Best health and wellness retreats in India: From Mussoorie to Mulshi to Lonavala and beyond

The pièce de résistance at the Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra, Kovalam, is the award-winning spa where you pamper yourself with international and Ayurvedic therapies to rejuvenate yourself and take time off for yoga, meditation and pranayama (Image: niraamaya.com)

Imagine this. You’re at the foothills of a mountain, waking up to pine trees views, soak in some serenity and solitude as you perform yoga in the cool, crisp forest air and indulge in a warming oil massage at the spa just as the clouds turn the skyline silver. Sounds perfect to your weary heart, doesn’t it? This and a lot more is what people are treating themselves to at wellness retreats in order to get over the grind of summer. After months of soaring temperatures and sweltering humidity, these destinations provide a much-needed escape to help folks get back on track. We made a list of the best of these places, so hit the pause button, pack your bags and head here, soon.

Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra, Kovalam

This beautiful beachfront retreat is like a balm to a city dweller’s senses. Perched at the top of a cliff, Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra is definitely Insta-worthy, dotted with pretty heritage cottages and offering an expansive, gorgeous view of the Arabian Sea. The team includes Ayurvedic doctors and skilled therapists for a personalised experience. The pièce de résistance is the award-winning spa where you pamper yourself with international and Ayurvedic therapies to rejuvenate yourself and take time off for yoga, meditation and pranayama. Several interesting wellness immersion packages include Panchakarma, an Ayurvedic Stress and Strain Buster, Rasayana – Relax and Rejuve and more.

Address: P.O, Pulinkudi Road, Vizhinjam, Kovalam, Mullur, Kerala - 695521
Contact: +91 80 4510 4510

Ananda in the Himalayas

This luxurious mountainside retreat with snow-capped views is a favourite with Indian and international stars from Oprah Winfrey and Kate Winslet to Uma Thurman and Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. Ananda in the Himalayas, the former residence of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal, is surrounded by sal forests and overlooks the Ganges River valley. As you unwind, there’s a lot do. Begin the day here with yoga and morning mantra sessions or do a few laps in a temperature-controlled pool. There is a whole gamut of curative treatments here from shatkarmas, which are yogic cleansing practices, dry massages like udwarthana, facials, earth stone therapies, salt scrubs, hydro aromatic baths where high pressure water jets are used to massage the skin as well as traditional treatments like acupuncture, moxibustion and reiki. Ananda also has a sleep enhancement program to address the underlying cause of sleep issues. A highlight at the spa is an infra-red sauna with a salt brick wall that helps to stimulate blood flow and facilitate detoxification through sweating.

Address: The Palace Estate, Narendra Nagar Tehri-Garhwal, Uttarakhand - 249175
Contact: +91 11 61210000

Oberoi Sukhvilas Spa Resort, New Chandigarh

Just a 30-minute drive from Chandigarh, this stunning spa resort is another oasis of wellness. Set amid thousands of acres of natural forest, it has royal architecture, beautiful fountains and courtyards, reflective pools and a 12,000 square-foot spa with custom-designed programs as well as a Turkish hammam, infra-red sauna and a Roman tepidarium. There are villas and luxury tents with private pools and focus is on holistic wellness with Eastern and Western therapies for chakra balancing, you can also choose programmes meant to help you lose weight, tackle stress and unplug digitally. Ask for a massage using the kasa bowls, relax by the poolside or go on a nature trail in the surrounding Siswan Forest, everything makes for a blissful, transformative experience.

Address: Pallanpur P.O, Sialba Majri Rd, New Chandigarh - 140110

Contact: 0160 272 0000

Yog Wellness Resort & Spa by Amritara, Mussoorie

Spend a weekend in the hills of Mussoorie and come away recharged! This boutique wellness resort, a short drive away from Mall Road will have you soak up serenity in each room with a breathtaking view of the mountains. In addition to morning meditation, there are yoga session with experts. Yog also has six wellness packages - Prana Rejuvenation meant to alleviate stress to Prana Detoxification that focuses on deep cleansing of the system, the relaxing Prana Rajanya Upasana, Pida Mukti, a pain management program Pida Mukti or pain management, Punarjanma designed to relieve the mind and Laghu Karoti, a weight loss programme.

