Hampi is a world in itself and you will love to get lost in this world with untouched ruins taking you to centuries back, divine temples looking to embrace you deep within and then at the end of day, chilling out and forgetting the whole world, you lie down and feel the serenity right at the center of your heart.
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City has two parts. North of Tungabhadra river is known as Hippie side and Southern part is temple side. Both the sides have their own characteristics and you have to visit both to feel and live the soul and spirit of Hampi. There is no bridge for a good 40 KMs (surprisingly!!) and boat transport is the only savior.
Hippie Side (North of Tungabhadra River)
1. Chill out restaurants
Yes, the restaurants on this part have such a calm ambiance with low tables and mattresses on side to sleep, read novel or play music that you would love to lie down, have a beer or smoke and be at peace listening Bob Marley. We had lunch at Laughing Buddha Restaurant and it was a treat being here.
2. Resorts facing green paddy fields
Resorts on Hippie side are almost in countryside, far from traffic horns and city sounds. You can sit outside your room and can enjoy views with either green paddy fields or hills with boulders. We enjoyed our stay at Gowri Resort in Sanapur. Food was yummy and views were awesome.
3. Hampi Temples with Ramayana Legends
There are many temples on the hippie side and on our first day, we booked a tempo and visited three of them. We could not visit Maa Lakshmi temple but that too is quite famous.
Read more about these temples at below of our blogs –
- Chintamani Temple in Anegudi: Ramayana Legends
- Anjaneya Temple, also known as Monkey Temple: Where Hanuman was born
- Maa Durga Temple in Anegudi: Colorful Sights
4. Sanapur Lake, Hampi
A walk in the morning at Sanapur lake and mix of golden colour with greenery of paddy fields at sunrise is something that you should not miss at all.
Read more about our visit to Sanapur Lake here – Sanapur Lake: Enjoy beauty with utmost calmness
Hampi Temples & Ruins (South of Tungabhadra River)
This side of Hampi has ruins at almost every nook and corner. You can see them everywhere on side of the road and it would be really difficult to visit all of them. We booked an auto and visited major sites. There are many old temples which have been rejuvenated and are beautifully maintained.
These temples deserve dedicated blogs for them and so we have written that for you. Read more about Hampi temples at our blog posts here –
- Vittala Temple: Iconic Stone Chariot of Hampi
- Virupaksha Temple: Much more than a Temple
- Uddana Virabhadra and Chandikeshawara Temple
- Underground Shiva Temple: Walk through Water
- Lotus Mahal and Elephant’s Stable
Even beyond temples and ruins, there is so much that Hampi has to offer in terms of natural beauty. Sites of green paddy fields with water canals and banana plantations are treat to eyes.
Friendliness of local people added an extra flavour to our Hampi Trip. Hampi is mostly countryside and life is simple far from city sophistication. People were more than happy to guide us and make us feel like at home in Hampi.
Stay at Hampi
We stayed at Gowri Resort just next to Sanapur Lake. There are limited resort options, so book advance especially during New year time. All resorts provide the same basic amenities, so choose the one where you could relax and enjoy the serenity of Hampi. You may search more of Hampi hotels at booking.com below –
Booking.comBangalore to Hampi
Hampi is well connected by train and buses but not so with air transport. We took our train from Bangalore and reached Munirabad station at 8 AM. Choose your station wisely. Get down at Hosapete if you are staying south of Tungabhadra river else get down at Munirabad if your resort is on hippie side.
Hampi Climate
Hampi is hot and dry for most part of the year, so go well prepared. Weather gets very pleasant during monsoon and with greenery all around, Hampi has a lot to offer during monsoon. We visited Hampi again during rainy season and it turned out to be pleasant trip (Read more: Hampi in monsoon: Roll and Chill)
To prepare you better for your trip, we have separately written about the things that you should take care for your Hampi Trip.