jetstar to japan winter 2010

[Vet]

Hey ASB, just because you asked nicely, check the Starclass sale for FebMarch is, for example, $624 pp from Gold Coast to Tokyo or Osake. There's a 2 person deal and a one person deal. 30kgs of baggage too. Cheers graemlins/skier.gif

[bdenny4]

Ooooh I'm checking this one out Vet

[bdenny4]

Gee the fare on the way over there is double the price of the one on the way back!
!1300 pp over and $730 pp return leg

[bdenny4]

WOW!!!!

Talk about spur of the moment impulse - I'M BOOKED!!!!
4th to 19th Feb Melb to Tokyo

graemlins/woohoo.gif graemlins/snowboard2.gif graemlins/woohoo.gif

[Vet]

Hey bdenny,

I think its a 2-for-1 deal at $799 return each, business class?? Was i wrong????

Are you interested in the mates rate deal at Buller this w/end.

[ 16. June 2009, 06:58 PM: Message edited by: Vet ]

[bdenny4]

Yep - got the return for that price but paid double that for getting over there. Had to do this cos my dates are pretty much fixed.
Still saved $1500 or so - so I'm happy.

No for this weekend - going to Hotham

[ausi ski bum]

OK I will work out later how to tell +1 that I booked Sydney to Osaka Feb 21 - March 13 Star Class for just over $2700 all up.

Looks like I ski in Japan again, now to work out which resort etc, might take a 7 day rail trip as well while I am there

[karen97]

Where are you going to ski Bd?

[Vet]

Why are these way higher than the first round of 2-for-1 fares?

There should be a 'when and where r u' thread.

Don't forget to share any deals on cheap accom etc.

[ausi ski bum]

Because these ones are Star Class not cattle class

[bdenny4]

Originally posted by karen97:
Where are you going to ski Bd? That bit I don't know yet Kaz.
I have asbolutely no idea where to go and what type of resort would suit us best.

I was thinking Shiga Kogen or Nozawa Onsen or even Hakuba. I'm gonna need a lot of advise.

Oh - Snow Monkeys are a must

:cool: graemlins/snowboard2.gif graemlins/woohoo.gif

[kort]

2nd the snow monkeys...I thought it would be a eral tourist trap but the 2 hours we were there absolutely flew by......it was VERY cool!

[Hammo]

Where did you see the snow monkey's kort?

I heard you only really see them in Nagano

[loc]

Originally posted by bdenny4:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by karen97:
Where are you going to ski Bd? .

I was thinking Shiga Kogen or Nozawa Onsen or even Hakuba. I'm gonna need a lot of advise.

:cool: graemlins/snowboard2.gif graemlins/woohoo.gif </font>[/QUOTE]Nozawa is absolutely awesome - had some of the most amazing days riding there - fresh POW every day. Plus you get the atmosphere of a quaint little japanese village

if u go stay at Nozawa lodge - mark who runs it is a great guy, really helpful.

[bdenny4]

Is anybody else going to be in Japan in Feb?

[karen97]

3rd to the 18th. Flying into Osaka from Syd

[dacraw]

Originally posted by bdenny4:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by karen97:
Where are you going to ski Bd? That bit I don't know yet Kaz.
I have asbolutely no idea where to go and what type of resort would suit us best.

I was thinking Shiga Kogen or Nozawa Onsen or even Hakuba. I'm gonna need a lot of advise.

Oh - Snow Monkeys are a must

:cool: graemlins/snowboard2.gif graemlins/woohoo.gif </font>[/QUOTE]You could do them all pretty easily in the same trip say 3 or 4 days at each.

[bdenny4]

Kaz - which resort you going to?

dacraw - Na that sounds like too much, will only pick one or at most two (leaning towards Shiga and Nozawa)

[karen97]

Hakuba

[24]

Originally posted by loc:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by bdenny4:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by karen97:
Where are you going to ski Bd? .

I was thinking Shiga Kogen or Nozawa Onsen or even Hakuba. I'm gonna need a lot of advise.

:cool: graemlins/snowboard2.gif graemlins/woohoo.gif </font>[/QUOTE]Nozawa is absolutely awesome - had some of the most amazing days riding there - fresh POW every day. Plus you get the atmosphere of a quaint little japanese village

if u go stay at Nozawa lodge - mark who runs it is a great guy, really helpful. </font>[/QUOTE]We'll second that, on nozawa, snow monkeys and Mark - villa nozawa and lodge nagano i think are his places. been in nozawa for years, even drove me to the hospital when i had the jaanese stomach flu.

great village too.

