10 Things to do in Hampi

Badami locals told me in terms of divine archeology and architecture Badami is like high school and Hampi is like University. After exploring the Badami caves and beautiful Bhutnath Temple I was ready to graduate to Hampi University. In this post you will discover the top 10 things to do in Hampi.

Those who read my blog and watch my documentaries know that I had an intense rendezvous with South India. I love the rich history, the culture, the food and the people of South India. In this post you will discover my recommendations things to do in Hampi from my travels through South India.

Hampi is a masterpiece- everything is designed to make a statement from the detailed carvings to the lush surrounding and rolling hills.

top 10 Things to do in Hampi, tried and tested.

Take a coracle ride across the crocodile-infested Thungaparta River. The deceptively calm and beautiful emerald waters flanked by ruins are best seen by straw and bamboo boat. Don’t worry they are completely safe have been operating for five centuries and can even carry a motorcycle.
*Keep in mind they shut down between March and October and you wont be able to go to the monuments this way.
Hire a bike- for just $2 USD a day you can hire a bike and explore the area this way. Highly recommended as there is much to see and the area between monuments is quite vast.
Lakshmi Narasima monument – this half man half lion is one of the greatest momuments in Hampi – it’s one of the incarnations of Vishnu.
Explore Hemakuta Hill (Gold Hill) a rock hill with ancient monuments. A breathtaking place to see sunset in Hampi. I felt blessed to see the sunset over Hemakuta Hill Hampi. This was a magical moment.
Visit the oldest Temple in Hampi with the Second Highest Gateway (Gopra) in India – Virapaksha Temple Living temple in Hampi – Build around 7th Century AD for lord ShivaUNESCO World Heritage Monument that’s ‘living’ a beautiful structure where locals still worship today.
Meet Lakshmi for a blessing- it’s tradition to have an animal to provide a blessing at the front of a temple in India. This is tradition for Indians and endearing for travelers to India like me.
Explore the Vitalla Temple and the remarkable Stone Chariat built in Dravidian-style. This was the most extravagant sight I saw in the Vitalla temple, the detail is astounding! It’s no wonder that it’s the most talked about and photographed monument in Hampi.
Ride your bike to the Lotus Mehal -this building really tells a story of the Arab influence in Hampi. The design of the structure itself really shows the Arab influence. This is where all the Kings Queens slept. He must have been a busy man.
Visit the Royal Elephant stables. This really shows the opulence of the Vijayanagara Empire. There are nine perfectly constructed stables that housed the royal elephants.
When you are done with exploring, sample some of Hampi’s delectable South Indian local cuisine. Both Badami and Hampi have wonderful hotels where local fresh food and south Indian delicacies like fried cauliflower, idli and dosa. I have a fond memory of eating a sky-high dosa with loads of tasty sabjis (vegetables) and accompaniments.

*I noticed in Hampi is some monuments have been destroyed. Centuries ago People would travel to spread religious messages or to conquer it’s a shame because monuments were destroyed. The remaining monuments are very well looked after and worth to visit to experience a slice of history of what was once the world’s richest empire, the Vijayanagara Empire.