Best Time to visit Hampi:
I visited the place in February end and it was still; very hot there. However, the best time to visit is somewhere between November to February.
How to Reach:
The distance from Bangalore is 350 kms. There are lots of buses operating from Bangalore to Hampi. I took a KSRTC bus as it was the only one which goes till Hampi and leave you just in between the ruins. The rest of the private operator just leaves you till Hospet which is almost 20 Kms from Hampi and from there either you have to book a cab or take a rickshaw which would be very expensive.
Places to stay:
You can either stay in the main Hampi city (near the bus stand) or on the other side of the river. But it’s preferable to stay in the city itself, as the last coracle cross the river at 6 pm so you always have to hurry back to your guest house( with nothing to do) as most of the places to visit are in the Hampi city.
You need to book the guest house in advance only if it’s the busiest of the season. Most of the guest houses in the city are well maintained.
Eat outs:
One thing you need not to worry in Hampi is the FOOD. You name anything and you will get it here. I have never found falafel in any of the Bangalore’s restaurant’s menu (at least the one where I visited) but I found it here. You have cuisine ranging from Israeli to Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Indian and Tibetan. BTW don’t even try to order Indian food while in Hampi. You will find it Anglicized ;).
Mango tree is a very popular restaurant of Hampi. It offers a very good view of the river and of course nice food. However, it’s a bit aloof from the city and the entire stretch has no lighting so better not to try it for dinner. Some other good restaurants are Shanthi and Gopi .
Travel:
Hampi ruins are spread over a very vast area. However one can cover important sites in almost two days. Most of the places to see are within city limits and are not very far off from each other so it’s always better to rent either a bike or cycle in Hampi. However, one can also hire an auto for the entire day (@ rate of 200 per person) . Most of the autowallahs have their own itinerary to follow .Hence, it’s always better to do your own research to determine which place you want to cover.
Places to see:
You can get the map from anywhere in Hampi indicating the major places . The major places to visit are :Vittala Temple, Virupaksha temple,royal enclosure,Kadelukalu Ganesha, Lakshmi Narasimha ,Queen’s bath,Lotus Mahal, Hazara Rama Temple, Achutaraya Temple, Anjaneya Hill & Temple Elephant stable, Matanga Hill for a panoramic view of Hampi . A coracle ride on Tungabhadra is a must, as is the sunrise.
Things to buy:
Hampi market is labyrinth of many streets having lots of trinkets shops selling trendy hippie clothes, bags, junk and silver jewellery, souvenir, handcraft and beautiful stone carvings.