[dacraw]

Originally posted by bdenny4:
Kaz - which resort you going to?

dacraw - Na that sounds like too much, will only pick one or at most two (leaning towards Shiga and Nozawa) If you're gonna hit just one of them I'd choose Hakuba.

[Vet]

i received an email on niseko, acom and lifts 7 days in a studio with transfers $953. Breck and Whistler deals too. pm your email address and I'll forward the email on.

[bdenny4]

Originally posted by dacraw:
If you're gonna hit just one of them I'd choose Hakuba.

Why is that dacraw?

[dacraw]

Just the amount of options that you have in that range of mountains. There's around 10 resorts in Hakuba with some of the best terrain in Japan. Don't get me wrong, Nozawa is awesome but there's just not as many on snow and off snow options there. Shiga is big but the terrain isn't as good as what Hakuba has to offer IMO.

[dacraw]

Originally posted by kort:
2nd the snow monkeys...I thought it would be a eral tourist trap but the 2 hours we were there absolutely flew by......it was VERY cool! Funny you say that. That's exactly what I thought before I went there. I've seen monkeys in other places around the world and usually they're little Bustards but these ones were cool because they behave like you're not there.

[Vet]

Re the p.m, its forwarded onto you. I have no idea if its the best or cheapest or whatever so ask those who've been to Japan - and beware of foreign currency fluctuation clauses.

[karen97]

Bd, you can do a day trip to see the monkies from Hakuba. You can either get the train and do it yourself or you can do a organized tour bus

[bdenny4]

Yeah Kaz - I think you can get to the monkeys from all the resorts I'm tossing up and that will definately be a day trip.

Just gotta figure out which is best for what we need:
* good lift system with easy access to all of the resort
* ski in/out if possible
* we are low intermediate (if that) boarder & skier so plenty of intermediate groomers
* variety of restaurants/pubs etc (but we are not party animals)
* easy to get to from Tokyo
* plenty to do if we decide not to hit the slopes

[24]

that all says nozawa to me bd - heaps of restaraunts, the mountain has 2 gondolas, there is heaps of long groomers, including skyline which goes for ever. choose your accomodation carefully - we were in villa nozawa and it was close to the snow but not on snow (5 minute walk carrying skis in skiboots, so probably, 50-100 metres).

we found the lifts easy to use - its not the steepest mountain but there is heaps of terrain that gives an easy entry into powder riding. we were there 10 days, rode for 8, went sightseeing to nagano and matsumotooooooooo one day and monkeys the other.

[Donza]

Originally posted by bdenny4:
Yeah Kaz - I think you can get to the monkeys from all the resorts I'm tossing up and that will definately be a day trip.

Just gotta figure out which is best for what we need:
* good lift system with easy access to all of the resort
* ski in/out if possible
* we are low intermediate (if that) boarder & skier so plenty of intermediate groomers
* variety of restaurants/pubs etc (but we are not party animals)
* easy to get to from Tokyo
* plenty to do if we decide not to hit the slopes Nozawa or Myoko.
Nozawa isn't the worlds best groomers on thwe whole..Its a very very weird shaped mountain..steep(more than any aussie resort) at bottom..then way way flat (think friday flat for 1.5-2km long run..then version of falls creek with great tree skiing at top..but damn skyline @ Nozawa is the best groomer i've ever ridden.
Hit it early after 20cm on groomed and I swear you'll never have a mmore fun time.

[Donza]

Oh and its bes ski viillage i've ever been too anywhere in the world.

[karen97]

I will always lean to Hakuba. I love the variety on offer, but I haven't been to the other Myoko or Nozawa so I might be a little biased graemlins/cold.gif

[bdenny4]

Well Kaz I'm gonna gather as much info as I can on all of these options; so the more 'opinions', biased or otherwise, I get the better positioned I will be to hopefully make the right choice.

As most of the trip reports from Japan last season were from Hakuba I kind of got the feel for the place - but don't know much about the other two (other than Nozawa has a nice 'villagy' atmosphere).

I was all set to book Hakuba - staying at the Tokyu Hotel or Mominoki Hotel or something similar a short stroll to the Gondy. But then I thought I should explore other options in case somewhere else might suit me better.

May still end up at Hakuba smile.gif

[dacraw]

The Tokyu is in a good position and the best hotel in Hakuba. The Mominoki is good too but I think it's a 4 star. I think you'll have a ball wherever you choose.

[bdenny4]

Thanks craw - I think so too :D

So much to think about though when all you've ever done before is board @ Hotham.

[dacraw]

Originally posted by bdenny4:
Thanks craw - I think so too :D

So much to think about though when all you've ever done before is board @ Hotham. Hotham will put you in good stead for anything you will encounter in Japan. Japan is just much better. :D

[Donza]

bdenny.
I've been to Noz and Hakuba.
If you intend to stay ski in ski out at the base of Happo in hakuba and ski there..well i'd take Nozawa over it anyday - by the factor of 1000.

