It is easy to write off Rishikesh - The Beatles, the 60s, the hippies. Forty-something years on, there's a sleeker sort of serenity being offered in the mountaintop grounds of a former palace. Beautifully packaged like a one-stop shop to nirvana, Ananda focuses on the holistic blending of a wealth of Ayurvedic-based and international spa treatments, yoga, workshops with masters in wellness, art and culture with the stillness that comes from sitting on a mountain staring down into the natural flow of a river - the Ganga in this case. They've made the most of the man-made surroundings as well with a sensitive refurbishment of the palace rooms, along with new additions such as the three villas that have a private sauna and 430 square feet (40 square metres) private pools with a view. The four-poster bed Vice Regal Suite in the palace has a rooftop Jacuzzi. Bubbles, valley view, need we Om more.