We usually take holidays around driving distance from Goa and having done most of them around, this time we chose Hampi. Hampi has a historical importance and though I personally didn’t have much liking towards such places, this place is internationally famous and is a preserved by UNESCO as a’world heritage site’ - so it made sense for us to go there.
Where? Hampi is located in the state of Karnataka, well connected by roads however I believe there is no close by train station. (The nearest railway station is at Hospet). Nearest Airport is at Bellary. Usually, foreigners travel to Goa and take a bus to this place.
When to visit? Anytime between Sep/October to Dec/Jan should be good time to visit. The weather is quite warm and dry and it makes sense to visit there during winter otherwise temperature reaches a to about 40°C.
Since the place has a lot of outdoor site seeing, going there in a good weather really makes sense, else it would be a sweating and irritating travel.
History: Hampi has a history dating back to pre-historic era and one, if interested can do reading of it before visiting the place. From what I had learnt, it came into existence in about 1300, and was an important centre for trade, religion and art. It was famous ground of the Vijayanagar Empire between 1300-1500. The city was then annexed and completely destroyed. Hampi got the status of being a ‘world heritage site’ in the year 1986 and since then, many efforts are being taken to restore the lost glory of this city.
Moving around? There are various options, I would suggest best is not to try to see on your own. All attractions are situated at quite a distance from each and other and on your own you may not be able to see them in order. What we did was, parked out car at the hotel and hired a Rick (the auto driver served as a guide to us). He took us on a tour of the place and also explained the importance of each, with the right amount of details - which was very helpful.
He charged us about 500/- for about 4+hours tour.
Attractions: These can easily be googled, however here is a ready list:
Hazara Rama Temple(must-see), Lakshmi Narasimha Temple(must-see), Old Palace(must-see), Gagan Mahal, Royal Enclosures(include the Lotus Mahal or Zanana Enclosure and the Elephant Stables), Vithala Temple Complex, Hampi Bazar area, Virupaksha Temple(must-see).
There is also a striking chariot carved out of a stone with rotating wheels, in the back lawn of the temple.
Where to stay? Most of the Hampi’s tourist accommodations are located in this bazaar. There are few big names, however you can book in those small guest houses which offers good hospitality and service.
What else to do? Try and visit the Thungabadra dam project - a nice view of the entire region. They have well maintained garden and there is a musical fountain show that happens at 7 pm.
One can also decide to visit Badami if required from here, but which I believe is pretty similar to Hampi.