[bdenny4]

Originally posted by Donza:
bdenny.
I've been to Noz and Hakuba.
If you intend to stay ski in ski out at the base of Happo in hakuba and ski there..well i'd take Nozawa over it anyday - by the factor of 1000. From the point of view of night time activities/avillage atmosphere or access to the lifts for boarding.

[ausi ski bum]

Tokyo and Osaka flights no longer on special, they have been removed from the list.

[loc]

Originally posted by bdenny4:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Donza:
bdenny.
I've been to Noz and Hakuba.
If you intend to stay ski in ski out at the base of Happo in hakuba and ski there..well i'd take Nozawa over it anyday - by the factor of 1000. From the point of view of night time activities/avillage atmosphere or access to the lifts for boarding. </font>[/QUOTE]i'd say both - to me hakuba has no atmosphere as its so spread out. Where as nozawa's is priceless. Walking down main street on way to onsen - stop and buy a dumpling from a local vendor, eat it under the lanterns, then have onsen with the locals (who are always accomodating and amazing) - then for dinner at one of the little izakaya

u can't top that

access to lifts is really easy - really short walk - and once u r up top you'll have plenty to choose from. Yamabiko, skyline and Challenge course all make me drool - especially on those powder days

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x42/lachlanpender/P1010590.jpg (http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x42/lachlanpender/?action=view&current=P1010590.jpg)

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x42/lachlanpender/P1010602.jpg (http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x42/lachlanpender/?action=view&current=P1010602.jpg)

[loc]

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x42/lachlanpender/P1010615.jpg (http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x42/lachlanpender/?action=view&current=P1010615.jpg)

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x42/lachlanpender/P1010646.jpg (http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x42/lachlanpender/?action=view&current=P1010646.jpg)

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x42/lachlanpender/P1010564.jpg (http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x42/lachlanpender/?action=view&current=P1010564.jpg)

[bdenny4]

Great pics.......

Ahhhhhh I'm getting confused - Nozawa/Hakuba/Nozawa/Hakuba/Nozawa/Hakuba.....

Is the boarding as good in Nozawa as Hakuba - in terms of the number of intermediate runs that will occupy us for 6 - 8 days of cruising groomers

[loc]

can u do 6 days at hotham? if so then you will have no problems at nozawa IMO as it has more variety and longer runs. Some of the runs from top to bottm - which are intermediate- will take you a good 30-45minutes. If you get off skyline about half way down and head into the third valley (the way in is like gully cat walk) you will find an awesome open valley that barely ever gets touched. Good for first time powder fiends as u can straight line without too much worry!

[ausi ski bum]

Or do more than one, I am thinking of going to Rusutsu then Tomamu then Furano, just hire a car and head off. Might take 7 days to get from Osaka to Sapporo on a rail pass

[snowhappy]

All I now is I paid $606 for cattle class aussie ski bum even if it cost me $200 in oversized luggage so be it I am still way infront I LOVE CATTLE CLASS

[ausi ski bum]

I have reached a stage in life where a little luxury is a good thing. Having stopped counting flights at 400 it gets a bit ho hum in cattle class, a few years back I would very much have agreed with you.

[Totalyrottn]

Jetstar yanked the 2 for 1 deal to Japan for Feb March Early. Booo Jetstar

[bdenny4]

Getting closer to making my decision......

Looks like it's Hakuba

Plus there will be some friendly faces around if I get into any 'trouble'

;)

[dacraw]

Nice work bd4. You won't be disappointed. During the week it's almost too good to be true. Awesome mountains with no one on them. Would definitely recommend exploring. The area is big and spread out but nothing is too far away by car if you know what I mean.

[ausi ski bum]

Mines looking more firm, a couple of nights in Osaka, head to Hokkaido using the FF Points I will get flying to Japan Star Class of course.

Then four nights Rusutsu, Six nights Tomamu, Six Furano and two Higashiyama then home, accommodation including breaky and lift tickets for the two of us for around 8,000 at top hotels as well.

[karen97]

Originally posted by bdenny4:
Getting closer to making my decision......

Looks like it's Hakuba

Plus there will be some friendly faces around if I get into any 'trouble'

;) Ummmmm we might be the ones to get you into "trouble" :D graemlins/cold.gif graemlins/outtahere.gif

[ausi ski bum]

What I can not work out is Star Class, is it Business or Premium Economy because you get Qantas Business Class points for the flight, looking at the web site it looks similar to Qantas Premium Economy, oh and anyone that has flown Star Class what are the best seats in the cabin.