Ski holiday, wellness treat, and experience with nature all in one!

I had always thought that it was rare to get everything that one dreams of in a perfect holiday in one place. I now know better following the memorable experience I had when I recently visited NozawaOnsen in Japan.

It is said that a perfect vacation experience is one that includes perfect people as well as memorable destinations, underpinned by plans that get executed at acceptable times with no rescheduling. For me, there are certain things that contribute to a perfect vacation. These include the place, the weather, and the activities I participate in during the vacation.

Japan is my dream destination for a perfect vacation

Right from my childhood, I had heard and read about how Japan is a great place for a perfect holiday. The country is considered to be one of the safest tourist destinations in the world and has one of the lowest global crime rates.

Did you ever know that Japanese people often leave their doors unlocked? Something I also found fascinating about Japan is that children in the country are perfectly safe traveling on the subway by themselves, and visitors are able to walk around the country’s cities at night without having to worry.

The Japan vacation experience for a monkey lover

For nature lovers like me, my choice of Japan as my first tourist destination away from my home country was informed by the country’s bubbling hot springs, towering volcanoes, and snow-capped mountains, the country’s varied landscapes, and the many nature spots that make the perfect setting for adventures in the outdoors.

My family's history of staying near forests made me develop an insatiable liking for monkeys. Monkeys generally fascinate me with their resemblance to humans, their way of holding foods and chewing, carrying baby money, jumping around, and sitting in groups and grooming.

Monkeys make me recall my lessons in school about how we evolved from their ancestors or from them, as very often I hear many human mothers call their naughty children monkeys and chimps!

For a monkey lover who enjoys the thrills of skiing, it didn’t take me much time to be convinced to take my vacation in Japan by a travel agent from Staynozawa, who randomly reached out to me when I wrote some feedback regarding the snow money article they had written in their "Discover the Magic of NozawaOnsen" documentary.

My encounter with skiing and the snow monkeys of NozawaOnzen

I used to read about encounters by visitors to NozawaOnsen, but I now can tell it as a personal experience. The hot springs of NozawaOnsen provided me with special healing properties for the mental stress and the pains and aches I had. The steaming bathhouses in the destination provided me with wellness that I still enjoy many months after the end of my vacation in Japan.

Staynozawa thoughtfully planned my daily activities throughout the trip depending on my preferences. Among them were the Nozawa snow monkey tour, eating and drinking, experiencing the hot springs, witnessing events at fire festivals, and skiing and snowboarding.

Of all the activities I indulged in at NozawaOnsen, the most memorable one was interacting with the snow monkeys NozawaOnsen has. Seeing the blissful faces of a snow monkey soaking in a hot spring was an exciting highlight of my visit to NozawaOnsen, Japan.

We discovered the monkeys during the snow monkey tour, which NozawaOnsen is famed for. The monkeys roamed freely around Jogokudani, soaking in the hot springs whenever the weather got cold!

I learned from our Snow Monkey Tour Nozawa guide that many people are usually familiar with the snow monkeys that bathe in hot springs but may not know where to find them. Many visitors tend to think the monkeys are hidden away in inaccessible parts of the NozawaOnsen wilderness, yet they’re actually quite easy to access.

How to get to the snow monkeys

When you visit Japan, don’t leave before discovering for yourself this troupe of Japanese macaques that you can easily find in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture, smack dab in the middle of Japan’s main island of Honshu. The area is not far from major cities.

You can take the Shiga Kogen express bus, a Nagano Dentetsu train, or a car to actualize your ultimate experience with these wonderful creatures!

Get help to see snow monkeys

You can get assistance to immerse yourself in a snow monkey tour in Nozawa by calling Staynozawa at +81 (0) 269 853121 or sending them an email.