Gems of Hampi

The Hampi ruins are a UNESCO world heritage site. Hampi was the ancient capital of Vijayanagara and was one of the richest cities in its prime. But as legend has it, the city’s temples and palaces were ravaged by the invaders and burnt down.

Best Time to visit

As Hampi is situated on a rocky terrain and with not much greenery around, it tends to get unbearably hot in the afternoons. And since one has to cover ruins on foot, visiting Hampi should definitely be avoided during summer months (Apr - July). The best time to visit Hampi is during winter months (Oct-Mar) as the sun is calm and the weather is relatively pleasant. You can also time your visit with Hampi Utsav also known as Vijaya Utsav which happens in January every year.

Getting There

The most convenient way to reach Hampi from Bangalore is via train. The Hampi Express runs overnight between Bangalore and Hospet - the nearest city from Hampi, around 12 km away. We drove to Hampi although the drive wasn't very scenic and road widening work in patches and traffic added to the woes. The total driving distance is around 350 km and usually takes 7-8 hours depending on the flow of the traffic.

Quick Tips if doing a road trip:

1. Avoid driving on the patch from Bellari to Hampi as the road is in a really bad condition although Google suggests the Bangalore - Anantpur - Bellari - Hampi as the shortest route. Not sure why?

2. Leave as early as possible in the morning - to avoid city traffic and save time and so to reach Hampi before the heat becomes oppressive and the driving becomes uncomfortable.

3. Surprisingly we didn't find a lot of quality highway eateries on the way from Bangalore to Hampi. So better stuff your car with some food, munchies and a lot of water.

Staying there

One can find a variety of accommodations from budget to luxury in Hampi. If looking for the budgeted Homestays in Hampi - One can stay on the other side of the river in Virupapur Gadde (commonly known as the Hippie Island) in bamboo huts at the edge of the paddy fields. Since we had our car at our disposal we preferred staying in Hospet (around 12 km from Hampi and 20 min drive) as it offers more comfortable accommodations. Below are the hotels where we stayed on our two trips to Hampi:

TIP: Avoid following Google Maps to reach the base of the Matanga Hill as it will take you to the parking spot of the Virupaksha Temple and the hike from there is longer. Special mention to our guide for the trip, Parshuram who took us through a different route to a short but a bit steep hike to reach the hilltop faster. We parked our car at the Shri Hemkut Temple and started a bit steep but a short hike from there and it took us 20 min to reach the hilltop.

The Coracle Ride

The coracles have been used in India for eons. During our first visit to Hampi, we missed doing the coracle ride and we made sure to do it on our second visit. Must say that the ride was quite delightful, and special mention to the spin in the water at the end that boat rafter gave us. We took the half an hour ride and paid 300 INR per person (the charges for an hour boat ride were 500 INR)

TIP: Try to avoid going in the afternoon hours (11-4 PM) otherwise with the harsh sun and no shade in the coracle the boat ride will be quite unpleasant and you won't be able to spend enough time in the coracle.

The craftsmanship of the Vitthala Temple Complex

Located in the northeastern part of Hampi and on the banks of the Tungabhadra river, the Vitthala Temple Complex is a classic example of exceptional architecture and craftsmanship that existed in those times. The complex houses the very popular Stone Chariot, Musical Pillars and the Lone Tree

TIP: Ensure you carry along the entrance ticket bought at any of the monuments as the same ticket gets you free entry at other monuments as well

Hemakuta Hill

The Hemakuta Hill is one of the most popular places in Hampi and is generously scattered with many ruined remains on a rocky expanse which give a perfect Hampi backdrop for photography. It is also a popular place to catch the sunset on a low terrain if you don't feel like trekking.

In spite of the Hemakuta Hill being one of the most popular spots for sunset, we decided to go there again in the wee hours to avoid the crowd, have some solitude and must say we were fortunate to witness yet another beautiful sunrise and the beauty of the ruins under the sky changing colors.

Sunset from Malyavanta Hill

Multitudes of Ruins

We would also recommend to cover the following ruins as well in Hampi for their intricate architecture, symmetry and flawless engineering

Virupaksha Temple

Ugra Narasimha Statue

Badavilinga Temple

Pushkarani

Lotus Mahal

Our Guide for Hampi

As they say, people who you travel with are as important as the destination. Our tour guide, Mr. Parshuram deserves a special mention here as without his guidance our trip wouldn't have been so memorable. He took the time to know us and tailored the day based on our interests. He was very knowledgeable of the Hampi History and we thoroughly enjoyed the way he weaved in the anecdotes while giving us the guided tours of any of the ruins. He infact came along with us for the Matanga Hilltop Trek in the wee hours and made us discover the shorter route even though that was not a part of the guided tour package. We would definitely recommend him for the guided tours in Hampi. Please click here to refer to our Blog post on Hampi to find his contact details

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