Happy Hampi!!!

Hampi not known to many people is a true hidden gem.Lot of people asked us what is there in Hampi and where is it??To start off-It is a great place and a must visit.We had a wonderful time in both of our visits.You cannot help but fall in love with the place.The place leaves you speechless.The mamooth boulders precariously balanced, lie scattered all over Hampi.The green paddy fields with rustic backdrop is an alluring sight. There is adventure like spotting a bear while climbing the boulders,yes it happened,little did we know that Hampi has bears.Amazing food,we had some awesome falafels here.Backpacker's Mecca,place to have a relaxed time with friends,buzzing with energy...that's Hampi.

Introduction-  Hampi is a village in northern Karnataka state, India. It is located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.  The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi.

Hampi is also referred as city of ruins. Primary connectivity to Hampi is by road. It is about 350km from Bangalore.Hospet, a small town located about 12 kilometers (8 miles) from Hampi is the nearest railway station. Hospet is well connected by rail and road to other important towns like Bangalore, Chennai,Goa,Hyderabad etc.

View from Virupapur gadde

Accommodation-Hampi has budget type accommodation,no fancy frills here.Houses have been converted to guest houses,simple and clean with basic amenities.The other side of the river has more foreigners and serves non veg and alcohol. Hampi side has no non veg and alcohol. 

 Virupapur Gadde across the river is the place for party and night scene.Here you can rent huts, mostly located close to the riverbank.

 Mowgli guesthouse has a great location across the river from the bazaar, the cottages are spacious with a swing outside.It has amazing views over the paddy fields. We loved the food and view from the restaurant.Wifi is free in almost all the guest houses in Hampi,so you stay connected.

Mowgli guest house-Our hut

Hampi side-We booked online Thilak home stay.Kish (owner)makes sure you have a wonderful time in Hampi.There is pick up and drop facility to Hospet.Sight seeing is also arranged by him.Breakfast is included.The guest house has a restaurant right opposite to it,so you don't have to wander much.

Things to do in Hampi-
Temples -there are a lot of temples on both sides of the river.You have to take a boat to cross the river,the last boat is at 5:30PM.So depending on your plans you decide which side of the river you want to stay.
We reached Hampi in the morning after a good breakfast we were all set to explore Hampi.We decided to explore the Virupapur first.You can hire bicycles,mopeds to explore the city.
Virupapur has a beautiful lake which has coracle boats.You can also swim in the lake.Cliff jumping,rock climbing are very common here.Coracle boat is a fun experience,A bit scary but fun,we paid around 150INR for a 15 min ride.
Hampi has a whole lot of temples- Vithala temple is not to be missed for sure.

Coracle ride

Vithala Temple

Sunset 

To view the sunrise from Matanga Hill,you need to get up real early.You need to be on top of the hill by 6AM.It takes around an hour to climb the Hill.It gets scary as there is no light and no proper way.But in the end the view makes up for it.

Matanga hill

Sunrise-Matanga hill

Queen's bath

Stepwell

Sister stones

Lotus palace

chill out cafe

Where to eat- The food is good,you get pretty much the same food in Hampi.All the restaurants have set breakfasts,Israeli food,cereals,pancakes etc.The one which stood were Mango tree and Chill out.Mango tree has amazing falafels and hummus.
Cafe Chill Out
Funky Monkey

Poovar, kerala

Poovar is one among the natural wonders where the Lake, River, Sea and Beach meet the land- a rare combination.

Poovar is unspoilt and unexplored, envoloped by the most serene backwaters, and opening out to the sea and a dream golden sand beach.

We took a Boat ride to the beach and back(1600 INR for 2)..The ride was Breath-taking..we spotted a lot of birds,mangroves..Surrounded by water ,trees and the sky,this is one ride Highly recommended..

Poovar was a trading center of timber, sandalwood, ivory and spices. Poovar has been one of the ancient Muslim settlements along the western coast of India.The Central Mosque here is believed to been built by Malik ibn Dinar and his missionary team, more than 1,400 years ago.

It is truly a window into paradise. The tranquility of Poovar is punctuated by the sound of waves and the birds. The area is abundant in well-preserved local flora, with hundreds of species of spices, exotic flowers, complete with banana and coconut groves.

Poovar Beach, near the Kovalam Beach, separates the River Neyyar from the sea. Poovar is basically a fishing village and the only way to reach Poovar is through water. The beach is known for its pristine and virginal beauty. Because of the active fishing population the beach is not really used as a sunbathing spot or for swimming as the currents are quite strong.

We were told by our boatman if we are lucky we might get to see a few birds..he showed the pictures of the birds we might spot..lucky enough we saw almost all the birds we were shown :))) 

Kingfisher-Spotting the birds in Backwaters adds lot of thrill to an already funfilled ride!! 

Kovalam-Vivanta by Taj(staycation)

Kovalam (Malayalam) is a beach town by the Arabian Sea in Thiruvananthapuram city, Kerala, India, located around 13 km from the city center. It would cost you around INR150 by an auto from Trivandrum to Kovalam. Trivandrum is well connected by trains and flights from all parts of India.

Kovalam has three beaches separated by rocky outcroppings in its 17 km coastline-Lighthouse Beach,Hawah Beach and Samudra Beach. Kovalam shot into limelight in the early seventies with arrivals of the masses of hippies on their way to Ceylon in the Hippie Trail. This exodus started the transformation of a casual fishing village of Kerala into one of the most important tourist destinations in India.

Kovalam has got lot of Hotels from low budget to luxury ones...We settled for Taj as it had a lot to offer with the lagoon and the private beach and the Infinity pool... We are glad we chose it..The weather was awesome the monsoon were just a month away. We got to see some Kerala Rain as well ,as it rained heavily in the evening the day we reached. 

Kovalam has a tropical dry climate. Summers (March to May) are hot and the temperature varies from a minimum of 21°C to a maximum of 33°C. Winters (December to January) are pleasant and have moderate temperature varying from 18°C to 33°C. Monsoons (June to August) are accompanied by thunderstorms and abundant rain falls.

Best time to visit is from August to February.

The Infinty pool,the lagoon and the sea..We enjoyed the view as we had our Breakfast and lunch at Jasmine(restaurant)!!

The lagoon at the Hotel..We loved almost everything about this property.

 The hotel property is surrounded with so many trees that it is difficult to spot the rooms..Gives one a lot privacy.