Holistic wellness and luxury living in the Himalayas

For travelers drawn to the Himalayas, there is a certain magic about Uttarakhand. This is an area where the landscape itself seems to invite contemplation, and where the sacred Ganges flows through Rishikesh, a city known globally for yoga, meditation and spiritual discovery. For the visitor seeking luxury and opulence, Uttarakhand offers much more than just access to the Himalayan foothills and stunning landscapes. It offers the opportunity to slow down, breathe and embrace practices rooted in Indian tradition and presented with simple luxury.

During our Indian odyssey, we spent time at two of the region’s most popular resorts: Six Senses Vana, a chic, modern jungle retreat outside Dehradun, and Ananda in the Himalayas, a premier wellness destination set inside a royal palace above Rishikesh. Both offer luxurious wellness and conscious healing, but each in their own unique way.

Luxurious living at Six Senses Vana

Six Senses Fana It perfectly represents a modern vision of holistic living and luxury wellness. Located in Dehradun, just over an hour from Jolly Grant Airport, the hotel is spread across 21 acres of forest with contemporary buildings that blend into its surroundings. Located in the heart of Six Senses Vana Resort, Kila is a tranquil central hub where guests can enjoy peaceful contemplation before heading out for meals, their next session or treatment. The design is elegant and simple, yet able to convey a sense of calm through natural textures and soft lighting.

Upon arrival, we were handed a cotton kurta, the simple jacket that all guests wear, and asked to turn off our phones in public areas. At first this was a shock since we’re often glued to our screens, but soon the policy made perfect sense. Without phones, mealtimes became conversations, not photo opportunities, and evenings were spent with real presence rather than digital distraction. The absence of technology is reflected in the design of the rooms. Our Forest Suite features clean lines, soothing colors and oversized windows framing the greenery outside. The bathtub offers the same view, and the balcony has become our favorite place to sit with herbal tea and listen to the forest. Inside, the Six Senses bed was as comfortable as promised, and the room was stocked with Dosha snacks, sorghum crackers, ragi cakes and tea that reflected the thought given to every detail.

Our wellness journey at Six Senses Vana

Our health journey at Six Senses Vana begins with a comprehensive consultation, where expert doctors blend the ancient, traditional knowledge of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine with modern diagnostics. This set the tone for our treatments and activities, which included early morning yoga sessions where we developed our practice and meditation classes that carried us into deep calm. The massages were exceptional, especially the potli session where muslin bags filled with herbs were heated and pressed rhythmically along the body, leaving us calm and restored.

Other treatments ranged from acupuncture to watsu (water shiatsu) in the pool, delivered by experts who spoke with authority but also care. The daily rhythm at Six Senses Vana quickly becomes its own ritual, such as morning yoga, meals aligned with our program, holistic treatments, and evenings of Raja therapy or guided breathing. Unlike many luxury resorts where wellness sits on the sidelines, here it really is the heartbeat. “We don’t see healthy eating, wellness and sustainability individually, working in isolation, but as part of an intricately woven tapestry, intrinsically connected and working together to deliver what Six Senses is all about,” Farrah Condor, Eat with Six Senses program director, told us. Hearing that and then living it every day made perfect sense. The way the team combined discipline with genuine kindness allowed us to loosen our grip on old habits, notice patterns we often ignore, and begin to transform in ways that feel kind but are real.

Vegetarian food at Six Senses Vana

Six Senses calls its nutritional philosophy “Eat with Six Senses.” At Six Senses Vana, we tested what that means in real life with simple, natural, local and seasonal ingredients cooked from scratch, without adding anything unnecessary and with portion sizes that were just right and not excessive. Each meal felt clean, nutritious and light, but still satisfying and delicious. It set the tone for our entire stay.

For the first time in years, we didn’t photograph our meals due to a resort-wide no phone policy, which allowed us to enjoy our food in a way we had forgotten existed. The breakfast buffets were a revelation with beetroot granola, chia spirulina pudding, coconut yoghurt, vegan cheese, nut butter and fresh sourdough. There were herbal teas, kefir and turmeric, along with Indian staples like brown rice idli, ragi dosa and masala uttapam. Lunches were a colorful array of grains, vegetables and salads topped with fermented sauces or herbal oils, while dinners were more elaborate with thalis that included tofu kebabs, dal, spiced curries and seasonal vegetables. Each meal was in keeping with our consultations and adapted to our needs, making us feel cared for in ways beyond taste. The staff were knowledgeable and would often explain the purpose behind a dish or the benefits of spices, making eating a learning process as well as enjoyment.

As Farah Condor said, “We believe that what our chefs design in the kitchen should be translated directly to our guests by our hosts. Listing the ingredients of a dish to prepare guests for what they will get at the table is a minimum requirement.” What stood out most was that nothing was restrictive. Vegetarian food here was plentiful, creative and celebrated for what it was, not treated as an alternative.

