On the shores of Lake Pichola, Espa at the Leela Palace Kempinski Udaipur (+91.294.6701.234, www.theleela.com) opened in February 2010 as the 18-?year-old Espa brand’s first Indian outpost. Away from the congestion of Udaipur’s city center (where elephants and buffalo have the right-of-way), the spa features eight tented treatment suites, some with private pools.
Each treatment begins with an aromatherapy steam, followed by a reading to decipher one’s Ayurvedic dosha, or body type. Based on their reading, guests can choose a customized therapy that fuses Ayurvedic and European techniques, or select from the treatment menu. The four-hour Royal Knights of Rajasthan therapy ($238) involves a facial, an aromatherapy massage, and a padabhyanga—a deeply therapeutic leg and foot massage. Posttreatment, guests can retire to the spa’s lake-view Relaxation Roof Terrace.
