Ask the crew: Ardis Yeung’s guide to Sapporo

We asked Ardis Yeung, a flight purser with Cathay Pacific, about the best things to see, do and eat in his favourite city.

“Visiting Sapporo is my annual tradition. I love snowboarding in Niseko, usually by myself because it’s so freeing. Once I’m up there on the mountain, I feel as if I’m on top of the world and don’t need to worry about anything. If I’m hungry, I eat some snacks. If I’m tired, I sit in the snow, enjoy the scenery, and reflect on how lucky I am to be able to travel for a living and come back here every year.”

Must-do 

Sapporo is all about snowboarding. I normally visit in spring, as there are usually fewer people and the weather is much sunnier. I’ve been in December before and it was too cold for me; my goggles kept freezing over. 

I usually stay at the Hilton Niseko Village, a ski-in ski-out hotel. In the morning, I wake up, have breakfast, then hop straight onto the chair lift to the top of the mountain. I snowboard down, have lunch and then go right back up again. In the evening, I’ll have a relaxing soak in the hotel’s hot spring baths, then take a shuttle bus to the main village for dinner. That’s my routine.

Must-eat 

To reach Niseko from Sapporo’s airport, I first need to go to Sapporo city. This gives me the perfect opportunity to eat some delicious crab at Ebi Kani Gassen , an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant. You have 90 minutes to order whatever you like. I just keep eating snow and king crab – it’s very fun and tasty. 

Must-pack

I always have three essentials with me. Firstly, a waterproof watch , so I can keep an eye on the time and track my movements. I also bring a GoPro camera with a waterproof cover to take some videos while I snowboard (and maybe a couple of selfies). Finally, a backpack for snacks and water.