At this secret Gir lodge, doctor’s orders mean clean air and lion sightings

“This is a natural oxyfacial,” I joke. It’s 7 am in Gir, and the forest is still stirring awake. From our open safari jeep, the wind hits our faces as the mist begins to lift—an AQI of 60 feels like a small luxury. Spotting two Asiatic lions within minutes of entering the forest an even bigger one.

Later that evening, over bonfire snacks at Aramness—the luxury lodge I’m calling home for three nights—I recount my cheeky observation to its founder, Jimmy Patel. He smiles. “This,” he nods, sweeping his hands at the wilderness around us, “is the ultimate wellness.”

It’s an idea Patel has shaped into something more tangible with his lodge’s newly launched wellness programme, a quiet extension of his ‘let nature nurture’ philosophy. “Nothing brings calm and rejuvenation like being on safari and in nature. I say this after 35 years of experiencing them,” says Patel. “We wanted to combine that feeling with other modalities with our new wellness programmes. But without imposing any rigorous regimens on our guests.” That is exactly what I am here to get a taste of.

Patel’s four-year-old property, the only boutique lodge bordering the Sasan Gir National Park—home to the last remaining Asiatic lions in the world—is just the setting for this form of wellness in the wilderness. To experience the kind of stillness you don’t realise you’ve been missing in the unrelenting rush of city life, making it well worth the two-hour bumpy drive from Diu airport. Or five, if you’re coming from Rajkot.

Past a series of villages in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region, and two kilometres into the forest once you’re off road, Aramness presents itself, but only to those in the know. The unmarked stone entrance is camouflaged by the landscape. Blink, and you’ll miss it. Once you step inside, the world outside falls away.

Spread across 12 acres with 18 kothis (private villas), the property instantly feels like an antidote to city life. Designed by Nick Plewman—the architect behind some of Africa’s most distinctive safari lodges—Aramness takes its cues from village life; even its name translates to “peaceful village”.

Since October, Aramness has quietly expanded its offering with a dedicated wellness wing. The lodge always had a spa, but this pivot feels more considered—Ayurvedic and Chinese therapies, sound healing, and personalised yoga and meditation sessions now sit alongside its safari itineraries.

Leading the programme is Kerala-born Dr Rafeek Jabbar, who’s trained in holistic medicine, naturopathy, yogic science, and wellness cuisine. His experience spans Somatheeram Ayurveda Group, Six Senses Vana, and Six Senses Kaplankaya—names that have come to define modern wellness.

But nothing at Aramness is meant to mimic the rigour of traditional retreats. Aramness takes a gentler view of well-being. Yes, Dr Jabbar can prescribe an Ayurvedic itinerary or a detox menu, but nothing is imposed. There’s no pressure to drop three kilos in a week or log every calorie.

“The approach is more open,” says Patel. “We want guests to reconnect with stillness and experience it at their own rhythm.” So: lions before nine, dessert first at lunch (as any good Gujarati thali would insist), and lymphatic drainage at four? That’s precisely the plan.

Wellness here comes without the white coats or fluorescent rooms. Instead, it leans into the landscape. My consultation with Dr Jabbar takes place in a wooden cabana on the edge of the property looking out at the reserve. Behind us, a treatment room opens onto an outdoor deck with an infrared sauna—both facing the same forest horizon.

If I get really lucky, I might spot a lion from here, as guests have in the past. No such luck thus far. But spoiler alert: I do spot three Asiatic lions on my safari the next morning.

The doctor’s voice breaks my reverie, bringing me back to the present. After an analysis on a body composition analyser from South Korea, he suggests more water, more strength training, more protein (that word again), and less…well, distraction. He’d rather I follow a more sattvic diet while here, but doesn’t protest when I inform him I will not be refusing that second helping of parathas, handvo or extra ghee on my roti. Seasonal Gujarati thalis and farsan are, after all, an important part of the Aramness experience.

We settle on a plan for my brief stay. To address my feeling of general overwhelm rather than any particular physical strain, he prescribes yoga and pranayama by the infinity pool in the morning followed by acupuncture—a traditional Chinese therapy that restores balance and energy flow in the body. And a traditional Balinese massage the following day.

By evening, the rhythm slows. A pottery session in the open-air shed across the vegetable garden brings its own sense of calm, the turning wheel nudging me into a meditative trance. Right next door is Aramness’s Ayurveda rooms, with a dedicated space for sound healing, where we are lulled into a deep state of relaxation by Tibetan bowls and chimes the next morning.

If I’m being honest, I found just as much peace in my kothi. Each villa is an elevated interpretation of a traditional village home: Kutchi-work upholstery, marble sinks with lion-head accoutrements, and antique wooden doors. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls look out to the courtyard with a private pool, and, upstairs, a verandah is the perfect vantage point to gaze out to the forest beyond. It’s just you and the wilderness—crickets filling the silence where car horns usually dominate. You can read, drift into an afternoon siesta, or slip into the pool as your mind wanders, unhurried and unbothered.

Modern discourse is constantly telling us that wellness demands juice cleanses, IV drips, tracking devices, and elaborate routines—and yes, they all have their place. But sometimes the cure is simpler: a little quiet. No cell reception. And the rare, humbling privilege of a spotting a lion in the wild.

Aramness.com