“Alps BASE” in Iijima Town, Nagano Prefecture opened in October 2022.

It is said that you can enjoy glamping in a town where you can see two Alps while also doing a workday.We chose such a facility as the destination of our trip.



We will use public transportation to get there.After a two-hour express bus ride from Nagoya, I got off at JR Iida Station (Nagano Prefecture).We rented a car from a rental car company in front of the station and enjoyed a 2-minute drive until we arrived at our destination.

For people who are worried about driving for long periods of time or who want to make effective use of their time while on the move, we recommend public transportation + rental car!There is an internet connection on the Shinkansen and buses, so if you get your work done before you arrive, you can be more active once you get there.

Alps BASE is located on the grounds of Senninzuka Park.As you step out of the car, you will be captivated by the beautiful natural surroundings.The majestic Central Alps towers behind the facility, and the Southern Alps can be seen in front.Jogaike Pond stretches out in front of you, and the beautiful mountains of the Alps are reflected on the water surface.This is a scenery that you would want to capture in a photo.


We arrived earlier than the check-in time of 15:10 and decided to work for a while at the work space in the Sakurayama facility, which also serves as the check-in location.This space can be used from 16:3 to 500:XNUMX, and the fee is XNUMX yen for XNUMX hours.Feel free to stop by before check-in.Of course, we have a perfect Wi-Fi environment, so online meetings are also possible.The large windows offer a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery, so you can work with a sense of openness.Your sensibilities will be stimulated and you may come up with some great ideas!

After finishing my work, I finally went to my room.

When I opened the door, there was a much more spacious space than it looked.The green forest and bright light seen through the skeleton windows make you feel very comfortable.The interior is unified with earth colors, giving the feeling that the inside and outside are connected.

When you enter the room, you will be completely relaxed.We enjoyed a relaxing tea time with the coffee and tea provided in the room.

When I asked the staff, all of the four rooms in total are of the same type. It seems that up to 4 people can stay in each building, and there were extra mattresses and futons in the room.

When you stay in your room, you want to relax forever, but it's time for glamping!You can't leave without enjoying nature.

What we were looking forward to was SUP.As the name suggests, stand-up paddle boating is an activity where you stand on a large board and use a paddle to move across the water. You can experience it for 1 yen (adult) for 3,000 hour.



As beginners, we were prepared to feel unsteady on our feet and think it was only a matter of time before we fell into the pond, but an instructor came with us and carefully taught us how to stand and how to use the paddle, so we were able to do it right away. You will be able to stand on the board and row.

When they had some free time, each participant began to enjoy the scenery from the water, remaining silent for a while.Only the sound of water sloshing along the quiet waterfront.It was a luxurious time that you can't experience in everyday life.

The SUP experience is a limited-time activity from late April to September, and is held irregularly, so be sure to check the dates and make a reservation in advance.Please note that all experience activities will be closed on Tuesdays.

``If you get cold after SUPing, we recommend the sauna!'' the staff member says with a smile as he points to the tent next to the pond.

When the sauna tent is heated with wood, the temperature can rise to nearly 100 degrees.When you can no longer bear the heat inside the tent, the real thrill is to jump straight into the pond.After swimming in the pond, I went back to the sauna once I had cooled down.A gorgeous sauna experience that can only be done in nature, it looks like a lot of fun.

Prices start from 2 yen for 7700 hours.When jumping into the pond, we were asked to wear the jackets placed on the benches near the tents.

I heard that there are many other experiences besides SUP, so I took a walk around the area and discovered a course nearby where you can enjoy mallet golf, which is a combination of gateball and golf.Alps BASE guests can try it out for free.

There is also a forest area within Senninzuka Park that is likely to be crowded with insect-loving children.There are also parks with play equipment made of natural wood, so families can play until the sun goes down!

