My first solo travel - Hampi!

My decision to backpack to Hampi was a very spontaneous one. On a boring work day, I just decided that I will be taking a trip solo the upcoming weekend. And the one place I thought ideal for this trip was Hampi. I was extremely unsure if I could make it in an unknown place for 3 days all by myself and hence I had booked only a one night stay - just in case I wanted to run back to my home (lol). I was excited to get started and at the same time full of self doubt, but yet I was ready to explore a whole new place by myself.

Many of you might know this, Hampi is marked as a UNESCO Heritage site and I could sure see why. This place is enriched with culture and history and you truly get immersed in it for the days you are there!

So here’s how my short trip to Hampi went by..

My journey started from Bangalore, India. I had taken a bus to Hospet from Bangalore as it was the nearest town to Hampi with good connectivity to other parts of the state of Karnataka. Hospet has good road and rail connectivity to most cities of India.

I reached Hospet at around 8 pm and took a rickshaw (‘tuk tuk’ as some may call it ) to Hampi. It was a pleasant drive through some small villages and paddy fields. The driver was so friendly and kind and shared with me all the beautiful places to be visited there. He dropped me to the home-stay where I had booked a room and I slept the night so peacefully, taking in the most fresh air I had gotten in a long time. Hampi has a lot of trustable home-stays which makes the stay so affordable and worthy!

View from Matanga Hill

My next day started just like I had planned. The day started with me heading to the Tungabadra river. While I waited for the boat that would take me to the Hippie Island, I had the chance to watch a cute little elephant bathe in that pristine river water. She belonged to the Virupaksha temple and people would gather around to take the blessings that she gives out with her little trunk!

I dipped my feet in the river for sometime and then took the first boat that came towards me along with few others waiting for a ride. Usually they charge 30Rs per ride, but based on the demand and hours they increase the charges.

The Tungabadra river

The first thing I did after reaching the Island was rent a bicycle. A lot of locals will approach asking if you would like to rent scooters/bicycles for the day (Back in 2018, it was Rs 200-250 for scooters and Rs 150 for bicycles. The rate could have increased a bit by now). There are rickshaws as well to take you around, but where’s the thrill in it if you don’t get to explore places by yourself ;) Mobile network seemed to be a bit on the weaker side on this side of the island compared to the mainland.

The main places to visit in the island is the Anjaneya Hill (also called the monkey hill) and the Sanapur Lake. I climbed the Anjaneya Hill which was approx. 570 steps up the hill, and the view was totally worth it (one would need to watch out for a lot of monkeys on the way though!).

After a short break to regain my breath, I headed to Sanapur lake. It was in the opposite direction, but the best part was enjoying the greenery and watching the boulders on the way while I rode my cycle to the destination. The cold breeze and the clean air felt so refreshing.

Close to the river in the island, there used to be so many cafes where people just chill out and enjoy music. (Unfortunately, due to some new government imposed rules, it had to be shut down recently..) At a walkable distance there is a sunset view point on top of a hill which they proudly call The Hippie hill, where I saw many foreigners play music (mostly trance) and I decided to enjoy the sunset along with them. I then walked back to the cafe (with a small homestay attached) I had booked a room in for the night. I had a fun night there with other travellers chatting, sharing stories, playing games etc.

Watching the sunset with some fellow travellers around the world

The next morning I got to witness the sunrise from Matanga hill which in my opinion - was quite mesmerising! Even though some bouldering is required, the view is quite worth the climb. There is a temple at the top of this hill, where the friendly priest offers tea to everyone after the ascent. After enjoying the view, I set out to explore the real Hampi, the long lost affluent Vijayanagara empire that had a lot of stories to unveil.

I took a boat back to the mainland and rented another bicycle from there and started venturing out in the scorching sun. (I must say, the days are quite hot in this part of the state except during monsoons around the month of June-July).

The place was filled with numerous amounts of ancient ruins and I was in awe most of the times. The architecture of all the temples and what was left of them as ruins were so magnificent that I lost track of time by just looking at them.

Following are some clicks from the only smartphone I could afford back then!

By evening, I had found peace in the calm and quiet of the Virupaksha temple in the picture above. With this, my 3 day solo trip had come to an end and I couldn’t be more thankful to myself for doing this. My first solo trip felt remarkable. Thanks to all the warm-hearted and friendly people of Hampi.

This marked the beginning of my journeys further and I can proudly say that this gem of a place was what inspired me to travel more, which convinced me that travel doesn’t have to wait for anything or anyone else, but you.

For females that ask me - “Is it safe to travel solo to Hampi as a woman?” - Of course! Hampi is a safe place, but just like any other place in the world, we still live in an era where us women have to watch out for ourselves no matter where we are. No place in the world should be considered unsafe for women to travel, but the world is slowly but surely changing.

And for the ones like me who is curious to hangout with people from across with world and share their stories, I think this is a great place to start! The types of travellers that you come across (especially while backpacking) are so diverse that you get to hear a lot of stories and I surely enjoyed those conversations.

Sunset view from Hippie Hill

I hope this post inspires more of you to travel, especially to this land so rich in heritage and culture!

If you have any questions at all regarding my trip to Hampi, feel free to connect with me on my Instagram : _avid_wanderer and I will be more than happy to help.

Hope you had a good read, and I’ll see you in my next blog. Until next time!