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Be Ready for the Crowd
The bamboo forest always looks so amazing when you see the professional photos taken of this place, and of course you would want to go check it out yourself for the zen experience. Unfortunately, as another review has pointed out, this is nowhere as peaceful as you imagine it to be, largely thanks to the crowd. Besides hundreds of people walking through every minute, you will often find people standing in the middle of the road posing for pictures. The spot would be nice without people, I am sure, but it is a bit too popular for its own good.
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on Apr 26
Pretty, but not the relaxing zen-like experience one would expect
It's been several years now since I visited here, and I'm only getting around to reviewing it now. I think just about everyone who visits or lives in Japan makes a trip to Kyoto at some point, and the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is high on many people's to-do lists. I think like any popular spot, it's important to temper your expectations. A lot of photos online depict this place as serene, and people-free -- but that's rarely the case. I'm guessing it might be quieter at the moment giving the travel ban because of COVID, but in usual circumstances you'd be lucky to get a picture without anyone in it, unless you're up at the crack of dawn.
JapanRamen
on Jul 14