We were quite satisfied with the food.

The all-you-can-eat strawberry buffet and the whisky experience at the whisky distillery were really fun. The beach was beautiful, but it was incredibly cold and it had just rained, so there were puddles everywhere. I felt this trip was excellent value for money.

80-90% of the participants were Chinese, 10-20% were Japanese, and there were about two English speakers. The participation tickets (vouchers) arrive almost entirely in Chinese. The guide was Chinese, but he repeated the same explanations in Japanese, Chinese, and English, and was very kind and friendly. At famous photo spots, he would call out, "I'll take your picture," and everyone asked the guide to take photos for them. The participants were quiet on the bus, there was no lateness, and everyone had excellent manners. You can drink bottled water on the bus, but basically eating and drinking are prohibited. Some people were eating what they had brought before the guide explained that eating and drinking were prohibited, but after the explanation, they followed the rules and did not eat. Shakotan is too far from Sapporo, so it's difficult to go there alone, making this tour very convenient. The cape is a mountain path with many stairs and steep ups and downs, so it requires physical strength. Sneakers are recommended. In Otaru, there was 2 hours and 40 minutes of free time. Those who wished could inform the guide and the tour would end there. About half of the participants decided to leave without returning to the bus and went sightseeing by train on their own. There was quite a bit of walking involved in visiting the Shakotan cape and exploring the town of Otaru, so everyone was tired and slept on the bus ride back. We arrived in Sapporo while they were sleeping, and then everyone dispersed. It was a great deal to have sightseeing transportation provided to such a distant location, especially considering the early bird summer discount of 7,000 yen.