GONE ARE THE DAYS when you are deprived of the fun of snow sports just because you live in a tropical clime. Check out our list of first-rate ski resorts in Asia that will fit your bill, whether you’re looking for a hassle-free family trip, action-packed budget travel, or sheer indulgence. Here’s to a wicked winter holiday – with an added bonus – no jetlag.

Variety is the spice of life

For skiiers that crave choice on the slopes, coupled with plenty of off piste fun, try Mount Annupuri, a ski resort in Niseko, Japan – best known for its fine powder snow.

Mount Annupuri is divided into the three resort areas of Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Annupuri Kokusai. If you don’t plan on getting the Niseko All Mountain Pass that grants access to all three areas, Grand Hirafu, the biggest of the three, suffices as a top-notch ski resort.

There are 30 courses, with the longest run stretching 5.6km over a vertical distance of 940m. From gentle slopes for beginners to mogul fields and tabletops for more adventurous skiers and snowboarders, Grand Hirafu has heaps of tempting choices.

Alternatively, you can hop on a shuttle bus to the Hanazono area on the west side of Grand Hirafu and get a taste of off-piste skiing, snowmobiling, horse riding, tobogganing and snow rafting, before you tuck into a delicious bowl of crab ramen at the restaurant in the Hanazono 308 Snowsports Centre.

Another night, head for a hearty dinner at Kame, a dainty restaurant tucked away behind the Niseko Adventure Centre near Niseko Mountain Resort. There isn’t a menu at Kame; instead, your fresh seafood of choice is cooked in ways the chef deems suitable. And he’s usually pretty spot on.

Of course there’s nothing better than a lush and luxurious hotel room to go back to after a day on the slopes – or a night out exploring off piste pleasures. Book into The Vale Niseko, a luxury hotel opened in December last year. If you’ve cash to splash, pick the penthouse, loftily perched on the ski trail, with a private onsen (hot spring) and a priceless view of the snow-capped Mount Yotei. It takes a lot of beating.

Family friendly

With a wide range of attractions for children – including its infant ski-school, amusement park, snow sledges and day-care services – Muju Resort in South Korea is definitely where you want to take your family for some skiing fun. Be sure to make the best of the 26 ski slopes, which boast the 6.1km-long Silk Road slope, the country’s longest, and, more importantly, the beautiful scenery, as the venue of the 1997 Winter Universiade is tucked inside Mount Deogyusan National Park.

It’s a good idea to take a 20-minute hike from the top of the ski slopes and see the spectacular Deogyusan Mountain, which is home to about 900 species of fauna and flora. While you’re at it, it’s also worth a visit to the 40km-long dividing range between the Youngnam and Honam areas.

Now, head back down to the ski resort area and take a dip in the outdoor hot spring to thaw your chilled limbs and relax stiff muscles. Then you can settle your growling stomach and grab a souvenir or two at the Austrian-themed Carnival Street next to the resort, with its restaurants, cafés, boutiques, souvenir shops, sportswear stores, supermarket, nightclub and karaoke room. Well fed and entertained, it’s time you wound down at the five-star European-style Hotel Tirol, with the ski lift on its doorstep.

Adrenaline junkie

With a return air ticket to Harbin tagged at about HK$3,000 upwards, Yabuli Ski Resort is fantastic news for cattle class travellers. Be mindful, though, that the airport is a 45-minute drive from Harbin station, followed by a 90-minute journey to the resort by rail.

The Yabuli Ski Resort – one of the first major ski resorts in China – was the venue of the 2009 Winter Universiade for obvious reasons. It features 11 pistes – a beginners’ course, intermediate and advanced levels, seven cross-country trails (with the longest reaching 5km) and a 90m-high ski-jumping ramp. Phew. Add to the list a host of other activities – tobogganing, dog-led sledging, horse-drawn sledging, snowmobiling and ice-skating – and you’re onto a winner. There’s even a slide you can jump on and whizz your way down a mountainside. And you can play tennis, table tennis, volleyball, basketball and badminton at the indoor sports centre if you’re getting sick of the skis.

Visitors heading to Harbin in early January, mustn’t miss the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, to be held on the fifth this year. The ice sculptures and lanterns, lit by colourful lights, are worth seeing even though it means braving bitter -20oC weather.

If it’s too cold out to paint the town red, pop open a bottle of bubbly from your hotel room. Sun Mountain has three hotels – two at the base and one, the Sun Mountain Lodge, at the top. The Lodge is in the Small Luxury Hotels of the World guide, perhaps thanks to the 24 luxury suites featuring saunas and outdoor bathtubs. Oh, and the heated gondolas and chair lifts to transport you back to the snow fields.

November to March are pipped as the best months to visit.

Contacts

Grand Hirafu

Budget: A one-day pass is tagged at 4,400 yen (HK$380) and basic ski-wear at 2,500 yen (HK$216); a one-day Niseko All Mountain Pass costs 5,500 yen (HK$475).
How to get there: Take the Niseko Ski Express from the Sapporo station to Kutchan station, then take a taxi or a bus to Grand Hirafu. The two-hour train journey is tagged at 4,560 yen (HK$393). Alternatively, take a limousine bus from the New Chitose Airport. The 3.5-hour trip costs 2,300 yen (HK$198).

Yamada 204, Kutchan Town, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido, Japan +81 1 3622 0109

Muju Resort

Budget: Adult and child ski packages, including the rental of boots, skis and a lift pass, are tagged at 65,000 won (HK$437) and 31,000 won (HK$208) respectively.
How to get there: Take a Muju-bound bus at the Nambu (south) Bus Terminal in Seoul. The 2.5-hour bus journey costs 12,100 won (HK$81). The Muju Resort also runs a shuttle bus service to/from Muju Bus Terminal.

San 43-15, Samgok-ri, Seolcheon-myeon, Mujugun, Seoul, Korea +82 6 3322 9000

Yabuli ski Resort

Budget: On top of the RMB10 (HK$11) entrance fee, you’ll be charged RMB140 (HK$159) for a two-hour ski session, and RMB70 (HK$79) for ski gear. How to get there: Fly from Beijing to Harbin or Mudanjiang, take a train from either cities to Yabuli, where you can arrange for a pick-up by the Yabuli Resort shuttle bus for RMB60 (HK$68).

150001 Yabuli Town, Harbin City, Nangang District, Heilongjiang Province, China +86 451 5366 1719