Hampi | Days 3 | 1200 Rupees. Solo Backpack Budget Travelling ♥️????

Hampi -

Days - 3
Expense - 12OO RS.

5OO Rs - Pune to Hampi
3OO - Petrol
1OO - Fees to enter places in Hampi
3OO - Food
Accommodation - Free! (Thanks to Couch Surfing)

I started my Solo Backpacking on the 8th of November from Mumbai. After visiting Mumbai and Alibaug, I reached Hampi from Pune, on the 9th of December.

I took a bus from Pune to Hospet & then a local bus to Hampi, which was just 14 kms away.

Once I reached there, I met my friend Ambi from Couch Surfing, who hosted me at his home for the next 3 days. Along with that, he also gave me his bike, which really helped me explore more parts of Hampi in lesser time.

Day - 1 Hippie Island

So this is more of a place to relax. There are lots of cafes where you can sit, have coffee and food and read books, meeting travellers.

If you are staying in Hampi, you can cross the river by a boat or by road. In my case, I had a bike so I took the road, visited a few cafes and the vibe was really amazing. If you want to go by boat, go before 5, as boat services stop after that and there are very few buses post 6. So plan accordingly.

Unforgettable experience - So as I took the bike, I started towards coming back to Hampi around 10pm. But to my surprise, through that entire 14 kms route, I only saw 4 or 5 people and it was also pitch dark. Adding to that, what troubled me more than moon raise was falling on the big stones which were everywhere in that route and made the place seem more haunted 😅. I reached home somehow but can never forget that day.

Day - 2

It started with visiting the village early in the morning with my friend Ambi, who was a Milk and Newspaper seller. So he took me to distribute that. I really enjoyed it, as thanks to that, I met many Local people.

After that we had a yummy breakfast of idlis near Markapur - the place I was staying at (4kms from Hampi). Then I got ready and started my sightseeing.

A) Vijaya Vittala Temple / Stone Chariot.

I went there by bike but you can also rent a bicycle to visit this place, it's not that far. Once you reach there, you need to buy a ticket and wait for the vehicle to take you inside - they charge a nominal amount. After reaching inside, the temple and the view was amazing. You see so many old temples and it's a great place for a Photographer too.

Stone Chariot - This was a major attraction for me, as the same Chariot is printed on the 50 Rs note by the Reserve Bank of India.

Timings: 08:30 am to 5:30 pm (all days)

Entry fee:

INR 10 for Indian nationals and US $5 for foreign nationals

Video camera fee- INR 25

Still camera fee- Nil

2) Archaeological Museum:

After Vijaya Vittala Temple, I came to a museum, which is near Markapur. It houses a wide variety of artefacts. Ancient coins, statues, paintings, metal plates, armoury and sculptures of various Hindu deities can be found here. All the four sections of this museum are worth exploring and a treat for history-buffs and kids.

Timings: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Entry fee: INR 5/per person (Free entry for children under the age of 15 years)

3) Lotus Mahal / Krishna Temple / Queen’s Bath/ Lakshmi Narasimha Temple/ Misc

Once I was done with museum, I left towards Hampi, so all the ruins and interesting places followed one by one. You can park your bike and explore a particular place and then move to the next.

4)   Sri Virupaksha Temple:

I visited this place in the evening as the weather was good and so was the light. I spent around 1 hour here, exploring the temple, learning about it's history, clicking some amazing pics and also meeting (Laxmi) the Elephant inside.

5) Relax at Cafe (Hampi Market)

Near this temple, there is a market where there are Home Stays, Cafes, and markets to shop from. As I am also working while travelling, I sat in the cafe for around 3 hours, ordered chai and worked. It was amazing to see the vibe and meet fellow travellers.

This is how the day ended, as I went back to my room and slept.

Day - 3

After packing up bags in the morning I went directly to the river side by an auto from Markapur. I couldn't find a boat but met two travellers and we mutually decided to cross it by walking. It's wasn't that hard but it was indeed adventurous.

I reached Hippi Island again to meet another friend and on his bike, we reached Shiva Cafe, which he runs in Hampi.

1) Women Entrepreneur - Meera

When I told my friend that I am traveling to meet some entrepreneurs he quickly told me about Meera. She has been staying in Hampi, amongst the mountains, without electricity for the past 32 years now.

I interviewed her for 10 mins and trust me, the feeling was so positive and I was amazed when I heard her story. I have shared the same on YouTube.

2) Hanuman Temple:

Hanuman Temple is another famous religious site, located on the top of the Anjaneya Hill, which is considered as the birthplace of Lord Hanuman.

About 4 kms from Hampi village, we have to climb up the stairs to reach the Temple.

The serene and picturesque ambience of this temple offers mesmerizing views of sunrise and sunset, making it one of the perfect places to see in Hampi and around.

Timings: Open all days, dawn till dusk.

After having an amazing time, I left from Hampi to Gokarna. I took a bus from Gangavati to Gokarna.

Gangavati is a big town near Hampi and last bus goes at around 9.30, post which there are no buses.

I reached Gokarna after 10 hours. 

I did all of this in just 3 days with just spending RS.12OO !

I avoided talking much about the places in detail as it's already on google, and therefore I thought about sharing my personal experiences which might give you an insight of what I did and what was my experience.

Thank you so much.