Lazy But Adventure-Loving? Atali In Rishikesh Is Your Kinda Place

Described as an “activotel”, Atali is perfect for the city dweller looking to peace out by the riverside. The idea behind the retreat is to offer “active downtime” with a mix of rafting, kayaking, hiking, and a healthy dose of the outdoors.

It’s a great pick for the outdoorsy traveller who also really really enjoys comfort. While I’m all for kicking back, I hate sitting on my ass all day. This is exactly why this property is lovely.

It comes with a pool, a jungle-gym, villas, super-comfortable beds, staff that’s as warm as a summer dream, and homely, pahadi food that’ll have you going back for seconds {especially after four hours of rafting in the Ganges}.

They’ve also got their own private beach and organise mini-picnics by the riverside.

While here, rafting is a must. You go through the usual suspects {if you’ve been rafting during your high school years, you’ll know what I’m talking about} – Golf Course, 3 Blind Mice, Double Trouble and Roller-Coaster. We also went body surfing in one of the smaller rapids, which was a lot of fun.

More good news: Atali organises everything, so all you need to do is pay up, and be there on time. The villa you get back to after a day out in the river is beautiful – hot water, elegant decor, a view of the river and trees everywhere.

The weather in Rishikesh makes Atali a sure-shot winner. It’s pleasant for most part of the year {apart from the monsoon}, with temperatures dipping to about 10-11 degrees at night, and the sun shining bright through the day.

Even better, it’s quite a short drive from Delhi. 

Atali’s located slightly higher than Shivpuri in Rishikesh. While you can fly or train-ride up to Atali, my friends and I road-tripped to Rishikesh. It’s a pretty smooth six-seven hour journey, with Ghaziabad and a short traf-f*cked stretch in Roorkee being the two small roadblocks.

And finally, carry back two packets of the locally made multi-grain cookies they serve at their restaurant. One for you. One for me?

Carry booze from Delhi. There’s no theka in the area and while the folks at Atali will kindly offer you rum, I’d recommend you bring your own stash of whatever you fancy.