Top Places to visit in Hampi: Where Travel Meets History & Serenity!
I say this because the place I am telling you about today justifies being a person’s fantasy. Now when a trip is planned we list down a criterion. Okay let’s just do it here; • Unique. • Lots of attractions and activities. • Pleasant weather. • Good food. • Water bodies and Mountains both. (this would be a cherry on the cake) • Best sunrises/sunsets. • Budget-friendly. The place we are literally going to visit with this blog ticks off every point on this list and rises beautifully. Here are the must-visit places in Hampi at the Hippie Island and Central Hampi: Anjaneya Hills, Hippie Island Explore the village of Anegundi, Hippie Island Sunset at sunset hill point, Hippie Island Cafes at the Hippie Island Virupaksha Temple, Central Hampi Mathanga Hill, Central Hampi Vitthala Temple, Central Hampi Ugra Narsimha, Badavi Linga and Krishna Temple, Central Hampi The Royal Centre, Central Hampi Hemakuta Hill, Central Hampi A small town in the south Indian state of Karnataka and is located in the city of Vijayanagara. A UNESCO World Heritage Site: HAMPI. This place is considered a keeper of ancient sculptures, monumental ruins, scenery, architecturally beautiful temples, and visually satisfying sunrises and sunsets. Hampi is situated along the banks of river Tungabhadra and is steeped below 1,400 years of history. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Dynasty. Chronicles say that Hampi was a prosperous, wealthy, and grand city. Almost all the monuments are from 1336 and 1570 CE. Hampi was destroyed by the Muslim sultanates after the Empire was conquered by them in 1565 and since then Hampi is a beauty even in the ruins. How to reach: By air: Hubli Airport is the nearest one to Hampi which is 166km away and has regular flights from Bangalore. Belgaum connects Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, and Jabalpur but is 270 km away from Hampi. But Cabs and taxis are easily available outside the airport to reach Hampi. By road: Hampi is well connected with towns and cities that fall in the state of Karnataka by Buses. Besides the local buses, there are tourist buses available as well. Some of the interstate buses run in Goa, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh. When you reach Hospet you can take Auto rickshaws to Hampi. By train: Hospet Junction is the nearest one to Hampi which is 13km away. The trains travel regularly connecting major Indian cities. You can hire a cab or taxi for further travel. Prepare a perfect experience to Hampi using our travel software here Hampi is divided into 2 parts; Hippie Island & Central Hampi: • Hippie Island: Vipapur village/Gadde aka Hippie Island due to its casual and chilled vibes filled with lush greenery, paddy fields, sunset points, and cafes that serve very tasty food. The purpose of visiting this island is to just relax and have fun. • Central Hampi is filled with dotting temples, history, and some ruins of the royal stays that have stunning architecture. These structures have wonderful sculpting carved all over them. South Indian food will make you restless when you come here. Attractions & Activities: Hippie Island How to reach: Once you reach Hampi, you need to take a boat ride and cross the Tungabhadra River which will take only 5-7 minutes. This you will find near the Virupaksha Temple. The charges are around 50 INR. Things to do: 1) Anjaneya Hills Anjaneya Hill is the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. Stories give evidence of this place. You have to climb 600 (approximately) steps to reach the hilltop. You will experience the very popular sunrise view. This is quite popular among the tourists. There is also a temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman on the hill. You will find a lot of monkeys hopping around in this area. There is no entry fee for the temple but you need to pay for the parking. 2) Explore the village of Anegundi This village is nothing less than heaven. The roads are lined up with Banana trees and Coconut trees and the lands are filled with paddy fields. The rearview covers mountains from Hampi. It is covered in between the huge boulders. The road that takes you to Anegundi has Sanapur Lake. The view is just magnificent and feels like you are in a dreamland. You can also go boating at Tungabhadra Dam in the evening. You will have to hire a moped to wander around the village. It will cost you 250 INR/day. Check out our travel experiences to visit the best places in Hampi. 3) Sunset at the sunset hill point This hill point is filled with tourists just to experience the Sunset. You need to climb the rocky hill. It won’t take you long as it is a very easy one. The vibe on this hill is everything. You will see people chanting mantras or some people engrossed in the atmosphere. At times you will find tourists having a musical evening too. 4) Cafes at the Hippie Island Cafes on the island should be visited. The vibes, décor, food, and music make you fall in love with it. • Nargila Café This place serves you the best Tibetian food. It is a restaurant with perfect vibes for a candle light dinner. • Mowgli Hotel A cafe that gives you a true feeling of being a hippie. Amazing food with and a vfm place. • Laughing Buddha A cafe with laidback vibes and a very colorful interior. The place serves you the tastiest food among all the cafes. • Evergreen Hotel The list is quite a big one but these are must-visit ones. These cafes are surely going to enhance your experience. Central Hampi How to reach: To explore this side of Hampi you have to hire an auto-rickshaw for the internal transportation. You can also choose for a bus but it will
PUNE’S BEST FOOD FORWARD!!
