Kibune Forest

By the road that led from Kibune-guchi train station, north of Kyoto I found that if I wasn’t admiring the Kibune River, I took in the beauty of the forest along the hike leading to the shrines three kilometres ahead.

What was it about the Bamboo Forest?

I’d seen countless photos of Arashiyama’s Bamboo Forest, but still I wanted to go and see it myself. Crowds strolled through the pathway stopping to take photos as I did. Staring up at these giant sentinels was worth the trip until my gaze returned to eye level.

Tokorangi Forest

Located on the outskirts of Rotorua, was Tokorangi’s redwood forest. While these trees are more famously associated with California, the redwoods in New Zealand grow faster because there is no long dry spell like the west coast of the U.S.A.

Truc Lam Pagoda

 

I traversed over pine forests by cable car to Truc Lam Pagoda. Set amongst trees and gardens, the peace of the hilltop location was reward enough.