A lot of the central south portion of Okayama Prefecture is heavily urban / industrial and not all that pretty; therefore, to avoid this area, you’ll want to plan your villa ride in a huge semicircle going up from either the far left or the far right. Since I think it is MUCH better to end up at Shiraishi than at Ushimado, my route goes from east to west. The additional advantage is that you visit the two best villas (Fukiya and Shiraishi) last. These are both great places to relax and there is a lot to do in each vicinity, so I recommend two days at each of these villas, making it a 7-day trip in all (counting one day to get to Ushimado before the actual riding starts). Of course, if you've got more time, by all means spend a couple of days in each villa.. or do some side trips if you're energetic.