Ask Susie

Question:

We are planning on going to India next year and want to spend part of the trip at a Resort that is well known for Yoga and the Spa. Have you any suggestions?

-C.E.
 
Answer:
 
I have one word for you. Ananda.  Well, four – Ananda in the Himalayas.  This fantastic destination spa has been a SpaFinder consumer favorite for years, having won several Readers’ Choice Awards, including the 2009 country award for Best Spa in India. SpaFinder Sallie Fraenkel paid a visit to Ananda last spring and here’s what she had to say:

Ananda in the Himalayas is not easy to get to from New York, but I can honestly say that all the travel is well worth it.

After arriving from Delhi at Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, you are met by an elegantly clad driver who takes you up a winding road past Rishikesh, the birthplace of Yoga.

A first glimpse of monkeys by the roadside let’s you know that you are far, far away from home. Ananda is a palace – literally.

The Indian “welcome greeting” sets the tone as one feels so welcomed by all the staff.

The sounds, smells and view from my room were breathtaking. I could have spent countless hours gazing at the Himalayas, listening to the shrill calls of peacocks and chirping sounds of the birds, marveling at the Ganges River and the sweeping vista views of the valley. But there was so much more to experience.

The yoga was outstanding, the food amazing (kudos to Chef Gupta). I was not expecting to have such a broad selection of spa cuisine: Indian, Western, Asian, and Ayurvedic, and I tried them all.

But the piece de resistance is, of course, the spa. My treatments were out of this world. The Abyhanga was given by two young Indian therapists whose movements were perfectly choreographed.

My Kundalini treatment was unlike anything I’ve experienced before thanks to Llhamo. As a destination spa, Ananda in the Himalayas truly delivers a transformative experience. It’s a place I will never forget.

Enjoy your time in India!
 
-Susie