Weekend Trip to Rishikesh, India

My husband and daughter’s birthday fall just one day apart in May and we always try to celebrate these two days by going on a short trip.

Last year, we decided to go to some hilly area to get a respite from Delhi’s heat but we were not looking for the usual touristy location. We just wanted to relax and spend two days close to the nature and hence we zeroed on the area around Rishikesh - a city in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand, in the Himalayan foothills beside the Ganges River.

As we wanted to spend these two days in a tranquil and serene environment we looked for places around the city rather than main Rishikesh city.The place has some great resorts to choose from and after doing our research we finalized a boutique resort “Raga on the Ganges". This resort is around 30 Km away from Rishikesh on the Devprayag road and there are various options nearby like rafting, trekking etc. It is built on a hill and offers gorgeous view of the valley along with River Ganga.

We fell in love with the place right after setting the first step. The picturesque landscaping, swing beds or chairs in front of most of the rooms and swimming pool on top of the hill screamed relaxation to us. The location was just perfect with almost no traffic and just hills and the surrounding greenery.

We spent the first day lazing around in the pool, catching up on the sleep and lying down on the swing beds and gazing at the stars. Went for a stroll in the evening and it was such a memorable experience as the resort is quite far from the hustle bustle and hence the road is not frequented much by vehicles. We went to a nearby shop and bought some snacks and soft drinks which we later enjoyed at the balcony of our room which offered a view of Ganga and the adjoining camps.

Next day we went for some trekking and kayaking and it was again a very pleasant experience. Beaches in this area are pristine with white sand and we played in the water for hours. The lovely hotel staff had arranged a complimentary cake for our daughter in the evening and we ended the day on a beautiful note although feeling sad that our trip was coming to an end.

 We returned from the place totally rejuvenated and are planning to go there in summer again.

Would recommend this to everyone who wants to experience the perfect combination of hills, water and sand...total bliss!