Among the many luxury spa options across India, it’s hard to imagine a better choice than Ananda. Perched high above the clouds in the lower Himalayas overlooking the Ganges Valley and bustling Rishikesh, Ananda was once the birthplace of hippies on the hippie route. yoga.
This special feature is published in the winter issue of Fin Magazine, which will be released on May 11th. Sean Fennessy
Since its founding in 2001 by Delhi businessman Ashok Khanna, a devotee of Ayurveda, Yoga and Vedanta and a veteran of the Hotel Oberoi group, Ananda has won accolades across the world. telegraph paper In London new york times. He has been awarded six times as the world’s #1 destination spa by the readers of. Condé Nast Traveler. The alumni guest list reads like an Oscar roll call, including Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman, Kate Winslet, Liz Hurley, Oprah Winfrey and Ricky Martin. King Charles and Duchess Camilla stayed here in his 2013 year.
“We hope that our hotel will be chosen as the best in terms of service and staff,” said Soumya Banerjee, Director of Rooms, as she showed me around. “Nothing beats the Ganges and the Himalayas for a view,” he added while admiring the panorama.
Jamshid Sethna, the Delhi-based friend who took me here, later explained: However, Ananda is less pushy and I think she is much more of a gentleman. Personally, I would focus on things like treatments and yoga and ignore the rest. I come back to Ananda again and again because I like the very relaxing atmosphere and the treatments are great. ”
Cessna, founder and owner of Shakti Himalaya and Banyan Tours, often sends guests on multi-day tours.&R or an extended stay after hiking in the high Himalayas, where many of his boutique Shakti properties are located.
Suffice it to say, Ananda’s setting is phenomenal. The air is sweet, the hills echo with the sound of expensive water, and each night promises more moisturizing facials and powerful Himalayan salt scrubs between wheat shots, buttermilk, and curd protein pancakes. Masu.
An old palace built by the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal, it was once used by the British royal family, nobility, and dignitaries.
A better, cleaner, more mindful, less materialistic you, throw away the polished stone. You would hope so, when his five-day all-inclusive package in an entry-level garden view room costs around US$11,000 ($16,950). Again, don’t be too indifferent to money. Otherwise, you won’t be able to afford it.
Price is a top priority and I’m hoping some lucky chakra will come here, even if it’s only for a 3 night stay for a media appearance. Actual guests typically book for 7 to 21 days. Some stay for two months. At that point, you’re almost ready to work on your inner child at home. (Of course, we will always give you a warm invitation to come back again.)
After checking in, a 45-minute consultation with Dr. Harilal, and a quick look around, we settled into room 510, which had views of the hills and river. I sit cross-legged on my bed like a new health convert like me and read Dr. Harilal’s recommended diet and other notes, the treatment schedule, and the daily routine that everyone is encouraged to participate in. I am perusing the activities of
We plan to spend two full days here, and this is what the first day will look like. Mantra chanting at 7:15am, followed by an hour of hatha yoga, and breakfast at 8:30am. At 11am, it’s time for a 90-minute grounding aromatherapy massage. Then I have an emotional healing consultation at 2 p.m. Choose from a nature walk or afternoon tea at 4pm. Then there will be a Vedanta talk at 6:15 and dinner at 7. At least her one spa treatment per day is included in the package, but it was turbocharged at Cessna’s behest.
Yoga meditation in the morning.
“You’re not going to see the sights like Ananda,” Cessna accused in a text message after learning of my request to set aside time to meet Rishikesh. “It’s not a very touristy town. You’re coming to Ananda to be pampered. Do two treatments a day. More if possible.”
I have no regrets as I leave after receiving six treatments, including reflexology and a four-hand Abhyanga massage performed by two therapists using oils infused with warming herbs specific to my dosha. We also have physical therapists, fitness experts, traditional Chinese medicine doctors, and meditation experts on staff. The full monty on the road to glorious health.
Stay well-fed and hydrated in the central dining room, which features an expansive shaded outdoor terrace. Low-calorie, nutritious and fresh dishes include Japanese-style pumpkin salad with boiled eggs and slow-roasted carrots, chickpeas and zucchini tossed with feta, quinoa and mustard-honey dressing.
The living room of the restaurant pavilion.
Some people create personalized meal plans to balance the doshas and clinically detox (for 21-day guests), but (like me) avoid acidic fruits, sourdough, and dairy. Some people simply try to avoid certain foods, such as products. Rest assured, even for those in the “just trying to avoid” category, there is plenty of cheating going on.
Alcohol is definitely prohibited, and caffeinated coffee is frowned upon in the dining room, but easily available in the room. Carbohydrate-rich foods such as pasta or rice and red meat are not served at dinner. All I would like to add is that I have never felt hungry. I didn’t forget my usual double espresso either.
The calming CFC tea (cumin, fennel, coriander seed) was a refreshing alternative. However, the real fun was in the group activities. After all, who else would attract this place other than movie stars and celebrities?
This is difficult to understand at first glance, given that all guests are mostly dressed in the provided uniform of loose, soft cotton kurta tunics and long pants, known as Ananda “whites” . But the slip-ons left outside the yoga pavilion every morning prove that guests aren’t always so frugal. Pearl-encrusted Chanel flip-flops, Dana’s Karan, Tory’s Birch and Burberry shoes. The only objective they struggle to achieve is during his 8-angle yoga nidrasana pose with forward bends.
There are about 60 guests when I’m staying, but everyone is quiet and friendly. This time it’s 6-star “me” time. Her 30-meter pool by the spa attracts an enigmatic middle-aged woman in designer sunglasses, clutching a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel in her slender hands. And the men in branded sports caps have their iPhones firmly set on silent, even if it turns out to be killing them.
“It’s a very friendly atmosphere, but a lot of people come here for self-reflection,” Banerjee says. “Being too chatty and social can make you lose focus.” Fair point. I decided to talk less and do more group chants.
Ananda’s small pavilion for private yoga sessions.
On our penultimate day, during our 3-hour morning hike to the Kunjapuri temple, we met Sophie, a Frenchman from Paris, and Lula, a Greek who used to live in Paris and now lives in London. The two have been firm friends for decades. “We love catching up like this,” Lula explains, waving her hand. “We’ve tried several places, but this one was especially good.”
We laugh, high-five, walk and chat with schoolchildren as they skip down the winding village lanes with their scruffy dogs in tow. He smiles as he watches the farmers milking their cows. It was a perfect morning, and I nodded enthusiastically to Sophie and Lula’s musings, thinking that I would definitely get used to walking around temples at 7am with my girl friends like this, and eating peanut butter protein pancakes afterwards. . In fact, I found myself feeling great. Dr. Harilal is a magician. There might be something in the 100 rupee Nimbamritasavam potion after all.
The author was a guest of Ananda in the Himalayas and traveled to India with Banyan Tours and Shakti.
small details
- Dehradun Airport, near Rishikesh, is a 45-minute flight from Delhi. It takes him 50 minutes by car to Ananda Spa in the Himalayas.
- Ananda is the perfect retreat after a walk in the Shakti Himalayas. Email us at info@shaktihimalaya.com or call +91 124 456 3899.
