travelwith3bubs

Travel Tips, Family Friendly Holidays and Life in Hong Kong

Category: Family Travel Tips

Nozawa Onsen – The Best Japanese Ski Resort

Nozawa Onsen – the best Japanese Ski Resort and the worst Best Kept Secret

Nozawa Onsen is a bit like Fight Club. Everyone who has been to Nozawa Onsen does not want to tell anyone else about Nozawa Onsen. Indeed any Instagram and TikTok posts are met with disdain, anger and abuse. But it’s too late. The cat is most definitely out of the bag.

About Nozawa Onsen

Nozawa Onsen is a quaint beautiful village in Nagano prefecture. It only requires a bullet train from Tokyo (under 2 hours). A short bus or taxi ride (20 minutes) will then take you to the village.

The ski resort recently celebrated it’s 100 year anniversary. Foreigners have been going the last twenty years or so. But it has only been the last few years that it has become THE place to be.

Many newcomers are Niseko converts. Niseko is the upmarket resort in the North famous for its great powder but long queues and fully booked restaurants. Unlike Niseko which requires a flight to Hokkaido, Nozawa Onsen is accessible from Tokyo which offers many more flight options. It is also great to have the chance to spend days either side, exploring everything Tokyo has to offer. But that’s another blog entirely.

The Famous Nozawa Onsens

Nozawa Onsen is also famous for its public onsens (hot baths) dotted around the village. These waters are known for their medicinal properties but are not for the fainthearted. Coming to grips with the rules of Onsen etiquette is important. Getting used to being fully nude and managing the almost boiling temperatures are all part of the experience.

Important Tips

Accommodation

There are a range of accommodations but if you do decide to go, do not leave it too late. Most returners tend to book a year in advance. Once they come off the slopes on their last day of skiing they sign up for the following year!

Restaurants

Now that Nozawa Onsen is more popular than ever, it is also worth booking some restaurants ahead of time. This only needs to be a few weeks rather than months. See my blog on recommended restaurants and the ones that you must book early.

Lunches are all walk in so you just need to queue. Best tip is to get there when they first open or slightly earlier. Most people do not linger over lunch so the wait times are not long.

Nightlife in Nozawa

Nightlife is very tame – think Whistler, but the opposite.

There are a few bars but not a lot of rowdy yahooing. There is still enough for the younger crowd to enjoy great nights out after a long day on the slopes.

Nozawa Onsen for Non Skiers

For those who don’t ski there is enough to do for a week. One can visit the snow monkeys, go snow walking, take cooking classes and enjoy the village. There are yoga classes, a climbing wall and of course all the onsens to explore.

Our family love Nozawa Onsen for its gorgeous village feel, hearty food offerings and fantastic skiing amongst a beautiful backdrop.

I highly recommend a visit for your next ski holiday – despite the backlash I will receive!

For more detailed information about the village.

Thanks for reading and happy skiing.

Shareen

travelwith3bubs

© 2025. All rights reserved.

March 5, 2025
The Great Migration – Safaris don’t get better than this
Safaris are awesome. In Botswana I have taken a dugout canoe through the Okavango Delta and camped in tents in Chobe National Park. In South Africa I have stayed in luxury lodges in the Kruger National Park. And in India I have seen tigers in Ranthambore National Park. BUT, if I was to choose only one destination for a safari it would hands down be Tanzania. Specifically – the Mara River in the Serengeti to witness the Great Migration.

Taking oneself let alone one’s family on an African safari is indeed a huge financial undertaking. Witnessing the Great Migration is an absolute bucket list item. So if the opportunity presents itself I would say do it!

Many people go on safari with young children. I personally would wait until they around 11 years old to really appreciate the incredible journey.

Getting There – not so direct to witness the Great Migration

A safari in Tanzania requires several stops on very small planes. It is not for the fainthearted or indeed the very tall traveller! Coming home our journey involved six stops – Lamai, Fort Ikoma, Seronera, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Doha and finally Hong Kong. So direct it is not!

Packing is also more challenging. Everything should be in duffle bags and there are strict weight restrictions. There is no space for big suitcases in the plane storage. For further tips on packing refer to my post Challenge : 3 weeks, 3 kids with just carry on?

Accommodations range from luxury lodges to tented camps. Whatever your budget it will still seem like a huge chunk of change. But try not to linger on that thought (like we did all during the lead up). Once you are there you will feel it is money completely well spent.

The Great Migration – What you see

Most safaris I experienced before Tanzania involved prides of lion sleeping under trees or stunning leopards sleeping on tree branches. Amazing yes. But in terms of action, not so much.

Fast forward to the Great Migration. From the moment we stepped off our tiny plane and into our fully open jeep the adventure began.

Just the journey from the airstrip to our campsite we witnessed a plethora of activity. Wildebeest and zebra deciding whether to cross the river. Lions awaiting their decision, while hyenas and vultures lurked in hope of catching some scraps.

Cheetahs, three brothers in fact, on a team hunt hoping to nab a gazelle. Meanwhile giraffes and pairs of ostrich popped out of bushes to cross our path.

