The Hampi Experience : Useful Info

Some useful info for the backpackers headed to Hampi.

After a lot of research about the various hotels/ guest houses in Hampi, I finally settled on Shanthi Guesthouse. Do not expect anything fancy out there. The huts are crude, but comfortable. The hut in which we stayed didn't have hot water and the bathroom door just wouldn't close. Every room will have a mosquito net (thanks to the swarms of mosquitoes buzzing overhead) and electricity could be gone for 12 hours at a stretch. BUT, when you wake up to the sound of sparrows inside your hut and step out to see the green paddy field and the Tungabadra river yonder, you wouldn't be able to help forgiving everything else. The view is simply lovely. The best way to make a booking at the guest house is to send them an email, although booking is quite unnecessary. See their site here for detailed info. The only downside to staying at Shanthi Guesthouse is that, you will have to be back by 6pm at the river bank to be on time to catch the boat back to the guest house. At least I had no regrets... There is only one boat available, and it shuttles between either side of the river every half hour. For Rs.10/- per person. It might seem a little too adventurous for some. But i personally feel that one shouldn't miss the experience of crossing the river in the rain... Not very surprisingly, almost all the restaurants in Hampi serve only English, French, Italian or Israeli breakfast. But if you are in Hampi you CANNOT miss the 'Mango Tree' restaurant by the river bank. I do not have pictures of the place. I was just too busy eating :) I was quite intimidated by the quantity of food. I had order the Israeli breakfast, the waiter told me that the bread 'Pita' was yet to come :/ A good place to hang out on the other side of the river bank is the 'Laughing Buddha'. The place is normally filled with European backpackers. But the food is good and i loved the ambiance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PS : You might find these numbers useful. Give them a call if you want to be taken around for sight seeing. But do make sure you bargain well. In Hampi, they shouldn't charge you more than Rs.200/- and on the other side of the river bank, it should cost you less than Rs.400/- to be taken around Anegudi, Anganeya Temple etc. Auto Driver in Hampi : Janpasha - +91 9743451213 Auto Driver on the other side of the river bank : Veeresh - +91 9449557902 Also, I found this site (here) very detailed and accurate.