Ananda in the Himalayas

Hard to put into words just how special Ananda is. I’ve had the good fortune of staying at many luxury properties over the years, but Ananda manages to provide a level of service and guest experience a level above the rest. At its core is the staff, who go above and beyond to make sure your every need is met, and with a genuine smile. I spent 10 days as a solo traveler focused on the intensive yoga program and was never bored. Days are filled with custom personal scheduling according to your goals and wellness assessment, and there are ample group activities to fill out the rest. The meals are healthy and delicious (note it is not the heavily sauced and buttered Indian cuisine we enjoy in the US). I came for wellness so stuck to what the doctor ordered and went with the flow in terms of sticking to the menu options for my “dosha.” Aside from the staff what I’ll remember forever is my amazement and amusement about my natural surroundings. Beautiful birds I’ve never seen before. Waking up to find a macaque mother and child observing me through my opened shades. Or a family of langurs foraging in a tree. An otherworldly lightening storm in the middle of the night with constant lightening like a flickering light bulb—also unique perhaps to this part of India and the world (at least in the wake of a record breaking heat wave at the end of May). Thank you Ananda. It was a large journey from where I live in the US, but I hope to be back one day. Highly recommended!

We had an incredible 2 night stay at ananda, it was magical, peaceful & rejuvenating stay at the property..they had amazing wellness activities which will keep you busy throughout the day & they offer wonderful spa treatments also, food was outstanding & as I am vegan they had to plenty of vegan food also, looking forward to visit here again. Kudos to the staff who will go out of the way to make your stay memorable with ananda..

We stayed at Ananda 10 years ago and had always hoped to return. We finally did and our conclusion is that while some things have changed, overall Ananda is still perfect. The biggest change is there is a stronger focus on all aspects of wellness. It began with the intake interview with the ayurvedic doctor. She selected and supervised our treatments, meals and overall wellbeing. Everyday she adjusted our program to fit what was working best for us. The food was amazing. The chef consulted with us several times during the week we were there and was more than willing to make changes to our menus when possible. The staff in the restaurant is amazing and remembered where we liked to sit and what our tea preferences were. Generally most guests wore the white kurtas all the time. The exception was the yoga classes where some guests wore yoga attire. The property looks even better than it did ten years ago. We splurged on a valley view room and it was worth it. The biggest downside was that the price has increased significantly (especially for foreigners) but it was totally worth it. Everything was included and there were no surprises. The hike to Kanjapuri Temple was moderately difficult but worth the effort. I really enjoyed the cooking class. The morning yoga classes were delightful with monkeys jumping above in the trees.

Ananda is a stunning, super peaceful place—you feel calmer the moment you arrive. Amazing food (Chef Ravi), great Vedanta sessions, and an incredible spa. The staff go out of their way to make everything perfect. Enjoyed sessions with Simarjeet (yoga), Dr. Gaurav (physio), and Dr. Shweta (Ayurveda). Would definitely go back.

Ananda in the Himalayas is absolutely wonderful and highly recommended!!! Director of Operations, Soumya Banerjee is bright, personable and dedicated to making each and every one of his guests feel special and cared for at the retreat. He and the team maintain the most serene, elegant, clean, and beautiful spa property in the Himalayas...surrounded by gardens, trees, the harmony and calls of birds, and stunning views of Rishikesh Valley. Ananda's senior Ayurvedic doctor and treatments are wonderful and I took advantage of superb group activities such as community dining, sound healing, nature walks, and Vedantic talks during my stay. Food is varied and wonderful and dining staff are very kind and attentive. Group activities allowed me to meet warm and interesting guests from India and various parts of the world. We were well taken care of by so many visiting faculty and staff members at Ananda that it is hard to list them all! It was a true pleasure to meet and learn from Basab Sen and Sumanji from the Vedanta Academy. Thank you to Sri Hitesh for an excellent introduction to sound healing and to Manish, for a great nature walk. A special shout out to Amit Kumar, Neha and Divya at the main office for being so kind and helpful, and to Bandana and Shikha (at the spa) for helping me make the most of a short stay. Last but not least, my Ananda driver, Rajpal was a willing and cheerful companion on trips to Dehra Dun, Rishikesh and to and from Dehra Dun airport. Rajpal was the welcoming face of Ananda and it was a pleasure to chat with him about any and all subjects. Feeling truly blessed to have attended Aarti during Hanuman Jayanti, to take a dip in the Holy Ganga, and to be cared for at Ananda. Thank you to the team!!