Herds of elephants drinking at water holes surrounded by stunning birds and inquisitive otters.

It was all too much!

The Great Migration – what is it

Although the movement of animals occurs throughout the year it is generally divided into several key periods. July and August are the peak viewing season as the herds cross into Kenya’s Maasai Mara. The incredible river crossings are the most dramatic scenes I have ever witnessed.

After our first day my middle son exclaimed “The Serengeti is Brutal!”. He was not wrong.

Getting the timing right is of course up to mother nature. We were incredibly lucky that the river crossings only started the day we arrived. That was mid July. If you do not get the timing spot on do not despair. Although that experience was truly mind blowing, there is still an abundance of action.

I would highly recommend working with safari specialists to point you in the right direction both accommodation and timing wise. This is the company we used and they were brilliant.

Safari – The Joy of Being in Nature

What I love about holidays like this is that you are outdoors for most of the day surrounded by nature. Many accommodations do not have wifi so everyone is forced to have a digital detox. In the evenings we played board games or gathered around the fire to discuss our sightings with other guests.

From my experiences thus far, a safari is the very best holiday one could ever hope to do. Seeing animals roaming freely in their habitat is incredibly special. Sharing that experience as a family was a once in a lifetime trip that we will forever remember.

Thanks for reading.

Shareen

travelwith3bubs

© 2025. All content and photographs copyright (c) 2025 travelwith3bubs. All rights reserved.
February 28, 2025
Carry On Challenge : It’s a Game Changer
Carry On Challenge – 3 weeks,3 kids

A couple of summers ago our family of five spent 3 weeks holidaying in Europe. A week on the Greek island of Kythera, followed by a week cruising and a week in Arezzo, Italy. My one rule – all family members were only allowed to take carry on luggage!

Surely one needs more than carry on you say?! The boys did not mind so much. Our 17 year old daughter needed more convincing…

Losing luggage in Europe during the height of summer seemed very high so I didn’t want to risk it. It was absolutely the right call. Had we not done so we would have spent the entire cruise with the clothes on our back!

Flying from Kythera to Athens most checked in luggage, for reasons unknown, did not make it on the plane. Passengers waited hours at the conveyor belt for their luggage only to find out they had not left the island!

With only one flight per day, luggage would not be received until the arrival of the flight the next day. In our case, we were going straight on a cruise ship the next morning. Any luggage would not have been returned until we got back to Athens after the cruise!

After finding out about that incident, our teenage daughter was convinced – Carry On Only was a brilliant idea!

Top 3 Essentials for Carry On Only

1. Packing Method

To follow the Carry On Only policy one needs to implement the 5-4-3-2-1 packing method. I originally read about this on a home and lifestyle website.

The 5-4-3-2-1 packing method involves variations around –
- 5 tops
- 4 bottoms
- 3 dresses/jumpsuits and 3 shoes
- 2 swimming togs and 2 bags
- 1 accessory (hat, scarf, sunglasses)
This packing method has been invaluable and by keeping to matching combinations it is not difficult. For the most part we looked fairly decent. The uber cool waitstaff at the Dolce and Gabbana Martini restaurant in Milan would probably say otherwise!

Our outfits in holiday snaps are same/samey but hey, are you a tourist or in a fashion show! (Actually in Milan it was probably the latter!)

There can be lots of variations to the 5-4-3-2-1 method. Our daughter had about 15 tops but teenage girls tops and indeed all their clothing items seem to be minimal. They didn’t take up much extra space!

As a base template this method will massively cut down on your packing. Of course using packing cubes are also a must.

I have also tried this for winter destinations, swapping out dresses and swimsuits for jackets and thermals. It is much harder to squeeze ski gear in carry on but usually I will wear or hold bulkier items. We also followed this method when we went on safari although all items were khaki in colour!

Deciding what to include for the kids in the 5-4-3-2-1 packing method!

2. Transfer Liquids

The biggest effort with Carry On Only is what to do about liquids. I suggest ordering a range of 50ml and 100ml travel bottles to transfer moisturisers, cleansers and hair products. Note – stricter airports only allow a 1 litre in one see-through bag. If you are happy to use any products then you can always buy supplies when you arrive at your destination.

Transfer all liquids into 100ml containers

3. Get on board early – carry on needs overhead space

Another challenge when travelling with Carry On Only is finding enough overhead locker space. Nowadays people seem to bring all sorts of items of varying shapes and sizes and it fills up super quick.

It is not unusual to have your cabin bag in an overhead locker nowhere near your seat. This makes it easier for opportunistic thieves to take something from yours while pretending to open theirs! To avoid this, queue up at the gate early so you can “bags” the lockers above your seat. Don’t worry if you look like a keen bean!

I highly recommend you give Carry On Only a try. It is such a win to walk off the plane, go through immigration and then straight out the door. A wonderful head start to your holiday!

Thanks for reading and I do hope you give it a try!

Shareen

All packed and ready to go! Carry On Only for 3 weeks in Europe for a family of 5!

travelwith3bubs

© 2025
February 18, 2025

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