vkzone,
Thank you for starting this thread. I've also started planning my trip to Hokkaido. Icycream & Kanris are "go-sou" for "tzi-yau-hang" to Hokkaido. With their help, we need not worry !
I plan to go to Hokkaido in the middle of Jul (to see lavender). Tentatively, I opt for CX direct to Sapporo to save time. Does anyone know when peak season surcharge begins in the summer?
I'll be the tour guide & my hubby will be the driver+coolie :mrgreen:! I've read several guide books about Furano & Biei. Driving is definitely more convenient than to travel by bus/train/cycling.
My biggest challenge this time - going with my mother-in-law!!!!
I went to Hokkaido with 東瀛游 in Dec 2002. The tour was good. We had great fun playing snow & skiing. But 2 things to mind u :
1. Things to buy from the tour guide - when we were on the tour bus, our guide kept saying Fancl was unknown in Japan & sold us to buy his "facial mask". When we reached Tokyo by ourselves, of course that's not the case. His facial mask has the smell of alcohol! P.S. We knew he would make money by selling things, but we hoped he wouldn't cheat!
2. Things to eat - the tour guide took us to eat (a) seafood & (b) kobe beef. The seafood was very fresh, but too much to eat by just the two of us (since the tour guide asked us not to share with another couple) & we were not given enough time to finish the meal; the kobe beef was not good at all. We knew how good kobe beef tasted.
Overall, I still think 東瀛游 is a good travel agent. Hotels & meals are not bad at all. As for the tour guide, it depends on your luck & they hop from one agent to another anyway.