Our last day in Kyoto we thought we would visit some Monkeys at the Iwatayama Monkey park in the West Kyoto town of Arishiyama. From our location it was a bit tricky to get there. Note that if you're in Kyoto for anything other than shopping we would recommend accommodation near Kyoto station as opposed to Kyoto central otherwise you will do a LOT of walking.
First thing we noticed on our arrival that it was definitely colder in Arishiyama! Bring a jacket if you're there in November.
The first thing you will see when you arrive is the Ōi River which runs through the town, it's very picturesque.
Following the river you will arrive at the foot of Mt Arishiyama, which is where the monkeys live. The hike up will take around 20-30 minutes.
As you ascend up the mountain you will learn a lot about the monkeys. Apparently they don't like being looked directly into their eyes, or having things thrown at them! Also you can learn about their behaviour.
The sun was out and everyone was enjoying the top of the mountain, tourists and monkeys alike.
There's an indoor cage area where you are allowed to feed the monkeys. We bought some peanuts and gave it a go.
One thing I learned is that monkeys have no manners whatsoever.
Some of them can be very cute regardless.
Coming down the mountain you use a different trail, this one displaying all of the colours of Autumn.
We went to town, had a quick lunch then we proceeded to the Bamboo Forest. Most people would have seen a photo from here however due to the huge number of tourists we found this very difficult. My advice, if you go to the Bamboo Forest then get there early before the tourist buses arrive!
The JR train runs through the forest, which we thought was pretty cool.
And made for a nice photo.
Finally, walking is not the only way to get around here :)
If you are in Kyoto then you should definitely check out Arishiyama, it's another great and free activity in Japan. Our only advice would be to arrive early and pack your own lunch so that you can avoid the large crowds of people in town.
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