by Frances Tan

CHOOSING the right holiday destination was tough for me. It had to cater to my hubby Adrian's adventurous streak, my own preference for a "no hardship" vacation, and it had to be baby-friendly for Elijah, our little child.

The ideal place turned out to be Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.

So we packed our bags and, with Elijah in my arms and a tour guidebook in my hand, we took off to Hokkaido.

Elijah becomes fast friends with the friendly tamago (egg) seller at lo-zan.

Sapporo, the island's largest city, is visitor-friendly and relaxing. Wide and well paved sidewalks make it easy for pedestrians, cyclists and parents pushing strollers.

At night, the atmosphere is lit up with large neon billboards and the crowds throng the streets of the Susukino district.

Dinner at the Sapporo Beer Museum and Biergarten was an experience.

Decked in paper aprons, we dug into Genghis Khan-style foods grilled at our table, topped off with a chilled Sapporo Beer. We completed our beer "pilgrimage" with a free 60-minute tour of the Hokkaido Brewery in Chitose.

Curious about Japan's onsen (hot spring) culture, we headed for Noboribetsu, a premier onsen resort area. With separate male and female public baths, we took turns babysitting Elijah.

I read about onsen etiquette and its no-swimsuit policy. Initially, the conservative part in me was apprehensive, but eventually, my fears proved unfounded.

Inspired after seeing other babies in the onsen, we decided to introduce Elijah to it too. I started by going into the cooler baths. Hugging him, I inched my way into the water, watching his reaction.

He seemed comfortable and was all smiles when the other ladies in the bath played with him.

Nearby is the Jigokudani or Hell Valley. Hell - because it's hot! The sulphurous natural springs from the volcanic pits and geysers supply the water for the hot baths in the hotels and inns there.

From one picturesque spot to another, we moved on to Lake Akan, home to the Marimo, a rare ball-shaped algae species. Marimos grow in colonies and can only be found in two other lakes in the world.

On an island in the middle of Lake Akan is the Marimo Exhibition & Observation Centre, where hundreds of Marimo spheres, some as huge as soccer balls, are displayed.

Adrian has a footbath along Noboribetsu's Jigokudani trail.

Within the Akan National Park are natural onsens at Lake Kussharo. The Wakoto Onsen by the lake is outdoors, so bathing in the nude is only for the brave.

The Sunayu Onsen looks just like any other beach front, except that if you dig your feet into the sand, you will feel the hot waters seep through. It felt strange because we could have one foot in the cold water and the other in the hot spring.

In the vicinity is Io-zan or "Sulfur Mountain", an active volcano with sulphurous vents. We ate hard-boiled eggs cooked by the mountain's hot water.

Having an avid mountaineer for a husband meant that we had to visit Mount Asahidake (top), Hokkaido's highest peak at 2,290m. Located within the Daisetsuzan National Park, we stayed at the cosy wooden Nutapukaushipe Lodge run by a friendly couple, known for their "mountain vegetable" ramen lunches.

The ropeway took us halfway up the mountain. On the ascent, Adrian carried Elijah in a harness. Though it was a relatively easy climb, I stopped at 1,800m to descend safely with Elijah, while Adrian continued his way to the summit.

We then ventured north to Wakkanai, a port city closest to the Russian island of Sakhalin. Because of its close proximity, street signs in Wakkanai are both in Japanese and Russian. On a clear day, it is possible to view Sakhalin from Cape Soya, the northernmost point of Japan.

A ferry took us to Rebun Island, known for its alpine flowers. The island hike was challenging with its hilly slopes and we regretted not taking a cab. Our efforts paid off, however, when we saw a wild edelweiss flower, which are usually found only at higher altitudes.

Eighteen days in Hokkaido is simply not enough. We'll definitely go back for more fun.

This article first appeared in The Sunday Times special on Dec 28 as "Hell Valley's hot". It is published by the Special Projects Unit, Marketing Division, SPH.