MAGICAL KYOTO

I always imagined myself that one day I get the chance to be transported in a different era, or in a place somewhat out of this world or a place where it could only exist in fairy tale books. 

Sometimes, we see photos of places that we are not sure if they really exist, or if they were just a product of photo manipulation. We can only believe if these places are real unless we see them personally.

Japan has a lot of places that would stun you and leave you speechless. Places that you won't really believe they existed.  Gifted with natural beauty, surely these places will leave you breathless.

Kyoto is one of the popular destinations in Japan. It is a city of thousand temples, shrines and gardens. With more than one thousand years of history, it is the best place to enjoy nature be it in winter, spring, summer or fall.

During my visit in November, Kyoto gave me the best travel experience. The colors of autumn made Kyoto the picture perfect destination. Walking under the Japanese maple trees made me appreciate the wonders of nature, running through the vermillion torii gates led me to the spiritual world of Shintoism and wandering in the bamboo forest of Arashiyama gave me the feeling of finding the emerald city!

Fushimi Inari Shrine


One of the most important Shinto shrines in Kyoto, it is the most important shrine dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Famous for its thousand vermillion torii gates, this shrine is a UNESCO world heritage site. Thousands of tourist visit this place every day and it could get very crowded. 


I went to this place twice as I didn't enjoy during my first visit because it was crowded and I couldn't take nice photos. 
I went back the next day as early as I could but still, people were already all over the place. I would suggest to plan your visit properly and go there as early as you can. 

Tofukuji Temple

During autumn, people from all over Japan come to this temple to see the autumn colors. 




The popular Tsutkenyo bridge has a spectacular view of the lush maple trees and gets extremely crowded during the peak season of autumn. And during this period, the leaves change their colors into striking red, orange and yellow.











Sagano Bamboo Forest




Perhaps the most enchanting place I've seen in my travels. Walking through the bamboo forest will give you this magical feeling as the bamboo sways gently back and forth as the wind blows. The narrow path between the bamboo gave me the feeling of walking the yellow brick road towards the wizard of Oz. 

Just like the Fushimi Inari temple, this place gets crowded too so visiting early is the best thing to do to enjoy this magical forest.

There are a lot of stunning places to visit in Kyoto, in fact, these are just a few of them. But among the many places, these are my favorite spots even though they get too crowded.  So if you plan to visit Japan, never forget to include Kyoto in your itinerary, this place is good to visit any season of the year.


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