One more thing.The fishing pond experience is something that both adults and children can enjoy.There is a fishing pond about 3 minutes walk from the facility, so we decided to give it a try too!However, even though there were many rainbow trout swimming in the water, I couldn't tangle any of them...However, my friend next to me caught a big rainbow trout and was cheering!I was told that the rainbow trout I caught would be part of my dinner, so I decided to have my friend catch mine.

The fishing pond experience is free for guests staying with the hotel, up to one fish per person, and 1 yen will be charged for the second fish and onwards.

When we finished our fishing experience and returned to the facility, dinner was just brought to us.

Not only does it have the voluminous feel typical of glamping, but the Shinshu brand beef, fresh vegetables and fruits, pizza with plenty of toppings, skillet dishes, and a variety of other eye-catching ingredients will have you exclaiming, ``This looks delicious!'' I did.What's more, Nagano's specialty Gohei mochi was also on the table!Tasting local specialties is one of the best parts of traveling.

For the main meat, you can choose either game sausage or Shinshu premium beef.What we received was premium beef.I'm sure I'm not the only one who found myself wanting more even though I was full!

Of course, the rainbow trout that my friend caught was also part of dinner. We recommend eating the plump rainbow trout grilled on the BBQ grill with the crunchy vegetables and sauce of Bagna Cauda.

When it gets completely dark, a bonfire begins to burn beautifully in the facility's plaza.

During dinner, we were engrossed in the BBQ, but once our stomachs had calmed down, we moved to the bonfire as if the flames were inviting us. October nights are a bit cold, so the warmth of the bonfire made me feel warm.

As time passes, other guests will gather and conversations will naturally begin.This is also the real pleasure of traveling.It might be a bit of a waste to take him to his room too early!

Moreover, the weather was nice that day, so I was able to see a starry sky that I could not see in the city. According to the person who said, ``I love taking pictures of the starry sky!'', the starry sky looks the most beautiful in winter than any other time of the year.Warm up by a bonfire, stargazing with a hot drink in hand...that's a great way to spend your nights this coming season.

On the second day, I woke up to the morning sun shining through the gap in the curtains.

When I jumped up and went outside, I saw a beautiful sunrise over the pond.Perhaps it is the soothing effect of nature that makes you naturally active in the morning, such as sitting on a deck chair and looking at the morning scenery for a while, or taking a walk by the lake.



At 8 o'clock, breakfast was brought to us with the aroma of fragrant bread.In fact, the bread served for breakfast is from a bakery called Chocotan that I saw near the facility.The bakery has a tasteful exterior that looks like something out of a picture book, so I'm sure it will catch your eye when you visit the facility.

On this day, we enjoyed basil and cheese, walnut and iyokan campagne, along with soup and salad, while admiring the spectacular view of the Alps.The natural yeast bread baked in a wood-fired oven was so delicious that it goes without saying that I stopped by the store on my way home and bought the same bread.

During your stay, there is a toilet, washroom and shower space on the premises, and plenty of amenities.A toothbrush, hairbrush, shower towel, and skin care kit are provided.The shampoo, conditioner, body soap, and skin care kit are all John Masters Organics products that use organic and natural ingredients, and you can feel the facility's commitment to it.

Another thing to look out for is rental items! You can rent items useful for photography, such as tableware and cooking utensils needed for BBQ, as well as stands and lenses for smartphone photography.Surrounded by the beautiful Alps mountains, the surroundings of Alps BASE are beautiful no matter where you look, and you will naturally want to take a photo.You can also enjoy taking photos using rental items!I'm not the type of person who takes a lot of photos when I travel, but this time I was surprised to find that I had over 100 photos on my smartphone.

I took pictures of my memories of the two days, worked some more, and checked out at 2am.Check-out time at the facility is from 11:8 to 11:XNUMX, so you can have a relaxing morning.Thanks to that, I was able to spend a fulfilling time looking at the beautiful scenery, having lots of fun, eating delicious food, and working.

I wonder if cherry blossom season will come next!We started making new plans on the bus on the way home, imagining the collaboration of the two Alps and the cherry blossoms in full bloom around Joka Pond.