Hampi - A Complete Travel Guide.

Tripoto
1st Nov 2019
Photo of Hampi - A Complete Travel Guide. by Praveen Hulsure

Hampi - The city of ruins

Most of the people remember Hampi as the city of ruins but, Hampi is much more than that. It is a city of Agony, pain and royalty. This village which is situated in Karnataka worships the story of the great Vijayanagar empire. If you are a person who loves to explore new places, culture, and wants to escape the chaos and enjoy the nature you must definitely visit this place. Also, this goes without saying that if you are fascinated by history then you will fall in love with Hampi.

Photo of Hampi - A Complete Travel Guide. 1/31 by Praveen Hulsure

A world of abandoned ruins, a carnival of carvings, a pilgrim’s delight, a backpacker’s refuge, a historian’s riddle, AN artist’s muse, a sage’s sanctuary and a writer's inspiration, Hampi touristry offers you 1,000,000 things all at once!

You not only get to see glorious art however, another facet of Hampi, called 'Hippie Island' permits you to unwind. Hippie Island offers you dainty cafes, picturesque views, and jewelry shops.

Fun fact - The entire of Hampi is considered as the world heritage site because of which under the rules laid by UNESCO in order to protect the ruins and conserve the original city of Hampi no firm such as Dominos, Samsung, Oyo or any other are not allowed to open in Hampi. Even construction of roads within the city is not allowed(other than the roads connecting different city).

How to get there?

Hyderabad to Hampi

There are direct buses(sleeper and semi-sleeper) from Hyderabad to Hampi which will cost you around Rs 2000 (including return ticket). It takes around 11hrs in a bus and the route is comfortable. There are other modes of transportation too but the benefits of travelling in a bus is - they are cheaper and you get to see beautiful scenic route.

If you are travelling from any other city city and cant find a bus to Hampi, you can book a bus to Hosepet(12kms away from Hampi) and take a local bus to Hampi which should not cost you more than 16rs. You can even take train to Hosepet

Here's a tip for you - prefer travelling through VRL or Go tours.

Where to stay in Hampi?

There are many options available for a traveler when it comes to stay in Hampi. If you are a bag-packer and searching for hostels then you can checkout Wayfarers which is situated away from all the touristy crowded areas and is 4kms away from the hippie island. This place offers you weekend musical jams with aboriginal instruments, beautiful sunsets and hikes behind the hostel, yummy Indian food at the hostel cafe to name a few. The price is also affordable i.e. 1950rs for 3 days.

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There are several other options in Hippie island as well which are affordable.But, if your pockets are loaded you can checkout Leo wooden resort, Orange county, Hyatt palace etc.

Places to visit

First of all Hire a moped which would cost you around 300rs/day.

1. Sanapur lake

It is a reservoir which is fed by Tungabhadra river. You wont be able to see the lake until you really get close to it as it is completely hidden. The scenery here is beautiful as the lake is situated between the boulders. For a different experience you can try coracle boating and if you are adventures you can try cliff jumping(only if you know swimming).

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2. Kishkinda or Anjaneya Hills

This place is believed to be the birth place of Lord Hanuman. This amazing Sunset view at Anjaneya hills is a must visit place for every traveler and photographer. To experience this amazing sunset you will need to climb 575 steps which takes you around 45mins. Beware of the monkeys here(one of the reason its also called a Monkey hill).

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View of Tunghabadra river from Anjaneya hill.
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Anjaneya hill sunset point

3. Hippie island

True to its name, you will definitely have chilled-out vibes over here. Climbing boulders to chase sunrise, hopping the restaurants and shops to buy apparels, get tattoo's if you want.

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Do nothing at Hippie Island.
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View of Virupaksha temple from Hippie Island.

4. Explore the Hampi ruins

The other side of the river. to explore the ruins of Hampi you need to get to the other side of the Tungdbhadra river and start from Virupaksha temple. The best way to reach virupaksha temple is to cross the Tungabhadra river by boat (5 minutes ride) near the Hippie island. The charges are 20rs for one boat ride (additional charges for the luggage). Officially the boat starts from 8:00 AM till 5:30 PM but you can see people using boats up to 7:30 PM . You have to buy a ticket for 50rs at virupaksha temple which will be valid at Vithala temple and Lotus Mahal you can also visit places such as Hampi Bazar, Elephant stables, stepped tank, Ugranarsimha temple and many other ruins. To cover all these places you can hire a auto for 400rs at virupaksha temple.

Photo of Hampi - A Complete Travel Guide. 11/31 by Praveen Hulsure
On the way to Vithala temple
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The great Vijaynagar Market
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Vithala temple
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Ignore the Man and focus on the Sclupture.
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Vithala Temple
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Stone Chariot, the one you see on 50rs note.
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Mahanavmi Dibba
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Virupaksha Temple
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Virupaksha Temple
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Boulders at Virupaksha temple
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5. Food

The most important thing a for a traveler. For tourists in Hampi Eat, sleep, smoke and repeat is the most common thing. The best place to do these things is Hippie island.

You can visit restaurants like The laughing Buddha(1000rs for two), Top secret cafe(1000rs for two), Mango cafe(150rs/thali) and of course The Wayfarers(1000rs for two).

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Laughing Buddha
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Wayfarer
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Top secret cafe

6.Enjoy the Fields

You can just walk through the fields and enjoy the evening.

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If you have made it this far then i am sure this blog has helped you, thank you.