An Excursion – Hyderabad to Hampi. Review on Hampi

The Route

There are three different routes which a rider can pick up depending on his convenience.

Hyderabad – (20Km) - Shamshabad –(30km)- Shadnagar –(33km) Jadcherla –(16km) Mahboobnagar –(104km)- Raichur –(135km)- Gangavati –(25km)- Hampi (Hippie Island)

Distance - Total (363Km)

Positive –

Shortest route

Negative –

Gangavati to Hampi is real Bad route which might take an hour or so to cover.

Route 2

Hyderabad – (20Km) - Shamshabad –(30km)- Shadnagar –(33km) Jadcherla –(16km) Mahboobnagar –(104km)- Raichur –(135km)- Gangavati –(53km)- Hospet –(17km) Hampi

Distance - Total (408km)

Route is perfectly smooth with a beautiful Landscape from Gangavati onwards.

Negative –

A bit lengthy; marred by 53 speed breakers from Gangavati to Hampi and another 71 from Raichur to Gangavati.

Route 3

Hyderabad – (20Km) - Shamshabad –(30km)- Shadnagar –(33km) Jadcherla –(13km)-Buthpur –(43Km)- Kottakota –(25km)- Pebberu –(49km)- Kurnool –(33km)-Veldurti – (18km)- Dhone –(43km)- Gooty –(28km)- Guntakal –(98km) Hospet –(17km)- Hampi

Distance - Total (450km)

Positive –

You don’t have to leave the National Highway till Hospet which make the route quite safer.

Negative –

Lengthiest of all and NH63 which starts from Gooty, though has beautiful Landscapes, is an awful road to drive upon with huge potholes at regular intervals.

Caution For the Ride -

The road though smooth can be dangerous because of the villagers drying their grains on the road side. Wear a Fully covered helmet to protect your face and eyes from insects which are in abundance due to a heavily cultivated area on the sides. Do take a raincoat for sure. Places to Stay -

Hampi is a very basic township. There are just two small populated areas in this township separated by a river where one can look for stay-

Hampi Baazar Hippie Island In the former, People have made guest houses within their houses. Though a whole range of guest houses are available, decent rooms would range from 250 to 350 bucks. We personally found ‘Ranjana Guest house’ as quiet a comfortable place.

The latter is on the other side of Tungabhadra River and the transportation to the island stops after 6 in the evening. For a comfortable stay I would recommend this part of the town where people have made comfortable cottages available at the same cost as a room.

Places to Eat -

I warn you not to get carried away by the looks of the place. Thanks to a heavy traffic of foreign tourists that the cuisines at this place can even make a city like Hyderabad shy. Though you would find mere Dhabas marking the geography of the place, the food overall is well hygienic and consumable for the mere fact that even these Dhabas operate within a house. And yeah, they also match the prices of Hyderabad.

Places to Visit -

ASI lists around 81 places of Tourists interest. Most of them are just next to one another and hence try visiting only the following place in the given order (if you have a vehicle, else take a two-wheeler on rent (150-200bucks)) to make most out of the trip

Virupaksha Temple in Hamp Baazar Archeological Mueseum in Kamplapur. The model of the city in the veranda of the Mueseum gives you a top view of Hampi. It implicitly explains the strategic location of the city which was guarded on the back by the Tungabhadra and on two sides by the Rocky Mountains, eliminating the element of surprise from the enemy. Vithalla Temple which is 2km east of Hampi Bazaar on foot and 5 km by road. It is one of those Archeological Geniuses of the medieval India, the ruins of which narrate the

Queen’s Bath, which is on the way back to the Hampi Baazar Hazaara-Rama temple Lotus Palace and Elephant Stable The Narsimhan Statue All this can be covered in a day after which you can spend a quiet and peaceful evening on the banks of Tungabhadra and a rave night on the Hippie Island.

But as a warning, let me remind you what a famous author once said -

“A traveler will see what he sees, a tourist will see what he has come to see.”

Cheers....

Manish Saini