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Budget Breakdown:
- Bus (From Bangalore to Hampi): 500-600
- Room Rent: 400-500
- Boat Ride: 200-300
- Bicycle Rent: 100-150 (Needs bargaining)
- Scooter: 300-400
- Food: 250-300/ day
- Souvenir: 200-300
- Travelling Month: July-August (Off-Season)
Best time to visit Hampi is between October-March, but we recommend travelling off season (July-August). The weather will be a bit hot and it could rain, but price of most of the things will be significantly cheaper. Also, it will be less crowded.
(Note: If you're travelling in the season, the budget will get doubled)
There are two ways to reach Hampi : By car or bus.
Car is an expensive choice if you're travelling alone. Taking a bus from Bangalore to Hampi is relatively easy. The buses are available on hourly basis. It is better to check bus timings in advance. AC Sleeper or Non AC Sleeper buses are available at a nominal price (Rs 500 -600).
Ideally, if you catch a bus on Friday night around 9ish, you reach Hampi on Saturday morning around 6ish.
(There are no direct buses to Hampi. There are chances that you'll be travelling in a mini van/bus to Hampi. If your bus operator doesn't offer the mini van service, you can hire a rickshaw on bargain. The bargain starts at 300 but you can bring it down to 100.) It takes 20-30 minutes to reach Hampi.
Day 1:
Once you arrive in Hampi, the first thing to do is: find a stay. If you have pre-booked your hotel there is no problem, otherwise ask your rickshaw driver to drop you at a place where you can rent a stay. He'll be most obliged to help. It is advised to not to pre-book any room as there are ample opportunities to bargain in the town.
You can get rooms for as cheap as 400/night. If you're lucky (or good at bargaining), you can bring it down to 200. You'll have to look around a bit to find a perfect place for your 2-day stay.
Usually, you will see people calling you in to see the rooms. Mostly, all the rooms have free wifi.
Once you find your room, you'll have to submit your ID card to the owner. Pay only half amount at first. And the other half when you check out.
After you've freshened up and ready to leave, keep your valuables inside your baggage. And lock your door. People don't steal but you should always be careful in home stays.
There are two rooftop cafes in Hampi that serve continental food. Cafes are quite hippie in decor. You'll get all kind of foods -- from Continental to Indian. You can order pancakes for breakfast, if you like. The food is really good and cheap. You can smoke in the cafe and chat a little with fellow travellers who are mostly from different countries. Drinking is strictly prohibited in town because of its uber religious culture.
The best option to explore Hampi is by foot or by a bicycle. You can rent a bicycle on a bargain of Rs 100/ day. If you're staying in the city, it will take a 5-minute walk to reach the temples. Hampi is known for its scenic temples and boulders. There is an entry ticket to the temples (Rs 5, mostly). The architect and enormous statues are breathtaking. There will be monkeys in these temples so carry less things and keep your cameras covered.
After taking a walk through the temples, walk to the sunset point. You'll pass through a beautiful avenue. Hampi is perfect for photography. You'll have to climb boulders to reach the sunset point. Mostly, it takes about 15 minutes. Carry a bottle of water and avoid wearing slippers. Also, you'll see a lot of large centipedes so don't freak out and don't pick them or play with them. Let the creature be. The point overlooks entire Hampi. The temples, avenue and the setting sunlight on the city -- it's truly magical. Click some marvellous pictures here.
Once you're back in your room, freshen up and leave for an early dinner. The main town of Hampi shuts at 8:00, but cafes are open till 11:00. One of the two cafes offers chessboards. You can meet a lot of hippies over here. Making friends in Hampi is a piece of cake. If you're lucky you may get invited to one of their late night get together.
Day 2:
Next day you can cover the places across the Hampi river. You can take your rented bike in the boat. It's a must to ride a coracle boat in Hampi. You'll have to pay around Rs 100/200 for the boat ride. The other side of the river is a bit of trek.
After trekking for around 15 minutes, you'll come to a concrete road. You can rent a bike here and ride to the famous temples around. Or, you can drive through the outskirts of Hampi. It's a nice drive. You'll see scenic boulders, beautiful farms and a lot of villagers waving at you. You can even head to the Crocodile lake. You'll have to trek for a bit to find it. Even this route is purely scenic.
The boulders are beautifully structured into buildings. Again, if you are a photographer, you'll fall in love with the beauty of this town. It will be a tiring day. Grab a big dinner. You'll be able to cover the whole of Hampi in two days. Next day, eat a heavy breakfast, hop in an auto and leave for Hospet to catch a bus back to Bangalore.
Things You Must Have:
- Sunscreen SPF 40
- Sunglasses
- Jogging shoes
- Scarf/Hat
- Id Card (To show at the home stay)
- Driving License (If you plan to rent a bike)
Things You Must See/Do:
- Photograph the temples
- Check out the sunset point
- Ride a coracle boat
- Meet fellow travellers in roof top cafes
- Eat South Indian meal in Hampi
