Peace, tranquillity and luxury in the Himalayas

Ananda is located in the hamlet town of Narendra Nagar in the Himalayas, close to the spiritual town of Rishikesh and the holy town of Haridwar, where the River Ganges flows through. The surrounding scenery and nature is ideal for the holistic lifestyle approach that Ananda takes towards rejuvenation and wellbeing of the body, mind and soul of its guests. The easiest ways to get there is via a flight from Delhi to Dehradun airport or via train from Delhi to Haridwar. Free transfers are provided from the airport or train station to Ananda. The surroundings are breath-taking as you arrive on the Ananda property. Concealed behind the palace of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal, lies the luxurious reception area of Ananda and  nearby are the residential quarters, spa, restaurant, music pavilion, amphitheatre and nine-hole golf course. Ananda is much more than a spa in the western sense. By promoting a holistic way of life, Ananda combines the best of the East and the West in order to help its guests live a better, healthier and more complete life. Grounded in ayurveda, yoga and vedanta combined with contemporary international therapies, Ananda thrives to improve the physical, mental and spiritual health of its guests. Depending on which package you select, you will typically have one to three treatments or personalised sessions per day. From ayurveda to wellness to weight loss management to yoga, there is such a variety of packages to select from and over 70 body & beauty treatments. Within the ayurvedic package, you find that once your Dosha (the dynamic living force – Vata, Pitta or Kapha) is determined, a diet, exercise and treatment schedule is created accordingly during a consultation with your physician. Ayurveda in Sanskrit means “the complete knowledge for long life”. The ayurvedic treatments vary from Abhyabga (a synchronized full body massage administered by two therapists using herb infused sesame oil) to Mukh Lepa (centuries-old facial using traditional herbs to cleanse, exfoliate and hydrate). Those who want to work on firming and toning may go for Udwarthana which is a deep dry massage using herbal powders that assist to break down the body’s excess fat or for those wanting to improve memory and normalize blood pressure and sleep patterns, may want to book Shirodhara. The options are endless and each treatment begins & ends with sacred blessings including beautifully sung prayers by your therapists. There is nothing that Ananda has not thought of in making these treatments memorable. Other than the spa treatments, additional experiences vary from daily yoga sessions, meditation, pranayam and fitness classes. These are also complimented by Vedanta classes by Senior Disciples of Swami Parthasarthy on directing one to the goal of spiritual enlightenment (Vedanta meaning the highest knowledge in Sanskrit ) and there are often special talks from guest visitors on topics such as Cranio Sacral Therapy and the local history of the area. And if all this isn’t enough for you to stay busy, there are classical dance performances, cooking classes and traditional Indian music classes. And it is even possible to arrange evening trips to see the Aarti at the River Ganga, mountain hiking to the Kunjapuri Temple, white water rafting and much more. The award-winning restaurant offers a delicious A La Carte menu, along with a special daily menu from the Ananda Chef, an extensive wine list and finally the Wellness Plan Menu which you can order from in line with your Dosha. This place is like nothing else on earth, you will feel at home with Mother Nature and the environment and a heightened sense of spirituality. It is no wonder that Ananda has become the only destination spa in the world to be in the top 3 position for the Condé Nast Awards six years running.