SHANKAR HOMESTAY .RAMU HOUSE (Kaddirampur) (Hampi)

Shankar Homestay, also known as Ramu House, is a family-run homestay in Kaddirampur, Karnataka, near the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hampi. It holds a 4.7-star rating across 293 Google reviews and a 4.6 on Tripadvisor from 27 reviews, with guests repeatedly citing the warmth of hosts Kavitha and Ramu as the defining feature of the stay. Pets are welcome here with no additional pet charges and no breed restrictions, making it one of the more straightforwardly dog-friendly homestay options in this part of Karnataka.

The Property and Setting

Ramu House sits on Sister Stones Road, Kaddirampur, in the Kadirampura area of Karnataka's Ballari district, pin code 583239. Kaddirampur is a village close to Hampi, the ancient ruined city on the banks of the Tungabhadra river that draws visitors from across the world. The surrounding landscape is rocky, open, and strikingly different from the lush green hills most people associate with Karnataka travel , boulder-strewn terrain, wide skies, and a pace of life that slows down considerably once you leave the main tourist zones.

Photos from the property show a compact but neatly maintained homestay with a green garden patch at the front, a gated entrance with metal railings, and simply furnished rooms with air conditioning. The interior photographs on Google show rooms with draped curtains, patterned bedding, and mosquito net canopies , the kind of practical, clean accommodation that suits travellers who are here for the landscape and the history rather than resort-style facilities. The property is listed with a pool among its amenities on Google's hotel data, along with free breakfast, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi.

Check-in and check-out times are both listed as 9:00 am. That same-time window suggests some flexibility may be available depending on the host, but you should confirm directly when you contact the property. Rooms are listed on Booking.com with free cancellation options available, which is useful when you are travelling with a dog and plans can shift.

What Guests Say

The reviews on Google tell a consistent story. Paul Bond, a solo traveller who described himself as having travelled extensively throughout India, called Ramu House his all-time favourite stay. A Tripadvisor reviewer, seannaholland, described staying with Kavitha and Ramu for four nights and said that Kavitha's welcome was like a big hug after a long train journey. These are not throwaway lines , they are the kind of detail that tells you something real about how the hosts treat guests. A property this close to a major heritage site could easily coast on location alone, but the review pattern here is firmly about the people running it.

Google's review filter shows 5 reviews tagged under "Pets" , a small but meaningful signal that guests have specifically mentioned pets in their feedback. The overall review volume of 293 on Google and 27 on Tripadvisor across multiple years gives the rating genuine weight. The breakdown on Google shows a heavy lean toward five-star ratings, with four-star being the next most common, and very few low ratings visible in the distribution chart.

The "Nature" tag appearing in 15 reviews is consistent with Hampi's setting , the boulders, the river ghats, and the open land around Kaddirampur are part of what makes this location worth the journey. For dog owners, that natural openness is relevant: this is not a dense urban neighbourhood, and the surrounding area offers considerably more room to walk and explore than a city homestay typically would.

Pet Policy at Ramu House

The confirmed pet policy is straightforward: pets are allowed, there are no additional pet charges, and there are no breed restrictions. That combination is rarer than it should be in Indian hospitality, particularly in a smaller homestay setting where owners often set their own rules. The absence of a breed restriction is especially relevant for owners of larger dogs or breeds that commonly face blanket bans at hotels and guesthouses.

What is not confirmed from the available sources is whether pets are permitted inside the guest rooms, whether any in-room pet amenities (bowls, mats, or bedding) are provided, or whether there are any limits on the number of pets per booking. The Google review tag of five pet-related reviews suggests some guests have brought animals, but the specifics of those stays are not visible in the screenshot data provided. Call 094821 69619 before booking to get clear answers on room access for your dog and any logistics around feeding or outdoor toilet areas on the property.

The pool listed in the amenities data is noted for human guests. There is no source confirming whether pets are permitted in the pool, so water access for your dog should be discussed directly with the hosts. The Tungabhadra river and its ghats are nearby in the broader Hampi area, which may offer natural water access during your visit, but road distances and access conditions should be confirmed locally.

Hampi as a Destination for Travelling with Dogs

Hampi itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and access rules at the monument zones are set by the Archaeological Survey of India. Dogs are generally not permitted inside the fenced monument precincts. This is worth knowing before you plan your days: you cannot take your dog into the main Virupaksha Temple complex or the roped-off ruins. However, Hampi's real texture as a destination goes well beyond the fenced areas. The boulder fields, the riverside paths, the Hippie Island area across the Tungabhadra, and the roads through Kaddirampur and surrounding villages are open and wide, and a morning or evening walk through this landscape with a dog is a genuinely different experience from the standard tourist circuit.

The village setting of Kaddirampur means street dogs are common in the area. If your dog is reactive to other dogs, this is a practical thing to plan for. A leash is advisable at all times when moving through the village, both for your dog's safety and for local community comfort. The terrain outside the monument zones is largely flat to gently uneven, which suits most dogs reasonably well.

Hampi is best reached by road from Hospet (approximately 13 kilometres), which has a railway station with connections to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and other major cities. The drive from Bengaluru to Hampi is roughly 350 kilometres, typically five to six hours by road depending on route and traffic. For pet owners driving from Bengaluru, this is a manageable overnight trip, and the road journey passes through open highway rather than dense urban traffic once you clear the city limits.

Amenities and Practical Information

The amenities confirmed via Google's hotel data for Shankar Homestay include a pool, free breakfast, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi. These are listed as popular amenities on the property's Google profile. Check-in is from 9:00 am and check-out is at 9:00 am. Room pricing from Booking.com shows a nightly rate of approximately ₹4,725 for two guests, with free cancellation available on at least some booking options.

The property does not appear to have a standalone website based on available sources. Booking is available through Booking.com and potentially other OTA platforms. For pet-specific queries or direct booking, the contact number is 094821 69619. Given that this is a family homestay with a small number of rooms, direct contact before arrival is particularly worthwhile , both to confirm the pet policy details and to give the hosts adequate notice that you are arriving with a dog.

Free breakfast being included is practical for dog-owning travellers who would otherwise need to leave their dog unattended to go out for a meal. Having breakfast on site removes that early-morning logistical complication, particularly if you are in a single room where leaving a dog alone is not ideal.

What to Know Before You Book

Ramu House is a genuine homestay, not a resort or hotel with formal pet protocols. That is both its strength and its limitation. The warmth reported by guests across dozens of reviews suggests the hosts are genuinely hospitable, and the confirmed no-charge, no-restriction pet policy reflects an open attitude toward travelling animals. But the absence of a property website and the limited pet-specific review detail means there are real unknowns: in-room access for your dog, outdoor space availability, and pool access for pets are all unconfirmed.

The five pet-tagged reviews on Google are a positive signal, and the overall rating of 4.7 from 293 reviews across an extended period suggests consistent quality. For a pet-friendly stay in the Hampi region of Karnataka, Shankar Homestay Ramu House is among the more accessible options currently documented, particularly given the no-fee and no-breed-restriction policy. Confirm the specifics by phone, and you have a solid base for exploring one of India's most distinctive landscapes with your dog.

Address: Sister Stones, Road Kaddirampur, Kaddirampur, Kadirampura, Karnataka 583239 | Phone: 094821 69619 | View on Google Maps