Luxury living in Ananda in the Himalayas

Access to Ananda in the Himalayas Don’t forget. The drive itself is a steady climb that snakes its way up from the valley below, bringing you nearly a thousand meters above sea level, and just when you’re wondering what could be waiting for you at the top, the doors to the Viceregal Palace appear. The palace, once the residence of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal, has been carefully restored and adapted to suit guests, but still carries an aura of history and elegance. Manicured lawns slope gently towards the edges of the forest where monkeys play in the trees, and beyond those trees, the view extends all the way to Rishikesh and the sacred Ganges River.

From the moment we were welcomed with a blessing ritual and herbal tea in the palace’s drawing room, we felt removed from the worries of everyday life and gently guided into another way of being. Our carriage ride to the room took us past the spa buildings, yoga pavilions and restaurant terrace, each offering a glimpse of what was to come during our retreat. It is this combination of history and purpose-built health infrastructure that sets Ananda apart, giving it a sense of place that is grounded and timeless.

Our Ananda Health Journey in the Himalayas

Wellness at Ananda in the Himalayas is structured but never rigid, and is personally shaped around a detailed consultation with Ayurvedic doctors who take the time to explain their reasons and adjust your program (and diet) to suit your body’s needs. Our programs included treatments such as acupuncture, cupping, and reflexology, practices that have deep roots in traditional Chinese medicine but are used here in harmony with Ayurveda.

Acupuncture needles carefully placed along the meridians release tension we’ve carried for years, while cupping sessions leave us with circular marks, but with a restored sense of circulation. Daily yoga and meditation were highlights, sometimes in the ballroom of the Viceroy’s Palace, other times outside inside the marble-floored garden pagoda with the scent of the forest and the sounds of birds in the air. The variety of massage options at Ananda was wide.

We tried Ananda’s Signature Touch, a smooth, gentle treatment scented with rose oil, as well as a deep tissue session in which layers of tight muscles are pressed so relief spreads throughout the body. The Ananda Fusion massage was particularly memorable, using herb-infused hot compresses with in-house blended oils of ginger, black pepper and cardamom. Each treatment was followed by quiet time in the relaxation areas with herbal tea in hand and thoughts to process. The overall effect was not only physical recovery, but also a feeling of mental clarity. Wellness here is both a science and an art at the same time, and we felt as if every specialist we met brought experience honed by years of passion and practice.

Vegetarian food in the Ananda Himalayas

The food at Ananda Himalayas is a continuation of our wellness journey, prepared with thought and knowledge to complement our constitution. After our consultations, the doctors prescribed personalized menus based on our doshas, ​​meaning one of us followed a pitta plan while the other ate his own vata-friendly meals. The portions were smaller than we were used to but they never left us hungry and in fact taught us how little is needed when flavors and ingredients are balanced and with nutrition in mind.

Breakfasts start with a turmeric-based detox tea before moving on to dishes including congee with roasted broccoli or cracked wheat with peas. The masala dosas with coconut chutney and sambhar were delicious, while the amaranth porridge dishes provided a nice start to the day. Lunch always features an exceptional salad bar where bowls of roasted vegetables, seeds, oils, salts and tofu invite you to build your own combination of colors and textures. Dinners were hearty but clean, like casseroles made with zucchini, chickpeas, and cashew cream, or roasted vegetables with chimichurri and green pea hummus. Everything was vegetarian, clearly labeled, and spiced using spices like cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric. In addition to the food, it was the attention of the staff that made the meals so memorable. The chefs came to talk to us, explain ingredients and share knowledge in a personal rather than formal way. The service team was always willing to answer questions and help with special requests if we wanted something off the menu or from a previous day. Herbal teas round out each meal, including a chamomile and saffron mixture to aid sleep, and a digestive tea with cumin, fennel and coriander after lunch. By the end of our stay, we felt lighter, more energized, and truly inspired to continue some of these culinary practices at home.

Uttarakhand is known as one of the best wellness destinations in the world, and both resorts carry this reputation with pride. The foothills of the Himalayas offer landscapes that seem designed for contemplation, and this majestic Indian state is the perfect location for two of India’s leading luxury spas. At Six Senses Vana, we enter into a contemporary vision of holistic living where food, therapies, and silence work in harmony. While at Ananda in the Himalayas, we were immersed in a royal setting where centuries of history meet carefully honed Ayurvedic practices. Both are leaders in their fields, both serve vegan cuisine at the highest level, and both remind their guests that true luxury is not just sprawling suites and private infinity pools; But instead, health, time, space and care represent true luxury. For anyone looking for a getaway that’s more than just a vacation, a trip to this part of the Himalayas is one that stays with you long after you’ve returned to the outside world.

Paul Ayers

Paul Ayers is the co-founder of Vegan Food Quest who writes about luxury hotels and resorts in Southeast Asia with a focus on sustainable travel, eco travel, and vegan travel. Currently based in Malaysia, Paul also writes about sporting events and some of the finest golf courses around the region.