Rishikesh, Uttarakhand · luxury

Ananda in the Himalayas

★★★★★

Ananda occupies the former palace estate of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal, on a forested ridge above the Ganges at Narendra Nagar, about forty minutes from Rishikesh. It opened in 2000 as one of the first destination wellness resorts in India, and it is still the name most associated with the idea here: full-time Ayurvedic physicians, yoga and Vedanta teachers, and a spa built into the hillside with views down the valley. Guests generally come on a set programme — detox, weight management, Ayurvedic rejuvenation, or simple destress — built around consultations, treatments and daily yoga rather than a la carte spa visits. The old viceregal palace building holds the restaurant and library. It is priced and run as a serious wellness retreat, not a resort with a spa attached, and most stays run five nights or more.