ONENESS Resort, Rishikesh: Tick Your 'Close-To-Nature' Staycation Goals Here

I woke up to a monkey tapping on my door. A magpie (yes, I had to google it because I have never seen one, courtesy of our urban life) posed for my camera while I could actually count the number of stars in the sky (subtle flex: I spotted Ursa Minor and even Mars) while a peaceful bonfire cackled its way through the night.

Having a peaceful Rishikesh weekend getaway was not on my 2025 bingo card, but here we were, in a peaceful luxury cottage, the subtle babble of the Ganges playing in our background. ONENESS Rishikesh is more than just a resort with two private beaches and luxury cottages for a stay; it is a staycation experience you did not know you needed until you got there. 

If you are heading to Rishikesh for a weekend getaway or a week-long stay and wish to finally cut off from the bustle of your 9 to 5 struggles, ONENESS Rishikesh is where you should stay. As someone who is picky about her travels, let me explain why. 

What if I tell you that if you book a bus or a cab to Rishikesh, trek about 300 metres, raft on a private beach of the Ganges, and climb a hundred steps, you will reach a luxury cottage at the lap of nature? ONENESS Rishikesh is that luxury resort whose drone shot makes you salivate. Picture this: a series of cottages cocooned by the Shivalik valley ranges, about 30 kilometres from the main town of Rishikesh, hosting Sal, Haldu, Figs, and Mulberry trees and occasionally playing the home to monkeys, magpies, and more! 

Also, heads up, ONENESS Rishikesh has beautiful greenery in its surroundings due to its commitment to ecology evident in the humongous plantation of 30,000 saplings (out of which there are 50 medicinal plants). My itinerary obviously, looked a bit like this: beach yoga - nature walking - bonfire and I loved learning about so many new plants and peacefully sitting by the beach: something out of a Pinterest picture I may or may not have printed on my vision board. 

While reaching the heart of ONENESS requires a trek and rafting, the efforts are so worth the sweet welcome to a cool fresh fruit welcome drink, a flutist serenading our presence, garlands of tulsi beads, and the sweet, sweet embrace of a cool coastal breeze amid warm weather. 

After a supremely cute welcome, we checked into our luxury cottage. ONENESS has seven luxury cottages in all, with two being family luxury cottages. Each of the cottages is named after a core value, ours was called Kindness (now you get the drift?). Our room looked like a treehouse and a resort had a baby! Furnished thoroughly with wood, the first thing we admired in our room was the wooden bed flanked by a white cotton drape, making it cosy and aesthetic. There was a dedicated reading corner with a wooden desk, reminiscent of a time when people wrote letters in love with pens and bookmarks stacked in its various drawers. A corner of the room was comfortably furnished with a wicker seater and plush cushions with a reading lamp. 

Our bathroom had a circular mirror with lighting that you could control with a touch. There is a standing shower with a temperature-controlled tap and a bunch of fuzzy towels, wicker slippers, vanilla and citric flavoured cleanser, conditioner, and shampoo. 

As you step out, there's a wicker seater for two, in the balcony, that you can comfortably sit at and gaze into the outline of the Himalayas flagged by trees as the Ganges slurps by. As you gaze from your balcony, you can spot the entirety of ONENESS: the bamboo dining area called Her Highness, the bamboo reception and spa, Lightness. As the night crawls up, ONENESS dresses herself in lights and little fire pits that flank your way as you step down and walk in the silence of nature. 

LBB Tip: We almost missed their reception because it is a beautifully magnificent bamboo hall designed by the team at Jans Bamboo, led by Pranal and Shilpa.

With Rishikesh came the stereotype that I would survive on Maggi for days. But, one whiff of the lunch spread at ONENESS and I was sold on passing my pack of cup noodles. ONENESS's dining area, Her Highness, is a gorgeous huge space flanked by wooden flooring, balcuba bamboo walls, and a huge wooden shelter that gives it the vibe of an alcove. 

We were served Pahadi Jakhiya Aloo, a Uttarakhand specialty, and some lip-smacking Jhangora Kheer, made from barnyard millet. Our plates were also filled with piping hot and sour soup, paneer matar subzi, and gulab jamun that I still eat in my dreams. 

