[dk7729]

Planning for a Bangalore - Hampi trip coming weekend.
Any updates on chitradurga - hospete route ?
Will it be better to take the hiriyur - challakere - ballari route ?
Plan to start by 5am from Bangalore and hit one of these routes in broad day light.
Also suggest good places for breakfast on the bangalore - chitradurga highway, preferably three hours from bangalore.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by dk7729

Planning for a Bangalore - Hampi trip coming weekend.
Any updates on chitradurga - hospete route ?
Will it be better to take the hiriyur - challakere - ballari route ?

I think there was a recent update on this thread for Chitradurga-hospet route. The road widening has progressed well so this option is good, more so if you're staying at Hospet.
Breakfast options - inside Chitradurga town there is a Mysore cafe and Lakshmi tiffins both near the fort and probably a 2-3 km detour from the highway.
There is also a Ravi Kamat (in the Ravi Mayur International Hotel campus) on Service road leading to Hospet road exit. See earlier posts, there is a picture of the building as well.

[dk7729]

Thanks NPV for that input.

Just back from a trip to Hampi. Took the Chitradurga - Hospet road.
4-laning work is in full swing and for short stretches, one side of the newly laid road is open for use. The older road shows its age and is broken in most parts. Multiple speed breakers delay the progress. Overall took approx 3 hours to cover this stretch.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by dk7729

4-laning work is in full swing and for short stretches, one side of the newly laid road is open for use. The older road shows its age and is broken in most parts. Multiple speed breakers delay the progress.

Thanks for the update!

I'd suggested the same route to another friend who traveled recently and I'd also cautioned him against night driving on the Chitradurga-Hospet and Hiriyur-Bellary routes, but his plan was finalized. He did a night drive on the Chitradurga-Hospet route and messaged me next morning saying it was absolutely pathetic

I think that perspective was only because it was a night drive and the 4 laning work, deviations and speed breakers together are big irritants. For a day drive, this route should be a lot better if destination is Hospet.

[iamnarayang]

Originally Posted by NPV

Thanks for the update!

I'd suggested the same route to another friend who traveled recently and I'd also cautioned him against night driving on the Chitradurga-Hospet and Hiriyur-Bellary routes, but his plan was finalized. He did a night drive on the Chitradurga-Hospet route and messaged me next morning saying it was absolutely pathetic

I think that perspective was only because it was a night drive and the 4 laning work, deviations and speed breakers together are big irritants. For a day drive, this route should be a lot better if destination is Hospet.

I will be doing a trip to Hampi, leaving BTM Layout Bangalore, on August 13th morning at around 6 AM. Google Maps is suggesting one route via, Hiriyur, Challakere..and the other via Anatapur, Ballari. Please tell me which is better route, in terms of road conditions and food break on the way.

Thanks & Regards,
Narayan

[NPV]

Originally Posted by iamnarayang

Google Maps is suggesting one route via, Hiriyur, Challakere..and the other via Anatapur, Ballari. Please tell me which is better route, in terms of road conditions and food break on the way.

If your destination is Hospet, then take Chitradurga-hospet.

Looking at the map link, I think you're heading to Toranagallu (Hyatt ?), so you can take the Hiriyur-challakere route but remember hardly any facilities, so carry some food/snacks, water). The Hospet route is not too different, very few decent options for breaks.

I do not have much of an idea on the Anantapur-Ballari route, the roads upto ananthpur are awesome, possibly even to Ballari from there, maybe you will need to traverse or bypass the city to get to Toranagallu.

[luvurride]

Originally Posted by NPV

I do not have much of an idea on the Anantapur-Ballari route, the roads upto ananthpur are awesome, possibly even to Ballari from there, maybe you will need to traverse or bypass the city to get to Toranagallu.

I had travelled Anantapur-Bellary route last October and it was good. Barring a few deserted stretches and speedhumps through every village enroute, this took me less than 5 hours from Whitefield.

[iamnarayang]

Originally Posted by NPV

If your destination is Hospet, then take Chitradurga-hospet.

Looking at the map link, I think you're heading to Toranagallu (Hyatt ?), so you can take the Hiriyur-challakere route but remember hardly any facilities, so carry some food/snacks, water). The Hospet route is not too different, very few decent options for breaks.

I do not have much of an idea on the Anantapur-Ballari route, the roads upto ananthpur are awesome, possibly even to Ballari from there, maybe you will need to traverse or bypass the city to get to Toranagallu.

