Ananda in The Himalayas, Rishikesh

One of India’s best destination spas, Ananda is a glorious hotel, clinging to a ridge in the Himalayan foothills. It resides in the former Palace Estate of the Maharaja of Tehri-Garhwal with beautiful grounds and gardens. The resort boasts unbeatable spa facilities, peaceful solitude and a chance to get back to nature, whilst surrounded by luxury. 

The restaurant offers superb cuisine and dedicated spa menus which can be personalised according to the spa doctor’s recommendations. It has staggering views over the valley, and the nearby heated swimming pool is the perfect place to relax, in a climate that is ideal almost year round. The 74 bedrooms and suites in the main building are beautifully decorated in soft colours and each has a balcony or garden overlooking either the valley or the hotel grounds. The 2 and 1 bedroom villas are scattered around the grounds and are wonderfully spacious and private, with their own pools, living room and butler.

The walking opportunities here are fabulous – following winding mountain tracks up into the surrounding hills, passing villages, schools, temples and all the time with sublime mountain views, hearing the happy sound of laughing children and bumping into locals going about their business. If wanting to venture out, only half an hour away is the nearby holy town of Rishikesh, which stands at the point where the wooded mountains of Garhwal rise abruptly from the low valley floor and the Ganges crashes onto the plains.