When we heard about AMATRA By the Ganges in Haridwar, we did not make any deal of it. After all, philosophically, any place in Haridwar is by the Ganges. But when we reached Amatra, our opinion stood corrected. The property was on the bank of Ganges and the lawns here actually lead to the river. This was so cool – something that we did not expect.  And that gave our stay at this property a different angle altogether. But we are jumping the gun here. Summer vacations are here and all of us are thinking of getaway options. Unfortunately, given time constraints we could not plan far – somewhere that was a 5-6 hours drive from Delhi. We keep doing mountains so we tried the river this time. We came across Amatra and what pulled us was the location. Read on.

Location-AMATRA By the Ganges

This property is in Haridwar but not near the ghat area. It is tucked in an elevation somewhat before proper Haridwar. It is about 20-minute drive from the parking that leads to the Har-Ki-Paudi ghat.

There were jungles on the way and when we reached after about 5 hours drive from Delhi, it was all peace and tranquillity, just as we wanted.

Rooms at AMATRA Haridwar

It is a sprawling area and the size of the lawns has to be seen to be believed. There are duplex villas built in clusters. The rooms are clean and the toilets spacious. Each villa has three rooms. The ground floor consists of a general parlour and one room which has an exclusive garden. The two rooms on the top floor have exclusive terraces. The air conditioning is potent but the frequent power cuts get in the way during summer. While they have power back up, the now-on-now-off electricity was preventing the air-conditioning to cool optimally.

Best Time To Visit Haridwar-Rishikesh

Since it was the first week of May, it could have been uncomfortable. However, given the cyclonic activities in Eastern India, it was stormy and rainy. In fact, storm in that open ground, with the lightning on the dark sky and the trees dancing due to heavy winds, was a thrilling sight that even cameras could not do justice. The rain brought the temperature down and we had great weather during our stay. Even otherwise, while the days could be hot, the greenery in the area and the Ganga flowing by the side, the evenings become pleasant. We got lucky but otherwise, the best time to visit Haridwar and Rishikesh would be from January to April and from September to December.

Dining Options at AMATRA

They have an exhaustive menu and you can order in the room. Alternatively, you can go to their restaurant which has clear walls and provides the perfect view of the mountain line visible from here. The breakfast buffet, which is elaborate, is laid here. We loved the cupcakes and the cheese omelet for breakfast. Food overall is tasty and they meticulously customised items to our requirement. A special hello to their dessert chef, he made the most amazing Dal Halwa that was not dripping ghee and just right on the sweetness. Also, the brownie on the dessert menu with the perfect texture was a delight. They also have a fully functional bar with comfortable sofas, books, and ambient lighting.

Swimming Pool Overlooking The Ganges

There is a moderate size swimming pool. The uniform height of the pool at 4.5 ft was safe for any person, including a non-swimmer to go and splash around with any safety concern. A professional swimmer may be disappointed with the length of the pool. But we managed a round of swimming every day of our trip and loved working up the appetite.

Make The Most Of Your Luxury Staycation

In addition to swimming, they have a host of activities to keep guests engaged. We were pleasantly surprised to see that they had bookshelves with books and magazines at various strategic places in the resort and you can just pick up something and relax. They have wall climbing for kids and then there are table tennis, badminton, croquet, and indoor games such as carom, chess, etc.  Additionally, there are jungle safaris to Rajaji National Park, cycling around the surrounding village with a guide, nature walk or bird watching with a naturalist, etc. The last bunch of activities is charged extra.

That said, you can ditch all the above and simply be with yourself. The sprawling space, all green and the Ganges bank are ideal spots to sit alone and introspect.  All this made us feel that AMATRA is a perfect gateaway from the hum drums of our activity oriented daily grind.

Ganga Aarti Inside The Resort

AMATRA has Ganga Aarti at the bank of the river inside the property. A priest performs the ritual every evening and guests are welcome to join. In addition, if you want to visit the traditional Ganga Aarti at the Har-Ki-Pauri ghat, AMATRA arranges transport. In fact, when we expressed our desire to the Haridwar Ganga Aarti, not only did AMATRA arrange transport, Dhiraj Chauhan, their manager, even referred a priest who helped us do our own rituals at the Har-Ki-Paudi ghat and arranged ringside seats when Aarti took place. It was a very fulfilling experience.

We stayed at AMATRA for about 3 days and no, were not bored one bit. It is a great place for a break from the city – a staycation. You can just be inside the resort and be rejuvenated. It is also great for those who wish to visit Haridwar or Rishikesh and want a break in between. You can cover the hustle and bustle of Haridwar here or the activities of adventurous Rishikesh form the tranquillity of AMATRA. In a group or even for a solo traveller they have something in store.  Given that summer vacation is around the corner, AMATRA By the Ganges can be your destination for the next short holiday.