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Hospet

Pop: 150,000 Area Code: 08394

Most travelers use Hospet as a base from which to see the Vijayanagar ruins in Hampi. There is really nothing to see or do in this town. Hampi is 13km away.

Information
The KSTDC Tourist Office (28537), at Rotary Circle, behind the Hospet Bus Stand, is open Mon to Sat 10 am to 1 pm and 2 to 5 pm. They have a free map of the Hampi site. Closed the second Sat of the month.

Malligi Tourist Home provides information about the area. There is also a travel agency there who can help with travel and tour arrangements.

Monika Travels (27446), Station Rd, near the bus stand, can book air, train, and bus tickets. They rent cars for Rs 4 per km.

Tours
The KSTDC operates a Hampi daily tour from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm for Rs 90. In the morning it goes to the three main places in Hampi—Hampi Bazaar, the Royal and Zenana Enclosure, and the Vitthala Temple. In the afternoon, it goes to the Tungabhadra Dam. It departs from their office. The pace is quick.

You may like to leave the tour at the Vitthala Temple and stay in Hampi instead of going to the Tungabhadra Dam. You can book this tour at the tourist office, Malligi Tourist Home, or the Hotel Priyadarshini.

The tourist guide speaks both English and Hindi and is very informative.

Money
The State Bank of Mysore by the Hospet tourist office changes travelers cheques. The State Bank of India (58470), Station Rd, near the Hotel Priyadarshini, changes only currency—US dollars and British pounds. Monika Travels (27446), Station Rd, changes US dollars, British pounds, Deutschmarks, and American Express and Thomas Cook travelers cheques (at a slightly reduced rate).

Malligi Tourist Home changes travelers cheques at a one percent commission. Its money changing facilities are open daily 8 am to 9.30 pm.

Where to Stay
In December and January the middle-class hotels will most likely be full by the end of the day. There are no high-class hotels in Hospet, but the middle-range hotels are good.

Where to Stay—Lower
Hotel Vishwa (27171), Station Road, opposite the bus station, has good, clean rooms with bath for Rs 125/200. It is a good value, but is often full. It can also be noisy because it is on the main road. The staff is helpful and hot water is available in the mornings.
Hotel Sandarshan (28574), Station Rd, between the bus and railway stations, has singles with common bath for Rs 100/125 and doubles for Rs 150/175.
Hotel Shalini Lodging (28910), MG Rd, has basic rooms with common bath for Rs 60/95 and rooms with bath for Rs 80/110. The sheets can be dirty. Buckets of hot water are available in the morning. 24-hour checkout.

Where to Stay—Middle
Malligi Tourist Home (28101; fax 27038), Jambunath Rd, off Hampi Rd, by the canal, is a large, recommended place. It has well-maintained rooms for Rs 150/200 to Rs 450. Deluxe A/C rooms with carpets and a TV are Rs 600/700. There are also suites for Rs 1200. The hotel is set in a nice garden. The rooms have bath with hot water until 10 am. The service here is unbelievable, almost to the point of overdoing it. They may ask if you need help ten times a day (of course, they expect a large tip). Travelers cheques and major credit cards accepted. Despite its size, there is a good chance it will be full, so reservations are recommended. 24-hour checkout.
The well-managed Hotel Priyadarshini (28838), 45 Station Road, a five-minute walk from the bus stand, has rooms for Rs 200/250 to Rs 350, and A/C rooms with a balcony for Rs 500/550. TV is an extra Rs 100. Recommended and clean, the hotel has sixty-four rooms. 24-hour checkout. Hot water in the morning. It has a good vegetarian restaurant.

Where to Eat
Shanthi Restaurant is at the Hotel Vishwa, across from the bus stand.
Madhu Paradise at the Malligi Tourist Home, is a good vegetarian place. It has corn flakes and toast breakfasts, snacks all day, and thalis 10.30 am to 3 pm and 7 to 10.30 pm.
Hotel Priyadarshini has a restaurant with good service. It is most likely the best place in town. The lassis are especially good. Thalis served from noon to 3 pm and from 7 to 10.30 pm.
Eagle Garden Restaurant and Bar, in the Malligi Tourist Home, serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian inside and in the garden. It has good banana lassis.
Waves Restaurant, is a good medium range place at the Malligi Tourist Home (Rs 100 for a meal).
Iceland Restaurant, College Rd, serves large sundaes and good milkshakes.

Travel
Air  The closest airport is located at Bellary (74km east).

Train  The closest railway station to Hampi is in Hospet. The railway station is 1km north of the center of town. Expect to pay about Rs 20 for a rickshaw to get to where the hotels are located.
The Hampi Express #6591 leaves Bangalore at 9.30 pm and arrives in Hospet at 6.20 am. The same train leaves Hospet at 9 pm daily and reaches Bangalore at 8 am the next morning. There are no other direct trains to Bangalore. To get to Bangalore you have to take a passenger train to either Guntakal or Gadag and another train from there.

The Guntakal Vasco Exp to Goa departs at 5.30 am. There is a direct train to Badami at 12.30 pm (6 hr). To get to Bijapur, go first to Gadag and then take another train from there.

To get to Secunderabad (Hyderabad) takes a total of at least 14½ hours. First you take the daily Tungabhadra Exp #7508 (8.15 pm, 2¾ hr) to Guntakal and then wait 1½ hours. You then get the Venkatadri Exp #7598 at 12.30 am (9 hr).

Bus The bus station is in the center of town, within walking distance to many of the hotels. Buses to Hampi depart from Bay #10 (every half-hour, 6.30 am to 9 pm).

There are over ten express buses each day to Bangalore (9 hr). These buses depart either in the morning or at night. There are regular buses to Hubli (5 hr, 14 daily). From there you can catch another bus to Goa. There is one bus daily to Gokarna (8.30 am, 8 hr). There are also buses to Hyderabad (11 hr, five daily), Bijapur (6 hr, ten daily) Mysore (10 hr, four daily), Badami (6 hr), Mangalore (12 hr, six daily), Hassan (10 hr, five daily), Arsikere (8 hr), and Goa (10 hard hours).
To get to Badami (5 hr, five direct buses daily), you can take a bus to Gadag (5 hr for the entire trip) or Ilkal (6 hr for the entire trip), then catch another bus from there. This is often quicker than waiting for and taking the direct bus to Badami.
You can catch an overnight luxury bus to Goa with a private company.

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