Furano, at Glamp Sora.

A detour through Furano

A little glamping between the hotels

In between conventional hotel stays, I always try to work in a little glamping. My standards are high, and I’d never stayed in a dome before. I figured glamping in Japan would be next level when it came to cleanliness, food and hospitality.

I was not wrong.

Glamp Sora in Furano was the perfect detour between Sapporo and Niseko. We could visit some of Furano’s beautiful spots and, naturally, continue eating our way through Hokkaido.

A familiar welcome

A little like talking to my parents

Sora is run by a Taiwanese-Japanese family who speak Japanese, Mandarin, Taiwanese and English.

I suspect the owner noticed my Chinese surname, because she started speaking to me in Mandarin—which is actually the language I’m least confident speaking. We ended up in a mix of Mandarin, Japanese and a little English.

I felt right at home. It was a little like talking to my parents.

The practical bits

Shared bathrooms, very comfortably done

The bathrooms are shared. Near the main reception and dining area, the communal facilities were separated for men and women, with two toilets and two showers. There was another set of men’s and women’s washrooms closer to the tents and domes, with two toilets in each.

They were spotless, cleaned frequently, and I never had to wait. Lovely toiletries were provided, too.

I also bought a Glamp Sora tote for around US$10.

You could borrow games and books from the check-in office to use in your dome. One thing I’d bring: a head torch, to make finding your way around after dark easier.

Around Furano

Eating our way through Hokkaido

For exploring around Furano, my picks would be Farm Tomita for the lavender farm, cherry picking at Ohashi Cherry Farm, and a dessert stop at Furano Delice.

A melon farm can be a fun quick stop, too. We found some interesting melon desserts and tractors to take photos with. The melon was juicy and delicious, but there is a limit to how many overpriced slices I can eat before it feels like I’m burning money.

My vote? Find a supermarket in town, head to the fruit aisle, and pick up a half melon that’s already beautifully sliced. Eat it in a park. It tastes EXACTLY the same to me, for what felt like a tenth of the price.

Looking back

A detour worth making

I came to Sora with high expectations for my first dome stay. We slept comfortably, ate well and had a lovely base for exploring Furano. The kids had room to run and took their self-appointed bug-patrol duties very seriously. And somewhere in that mix of Mandarin, Japanese and English, I felt right at home.

Two nights felt just right. Sora reminded me why I always try to fit a little glamping between the hotels: a different way to spend time together, with all the comfort I’m unwilling to give up.

Where we went next: Niseko, beyond the snow.