Incredible India thru my Lens

Quick Visit to Hampi Ruins – Part II (Jul’ 11)

Travel Information to Hampi

Travel-By Bus: You can take an overnight bus from Bangalore to Hampi. The bus starts from Bangalore at 11:00 PM and reaches Hampi at 07:00 AM. The bus is well maintained and a semi-sleeper. Ticket cost is around Rs. 375 per person. You can book your tickets from KSRTC Website itself. If you are looking for more luxury then you can take one of the volvo’s passing through Hospet. From Hospet there are frequent buses to Hampi.

Stay: There are some good staying options in Hampi itself. Most of them are located just opposite to the Bus Stand and the price range starts from 400. If you are comfortable staying a bit away from the crowd then you can head to Virupapur Gaddi / Hampi Island / Hippie Island. The staying options are good and the price range starts as low as Rs. 150/- per day. But the only problem is that after 6 or 6.30, the place looks deserted and it’s not recommended to roam around alone. Apart from that you have some good restaurants which provides some excellent dining ambience with drink :).

Food: We had food in few restaurants in couple of days and all seem to be ok. But if you wanna satisfy your taste buds then you must head to ‘Mango Tree’ restaurant. It’s located just behind the Virupaksha Temple. Ten minutes walk along the river side road will lead you to the restaurant. Order anything and you won’t be disappointed. This is the BEST restaurant in Hampi with river facing.

Getting Around: There are numerous options to getting around Hampi. Best would be to buy a guide book and rent a bicyle/motor bike as per your convenience. You can cover most of the places in a day’s time and can cover the remaining on the next day. Else, there will be auto rickshaws who are more than happy to take your around the important places. I rented a bike from Hippi Island for Rs. 250/- but without proper brake. So, do check the essentials before you rent a bike. You have to put petrol on your own as they will give the bike with just enough petrol to reach the petrol bunk. 1 or 2 litre max is enough for you get around the ruins in Hampi. The best part is that you can ferry your bike across the river in a motor boat for Rs. 30/-.