For dinner, we were graced with a cosy buffet at Her Highness. The buffet had pulao, butter-dripping naans, fresh garden salad, alfredo pasta, pahadi aloo, dal makhani, and supremely comforting kheer that made our hearts and tastebuds skip a beat. 

After a peaceful stroll at the Ganges and some pebble throwing that went wrong (we don't know Physics, we just threw stones and hoped they would skip on water), we took on some of the many wonderful activities that ONENESS had to offer.

At the stroke of 6 PM, the resort echoed with divine music as bells tolled for the holy Ganga aarti. The thali with a glowing lamp, prasad, and flowers were passed around as we took turns worshipping Ganga maa in their private beach, sans the crowd and dhakka mukki. 

As night set, the darkness and chill took over and several small torches lit up the way all across ONENESS. We skipped down our stairs and spotted the entirety of the resort vibing to soothing hits both retro and new, in the yellow light of a crackling bonfire. Being super tired from the trip, this was something we needed to rest our spirits and feel warmer, both literally and figuratively. You can also bond with fellow residents at the resort at this bonfire and know their stories under the stars. 

Secluded in location, away from the bustle and pollution, the sky above ONENESS is a pretty tapestry, and on a good night, we spotted several constellations on our stargazing spree, from Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Orion, and the planet Mars. 

With the break of dawn, we could hear the distinct babble of the Ganges in the distance and were intimated of our morning yoga session by the beach. White sand tucked into our feet, pebbles of so many shapes and sizes adorning the deck while the turquoise green waves of Ganges washed by: this is that yoga session I would not mind attending every day. 

After stretching our muscles and bonding over how cool our Instagram feeds would look with this weekend getaway, we headed inside for a soothing spa session at ONENESS's spa Lightness. We felt the lightness in our bones and muscles as we opted for the massage. Their catalogue has Ayurvedic and fusion Spa treatments, aromatherapy, yoga, and meditation sessions as well. 

We were also a part of their nature walk spree and uncovered the different species of flora in and around the resort, including a rattlepod that rattles in winter and attracts over 20 different butterfly species in winter, a purple-pink bloom that when pressed against your wounds, stops your bleeding and the classic Bamboo that writhers to death after flowering.

Owing to their beautiful setup of white sands and pebbles by the Ganga, you can pick any number of them to indulge in some fun rock painting and take home as souvenirs. 

LBB Tip: Apart from the above, you can also indulge in beach volleyball, garden foot massage, and even plant a tree in your journey's memory. 

How To Reach ONENESS:

ONENESS is a luxury wilderness retreat located 30 kilometres beyond Rishikesh in a forested area across the Ganges. Approaching the resort requires an easy to medium hike down a mountain and a short transfer across the river on a private raft. 

Trek details: 300 metre hiking trail + a 30 metre climb across hundred steps

Rafting details: Private raft with a lifejacket, it is a 2-minute river shuttle

Timings:

Please note that, as night falls, it becomes difficult to trek and raft in the wilderness so check-in timings are as follows:

Summers: Check-in: 1 PM to 6:30 PM; Check-out: 12 PM

Winters: Check-in: 1 PM to 5 PM; Check-out: 12 PM

Beyond the mentioned time, rafting or trekking is not allowed, and you have to stay at another property. Lucky for you, we did the goof up of arriving late and well, we discovered a beautiful property you can also stay at: Vileen, under the same umbrella as ONENESS, managed by Ganga Kinare. 

About Vileen:

Vileen is a luxury wellness resort situated right above ONENESS. It is luxury amidst nature in the most real sense: we are talking swimming pools, private bathtub rooms with wooden flooring, sensory lights, a wellness Spa (Samagra) and their in-house restaurant, Avaana on the cliff. 

With issues with our travel, we arrived late and were graciously escorted to Vileen instead and boy, arriving late has never felt so perfectly comfortable before. Over pizza, pasta and gulab jamun, we looked into a breathtaking view of the Garhwal Himalayas and woke up splashing in a two-tiered temperature-controlled pool. 

If you are looking for a bit of a luxury stay before stepping your toes into a luxury cottage stay in the heart of nature, you should stay at Vileen for two days and then trek down to ONENESS.