The potential vibe of certain places is so hypnotic such that it inspires you to do things that you've always dreamt of. Without any doubt Hampi is one of such charismatic places which leaves you in absolute awe and surprise. I've always wanted to blog my travels and that visit to Hampi pushed me to go for it without any hesitations.
To remember and ponder over the bygone era of Vijayanagara wandering around the strenuous, tough and arduous world heritage monuments is an experience of a lifetime. With peace spread all over, every stone of the land telling you a story each, it's an absolute dope for the history and architecture lovers
So here it is. My very first travel tale on my blog. My experience, the takeaway, the dos and don'ts, things to consider before visiting and all that I could remember of.
Why Hampi? - The incredible landscape of Karnataka packs numerous backpacking destinations with quite a diverse experience. And Hampi is the epitome of the architectural and cultural richness of Karnataka. Once the mightiest city ruled with prosperous wealth to an extent of gold and diamonds being sold on the streets like vegetables to the times when it got looted multiple times, leaving the rich temples on to the ground, the history seekers can see all filmy events from the books of History. For the architectural lovers what's left over after the ruins is still the most epic style today. Nature lovers, if you want to enjoy those sunsets just as beautiful as on sea shore, Hampi it is. It's a whole package you can afford at one spot.
Best time to visit? - Ideally, the best to visit is during the winter season, November to February. Since it's the peak season, it could be over crowded during this time. Apart from this the monsoon season of June to September can also serve as good but make yourself rainproof. Its advisable to avoid summer season where the temperature can reach up to 40°c.
How many days? - If History, Architecture or Culture fascinates you it would require minimum of 3 days to deeply inhale the richness of this land, 4 days being optimum. But if it's a fun outing with friends or family 2 days would suffice to reach all the major attractions and click enough pictures.
How to Reach and Commute internally? - Best way to reach Hampi is by road. You get both private and KSRTC direct buses from Bangalore. If timings are not convenient, you can take a bus to Hospet(more frequent buses available) and from there a local bus which would cost you 20rs for half an hour journey or autorickshaws which costs around 150rs.
To travel back from Hampi, the direct buses are limited. You will have to come back to Hospet and catch a bus from there. The buses from Hospet to Hampi run from 6:00am to 10:00pm back and forth. Hospet is the nearest railway station too to Hampi(12kms).
To commute internally, you can hire an auto-rickshaw for your whole 2-3 days tour which can cost around 1000rs. Bargaining skills will help you though. If you want to travel alone, you can rent bicycles for 100rs a day or even a motorcycle starting from 300rs per day. If you have a 4-wheeler no need to think. Most of the places are accessible even by HMVs.
Where to stay? - Hampi offers you places with almost all budgets and luxury to stay. Let me not mention the hotels or guesthouse names. You can always check that with current price and ratings on booking sites. But let me tell where you can plan to stay and why.
1. Hippe Island - It has to be reached by crossing Tungabhadra river by a ferry ride of 5mins costing 20rs. This is the place where you can enjoy the extravagant stay in Hampi. The place has some beautiful vibes of its own. The home-stays and restaurants are classically themed and decorated. This is the best place to meet people from various different countries and engage yourself in some adventurous activities at Hampi. The average cost per room per night starts from 1000rs.
The Virupaksha temple as seen from Hippe island
2. City center Nearby Virupaksha Temple - The hotels are not glorious but they provide all basic amenities with pocket friendly budget. And its easy to commute to all the directions of Hampi. The average cost per room per night starts as friendly as from 300rs.
On either place you can book the hotels before hand online, or get there, check the place once and book it instantaneously. But during peak season of December to January its best advised to book it earlier, especially in Hippe island.
A Good Itinerary - Must visit Places
The way you plan your itinerary at Hampi is very important. The land has so many beautiful attractions that you need a right plan to cover as much as you can. And let me tell you, none of them are worth missing.
The places here are covered in the order that can be followed. You can follow it to proceed in one direction than looping around.
1. Virupaksha Temple: This the perfect place to start your Hampi tour regardless where you are staying. Situated right at the city center, this place can be your coordinates (0,0) in Hampi. You can hire all kind of vehicles for your further journey from here.The temple has a rich history of its own too. Dedicated to the main deity of Vijayanagara kings Prasanna Virupaksha this is the most sacred living temple of Hampi. Temple darshana timings are from 9AM to 1PM, and then from 5PM to 9PM. Never miss the peaceful view of Kalyani in the Southern entrance of the temple.
