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• Day 66 – Biei to Furano
• Distance: 61.6km
• Ascent / descent: 656m / 718m
• Weather: warm
• Accommodation: Hostel Tomar, Furano, ¥3300

I was up with the daylight breaking through into the garage at 3:15am and on my way just after 4am. I soon found the bike path that runs between Biei and Shirogane Hot Springs and followed this first to the Aoi-ike blue pond.

Considering it was still so early when I arrived at the Aoi-ike blue pond, I was expecting to have it to myself, but there were at least 10 cars in the carpark already. It was everything that I had hoped for. It was serene and still and simply stunning.

A bit further up the road I came to Shirogane Hot Spring and stopped to have a look at the waterfall there called Shirahige falls.

I then turned back the same way I’d come and pulled over to visit another waterfall, the Shirogane Fudo-no-taki falls. I hadn’t heard about these falls, but I’d noticed the sign when I passed it on my way uphill. There was no-one here and it was stunning, I actually preferred these falls to the Shirahige falls.

After these falls, I turned off opposite the michi-no-eki onto Route 353 and went up and over a small hill before coming out around Kamifurano. This area is the flower and farmland hot spot of Hokkaido and I’d planned to visit two gardens today, hoping that I wouldn’t be too early for the flowers. The peak season here for the carpets of bright coloured flowers is July and August and the popular lavender wouldn’t be out just yet either.

The first stop I made was at Flower Land Kamifurano. It was easy to see that it was just the beginning of the season, but I was still happy to see flowers. I also tried a lavender soft cream and lavender cider – the soft cream was better.

I continued cycling for a further 10km and came to Farm Tomita. The carpark was full with cars and coaches and there were hundreds of tourists here, but it was easy to see why. It’s a large garden with free entrance and a few different places to eat as well as souvenir shops and is a genuinely lovely spot. Being lactose intolerant, I shouldn’t have had the soft cream at the previous garden, so I definitely shouldn’t have had one here too, but it’s all in the name of a research 😉 It’s not everyday you get to try a mixed lavender and melon soft cream!

After feeling like I was on holiday and strolling around through beautiful gardens, I got back on the bike and cycled to my hostel in Furano, Hostel Tomar. The building seems quite new and the hostel is very modern. Tomorrow, I should make it back to Sapporo, thus ending this bike trip!