Often those who live in warm climates dream of experiencing a white Christmas. However, you can’t always guarantee snow unless you stay at a northern hemisphere ski resort. But what if, like me, you don’t ski anymore? Do you just sit inside looking at everyone having fun amongst the white fluffy stuff?
Well, over the last ten years, I’ve discovered some rather cool and exhilarating white-laden adventures that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and haven’t had to risk life or limb over.
I’m talking about staying in an ice hotel, relaxing in an ice lounge and drinking in an ice bar – where everything, including the glass you drink from, is made of ice.
Now before I hear you scream, that’s just too cold — you don’t know what you’re missing until you’ve experienced it. There’s literally nothing cooler on this planet.
It’s 31 years since the first ice hotel was sculpted in Sweden, with many popping up around the arctic region since. But to date, there’s only one in the whole of Asia.
Located amongst Japan’s best ski resorts on Hokkaido, each year, an ice village emerges at Hoshino Resort Tomamu. Yes, an entire ice village complete with shops, bakery, bar, a craft shop, spa, hotel and even a chapel (for that fairytale wedding, perhaps?) And if you want to risk breaking something, there’s an ice-skating rink (naturally formed, unlike the rest of the village, which is handcrafted annually). For me, the ice slide is a much safer way to have some active fun.