2. Hemakuta Hills:
Yes. Hemakuta Hills is one of the most beautiful and serene spots in Hampi. It has number of beautifully carved small structures, pillars, mandapas and temples. It's an easy walk to the hills for 10mins from Virupaksha temple. You can enjoy 360° view of Hampi from the top. You can plan to come here for the amazing views of sunrise and sunset. On top of all these, if you want to spend some peaceful time all alone or with your loved ones this is the right place.
3. Kadale Ganapati and Sasuve Ganapati - Two of the most famous monuments in the beautiful land of Hampi. It is another 10mins walk from Hemakuta hills to Kadale Ganapati temple, a huge monolithic Ganapati statue. And right next to it is Sasuve Ganapati, a mandapa on an open boulder and the Ganapati Statue in it. It just takes 30mins to 1 hour to enjoy both the temples.
4. Ugra Narasimha and Badavi Linga: From Sasuve Ganapati temple it's a 20mins walk to the Ugra Narasimha shrine and Badavi Linga which are next to each other.
Lakshmi Narasimha Statue, is the perfect example showing the lethal destruction of the mighty Hampi. The original statue contained the image of goddess Lakshmi sitting on his lap. But the damage was so brutal that the whole Lakshmi statue was shredded into tiny pieces leaving behind only Narasimha statue.
Badavi Linga, literally translating to poor woman's Shiva, is situated inside a small stone chamber. There is a single opening in front of the chamber through which devotees can get in. Its yet another small, simple and a fascinating structure to visit in Hampi.
6. BalaKrishna Temple and Kalyani: Walk forward from Badavi Linga and take an immediate left in the junction. Walk for 15mins to find one of the peaceful places in Hampi, the BalaKrishna Temple. The main idol has been brutally destroyed, but the temple's beauty is still unmatchable. Thousands of intricate carvings and exactly 36 beautiful sculpted columns. Its usually less crowded and can be the best place to regain your strength. It can be a very good place for your photoshoot too.
Exactly opposite to the temple is the ruins of the ancient market place and a Kalyani. Again, it's a bit isolated place and a good one to spend some time alone.
7. Sunset at Matanga Hills: The next option depends on how much time you are left with in the day. If you have couple of hours, better option would be to walk back on to the Hemakuta hills and enjoy beautiful sunset. But if you have more time and energy left within you, your option can be Matanga hills.
Walk back towards Virupaksha temple and right opposite is the pathway which leads to the foothills of Matanga hills(1km from Balakrishna temple). The hill climb is a moderate trek for 1 to 1.5 hours. Plan to reach here an hour before sunset. Place is very popular with foreign tourists and also adventure junkies. The sunset and the view of Virupaksha temple from the top of the hills is one the best one you can witness.
8. Achyutaraya Temple and Nandi Statue: Right at the foothills of the Matanga hills is the Achyutaraya Temple. The temple is known for its large dimensions and spacious courtyard. You can visit this even before you start trek to Matanga hills. And the Nandi statue nearby is a massive well executed couchant statue facing the Virupaksha Temple.
This can be your day 1 at Hampi.
9. Underground Shiva Temple: The next sequence of places has to covered on one go starting from this. 2kms from Virupaksha Temple, towards Kamalapur is Underground Shiva Temple. The temple had remained buried for over four hundred years before it was discovered in the 1980's decade. The place can be good for portraits and photoshoots.
10. Queens Bath: Continue from Underground Shiva temple in Kamalapur main road for another 1.5kms for Queen's bath to your left. You can term it as ancient and luxurious swimming pool of the Queen and royal women of Vijayanagara period showing their rich life style in those days. The place is well maintained.
11. Royal Enclosure, Mahanavami Dibba and Stepped Pushkarini: From queen's bath its half a km of muddy road to Royal Enclosure, Mahanavami Dibba and Stepped Pushkarini in one campus.
Royal Enclosure is the huge fortified area was once the center of the Vijayanagara Empire. The place was used to hold large fairs and festivals, especially the Dasara festival.