The historic city of Pune has innumerable faces to it. It has a grand and courageous past. It holds its long preserved Marathi culture, strong! It is India’s first tech-city and education hub for Maharashtra. Most importantly is the food served by this city, believe me, it is amazing! Pune offers so much variety because of the diversification of every culture in India. In my opinion, Pune truly will fit as the food capital! Not only does it have its own specialties but it also serves food items that will soothe the taste buds of every Indian. For people who love Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and every cuisine from India, Pune has it all! Don’t even get me started on the street food that this city offers. From Chole Bhature to Idli-dosa and from Pizza to Momos and living Chaat off the list is absolutely no option! Now that I have told you the mouth-watering description of the story, scroll down to check what you should have when you visit the city. These are not only the must-haves but these are also Pune’s best-haves. SCROLL AWAY! YOU CANNOT LEAVE PUNE WITHOUT HAVING THESE DISHES! 1) SHREWSBERRY BISCUITS Shrewsberry biscuits from Kayani bakery This is Pune’s ultimate creation. If you are a person with a huge sweet tooth then you have to visit this place called “KAYANI BAKERY”. This bakery serves these buttery soft cookies that will melt in your mouth and leaves this mild sweet taste with a little bit of vanilla and the sand-like texture of it makes people from the entire country crazy about these cookies. Plum Cake is also a must-have from here. WHERE: Camp, East Street, Pune. Tip — Please pack loads of it before you leave! 2) VADA PAV Vada Pav from J.J. Garden Even if Vada Pav is a Maharashtrian dish and is relished by every person. I personally love the blend of potato with spicy green chili and when it is dipped in gram flour and fried…. It is just the best and you definitely cannot miss it. It can satisfy your hunger in a way that nothing else can. Pune offers it a little differently than other places. You get 2-3 types of chutneys to have it with. It almost tempts you to eat one more! There are a lot of places that serve it around the city. But the best one is “GARDEN VADAPAV”. WHERE: Bootee Street, Camp, Pune. Tip–Do not forget to ask for more churra (fried crumbs) besides Vada Pav this is the best! 3) MISAL PAV Misal Pav from Katakirr If you are a person who likes spicy food then believe me you will love Misal Pav more than anything. Misal Pav is a spicy curry made with Mat bean (matki) and authentic Maharashtrian spices and is topped with farsaan. This dish is not invented in Pune but is best served in Pune. There is a rivalry in places that serve Misal Pav bragging about the taste and preparation. “KATAKIRR” is the place you will want to visit for tasting this. It offers you 3 gravies called “rassa”; mild, normal, and spicy. Spicy will do the magic when you have it with cold masala buttermilk and a jalebi! WHERE: Pimple Saudagar branch, Pune. Tip–Do not have mild and normal rassa, Misal is meant to be spicy! 4) KEEMA PAV Keema from Cafe Goodluck Preparation of Chicken or Mutton; minced and flavored with spices and is served hot with Pav. Heaven isn’t it? When you are at “CAFÉ GOODLUCK”, this is what you should have without any doubt. This place is the oldest café in Pune. It serves Irani Chai and Bun Maska too. Café Goodluck is a brunch place that is a must-visit. True Punekar will definitely suggest this place. It is sort of a pride thing for Pune and the café lives up to it! The road where it is located is named after the café. So you can imagine the hype now?! WHERE: Goodluck Chowk, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune. Tip–Either rush their early morning is for the breakfast or you will end up waiting in long lines for the seat 5) MASTANI Mastani from Sujata A cold, sweet, thick, flavored milk preparation filled with dry fruits and topped with ice cream is to die for. Mastani is the answer to all your problems. It is a little high on money but is worth it. “SUJATA” is the place where this milk is served. The entire city has almost 50 outlets of SUJATA MASTANI. It is served in mango, plain, strawberry, chocolate, and many other flavors. Of which the majority of people love MANGO MASTANI. It is just out of this world. WHERE: There are many outlets around the city you can opt for whichever is nearer. Tip–Sitafal Mastani is not chosen by all but true lovers never have mango! 6) PITHLA BHAKARI Pithala Bhakari from Sinhgad Fort To have this simple yet totally satisfying dish you need to trek. Even if this dish is available in every restaurant and dhaba it will not taste even a little like the one at “SINHGAD FORT”. This fort is a legacy left to Maharashtra by Shivaji Maharaj. Some people live on the fort, have their huts built. They serve hot Pithala and Bhakari for a very reasonable price. When you visit Sinhgad and you are around the huts you will smell the aroma. Even if you are not hungry you will have it. Freshly prepared and served with spicy onion chutney. This is the basic Marathi meal. Also do not miss out on the piping hot onion fritters (Kanda bhajjis). Matka Dahi is curd set in tiny mud pots and this when had with sugar or cumin powder and salt tastes awesome. WHERE: Sinhgad fort locals. Tip–Visit the place in mid monsoon season to watch its beauty,
