A Midsummer Day's Dream

A colourful getaway of extensive mountain biking, trapeze catching, and white water rafting is possible in the chilly mountains of Tomamu. Daphne Ng discovers all that Club Med Tomamu’s brand new summer program has to offer

- Daphne Ng

When I hear the word ‘summer’, I mentally tick off a packing list in my head: Shorts, sunnies, sunblock, and crop tops. I checked Tomamu’s weather forecast and quickly scrapped my previous packing list and replaced everything with heat tech, down jackets, and jeans – forecasts showed rain and temperatures as low as 8 degrees Celsius. After an eight-hour, red-eye AirAsia X flight from KLIA2 to New Chitose Airport, my body was barely ready for the extensive itinerary ahead of me. Mountain and circus academies, trekking expedition, tennis, and a rafting excursion just didn’t seem feasible.

The GO (Gentle Organisers) team at Club Med Tomamu changed my mind in two surprising minutes. Sentha was the first to greet my blurry-eyed, light-headed self. Her hospitality (“Welcome to Club Med Tomamu!” complete with jazz hands and a triumphant stance) was as generous and invigorating as the welcome drink and hot towel the Club Med staff presented to me on my arrival.

All 341 rooms and suites at Club Med Tomamu are prepped for winter. Summer in Tomamu is different, but no less lovely. From my fourth floor Nemuro room, a lush green pine forest offers a serene view for the weary traveller. At Itara restaurant, the resort’s main dining area, the tall ceiling and glass windows give guests a panoramic view of the rolling hills and gondolas. Every morning, dawn cracks at four, and if you’re lucky, you may even spot a doe (everyone lovingly refers to all deer as Bambi) or a Japanese hare.