hi!

i did the trip woth day tripper last year!

the hotel is in hospet, but sorry cant remember the name, its decent enough though! Hospet is great to walk around to! nobody else on our trip ventured outside the hotel but us! it was great! pepole jsut wanted to talk to us all the time. We found a great restaurant jsut around the corner fomr the hotel. The staff didnt speak any english and hte menu did either! so we ask for a thali! it came and was brill! got 2 bottles of water to and whole bill came to 58p!

the train journey i loved. It takes about 9 hours. You have seats that dont have ac so the window is open. The train travesl throught hte waterfalls on the way! When you stop at a station try some of the food, its really nice omlettes!

Footwear i would take is trainers as there is alot of walking involved! immodium incase you have a funny tummy as not many toilets! and a big memeory card on your camera! When we went it was pretty cloudy, but take sunscreen as there is no shade! You cxan buy water in hospet to take wiht you. There are shops all around the hotel!

Its great trip!have fun!

Hi Scruffyfish - The best hotel in Hospet is the Malighi. I would recommend it without hesitation. We stayed one night in another hotel and me, the wife and the cockroaches had a very unpleasant night together. It was truly horrendous - you're away from tourist India and believe me, there are some very ropey hotels.

If you can, get the "suite". It costs about £30 but it's very good - lounge, dining room, bedroom and bathroom. The food at the Malighi is very good,too.

There are no hotels in Hampi that we soft westerners would find acceptable!

Don't know about smoking - sorry!

I'd take good footwear and some mossie repellant. Hampi is known for mossies.

It's a fantastic place - I'm sure you'll enjoy it

Hi Lauraj and Roma,
thanks very much for your helpful replies, it certainly looks like a wonderful trip and by the sound of things you guys really enjoyed it. Have made up our minds that we will definitely do the trip as it looks just too good to miss.
Roma did you travel there independantly or did you book it through a local agent like Lauraj? My main worry is that it might feel a bit "rushed" how did you guys feel about the length of time that you had at Hampi itself or was it just about right?
Sorry for all of the questions but this looks like the trip of a lifetime and I just want to get things right.
Thanks again for you help.
Scruffyish

Did Hampi last year with Daytripper and would certainly recommend both the company and the trip, We spent basically a day travelling each way and a full day around the sites, the day was a long one but on reflection there was nothing that could really have been missed out as all was very interesting and at times mind boggling!!!! Hospet was OK (different) if you have only experienced Goa India, the hotel we slept in was not the one we ate in at night, the eating one was of a better standard, but the sleeping hotel was OK for a couple of nights ( had a glass fronted lift) Wow! The tour guide around the sites was very professional and informative and I wouldn't recommend doing this without a guide, we were shuttled in a large Land Rover from one area to another which saved a lot of time and walking. I would say that everything went very well and I will do the same trip again, no problem. For the return journey by train I sat all the way on the step of the open carrige door, a bit dangerous but held on tight, great to see the countryside passing by and had the sun all day, trouble was ended totally S*** up, looked like I had a really deep tan until showered later, Dont wear light coloured cloths on the train. Do It !

Hi Scruffyfish - we went independently by taxi - big mistake! It's a 10 hour drive over poor roads. The train sounds a lot more sensible. Been on other trips with Daytripper and no complaints.

Hospet is scary but great at the same time. Dark, dusty and dirty with pigs, cows, dogs buffalo wandering about. I really would make sure you have a good hotel - when we went we looked in quite a few and they were just awful. I'm used to basic but these were dreadful - no windows in some (and the mossies there are very active!) and as I said earlier, cockroaches falling out of the armchairs! I've stayed in some dodgy places in my time but that place is in a league of its own. See if Daytripper can book the suite at the Malighi. Even if you don't stay there, the restaurant is excellent...and soooo cheap!

We spent only a day there and although we saw most of it, 2 days would have been good. It's essential to have a guide as the places of interest are some miles apart.

I reckon you could do it really cheaply by booking the train and hotel independently and using a taxi to get around but there's some comfort in using an established operator.

Let me know if you need any further information.

Thank you so much for you replies Roma and Johnny G, I did think about booking the trip independantly but to be honest I think I will do it with Daytripper as it will be our first time to India and as you quite rightly say it will provide that wee bit more security/comfort if I book it through an operator. Have seen pictures of the Malighi on the net and it looks really good so will try and find out from Daytripper which Hotel they use and if it's not the Malighi, will see if they can arrange it for us, honestly I'm not being fussy but I've heard that mozzies can be a real problem there and really want to try and get a hotel with A/C as I've always found it to be a bit of a deterent to the little blighters!! Thank you both very much for your advice it really is much appreciated and we have decided to definitely do the trip.........just wish we didn't have to wait till next year!!
Thanks again
Scruffyish

Hi scruffyfish!

THe hotel you stay in isnt the malighi i dnt think, but it is the one metioned with the glass fronted lift! jsut cant remember the name!

The trip wasnt rushed, it felt like you saw everything you needed to wihtout being rushed. I would definatley recommened saytripper for trips, we used them quite a few!

Have fun!

laura

Myself and partner went to Hampi for 2 days in Feb'. It was quite a journey by vehicle.

