Atali Ganga

Encased in galvanised gabion boxes wired with steel, stone excavated from the hillside forms the walls. Atali Ganga occupies a reserved forest slope 30 kilometres above Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, launched in 2012 by Aquaterra Adventures. Sixteen independent cottages and two villa structures hold 22 units; eighty per cent of the property sits on stepped terrain accessed by hillside paths. Each cottage runs 250 square feet with an 85-square-foot deck open on three sides to views of the Ganga and the Himalayas. Double beds accommodate two; a hide-away bed slides from beneath for one child. An interconnected unit pairs two cottages through an internal door—both rooms carry independent en-suite bathrooms—while a duplex structure links two cottages by external staircase across two storeys.

The Foresterie comprises two villas, Bhagirathi and Alaknanda, each holding four bedrooms: one master, two convertible twins, and one single suitable for two children. Living areas open onto multiple decks; a shared jacuzzi pool sits outdoors. All rooms carry air conditioning, in-room tea and coffee, and yoga mats; no televisions are installed in cottages. The White Water Café seats 60 indoors and on the terrace overlooking the river valley; Indian and Continental menus rotate dishes including mutton rogan josh and cannelloni. A swimming pool stands above the Ganga. River rafting departs from Marine Drive for an 18-kilometre run to Neem Beach. Kayaking, wall climbing on a 24-foot structure, and guided hikes ranging from one to 16 kilometres operate daily. The high-ropes course—Altitude at Atali—runs for two hours at 0700; a shorter three-element circuit lasts 45 minutes. Mountain biking courses operate from September through March. Dehradun airport lies 90 minutes by road; Haridwar railway station the same.