Luxury Travel Advisor - April 2008 - (Page 17)

ANANDA is nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas on 100 acres overlooking the holy river Ganges (this photo). CLIENTS can practice personalized yoga in the Thai Music Pavilion (above, right). The most luxurious destination spa in Northern India is Ananda in the Himalayas (www.anandaspa. com). Nestled in the foothills of the most spiritual mountain range in the world, Ananda, which is the Sanskrit word for “bliss” or “contentment,” offers yoga, meditation and holistic health. The resort and spa are centered on the 100-acre palace and estate of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal, overlooking the holy river Ganges and the valley of Rishikesh. The Viceregal Palace is now home to two yoga ballrooms, complete with grand chandeliers, as well as the Maharaja’s library, a tea lounge, billiard room and the Viceregal Suite—perfect for your VIPs with private butler service, a private elevator and a bathroom with a fireplace. The Palace also is the residence of the spiritual leader Ma Anandamayi. Contact Pushpa Nair (pushpin@anandaspa. com), the spa’s acting general manager, to arrange a first-class train ride from New Delhi to Hardiwar, where a car and driver will whisk your clients up winding mountain roads to the estate. It is also possible to book a 45-minute flight to Jolly Grant airport or to charter a helicopter. Reservations should be made at least two months in advance. Ananda has 75 deluxe rooms and suites. The rooms feature a walk-in closet, sunken bathtub with a picture window, a private balcony with views of the Ganges River and valley of Rishikesh or the Maharaja’s Palace. The suites have their own private garden. The 21,000-square-foot spa employs a team of 17 spa and beauty therapists and offers an international menu of Western and Asian treatments, as well as traditional Ayurvedic programs for weight loss, stress relief and detoxification. Contact Spa Director Colin Hall (colinh@anandaspa.com; 91-1378-227500), who will advise on packages ranging from the Ananda Detox, which includes a personalized consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor, to the his-and-her Himalayan Romance, which includes personalized couples’ yoga and a rose petal in-room bath. Spa treatment reservations are flexible and can easily be changed to meet a client’s schedule. There is also a fitness center, an aerobics studio, a heated lap pool and a six-hole golf course. One of the most special experiences at Ananda is the nightly Vedanta lecture. Vedanta is the Hindu science of living derived from ancient texts and passed down through master teachers. Mr. and Mrs. Sreedharam, two visiting professors from Vedanta University in Kerala, teach nightly classes on topics that range from love to anger to ego management. The objective of the class is to augment clarity of thinking, gain better control over one’s mind and lead a more stress-free life. Tell your clients it’s even possible to book private Vedanta sessions, which may take place on a walk through the golf course, in which they can discuss everything from their work life to their romantic and family lives and learn vital lessons based on the principles of this intellectual tradition. Cuisine at Ananda is world-class. The Restaurant features Ayurvedic, Asian and Western dishes. Chef Shiv Sagar also will give your clients a private Ayurvedic cooking lesson. Ayurvedic cuisine emphasizes the importance of a balanced diet that includes sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent elements, according to one’s individual April 2008 | LUXURY TRAVEL ADVISOR 17 http://www.anandspa.com http://www.anandspa.com

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Luxury Travel Advisor - April 2008 Contents Publisher's Letter Editor's Letter London DESTINATIONS India Greece HOTELS Golf Royal Hideaway Playacar Chateau Marmont SPAS Hawaiin Spas Southeast Asia CRUISES: Antarctica Cover Story: Rocket man The Pulse Traveling Gourmet Jetset Sightings Source List

Luxury Travel Advisor - April 2008

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