We hired a driver and air conditioned 4x4. We had to leave at 6am and was an 8 hour drive! The journey was rough but an incredible experience not to be forgotten. It was like travelling back a few centuries in time, the highway through Karnataka was very dangerous (bad driving, overloaded trucks, ox and carts etc..). Our driver would not drive in the dark on the highway.... obvious.

The journey each way was £65 (shared between whatever) which is expensive, there was plenty room for at least another 2 people but we wanted the luxury of travelling with just the two of us. Obviously cheaper if 4 went. Take plenty of sandwiches and water.

If it is your first time in India get the train. This is for seasoned travellers only, the road is very bumpy!

Hospet is a 'wild' place but safe, like going back into time. As for the temples..... wow!

The Malighi hotel in Hospet was £10 a night. The front of the reception looks really up-market but don't let this fool you! The rooms have air conditioning and fresh linen but are really dingy and unclean but this is probably the best you can get. Bearable for a few nights.

Food at the hotel restaurant is cheap and clean.

A 'must' trip if you want to see the real India. Remember this is Karnatika, so ladies don't wear beach wear/ short skirts when travelling around, likely to attract too much attention and you won't get into some temples.

Take your camera!

Hi
We've been to Hampi 3 times and although we've booked with different companies (Jewel in the Crown, Cosmos and John's Boat Tours) we have ended up going with Melo Tours.

Everyone joins up at Margao Station, after being collected from your various hotels.

The hotel they use is the Hotel Priyadarshani (Priyadarshini), Station Road, Hospet.

We've found it to be OK with clean rooms.

As they serve alcohol (I believe a lot of the hotels in Hospet don't), the restaurant gets very busy in the evening with locals. Consequently, the service can be very slow.

Polly

SD Enterprise of Wembly North London are an excellent company.
They can book your trains hotels and even drivers for trips in India at very affordable prices, and will arrange tailor made journeys. We have used them a number of times including a trip to Hampi, Rajasthan and a trip we have just done which went from Goa down to Kerala and then up the east coast via Chenni & Kolkata to Darjeeling which went like clockwork Their website is http://www.indiarail.co.uk.
By the way I have no connection with this company

Has anyone been to HAMPI and did you see the monkey people (no joke its real) We were shown a woman carring her baby which she proudly let us see it was a bit of a shock the child was 2 years old covered in hair bent hands like a monkey features of a monkey. Theres a programme on the t.v now called WHAT MAKES US HUMAN which looks into this.On visiting hampi we were met by children who dressed up with monkey masks on they were in alot of places, i might be wrong BUT i'm sure the tour guide told us it was known as the valley of the monkey.If you visit take plenty of biro's with you the children go mad for them.

Sleeps R Us
Thats sounds really interesting
How did you get there and wo did you book it with
We want to visit Hampi ALSO
Cheers
GL

We went in a taxi which was not very pleasant (very sore rears) and it took us 8 and ahalf hours with a few stops and mishaps along the way,i think the taxi driver took advantage and ripped us off but that's another story.My advice would be to do this trip through daytripper or some other reputable company.Don't get me wrong i'm glad we did this tour i thoroughly enjoyed it and it gave us something to talk about.We stayed in a hotel overnight not far from hampi which we had to pay for has well don't know the name of the hotel but our room was very basic we did'nt get any sleep at night the mozzies made sure of that.The taxi had a puncture on the way and the driver wanted us to pay to get it sorted.So if you go do it the right way and have a fantastic time.

We also have a thread here

Thanks for that sleeps r us
I will go to the TA when we are there

Am def not going to get ripped off , would rather give the money to someone who is in more need.

Hope you can make it this year take care

GL

Travelled to Hampi by train stayed over in hotel 2 nights,although long train journey[10 hours ] great experience, would highly recomend.

We went to Hampi 4 years ago. Our hotel arranged it for us, we went by train also, a journey not to be missed. We stayed overnight in a hotel close to Hampi (very basic room but very good food). We were with a group of approx 10 people and had two fantastic guides with us throughout. We went in March and it was extremely hot but well worth it. We intend to visit again one day as I understand they have opened up more sights now.

Do Do Hampi and do it with Daytripper! When I did it last year very reasonably priced and well organised, Fully escorted train journey both ways and site day escorted with a very knowledgable guide in Hampi. Two nights accommodation in hotel in Hospet which is a small town and very typical Indian not at all like Goa, Hotel was OK, I think there are two Daytripper use, we stayed in one and had meals in the other, I can't remember their names but the eating hotel looked as though it would have been better to stay in than the one we actually did stay at but as I said it was OK. The rail journey it great, try and stand or sit for a while in the doorway to see more but be careful not to fall out! The stations we stopped at are an experience as are the people who get on and off the train etc. The ruins are incredible as are the rock formations surrounding them, we had a visit to the river which was very picturesque! We also had a very pleasant lunch, all meals were extra but not much cost, There was so much to see and do and if you try and do without a guide much would be missed, also we were bussed around the extensive site which was a welcome facility.
I'll be doing it again this year, get it booked!!! Any more info needed just ask.

Hi there, we went to Hampi in 1999 but this time we are intending on taking our 6 year old son. We wanted to travel from Goa to Hampi independently ie, get the train from Margao, arrive at Hospet and the bus it to Hampi and stay there rather than in Hospet. Does anyone know of any half decent places to stay in Hampi. When we went we stayed in a shack but we didn't have our lad to think of then when we were young, free and uncommitted lol! Any feedback welcome thanks!