GOASIAPLUS August 2018
Our August issue shines in Merdeka spirit with Kenny Loh's stories of Malaysians across the country. Inside, this issue explores a Malaysian favourite; durian and the turtle hotspot in Redang. We also featured the story behind a successful Malaysian start-up of Hometown Hainan Coffee
Our August issue shines in Merdeka spirit with Kenny Loh's stories of Malaysians across the country. Inside, this issue explores a Malaysian favourite; durian and the turtle hotspot in Redang. We also featured the story behind a successful Malaysian start-up of Hometown Hainan Coffee
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TRAVEL<br />
“One must not forget<br />
to indulge in the highly<br />
popular Japanese past time<br />
activity of taking an onsen.”<br />
In the Spring and Summer months between May<br />
to <strong>August</strong>, Lake Shikotsu (‘Shikotsuko’) transforms<br />
into a vibrant tourist destination and gets very busy<br />
with local and foreign visitors. In less than an hour’s<br />
drive, visitors from Hokkaido’s capital city Sapporo or<br />
arrivals from Chitose airport can reach this popular<br />
destination easily.<br />
Lake Shikotsu is surrounded by pristine and lush<br />
flora, fauna and forests and, it is also one of the rarest<br />
freshwater diving spots in Japan. The 360 meter deep<br />
crater lake is also the northern most non-freezing<br />
lake in Japan with a visibility of 25 meters deep. In<br />
the summer months when the fishing ban on the lake<br />
is lifted, anglers would flock there to indulge in their<br />
favourite sport.<br />
Lake Shikotsu and its counterpart Lake Toya–<br />
90km away in the east–were both formed about<br />
40,000 years ago due to seismic activities of the<br />
encircling trinity volcanoes Mt. Eniwa, Mt. Fuppushi,<br />
and Mt. Tarumae (last erupted in 1981) over the years.<br />
Incidentally, Mt. Eniwa was one of the venues of the<br />
1972 Olympic Games in Japan.<br />
The main lakeshore commercial area is packed<br />
with a maze of cafes, lodging inns and hotels, small<br />
restaurants, snack and gift shops, and other retail<br />
shops. This leads to the lakeshore open space plaza<br />
where visitors can just sit, relax and enjoy the cool<br />
breeze, warm sunlight and absorb the breathtaking<br />
view of mountain landscapes and crystal clear blue<br />
waters of Lake Shikotsu. The local authority strictly<br />
ensures that the natural habitat is protected and even<br />
the sewage system of nearby lodging facilities are<br />
diverted away from the lake.<br />
There are lots to do in Lake Shikotsu but one must<br />
not forget to indulge in the highly popular Japanese<br />
past time activity of taking an ‘onsen’ or hot spring<br />
bath offered only at certain designated hotels around<br />
the lake. Their local gift and souvenir shops are<br />
surprisingly well-stocked and display items ranging<br />
from wood carvings to paintings and even branded<br />
clothes, handbags and shoes.<br />
Other interesting activities often include hiking<br />
across the beautifully kept park, water sports, camping<br />
or having picnics, and of course exploring the local<br />
culinary scene with a diverse selection of snack shops,<br />
diners, and buffet spreads offered at several classy<br />
hotels in the vicinity.<br />
The popular ‘Patissier Lab Misu no Uta’, pastry<br />
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