Ananda - the Himalayas

DESTINATION: India

Harmony in the Himalayas

An Ayurvedic newbie travels to Ananda in search of a serious holistic spa regime and finds that at this luxury spa, wellness is what you make it.
By Kevin Raub

As our SUV climbs up the winding mountain road that leads from the spiritual epicenter of Rishikesh in the Northern Indian state of Uttaranchal to the praised-the-world-over destination spa Ananda in the Himalayas, I'm wondering what to expect. For a reason that remains a mystery to me, I'm under the assumption that Ananda is going to be more like a destination ashram than a hotel, where those seeking a mystical awakening converge over a menu of spirituality, diet, and lifestyle and came out on the backend with a new lease on life. I'm banking on an alcohol-free getaway and a one-way ticket to detox heaven. I'm hoping for an all-vegetarian diet to give my arteries a well-deserved rest from my otherwise gluttonous existence. After traveling halfway around the world to get here, I'm counting on a new me.

But, in reality, the self-declared seven-star Ananda turns out to be nothing more than a destination resort like any other, tucked away in an amazing location in an exotic foreign country. "I think what makes Ananda so special is its location in the heart of one of the most spiritual parts of India," Spa Director Jane Rose tells me. "There's an energy here."

Its location on the 100-acre palatial estate of the recently departed Maharaja of Tehri-Garhwal is indeed majestic. At 3,000 or so feet above Rishikesh, it's literally a breath of fresh air and a welcomed retreat from the bedlam below. When it's not foggy, the views are superb. But I quickly learn all of the usual vices are readily available; it just so happens that there's a very nice Ayurvedic spa alongside them.

Upon arrival, I'm ushered into a somewhat gaudy, Georgian-meets-Ganesh-inspired living room, where delicious warm lemon-ginger-honey tea is served during the check-in formalities. Unfortunately, it is to be the best thing I consume during my entire stay.

Since Ananda is all about Ayurvedic medicine, a 6,000-year-old holistic wellness regime, I'm anxious to get to my initial consultation. Dr. C. S. Narayanan asks me all sorts of questions about my lifestyle and takes my pulse. Doshas are determined, treatments are recommended. Turns out I'm 60 percent Pita (analogous to fire) and 40 percent Vata (analogous to air and space) and in need of a little Abhyanga, Shirodhara, and reflexology. I practically run to the spa.

Ananda's main attraction is 21,000 square feet (India's largest spa facility). In addition to the usual suspects and a slew of wellness services, the spa menu offers 18 Ayurvedic treatments, none of which are performed with chemicals of any kind (all agents are derived from vegetables). Everything is natural according to Ayurvedic practices. Certified organic? That's still a stretch in India.

Unfortunately, the spa rubs me the wrong way from go. I realize the location of the waiting room is smack in the middle of the lobby, right next to check-in, the resort's gift shop, and the stairs to the fitness center. Anything but tranquil.

My Abhyanga, however, quickly helps me forget. Two therapists work my head, shoulders, and feet before laying me down on the regrettably traditional (read: rock hard) wooden massage table for a synchronized body massage. The treatment is designed to liquefy toxins and normalize blood pressure. I'm not sure if it does either, but it does leave me relaxed and slippery- two states I don't mind being in. My reflexology and a honey and sandalwood rub are much more hit or miss, however, with the former being interrupted by the opening and slamming of my treatment room door.

In the end, Ananda is what you make of it. Seven stars? Not even in Dubai. They do have extensive programs that offer the opportunity to adhere to a revamped, Ayurvedic lifestyle if you've come this far to do that, but there's also decadent chocolate cake and plenty of Kingfisher beer. They do not police their wellness regimes. "We give people choices," says Rose. "It's up to the person to do it."

For me, the point of traveling half the world over for a lifestyle makeover is to distance myself from bad choices, not to be tempted by them. Its address is indeed mystical, but the spa world is not one in which all that matters is location, location, location.

www.anandaspa.com

Kevin Raub is a Los Angeles-based travel and entertainment writer who contributes regularly to Travel+Leisure, Town & Country Travel, and American Way.