4-1206-Niche Markets.qxp - Travel World News

THE PROFITABLE WORLD OF NICHE MARKETS
London World Travel Mart Award’). The following two
North Indian retreats are very worthy of note, as are the
two in Southern India. All are diverse, as is India herself.
The Punjab
In the northwestern state of Punjab, not far from the
stellar Sikh Golden Temple is WH Ranjit’s Svaasa, an intimate
luxury boutique spa. Svaasa means both ‘inspiration’
and ‘breath of life.’ This inviting gem truly reflects
its name. It is located on Amritsar’s prestigious Mall
Road.
Part of the WelcomHeritage Collection Group of
palaces, forts, ancestral homes and resorts that reflect the
architectural heritage of India, Svaasa is located in a
haveli, Rai Bahadur Rattan Chand’s ancestral mansion.
It dates back seven generations. Amritsar and this noted
family are intertwined, and today, family trusts support
a school for the blind, a cow-shed (with more than 200
cows), a temple and a charitable clinic. WH Ranjit’s
Svaasa is the elegant “home away from home” choice of
diplomats, elites, and international travelers.
But Ranjit’s focus extends beyond the inherent responsibilities
of a recognized family. She is committed to
Svaasa’s nurturing, non-smoking and organic environment.
In the Svaasa Spa Pavillion, 15 ayurvedic therapies
are offered, a large menu for a small facility. Solar
panels heat water, and water-based, odorless paint covers
walls. Fresh milk from the cow-shed arrives daily and
complements her organic fare.
Each of the 17 rooms features unique colors with patios
or balconies, oriented to capture the essential energies of
Indian ‘energy flow practice’ known as “vaastu.” WH
Ranjit’s Svaasa is an oasis of quiet amidst the city’s roar.
It is a small place with a big soul. (10-20% commissions
on room tariff only).
Along The Ganges River
Snuggled below the Devprayag Road and banked by the
revered Ganges River, the Himalayan Hideaway resides
quietly. Its lush countryside embraces a handful of stone
buildings that gently cascade across the property. They
house the resort’s public areas and eight of its nine private
rooms. Mine is the ninth, nestled in its own stone
cottage closer to the Ganges.
All is peaceful here. Nature’s acoustics resound: ‘gurgles’
from the Ganges, insect conversations at night,
high-pitched alarm of an Asian barking deer. (Their
antlers and stature are smaller than North American
deer.)
Spacious bathrooms, tasteful furnishings, in-room
heaters, and constant how water flow co-exist with the
mellow, rustic design at Himalayan Hideaway. In Outlook
Traveler Survey 2005, Himalayan Hideaway is noted on
its “List of Worthies”, in the “Small Hotel” category.
Svaasa’s beautiful north entrance courtyard.
Stone-lined paths lead to a ‘sit-out’ near an open-pit fire
that blazes now for winter warmth. Conversation, climate
and laughter turn strangers into friends. These
paths lead to the region’s first “eco-garden” - a plant collection
of flora and fauna unique to the north-west
Himalayas, and turns towards the Chakra Abode, a twostory
cottage where simple ayurvedic massage reigns.
Therapists are called from town. No rush, they arrive. All
is in order. Everything is peaceful. Rural so refreshes,
urban often depresses.
“Environmentalist” is Himalayan Hideaway’s motto:
“Take Nothing but Photos. Leave Nothing but
Footprints.” A few days and I am ready to live here. But
I do borrow a Ganges river rock until I return.
Should I need to do anything else, kayaking, rafting,
walking, climbing, bird watching, angling, rappelling,
and hiking are offered. Their sister camp is the legendary
Himalayan River Runners, India’s first rafting company.
I can partake of these activities, but I don’t. I opt for this
lovely quiet. Himalayan Hideaway is an organic abode of
tranquility. (10% agent’s commission)
Hi-Tech to Holistic Outside Bangalore
Soukya is a residential holistic health and integrative
medical center situated on a 30-acre organic farm in the
tranquil, unpolluted countryside. It is sufficiently outside
the urban high-tech mecca into which the pretty city
of Bangalore has evolved (some 13 miles away). Its name
means “wellness”. That is exactly what Soukya offers. In
October this year Soukya was rated “Best Place for
Natural Cure” by India Today, the Time magazine of
India.
The Chairman, Medical and Managing Director is
Dr. Isaac Mathai, a renowned holistic physician and
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SOUKYA
DECEMBER 2006 • TRAVEL WORLD NEWS • 5