Kyoto, Honshu, Japan

If you stay in only one ryokan while in Kyoto, let it be the Shiraume. Located deep inside the historic pleasure district of Gori, the inn occupies a former ochaya, where geikos and maikos entertained clients in the Edo period. The building is approached via a small footbridge flanked by plum trees, and in spring languishes amid a backdrop of blossom and green willows growing along the banks of the Shirakawa stream. Inside, its rooms are adorned with beautiful Japanese antiques and artworks. The atmosphere is painstakingly traditional, providing the perfect base for explorations of Kyoto’s cultural riches.