Mahanavami Dibba is a huge podium which facilitated King and Royal family members to enjoy the performances and festivals from the high place. The Simple structure is planned so beautifully that encloses the secret and emergency passages in case of such situation.
Stepped Pushkarini is one of the beautiful engineering models designed to store fresh water for large number of people. Till today you can see the overhead stone pipeline for the inflow of water and properly planned outflow too.
12. Hazara Rama Temple: Continue from Royal Enclosure for 300mts for Hazara Rama Temple. The term 'Hazara Rama' literally means a thousand Rama and refers to the multitude of relics depicting the reigning deity of the temple. It was once the private temple of the kings and the royal family of Vijayanagara. Any architecture lovers can never miss this place in Hampi.
13. Zana Enclosure - Lotus Mahal, Queen's Palace and Elephant's Stable: Continue for another 400mts from Hazara Rama Temple to Zana Enclosure. The place has separate entrance ticket for 10rs and first you see as you enter is the Queen's Palace followed by Lotus Mahal nearby. Behind that is the Elephants Stable. It would take 1 hour to cover these three. If you are interested in seeing more ruins of Hampi you can proceed further on a narrow pathway for 300mts to see the remains of Parshwanatha Jain Temple and Shri Vishnu Temple.
13. Saraswati Temple and Octagonal Bath: Come back from Zana Enclosure to meet the main road where you took left for Queen's bath. Proceed towards Kamalapur just for another 200mts and take the left road. Proceed little to find the ruins of Chandrashekara Temple and Saraswati temples. Behind the Saraswati Temple is the octagonal bath. The beautiful stone work is still evident on this today. If you are a travel photographer, this place can be a beautiful subject for your travel photography.
14. Vijaya Vittala Temple- The icon of Hampi: Come back to main road from Saraswati temple and procced for 1km to Kamalapur Junction. Proceed left for 4kms to the entrance of Vijaya Vittala Temple. The temple is 1km from entrance and private vehicles including cycles are not allowed. You can walk for a km or take an Electric Van costing 20rs.
If you decide to walk you can enjoy some beautiful small structures on the way like Gejjala Mandapa, Kudure Mandapa and Kalyani.
After 1km its Vijaya Vittala temple, and there are no enough words to describe the beauty of this place. This is where you find the Hampi's most celebrated and the iconic Stone Chariot. Opposite to it is the Vijaya Vittala temple along with yet another largely famous, the fascinating Musical Pillars mandapa. Yes, you can hear the music notes when you tap on these pillars. The whole temple area consists of many halls, shrines and pavilions inside it. This place has a lot to say from history and architecture perspectives. Affording a guide here would be a good choice if you are interested.
The place will close by 6pm everyday and it would take minimum of 2hours to enjoy this place and take photos. Also, this is the most photographed place in Hampi. Photographers, should wait for the right moment if you want to capture the beautiful structures alone.
If you have planned well this can be your day 2 in Hampi.
15. Around Hampi - Sanapur Lake: These are few places most of them would miss. But they are really worth visiting. Sanapur lake can be accessed from the Hippe Island side of Hampi. You can rent a bike on this day as these places are in the outskirts of Hampi.
5kms from Hippe island is Sanapur lake. One of the very peaceful places in Hampi. You can enjoy the coracle ride here. Also, the famous cliff jumping of Hampi. But cliff jumping is allowed only if the water level is sufficient. You can enjoy lake too swimming here. But please be cautious as this lake has deep waters and some strong currents.
The sunrise and sunsets on this lake are very colorful and serene.
A view from the top of Anjanadri Hills
17. Anegundi: If you proceed further for 3.5kms from Anjanadri hills, you will find a small and a beautiful village on the banks of Tungabhadra river, the Anegundi. This place is the entrance point to Hampi from another direction. You can find some beautiful small temples with rich sculpture work like Anjaneya Temple, Lakshmi Temple, Ganesha Temple, Kishkinda Old Bridge, Gagan Palace etc.All the places are nearby to each other and you can cover them within 2hours.