Address: Brook Villa Estate, Barlow Gunj, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand - 248122
Contact: 011- 40752200

Six Senses Fort Barwara, Rajasthan

Overlooking the Aravallis and Chauth Mata Mandir, this heritage property in Rajasthan is definitely one to earmark. A three-hour drive away from Jaipur, Six Senses Barwara is a beautifully-restored 14th century fort, that focuses on wellness. Curated health-based activities and wellness treatments define the experience here. And it’s definitely spacious – the property includes two palaces, two original temples, and 48 beautifully appointed suites within the fort walls! The 30,000 sq ft spa and fitness centre has Ayurvedic and personalised programmes that also are as interactive as it gets! You get to create your own scrub, face mask and herbal poultice at the Alchemy Bar, try nurturing facials and also go on a unique Transcendent Sound Journey, sound therapy regimen using healing sounds of the gong and singing bowls. The five-day Eye of The Tiger, wellness package includes therapeutic massages, sleep tracking, breathwork and other activities.

Address: Chauth ka Barwara, Rajasthan – 322702.
Contact: +91 7462 257 777

Atmantan Wellness Centre, Mulshi

Set in the lush Sahyadris, this scenic wellness destination spread over 42 acres, overlooking the Mulshi River, is about making the right holistic lifestyle choices to help the soul, mind and body (hence the name). Its founders aim to redefine recuperation into a transformative experience and the programmes at Atmantan are created to achieve that. You can choose among various packages meant to address specific needs from Ayurveda Panchakarma to a Master Cleanse, Spa Life Retreat, Weight Balance Retreat and addressing lifestyle and auto-immune conditions. There are also pre-wedding radiance rituals for the bride and groom, a destress head and spine therapy physiotherapy, pranic healing and yoga, aqua aerobics, restorative cocoons at the spa and even a health-based Yuva Edition for Gen-Z. A specially-devised menu presents organic, farm-to-table fare.

Address: Village Palse, Tamhini Ghat Rd, Mulshi  - 412108 (By road it’s a 45-minute drive from Pune and three-and-a-half-hours from Mumbai).
Contact: +91 7969116666

Dharana at Shillim, Lonavala

With the monsoons playing host, team your holiday with a wellness break at this beautiful space nestled in the Sahyadari ranges. Dharana at Shillim, just over a two-hour drive from Mumbai offers a gorgeous wellness break amidst mist, waterfalls and lush greenery. The property is completely focused on wellness. While you may like to just watch the rain, there are also a bunch of curated nature activities like a waterfall trail, Shillim stream walk, clay therapy that giving you an experience of pottery making and cooking workshops using organic locally-grown produce. In addition to a variety of ayurvedic treatments, also make time for yoga at Vishrama - an elevated area with a lovely view of the valley, and end your regimen with an indulgent foot soak or two. Definitely a place for rain lovers to find their inner peace.

Address: Dharana at Shillim, Village Shilimb, Pawana Nagar, Taluka Maval, Pune - 410406

Contact: +91 211 4712 588

Soukya, Bengaluru

(Image: @soukyaholistichealthcentre/Instagram)

Here’s a place on the outskirts of Bengaluru, that draws some of world’s most well-known figures. The Dalai Lama is said to have visited Soukya in Bengaluru and so has Camilla, Queen of the United Kingdom, who is said to have tried the luxury rejuvenation therapies here during her 10-day visit to India. Spread over a 30-acre farm is scenic, with beautiful gardens and villas, making it a place you’ll want to drop on your social media for sure! The holistic healing centre gets its name from the Sanskrit word ‘soukhyam’ meaning wellness. The treatment approach integrates different traditional and natural systems of medicine like ayurveda, homeopathy, yoga and naturopathy with a focus on early intervention and medical treatment programmes that addresses lifestyle issues; think mud baths, yoga, massages and more. Set amidst the exotic greenery and lotus ponds are a pool, tennis court and yoga pavilion.

