We've been to Hampi 3 times, we booked with different companies but ended up going with Melo Tours.
Everyone meets up at Margao Station and you get a guy from Melo Tours who stays with you all the time.

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 in this hotel (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.
For some reason, you can get gin at the hotel but not tonic.

It's a great trip, but very tiring.
Do try to find time to take a walk through Hospet town, I wouldn't say it was a dump - more a glimpse of the 'real India' than you'll experience in Goa.
Pigs sleeping at the roadside, lots of carts pulled by bullocks etc.
We loved taking awalk through the centre.

Polly

Polly!
That's the Hotel we stayed in with Melo tours, I ended up having my gin with limco! , the food at the restaurant was good, and they had mossie coils burning . But did need to use my sarong to cover the suspect pillow, but the towels were brand new with the price tags still attached!, we took our own plug in mossie thing for the room.
We also loved the walk around Hospet, I wasn't going all that way just to sit in the Hotel , I like to see the local scenery as well as the cultural things

Lassigirl
I decided to go for the beer instead after the first taste of gin and limco!
The first time we went I found the meat was a bit tough so I stuck to veggie - it was lovely.

I took some fabulous phots of Hospet, especially the pigs sleeping peacefully in the dust, while the hustle and bustle went on around them.
Dump? Maybe in some people's eyes, but much more interesting than pristine streets.

We had some cardomom ice cream from a road-side stall which was delicious.

We loved the train journey too, so much to see.
Did you have the omelettes from the little stalls when the train stopped at Hubli?
They were yummy, wrapped up in newspaper.
The last time we went in March, the stalls weren't there, maybe it was too near the end of the season.

Polly

Went to a cinema in Hospet just behind the Maligi Hotel. It was a 9pm showing and the place was packed to the rafters. The film was a Bollywood type musical/adventure/romance and was actually in the local Kanada language. When the musical numbers came on people were getting up and dancing in the isles including some of the children that were there. When the hero appeared people cheered and when the villan showed his face they booed. When the heroine went any where near water and risked getting her sari wet the men were all whistling in anticipation of clingy clothes. It was a really good way to spend 3 hours in an evening in Hospet, and all for about 50p each.

Lassigirl/Polly

Where are Melo tours based, we'll be staying in Candolim in March?

Sounds like a trip well worth doing, I'd like to see a bit of the real India.

Thanks for your comments, I certainly feel much more comfortable now.

Jules

Jules
We've been to Hampi 3 times, booked with 3 different agents - Cosmos, John's Boat Tours and another but can't remember - and every one has been managed by Melo Tours.
So, the tour agent you book with arranges your transport which takes you to Margao Station and then the Melo rep takes over, bringing everybody together.

I'm not sure if Footprints or Daytrippers (2 other tour agents) use Melo Tours.

Take a look at http://www.melotours.com for more info.

On every trip, everything has gone smoothly.

Do be warned that it's a very tiring trip.
Pick-up on day 1 is usually around 4:30 am (obviously depending on where you're staying), train leaves Margao around 8am and arrives in Hospet around 5pm.
Day 2 start is around 5:30am for breakfast and Day 3 is the same, arriving back in resort around 8 or 9pm.
We stayed in Candolim too.

Do NOT under any circumstances wear white clothes on the train - it's very dusty.

I hope you enjoy the trip.

Polly

Polly

That's great, thanks for all the info.

Jules

Hi all,

my OH and I are going back to Goa beginning of Feb and this time we are determined to see more of what Goa has to offer (have been 3 times but never manage to stray very far from our favourite beach shack!!)

One of our top "would like to see" places is Hampi. I read a post a while back from Ginlizzy about their visit and their photo's looked amazing. I have PM'd her but was wondering if anybody else has been and could give us any tips?

I know that Daytrippers do a 3 day trip to Hampi but was wondering how easy it is to DIY it? The price that Daytrippers are advertising is only £45 each so we'd be more than happy to do that but just thought that it might be a bit more exciting if we organised our rail journey, accommodation and guide ourselves.

Just looking for a bit of guidance really.

Cheers!

Lisa

Looby13
Jsut pm'd you
Regards

I did the Hampi trip several years ago with Daytrippers and to be honest I can't see the attraction of trying to organise it all by yorselves - - you could get a Taxi all the way to Hospet - but it's a hellova journey, and trying to sort out Indian train tickets is so hit and miss for tourists, I don't think it's worth the risk of spoiling your holiday - The Hampi trip is excellent value at 45 quid - let Eddie have all the hassles and sit back and enjoy.

I totally agree Rakkor

Hi I'm going to Goa mid Jan and we're thinking of visiting Hampi. Can anyone tell me the train stations I need to book from as India Rail hasn't come up with anything. Fancy booking it ourselves, train and hotel and have looked at malligi hotel as a treat revues look good and a bit of comfort won't come amiss after the train journey
Any help would be great
Neil

Depends where you are staying,but you can travel either from Vasco or Margoe to Hospet.

john

Hi Ginlizzy,

thanks for that have pm'd you back.

Rakkor, I agree with what you are saying. I would much rather let somebody else organise the trip for me, I guess I just wanted to hear from anybody who had done the trip with Daytrippers and hear their opinions.

Now that I have two people who sing their praises, I shall email Daytrippers and make enquiries.

Thanks again

Lisa

I've been to Hampi & Bombay with Daytrippers as well as several Old Goa & Spice plantation type trips - they aren't perfect - but I always feel that Eddie and his team look after you really well and do it from a tourist's point of view - rather than a local's - When we went to Hampi I was surprised to find that we weren't eating that evening in the hotel we we staying in - this was because someone had got ill eating there a couple of trips before and Eddie had decided that, although the room was comfortable enough for staying in - the standard of the kitchens weren't good enough - so we were shipped out to another hotel for meals - Fantasic Dosas for breakfast and the best Chicken Hydrabadi I've ever tasted - it's that sort of local knowledge you get when using Daytrippers. One tip I'll offer is - try the food on offer at Hubli - whether it's the eggy bread snack fried up on the station platform or the chicken byriani served up in newspaper and eaten with fingers from the lunch wallahs that come round a couple of stops before taking orders - it was all delicious - as was the chai chai chai.

Rakkor
The couple who came with us on the trip from another hotel well the lady was as sick as a dog the day we travelled around hampi and had to be taken to the doctor. She never ate anything on the train or the stations as we did and she only ate lamb at the hotel, we ate veg and we were ok. I think if you stick with the veg menu you should be fine otherwise ask the rep to take you somewhere to eat he will oblige.
Regards

Cheers John I'll get searching again
Neil

This website has lots of photos of Hampi -- http://www.hampionline.com --could be helpful for anyone plannig a trip.
But I'm not sure about their information that Air Deccan now has flights from Dabolim to Bellary which is 70kms from Hampi, has anyone done this ?

Thank you again Tony, how much time do you spend out there? or are you nearly a resident?! Whats your view on Hampi? Heard it is an amazing place to visit but it is just a ruin. Your thoughts please.