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This resort offers indulgence as well as detox, so if you’re after

the latter, pack willpower. There’s an abundance of food, including decadent desserts loaded with Valrhona chocolate, and a licensed bar. But there’s also health food, exercise classes, calorie-burning excursions and even philosophy lessons! No wonder Oprah Winfrey loved it so much.

LovesWORK YOUR PJS & BEADSImagine a holiday where you aren’t plagued by the question, “what should I wear?” – well, this is it! Every guest is given two pairs of crisp white PJs and a string of wooden beads on arrival. Wear them wherever you like: to dinner, on excursions into town and, of course, to bed.

THE SIGNATURE FRAGRANCE We’re totally hooked on this aromatic ginger lily oil laced into the room fragrance and complimentary toiletries, and bought a bottle from the onsite gift shop for just Dhs26 to revive holiday memories at home.

THE ROYAL SEAL OF APPROVALPrince Charles and Camilla holidayed at Ananda in 2013, but they weren’t the first Royals on this patch. The resort is in the grounds of the 125-year-old Palace Estate of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal and remains the Maharaja’s private residence to this day. The adjoining Viceregal Palace, where tea is now served, was added in 1910 for visiting British dignitaries, apparently so they could drink away from the booze-free palace.

MONKEY BUSINESS Monkeys are to India what stray cats are to Greece, so you’re guaranteed to capture some on film. We were told we’d be “lucky” to spot one of the leopards that are also indigenous to this region – thankfully we didn’t.

Heidi Klum and Uma Thurman have stayed at Ananda too!

The FoodThe one restaurant on site serves Western, Thai, Indian and ‘wellness’ cuisine. Here’s what’s in store…

CHILD-FREE ZONEKids under 14 are not

allowed to stay at Ananda: cue utter tranquility.

BREAKFAST, 7AM-10.30AMBrekkie is included in the room rate and dishes include salmon eggs Benedict, Thai omelette and “eggs in a glass” (shelled soft boiled eggs), plus Indian classics such as parantha flatbread filled with potato and uttapam rice and lentil pancakes topped with tomato and onion, in addition to a buffet of cheese, cereals, exotic preserves and fruit.

WHAT BODY TYPE ARE YOU?Ayurvedic practitioners believe each person has a specific dosha, or body type, and that we should follow the correct dosha diet and lifestyle to maintain optimum health. Here are the main characteristics and lifestyle recommendations:

VATA (AIR): Slim, dry skin and hair, hates the cold, creative, energetic, prone to anxiety, indigestion, insomnia and forgetfulness.VATA LIFESTYLE: You should always eat breakfast, carbs

are allowed and small frequent meals work best. Avoid raw food and too much fruit. You’re naturally slim, so exercise should be about muscle tone and de-stressing – think Pilates and yoga.

PITTA (FIRE AND WATER): Medium build, soft skin, uncomfortable in heat, easygoing, but can also be competitive and aggressive. May suffer with thirst, body odour or bad breath when feeling run down.

PITTA LIFESTYLE: The good news is you can eat dairy, but avoid fatty fried foods, red meat and spices. Drink relaxing teas such as chamomile and try to take some time out every day to meditate. Exercise can be anything from brisk walks to activities you love, such as horse riding or swimming.

KAPHA (EARTH): Large frame, prone to weight gain, calm, friendly, stable, good at saving, can tend towards laziness.

KAPHA LIFESTYLE: Your goal should be to fire up and stimulate your sluggish system. You love food and eat too much, so cut back – you can even skip breakfast. Opt for spicy and bitter dishes served warm such as tandoori chicken or cauliflower soup with tumeric, and avoid cold raw food, red meat, dairy and carbs. Don’t eat after 6pm and exercise every day. INFO: For a full free dosha diagnosis, visit doshaquiz.chopra.com

THE ROOMSThere are 70 rooms at Ananda with views of the Palace and the Ganga valley, walk-in closets and glam marble bathrooms. There’s also the huge Ananda Garden Suite with its own outdoor gazebo, the Viceregal Suite in the palace extension itself, and the Ananda Villas with private pools for optimum luxury.

NEW YEAR NEW YOU

LUNCH, 12NOON-2.45PMLunch, according to Ayurvedic practices, should be the main meal of the day, so now’s your chance to splurge. We recommend the artichoke and asparagus salad with feta shavings (Dhs35), followed by grilled sea bass with mash, veg and star anise-infused butter (Dhs55), and – go on then, if you must – the Valrhona chocolate delice slice with mango sorbet (Dhs26).

DINNER, 7PM-9.45PMThe menu for dinner and lunch is the same. Detoxers might like a simple soup and salad from the occasional buffet, when it’s on. Everyone else can pick from dishes ranging from curries with freshly baked garlic naan bread to fish and chips (yes, really!). Try not to look at the desserts, but if you do succumb to the hot balls of syrup-soaked gulab jamun milk dumplings, don’t google the calorie content.

DAILY DOSHA MENUGuests on a health kick are encouraged to take a wellness consultation (Dhs86.50) to ascertain their dosha (body type). You’ll be diagnosed as vata, pitta or kapha and can request the wellness menu during meal times, which features low-cal starters and desserts and a main tailored to suit your dosha. Eating the right foods for your body type is thought to balance a person both mentally and physically.

