On the first night of our self-driving trip in Hokkaido, we stayed at Furano Highland Hotel

After arriving in Asahikawa, our first stop was Ningle Terrace. In the evening, we returned to Furano Highland Hotel (ハイランドふらの ) for dinner. Since we had a reserved dining time, by the time we got back to the hotel, we were already the last group of guests having dinner.

In front of the lobby, there were many local specialty products on display. The decorative lights above were beautiful, resembling snowflake lights. There was also a freezer nearby selling drinks and milk. The gentleman at the front desk told us to head to the restaurant on the second floor for dinner.

Dinner was a kaiseki-style set meal, including sashimi and simmered dishes. While waiting for the simmered dishes, we enjoyed the delicious sashimi.

The highlight was the snow crab (Matsuba crab) legs, and the miso soup was also very tasty.

The Furano rice paired perfectly with the teppan-grilled pork, pumpkin, and other ingredients. It had been a long time since we enjoyed such a relaxed and leisurely meal.

After dinner, we went downstairs. Earlier, we had rushed upstairs before dinner and didn’t have time to take photos of the staircase. This time, we noticed the beautifully designed curved staircase. We then returned to the car to carry our luggage up to our room on the second floor.

We stayed in a traditional Japanese tatami-style room, and the staff had already prepared the futons for us. It was very quiet, and we slept well that night.

Early the next morning, we went to the restaurant for breakfast. The breakfast was quite good. In addition to simmered dishes, pickles, and seaweed, I also drank several glasses of Hokkaido milk.

he teppan-cooked dish for breakfast included sausages and a fried egg. Yogurt was also available. After eating, we enjoyed a hot cup of coffee, relaxed, and chatted while looking out the window at the Tokachi Mountain Range. It gave us the energy to start a full day of travel.

↑ A delicious and piping-hot breakfast

After breakfast, we returned to the room to rest for a while, enjoying the view outside the window. Traveling in Hokkaido is truly relaxing. After checking out, we loaded our luggage into the car and took some photos of the hotel exterior. The day before, everything had been rushed, and we didn’t have time to take pictures. What left the strongest impression was how friendly and warm the staff were—whenever we needed anything, they were happy to help. Staying here felt very welcoming.