The first morning in Kyoto we decided to venture outside the city and visit one of Kyoto’s most popular sights: the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. Heralded as being one of the “most beautiful groves on earth” and designated a “National Historic Site and Place of Scenic Beauty” by Japan, the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is a place unlike anywhere else. It’s a place where you can escape yourself, as long as you manage to escape the throngs of tourists as well.