modern_messiah 0 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Hi all, As the topic says I leave this Friday and I am getting very excited. I have all my gear sorted, my camera is good to go, lift tickets are all sorted, and I check the weather reports more often than they are updated (I don't know why I do it...) I'm staying at the bsae of Happo-one but have not really researched the town itself much. I'm there for 2 weeks and myself and my 5 mates were planning on winging it (random exploration). But my question is thus: Are there certain places, both ski and otherwise related, that people can recommend or encourage us to go see? Hole in the wall or local knowledge sort of things. Good eateries, bars, even areas to snowboard. Really I'm just fishing for that little something else. Anything I can squeeze from you lot would be awesome lol. Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites
best skier in hakuba 5 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Head up the hill as high as possible! Which area are you in - near the Gondola or the Wadano area? Link to post Share on other sites
gareth_oau 2 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Hi Matt, I stayed in the Wadano area (near the Sakka lifts). I found the apres activities very quiet, with just a few restaurants attached to the local hotels. I'd get to know the shuttle bus service which will allow you to tour around http://www.hakuba-happo.or.jp/en/shuttle_bus.html Link to post Share on other sites
modern_messiah 0 Posted February 16, 2009 Author Share Posted February 16, 2009 Wadano area. Obviously we plan on spending as much time as humanly possible on the slopes. Just need some stuff to do when we can't ride anymore. I planned on using the shuttle a fair bit so I'll check that link out. What are the better areas in Hakuba for eating and drinking? Recommended hotel to visit or something? Link to post Share on other sites
JA2340 16 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Whatever! Just enjoy the white stuff! Cheers (wish it were me - instead of remembering a month ago!) Link to post Share on other sites
klingon 10 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Hotel to visit? For a meal or something? The nicest one I know in Hakuba is the La Neige Higashikan - which is in Wadano. Nice place. Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Best advice I can give is you should have come to Niseko, it's going off at the moment! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 there you go, should've taken that advice way back. Link to post Share on other sites
Thundercat 60 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Go to Uncle Steve's Mexican restaurant. Just ask around for directions. Have a couple of XXs (Dos Equis) for me! I also recommend anything on the menu! Great food!! Link to post Share on other sites
ssar 0 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Originally Posted By: Go Native Best advice I can give is you should have come to Niseko, it's going off at the moment! Sweeeeeeet. Yes, we'll be there in a few days. I too have been monitoring the weather / snow reports and snow cams there lots lately, and it's lookin like it's shaping up pretty good as this week progresses! Mmmmmm. Link to post Share on other sites
mrbrisbane 0 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 We had a great Shabu Shabu at a place just near the level crossing on the main drag in town, Nonjays was gr8 for a casual meal, and a little place sort of diagonally opposite the station was good too.(restaurant guide has them all listed) Catch the local bus up to Tsugaiki and grab lunch on the side of the hill, with a waffle from the booth near the gondola station. take your skis/boards as well. Noodles on the snow at the top of Iwataki was also cool as was lunch at the nearly top of HappoOne ( bit pricey though). The village at the bottom of Iwataki has some great places to lunch (compensates for lack of terrain sort of) Also some intersting retail. And - the very top lift at HappoOne has some gr8 terrain that is often uncut on the left shoulder just near the boundary. You are going to have a blast so get your good goggles, warm gear and daily wax kit and everything else will be OK. Link to post Share on other sites
alexeiw123 2 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 mattaus the le neige is literally a stones throw from where you staying. That mexican place mentioned earlier, I'm not sure if it is the same one, but there is a mexican in echoland which you will visit as one of the included meals on your trip. Found a nice (and cheap) restaurant with huuuuge meals that is down near the mcdonalds in the village, it's called emu (or maybe imu) check out the chefs special on the menu.. it comes in a bowl the size of a wok and is delicious. oh and next door to emu is ao convenience store that also sells fireworks (hanabi) which may keep you entertained haha. hope you get some awesome snow while your there. let me know if our kicker we built is still standing on the car park next to the windjacket. Link to post Share on other sites
stemik 14 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 uncle stevens is in Happo. Get a hot chocolate at the virgin cafe on the top of Happo...you will not be dissappointed! Link to post Share on other sites
modern_messiah 0 Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Ah sweet - this is more like it. Unfortunately we booked all our stuff in late November last year and had it paid off nice and early (and thankfully so because we saved $1000 each when the agent decided to push the price up to compensate for the strong Yen - he had to foot the bill). Niseko might be a tad late to switch to.... I'm making a list of everything here and will be sure to consider those options first. I like the idea of cheap big meals, though we will dine out on some quality meals a few times. Fireworks in Japan legal are they? So we can buy some and, within reason, go nuts? Totally different here in Aus....the boys will like that lol. Familia if the kicker is gone we will rebuild it, and film the ensuing carnage. Link to post Share on other sites
alexeiw123 2 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 the guy across the road ploughed out the lander, he wasnt to impressed by it, but i'd imagine the kicker will still be there, and a beauty it was aswell. the emu place is very small but very very good meals. If you go in in the day and book you will get to eat at tables where you take your shoes off and sit on the floor with a hot plate in the centre to fry some things yourself. yeah fireworks are legal, although that shop didn't have anything that was big enough for my liking, the best we found were these rocket things that came in packs of 5 or 6. Oh yes also the onsen experience is a MUST, we went to two,one (i've forgotten the name) but it was behind 'the pub' which you will definately visit frequently. That one is an outdoor and indoor hot bath, with clear water. and then another one that we went to which is about a 20 minute walk away, just on the other side of the bridge, can't remember the name... but this one is much more authentic with more natural sulfury water, murky and smelly.. makes you feel amazing, I highly recommend this one. 500 yen plus another 200 for a towel. Link to post Share on other sites
modern_messiah 0 Posted February 17, 2009 Author Share Posted February 17, 2009 Ah cool. I'll check all that out if I remember lol. My list is nice and long now... Link to post Share on other sites
Matt 0 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Originally Posted By: Go Native Best advice I can give is you should have come to Niseko, it's going off at the moment! Don't listen to him Matteus We had 40cm fresh bluebird day today in Hakuba. Untracked all day and its looking good for the rest of the week. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Best season ever!!!! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Originally Posted By: Matt Originally Posted By: Go Native Best advice I can give is you should have come to Niseko, it's going off at the moment! Don't listen to him Matteus We had 40cm fresh bluebird day today in Hakuba. Untracked all day and its looking good for the rest of the week. So the snowdepth at the base in Hakuba has finally reached 40cm! Woohoo you guys are rockin! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Niseko sucks. You need to go to Zao for monsters. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Got to laugh.... (* meaning a) not much anyone can do about the snowfall and GN is stirring) Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 I just can't help myself... Link to post Share on other sites
Matt 0 Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 Originally Posted By: BagOfCrisps Got to laugh.... (* meaning a) not much anyone can do about the snowfall and GN is stirring) Thats ALL GN seems to do... Anyway, the part of Hakuba I was in had 110cm base at the bottom and 2m at the top so was in a fairly healthy state - oh and the top 40cm of that was fresh light powder! Link to post Share on other sites
Go Native 70 Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 We know Matt, I am only joking! Link to post Share on other sites
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