Santoka - Kurashiki Yuga Onsen

This hotel sits up in the hills at Yuga Onsen, reached by a narrow road that opens onto a surprisingly spacious car park and a quiet mountain setting. The communal bath is the kind you can spend a while in: an indoor pool fed straight from the source, a waterfall-style utaseyu, a jet bath, a bubble bath, a wooden bucket bath and an open-air tub outside. Two of the room categories go further and add a private outdoor bath right in the room, so a stay here can mean soaking without sharing the water with anyone else. There is a restaurant on site serving Japanese meals, and day visitors can come just for the bath or add a midday meal to the visit.