TOP TIP If you’re a woman travelling alone, you may prefer to request a balcony room rather than a garden suite. The hotel has tight security but the push-button bathroom-style locks on the patio doors don’t inspire confidence.

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If it’s good enough for Oprah…

ANANDA SPA IN THE HIMALAYAS

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WARNING: Getting a visa for India is complicated. You need to apply online at www.indiavisaonline.gov.in/visa, answering several detailed questions, then print and take your completed form, along with your passport holding at least two blank pages and six months’ validity, proof of residency such as a household bill and correctly sized 350x350-pixel passport photos with a plain and light background (and you shouldn’t be wearing a white top, apparently) to Dubai’s Indian Passport and Services Centre in either the Khaleej Centre on Al Mankool Road or, for a premium service, the Habib Bank Ag Zurich Building on Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road, which cost us Dhs379.50 pp including visa (which is only payable in cash). The process can take up to two weeks. Call 04 255 5530 for details and office hours. For recommended vaccinations, call Al Barsha Health Centre, 04 502 3301.

DETAILSCOST: From Dhs1,469 per night for basic room, single occupancy; package deals available including the Wellness Package, Dhs10,468 for five nights, including airport transfers, fitness test and Ayurvedic consultations and daily Wellness menu meals (all prices given exclude taxes)GETTING THERE: We flew Dubai to Delhi (3hrs) with Emirates for Dhs1,195 and then Delhi to Dehradun (45mins) with Jet Airways for Dhs644 return, and then took a 35-minute scenic drive to the resortCURRENCY: Dhs10 = INR170 (Indian rupee)TIME DIFFERENCE: +1.5hrs INFO: Ananda in the Himalayas, Uttarakhand, www.anandaspa.com

Vedanta literally means the culmination of knowledge. “It’s a scientific presentation of the principles of life that allows for material wealth and mental peace,” reads the brochure, and free one-hour lectures are given twice a day. The basic principle sets out the differences of body,

mind and intellect. The ultimate goal is to develop the intellect to the point where you can completely control your mind so you can stop yourself from doing daft things like smoking, over-eating and stressing about what you can’t change. You achieve this through study of the theory, attending lectures

and reading books on vedanta. In the Ananda lectures questions such as “Who is really rich?” are discussed and addressed. Answer: not the dudes topping the Forbes Rich List, but anyone whose desires are within their current means, which kinda makes sense when you think about it...

ABHYANGA, Dhs317This four-handed full-body massage starts with a foot bath and a song (performed as a blessing) by two therapists. Despite their giggles, our therapists could easily have got through the first round of X Factor with their vocal skills. It concluded with five minutes in a steam room to help the Ayurvedic herbs in the oil penetrate my pores. Must admit, skin feels pretty good afterwards.

SHIRODHARA, Dhs375This is the one where warm herbal oil is poured over the forehead continuously to alleviate stress, boost memory and halt ageing. The oil is directed along the hairline (nowhere near the eyes) and the therapist performs a bit of a head massage. It’s soothing and includes a full-body rub down with Ayurvedic oil so your skin is moisturised from top to toe. The treatment concludes with five minutes in the steam room.

TARPANA, Dhs98People either love or hate this one. Chickpea flower is used to build a reservoir around the eyes and then medicated ghee (clarified butter) is gently poured into the open eyes. Contact lens wearers say this is the ultimate eye treatment to restore moisture; others say it feels like drowning. If you really suffer with irritated eyes, it’s worth a gamble.

TREK THE HIMALAYASEver walked 7km uphill? It’s enough to make you want to give up smoking. The resort offers weekly morning group trips 1,645m up the Himalayan foothills from Dhs202 per person (weather permitting). If you’d prefer a slightly more hardcore adventure, from hitting higher peaks to white water

rafting on the Ganges, that can be arranged.

FOLLOW THE BEATLES TO RISHIKESHPrepare for sensory overload in the birthplace of yoga, made famous when the Beatles visited the Maharishi here in the Sixties. Today this hippie hangout, 30 minutes down the road

from Ananda, is renowned for its daily Aarti ceremony on the Ganges which takes worshippers from day to night with song and floral offerings on the river. Then brace yourself for free-roaming cows, honking motorbikes and market stalls selling street food, jewellery and hareem pants in every colour of the rainbow.

THE EXCURSIONS

TOP TIP Bring an alarm clock: life starts early at Ananda, but wake-up calls aren’t always on time...

TOP TIP Pack light for connecting flights: the limit on Jet Airways connecting Delhi with Dehradun is just 15kg. Besides, with complimentary PJs you don’t need much.

3 AYURVEDIC TREATMENTS TO TRY AT ANANDA…

The FitnessIn addition to a 2km jogging route around the resort, there’s a gym, an outdoor pool, golf, private fitness and yoga sessions and complimentary daily exercise classes. The timetable is open to change, but currently it goes like this:

7.15am: Hatha yoga for beginners8.30am: Intermediate-level Hatha yoga4pm: Gym-based class (including Fab Abs, Core Stability and Lower-Body Blitz)

The Philosophy

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