Hampi

• Be ready for long walks. Major attractions are afar and massively spread in themselves. Then there are small treks to Anjanaya Temple or the magnificent Hemkuta Hills adjacent to Virupaksha Temple.
• Avoid summers. Even in cooler climate, you will need a vehicle to take you around the dusty city. There are restaurants near Virupaksha Temple that may offer your kind of food.
• Sunset at Hemkuta, lunch at one of the river bank restaurants and a photograph with the golden chariot at Vishnu Temple - these are a must.

Trip: Bangalore > Chitradurga > Hampi > Bangalore

Hampi offers such bizarre backgrounds in such quantity that it can easily be declared a photographer's haven.  From flowing river to ruined city,  from ancient temples to high hills it has everything a remarkable photoshoot demands.WereachedHyatt Hampi from Chitradurga by taking a diversion from Kudligi. This proved to be a big mistake as the 35 miles stretch can hardly be called a road. By the time we checked in we were good for nothing. Hungry and tired, we settled at the restaurant and ate a mouthful.

Virupaksha Temple @ Hampi

Rooms were cosy but without room service. We had brought a bottle of vodka to take us through the night. Ice cubes were supplied fortunately. Next day's trip to Hampi was broadly discussed over a quick dinner late into the night.

8 points @ Hampi Tourist Map

A complementary breakfast that was not worth a compliment was followed by us quickly getting into the car to start for Hampi . Road from Toranagallu to Hampi , 20 miles in all, is surprisingly smooth and we reached our first destination, the Vitthala Temple within an hour.

Ancient Gopuram of Vitthala Temple @ Hampi

Unfortunately it is the most beautiful spot we chose to visit first. I would have loved to build up the amazement. The temple is a masterpiece with numerous points to see and admire within a small area. The musical pillars were the highlight.

Bhadra river bank @ Hampi

Further to the temple flows river Bhadra where we enjoyed the most sitting at the bank enjoying breezy landscape. We had choice to walk to Virupaksha Temple which is at the centre of Hampi . We decided to drive and parked near Hemkuta Hills where spent the evening on the sides of the most noticeable landmark of Hampi  - the Virupaksha Temple. Post lunch at a nearby restaurant we visited Hazara Rama Temple which has Ramayana carved over its walls. We came back to Hotel before dark and decided to visit a nearby museum.

Hazaar Rama Temple @ Hampi

Kaladham Museum proved to be another highlight of the trip as this beautifully created museum by Jindal Steel is worth at least couple of hours. There are 3D theathres, a picture gallary & expansive huts keeping local handicrafts for sale. We settled back at hotel late.

Kaladham Museum @ Vidyanagar near Hampi

Last time I was at Hampi , we stayed at Hotel Mayur Bhivaneshwari (a KSTDC Hotel) which is 3 miles from Hampi . Then we had our lunch at Mango Tree Restaurant. It was beside the Tungabhadra river then but now has shifted to main bazaar. Our lunch was some experience.

Step-well in Royal Enclosure @ Hampi

We returned to our hotels rooms after watching a beautiful sunset from the hills. The night was dedicated to light booze and a drive to Hampi  Bazaar for Pizza baked in a wooden oven. The restaurant (New Shanthi) had arrangement of cushions and mattresses to lie down lazily. Next day we had covered Lotus Mahal and Royal Enclosure both of them being expansive.

Anjanaya Temple @ Hampi

The noon was planned for sites beyond the river. There is a famous Hanuman Temple we wanted to visit because it offers a high point view of Vithala Temple across the river. We intended to have a light brunch at The Goan Corner. However the delicious food forced us to end up heavy with filled stomach. An auto took us to the foot of the 575 steps stairs to the temple. The view from top was worth the labor we put. We came back to hotel in the evening as the day proved to be exhausting. Even in the month of January the place can be hot and humid. The evening was again spent on light booze and chit chat. Next day we started back for Bangalore. The lunch was planned at Aishwarya Fort in Chitradurga. We briskly drove through the city of windmills and were on our way to Bangalore by 1 PM.