India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (216 page)

Hampi’s Boulders
Set among the enormous natural boulders that define Karnataka’s splendid landscape, this is your best bet in Hampi. Private, remote, and immersed in nature, Boulders is 6km (3 3⁄4 miles) from Hampi, reached by crossing the river in a coracle (small boat) after a pleasant half-hour walk or a 10-minute drive. Nearby is a 4,800-hectare (12,000-acre) animal sanctuary, home to wolves, panthers, hyenas, foxes, jackals, sloth bears, and crocodiles. Accommodations in the Executive Cottage are top-notch; living rock boulders bulge through the walls, and the entire structure feels like a miniature castle (where, in the huge bathroom, the “throne” allows the occupant to gaze onto the river). Guest cottages are pleasant, with attached bathrooms and private patios; ambience and furniture simple, but they’re still far better than anything else near Hampi, and the setting is unmatched. Meals are served in a semiexposed thatched-roof dining area; there’s no menu, but a buffet with a predominantly South-Indian selection is served.

Narayanpet, Bandi Harlapur; P.O., Via Munirabad-R-S, Koppal District and TQ 583 234.
/fax
08539/234-774,
or information 94-4803-4202 or 92-4264-1551 and security on 94-4818-9939. 13 units (with showers). Rs 3,000 per person or Rs 6,000 per couple standard non-A/C double; Rs 4,000 per person or Rs 8,000 per couple standard A/C double; Rs 5,000 per person or Rs 10,000 per couple executive double. No credit cards.
Amenities:
Restaurant; birding; doctor-on-call; fishing; play area; pool; guided tours and safaris; beach volleyball.

Hotel Malligi
Long-standing base for visitors to Hampi, this huge campus of guest rooms, restaurants, and modest tourist facilities offers a wide range of accommodations, with the only disadvantage of being almost 45 minutes away from the ruins. Guest rooms are generally comfortable—those in the “super luxury” category are clean, with tiled floors, wood-paneled walls, and very ’80s fittings and furniture in shades of brown. At just Rs 220 more, executive suites are slightly more attractive, in shades of gray and blue, with large bathrooms with tubs (not in best shape) and private balconies. Bollywood stars shooting films in the area, however, book only the Honeymoon Suite, where a ceiling mirror hovers over the circular bed. Budget rooms are ridiculously cheap, considering the hotel’s amenities (including a pool, essential after a grueling day of sightseeing under the pounding sun), though they offer little in the way of comfort or taste. Ask for the informative CD-ROM on Hampi.

10/90 J.N. Rd., P. B. no. 1, Hospet 583 201.
08394/228-101.
Fax 08394/227-038.
www.malligihotels.com
. 160 units. Rs 450 non-A/C double; Rs 650 non-AC semi-deluxe double; Rs 1,500 standard double; Rs 2,200 luxury single; Rs 2,800 luxury double room; Rs. 4,500 executive suite. AE, MC, V.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; bar; airport transfer (Rs 1,100); bookshop; currency exchange; Internet (Rs 60/hr., Rs 360/day); play area; pool; pool table; room service. In room: A/C, TV, minibar (in most rooms).

WHERE TO DINE

Other than Mango Tree (reviewed below) which is a sure bet, there is nothing much to choose from, despite the fact that there is no dearth of makeshift shacklike restaurants in Hampi. Most are adequate and in keeping with the backpacker vibe of the place, serving Indianized versions of global cuisines to cater for the myriad tourists who pass through here—ask for
New Shanti
in the main Hampi Bazaar for probably the best wood-fire pizzas.

Mango Tree
VEGETARIAN Although the food here is simple, the rustic setting is undeniably welcoming. A lovely walk through a banana plantation takes you to an unassuming gateway; enter and you sit under an enormous mango tree with a swing, in the backyard of a local family home, surrounded by boulders, acres of greenery, and kingfishers darting through the air. In front of you, the Tungabhadra River glides by. There’s no electricity; you dine sitting on the ground on straw mats at low, portable tables set at terraced levels, while the proprietor, Krishna, and his family wait on you. Start with a special
samosa
with a touch of cream cheese on top, stuffed with tangy tomatoes and chopped potato. Follow it up with a Mango Tree special thali or Mango special curry
served on a banana leaf; finish with a cup of
chai
or quench your thirst with a banana coconut lassi.

400m (1,312 ft.) downriver from the main Virupaksha temple tank, Hampi.
94-4876-5213
or 08394/241-944. Meals under Rs 150. No credit cards. Daily 7am–9:30pm.

Waves
FUSION Generous portions and plenty of cold beer (not freely found in Hampi) make this a popular if anonymous place to get a wholesome meal while you’re in the Hampi area. It’s on a covered terrace overlooking Hotel Malligi’s pool and is open all day—which makes it a convenient spot to grab breakfast before you set out for the ruins. Stick to the Indian dishes, and be prepared for an invasion of mosquitoes once the sun goes down.

Hotel Malligi, 10/90 J. N. Rd., P. B. no. 1, Hospet.
08394/228-101.
Most main courses Rs 75–Rs 150. AE, MC, V. Daily 6am–midnight.

5 Side Trip to Northern Karnataka