18. Sunset at Hemakuta Hills: On the first day, if you had visited Matanga hills, then you can come back to Hampi from Anegundi by evening for the sunset at Hemakuta hills. Even though the Hemakuta hills is not a big one, the sunset view it offers is one of the best you can witness. What adds to the beauty here are those small temples and stone structures which turn into vibrant scene during sunsets. The view of Virupaksha temple from here during sunset is pretty awesome. There are enough stone benches laid where you can sit and enjoy the view. It's definitely not worth missing. (If you have covered Hemakuta hills on first day, this day you can plan your visit and trek to Matanga hills)
And this can be your day 3 and may be your final day at Hampi. Clear your doubts-
Is Hampi safe for Solo travelers? Without any hesitations, YES. Hampi is one of the safest places for solo travelers. Even for girls. If you have always wanted to do some solo travels and wondering where to start from, Hampi is the best option. The locals are also very good and they respect the tourists very much.
You will find lot of solo travelers, even some foreign tourists travelling alone. You will never feel isolated anywhere at the same time you can enjoy your lone time without anyone disturbing you. Renting bicycles/bikes you can commute to all places alone without worrying of the cost.
Entry fee - Most of the places at Hampi are free for entrance. Except very few like Zana enclosure and Vijaya Vittala temple which has very less entry tickets of 10-20rs per head. And no, they won't charge extra for your cameras or mobile phones.
Anyhow, you will have to pay parking fee on most places if you are travelling in 4-wheeler.
Is Camping/Tenting allowed in Hampi? There are few groups who organize outdoor camping officially with all permissions. Apart from that also, you can pitch in your private tent around most of the places. Near foothills of Matanga and even on the banks of Tungabhadra towards Hippe island. Carry your ID card. That would help.
Sanapur lake is also a good place for camping. But its not advisable for solo travelers.
Must know things before visiting Hampi
1. The cellphone network is very inconsistent. Only airtel can be reached in very few spots and no network for major portion with other operators. Make sure download offline maps for Hampi on your phone beforehand. Though most restaurants and hotels provide Wi-Fi, the speed is not that great.
2. Carry enough cash. There are no ATMs in Hampi. Nearest one is in Hospet. Carry good amount of cash as cards are not accepted in most places. Paytm is accepted though. But remember. There might be no network on your phone.
3. Bargain skills is gold here. You can bargain with almost everyone. Autorickshaw walas, hotel people and bike/bicycle rentals.
4. Hampi might not be famous for one particular food. But you will get almost all cuisines of food here as this is a major foreign tourists' destination. So, food should not be a problem. I tried multiple restaurants in the city center and in Hippe island. Not anywhere I found the taste or quality being unsatisfactory.
5. Lakshmi, the temple Elephant has a fan base of its own. If you manage to be near Virupaksha temple by morning 7 or evening 6, you can enjoy beautiful scenes where Lakshmi will be taken to Tungabhadra river bath.
6. Tripods are not allowed in Hampi. This is very important to note for photographers. There are no restrictions on type of camera you use. But tripods are strictly not allowed in any place at Hampi.
7. Local Shopping - Again there isn't anything particular you can buy only from Hampi. But there are enough stores at city center where you can pick up some gifts or souvenirs from Hampi. Antique pieces, models of Hampi's structures and fashion wearables are most what you find of.
8. If you are a hobby reader, never forget to carry books. The places are so serene that it is best fitted to enjoy your book. The Hemakuta hills, Matanga hills, Balakrishna temple being few.
9. Carry first aid kit and basic medicines. There are no major medical shops in Hampi. And you will be walking in open areas with lots of boulders. It's a good option to carry basic medicines and a first aid kit.
10. Visit Virupaksha temple at night. This is a whole different experience. You can see many people sleeping outdoor on the floors of temple right under the stars. Even though you don't end up sleeping there, you can spend some peaceful time here at night.
Take Away: Hampi will leave you satisfied at your heart. I personally guarantee it😉. Whatever your purpose of visit might be, Hampi offers the best in every thing a visitor can ask for. Hampi can be the right place that could give you a whole set of fresh mind and soothe your soul. Its all in the vibe of this place I can say. There is lots of positivity that embraces you in this land and follow you behind..!!! Personally, for me, my solo trip to Hampi will go down as one of the most beautiful journeys I have ever taken❤️
You can find more pictures and details of each place, on my instagram posts:)
