Heritage Home, Hampe's

The Heritage Home is the most unique place to stay in Mysore. It’s a 120 year old house, built by the owner’s grandfather, lovingly renovated by hand by Suresh himself over 15 years, decorated with original antique furniture also hand-restored by Suresh himself. It’s like visiting a chapter in Mysore history. What’s unique about it is that Suresh and his family live there themselves, so they care for it as their home. Suresh’s wife makes a three-course breakfast herself that is delicious (there is nothing better than home-style South Indian food, the kind you can’t get at a restaurant): first course is fruit, then a rice dish, then the final course. The breakfasts changed daily and it was a fun variety. My last day I had the sweetest jackfruit I’ve ever had, from their own tree! I loved hearing stories about Mysore history from Suresh. I am an avid gardener and enjoyed learning about all the native trees in the garden. I appreciated the bathrooms, which are not antique: They’re very spacious and modern.

We stayed at the beautifully restored Guesthouse for 4 nights. We enjoyed a lot the hospitality of the host who always had tips and stories about the region at his fingertips and the authentic and ample Indian breakfast prepared by the hostess.

Although the central location of the guesthouse is great for trips around the city, be prepared to deal with some traffic noise (wich can be remedied by a pair of earplugs during the night).

The ambiance was very nice..