Address: Soukya Road, Samethanahalli, Whitefield, Bengaluru, Karnataka - 560067

Contact: +91 9686204429

Viveda Wellness Village, Nashik

Here’s a retreat offers charming rustic scenery with a backdrop of green fields, rolling Sahyadri hills and a lake in addition to providing a sense of well-being. The 40-acre property located in Nashik, Viveda wellness village has high-ceilinged Basalt stone cottages have luxe amenities and some also come equipped with a private garden and jacuzzis. You recharge your batteries as swim in the pool shaped like a kund, go on invigorating morning hikes that will have you doing some meditation on the mountain, play some croquet on the lawns, go cycling and kayaking and more. Several therapies meant to infuse wellness into your stay include yoga, ayurveda, naturopathy, hot potli massages and other spa treatments, all supplemented by a satvik menu. Opt for different packages from the Rejuvenation package to an Intense Detox, Spa Life, Weight Loss and Diabetes Control package.

Address: Beze Village, Trimbak Road, Shivar, Nashik - 422213

Contact: +91 7887805800

Shreyas Yoga Retreat, Bengaluru

Tune out summer’s hustle-bustle and tune into silence at Shreyas Yoga Retreat. This 25-acre getaway in Bengaluru houses just 31 guests and is set amid lush green groves. Mindfulness and meditation are at the core of the retreat as it offers a slow and conscious process of unwinding. The bespoke wellness experience includes traditional yoga that is done in an outdoor pavilion, ayurveda treatments such as choornapindaswedam for pain relief and shirodhara and sarvangadhara (to address lifestyle disorders) as well as naturopathy treatments with different masks and massages. You can also go in for a week-long ‘Silent Retreat’, a solitary time meant to induce calm and help folks reset their balance. Wellness is in focus during mealtimes too with a satvik menu made from vegetables and fruits grown organically on the premises.

Address: Santoshima Farm, Gollahalli Gate, Nelamangala, Bangalore - 562123

Contact: +91 9916110434

ONE at Goa

The bohemian beachy destination of Goa has also been seeing a steady influx of wellness seekers of late. And a place that must be on your radar when you visit next, is singer Akriti Kakar's ONE at Goa. With beautiful Portuguese architecture, an abundance of nature and dedicated health regimens, it notches up one for the ‘gram and for your lifestyle. Tranquillity starts from the cottages that are aptly named Joy, Love, Grace, Hope, Heal, and Bliss. You can immerse yourself in a bunch of experiences from a Yogashaala that gives you a space for Yin Yoga, Aerial Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Qi Yoga, meditation and some conscious dancing. Or just go on cycle rides, enjoy an alfresco breakfast or relax at a pond made using natural river stones that are meant to help with acupressure. The healing space also has romantic cabanas, perfect for catching those romantic sunsets.

Address: 145/B, Xingalem, Ponsulem, Canacona, Goa - 403702

Contact:  +91 7738315433

Amal Tamara, Kerala

In a list of wellness getaways, can Kerala be far behind? This luxe Ayurveda retreat in Alappuzha is just where you will want to soak in some serenity in the monsoons. The experts here believe that during the rainy season, the body becomes more vulnerable to illnesses, making this an apt time for an overall wellness experience. Beginning with pre-arrival consultations, guests through a completely customized experience, based on each person’s needs. This season, try Amal Tamara’s Karkkidaka Chikitsa, which includes ayurvedic treatments like panchakarma, rasayanam or rejuvenating medication, herbal fumigation meant to eliminate moisture and microorganisms and spiritual recitations – all centred around a holistic approach to healing, restoring balance to the doshas and purifying the body. As you relax and connect with the verdant surroundings, you also participate in daily group yoga and meditation sessions and tuck into a curated wellness menu.

Address: Ponnad PO, Mannanchery, Alappuzha, Kerala - 688538Contact: +91 477 2250300