A Gallivant to Goa via Hampi

Dileep always wanted to go for a road trip and that urge increased ever since I started to drive. And I wanted to go to Hampi ever since I have watched the Malayalam movie “Aanandam”. That’s how this road trip itinerary came up. An eight-day round trip of around 2500 Kms from Cochin to Bangalore, Hampi, Karwar & Goa.

Day 1                          Cochin -> Bangalore                                       523 Kms, 10.5 hours

We started off early morning and reached Bangalore around 3.00PM where we had to spend a night. After getting fresh we wandered around & had an early dinner and went off to bed early. 

Day 2                          Bangalore -> Chitradurga Fort                      226 Kms, 3 hour 45 min

After breakfast, we started off our journey to Hampi. On the way to Hampi, we stopped at Chitradurga Fort. It is a huge stone fortress built over huge boulders which burns off quite number of calories because of climbing. The place is very clean, pleasant and well maintained. The fort was intelligently built sustaining the original rock formations of the mountain and seven hills. The lakes and water channels around the fort made it inaccessible for enemies. The seven structured fort consists of reservoirs, pits, storage warehouses that ensured water, food & weapons.

You climb mostly facing east, so the sun’s glare is daunting. It would be best, if you reach early in the morning or late in the evening. If not make sure, you apply fair amount of sunscreen & carry a hat, eye comforts, drinking water etc. Apart from parking & an eatery, rest everything is intact.

                        Chitradurga Fort -> Hampi                            162 Kms, 2 hour 52 min

After exploring Chitradurga fort, we headed to Hampi. It was around 4.30PM when we reached Hampi. After checking in to the room and having a light snack, we started exploring around. That’s how we reached Kaladham & Panchvati temple. Kaladham is a small well-maintained museum that showcases the history & architecture of Hampi. The exterior walls of this museum are filled with beautiful Kerala Murals and the roofs are with either stone or thatched with plenty of small water bodies all around. A serene place with sounds of birds & flowing water after a long drive & sunny day.

The Panchwati temple - A beautiful marble temple built in the north Indian style. Shrines for Ganesha, Lakshmi Narayana, Mataji, Sita Rama, Vishwakarma, Radha Krishna, Shivji are part of the temple. Very clean and neat and set in a nice garden the ambience is very peaceful. It is more like a park full of trees.

Day 3                         

Next day morning after breakfast, we set out for Hampi which was an hour drive from our place of stay. We spent an entire day exploring the ruins of Vijayanagar empire. But I would suggest to visit the place in 2 days of stay at least. The former capital of Vijayanagar empire is situated on the banks of Tungabhadra River, with massive beautifully carved structures.

Day 4                                 Hampi -> Karwar                                     355 Kms, 7 hour 36 min

After breakfast we started our journey for Karwar. It was close to sunset when we reached Karwar. The places of visit at Karwar other than the beaches included Rock Stone Garden, Warship Museum & Kali River Garden. The Rock Stone Garden showcases the lifestyle of the tribal people living in the Uttara Kannada district. This garden depicts the miniature of humans and their lifestyle. There is also a signboard on which the description for each tribe is included.

The warship can be seen and we can enter the ship and see the interior. I didn’t need a guide who explained the interior of a ship as nobody could have explained to me better than the captain of my ship. Next morning we headed to Tourist Paradise of India – Goa.

Day 5                                 Karwar -> Goa                                     97 Kms, 2 hour 26 min

Other than beaches which Goa is famous for, I would like to mention few places which I liked the most. 

Day 6 & 7

Tambdi Surla, a 12’th century temple inside the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary. What attracts you, is the drive to this place once you leave the highway. There were very few settlements on our way. The place is very quiet that only the chirping sounds of the birds and the sound of a water flowing in a nearby stream were breaking the silence. 

It was during this trip to Goa; I got a chance to go to Dudhsagar falls. The other place which I would like to add is an eatery – The Black Sheep Bistro. A locally curated fine dining with global plates. 

Day 8                                       Goa -> Bangalore                           594 Kms, 11 hour 31 min

Now it was time to head back home from where we started. But this time we promised to return to Goa at least once in every 2 years.

Day 9                                       Bangalore -> Cochin                        496 Kms, 11 hour 31 min