Review of Ananda in the Himalayas, by Matt Morley

An hour's flight from Delhi followed by a stress-free 45-minute transfer by car takes you to this verdant 100-acre site high up in the Himalayan foothills. Built around a Maharajah's palace with views over the River Ganges, Ananda in the Himalayas is a holistic retreat that offers guests jam-packed days of classes and activities if they so wish, or a private oasis in which to re-engage with themselves if not. At the resort's core is a spacious spa centre with 21 treatment rooms and a lengthy list of healing, balancing and beauty experiences.

Given the deliberately isolated location, Ananda goes out of its way to offer even long-term or repeat guests a stimulating array of activities to keep them occupied each day. A 24,000 sq ft spa area specialises in traditional Indian forms of massage therapy while also providing a range of European and Thai treatments. Regular stretching and abs classes are held in the well-equipped gym, there is a heated outdoor lap pool, countless yoga pavilions, a six-hole hillside golf course and meeting facilities for up to 150 hidden away in the Viceregal Palace.

Aside from the main restaurant, dining options are also available poolside or around the amphitheatre where evening entertainment is scheduled in the drier months. A carefully curated boutique means driving 30-minutes into Rishikesh town to haggle at the market is a purely optional activity.

The 75 rooms and suites all have balconies either looking down through the valley towards the River Ganges or up towards the Maharajas palace. In keeping with the particular type of luxury on offer here, interiors are tastefully decorated in neutral beige tones offset by rich mahogany woods.

Anything overtly contemporary or lavish would simply feel out of place in a resort where guests are encouraged to give up their Western clothes in favour of the classic white cotton Kurta. Deluxe Suites offer a similar aesthetic experience combined with a sitting room and private garden, while three recently added villas with private plunge pools provide extra levels of privacy and seclusion.