Thanks. I will be staying at Toranagallu, but not at Hyatt. I will be at a hotel called Hotel Rock Regency, opposite to JSW. Couldn't get any other hotel, as it is a long weekend, August 13th to 15th. I guess, I will be taking the Anantapur, Ballari route to Hampi and return via Chitaradurga.

Any breakfast suggestion on Anatapur route? I don't know of any decent place, after Nandi Upachar at Nandi hills left turn. But that will be too early for breakfast.
Thanks & Regards,
Narayan.

[rajivtelang]

Originally Posted by iamnarayang

Any breakfast suggestion on Anatapur route? I don't know of any decent place, after Nandi Upachar at Nandi hills left turn. But that will be too early for breakfast.

Some decent hotels before Anantapur on NH-7
Nandi Upachar (~50kms) left side.
Kamat Upachar (~75kms) left side.
Swagath Delicacy (~85kms) left side.
Dolphin Restaurant (~200kms) right side.

[Tempelhof]

Going to Toranagllu from ITPL next weekend - can someone suggest a route with good breakfast and restroom facilities?

Thanks in advance.

[NPV]

Originally Posted by Tempelhof

Going to Toranagllu from ITPL next weekend - can someone suggest a route with good breakfast and restroom facilities?

You can take the Bangalore-Tumkur-Hiriyur-Challakere route.
If you're not starting too early, you can time your drive to reach one of these places for breakfast:
1. At Kyathasandra on the Tumkur bypass, on the right side service road there is Pavithra Idly Hotel which is good, rest room is manageable. This place is about 80-90Km from Bangalore
2. Alternately you can stop at the Kamat near Dabbaspet cross on left side inside an Indian oil/HP petrol bunk campus. While the food here is not bad, restrooms are decent. This place is just about 55 Km from Bangalore, so need to time accordingly.

*Look up recent posts where some folks have driven via Ananthpur-Bellary also.

[gadadhar]

We are going to Humpi next weekend and the stay in is Hyatt Place. We plan to use Tumakuru, Hiriyu, Challakere route for both ways considering as the best option while staying in Hyatt, please suggest if othervise

We are starting Friday morning from South Bangalore and returning on Sunday noon. It will be very helpful if experts can suggest an itinerary considering
- Hyatt is 1 hour drive from Humpi attractions
- We will have Friday evening and Saturday whole day for sightseeing. I am considering Sunday morning to relax and get ready for the drive back - unless there is something very near to Hyatt that can be visited early morning.

Contact of a good Guide, preferably English speaking, and where all their service is required will be helpful.

Any good eat out for lunch/dinner if I can ask that as well.

Thanks in advance

[NPV]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

We are going to Humpi next weekend and the stay in is Hyatt Place. We plan to use Tumakuru, Hiriyu, Challakere route for both ways considering as the best option while staying in Hyatt, please suggest if othervise
...

Route is fine especially since you're driving in daylight. This route is devoid of facilities and not recommended for night drives. Keep supplies of water, juice, snacks, etc

On visits - almost all places to visit are centered around Kamlapur circle on 3 roads around the circle:
1. Starting with Queens Bath/Chandrahekara temple goes all the way till the Ganeshas, Yoganarishma and Virupaksha temple - do not miss all places on this stretch. You can drive your car right in front of these places and park easily

2. Another road almost opposite to #1 goes towards ASI Museum and Pattabhirama temple - visit if you have time

3. Near the Kamlapur circle you have few monuments like Jain temple, Bhima's gateway, etc - visit if you have time

4. The main road coming from Hospet continues past this circle, up ahead you make a turn leading to Vittala temple and the boating point to Anegundi. You will have to skip Anegundi as you don't have enough time, but don't miss Vittala temple

*Look up the tourist map of Hampi and you will understand what I'm saying

Food - during your Hampi visits your best bet for food is probably KSTDC Mayura - place with laid back old world charm and average food - don't keep expectations high. I think the Clarks Inn may have a decent restaurant and not too far (and even Orange County, now called Evolve Back)

For dinner, the better places would be in Hospet - Royal Orchid & Malligi have good restaurants, Shanbhag and Swathi Delicacy are good too.

Guides - you will find government approved guides at 1)Kamlapur circle, 2)near the junction close to the Ganeshas before Virupaksha temple, 3)at the Virupaksha temple parking lot and 4)at the Vittala temple visitors centre/bus stop. At a minimum, get guides for Vittala and Virupaksha temples.

[Tempelhof]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

We are going to Humpi next weekend and the stay in is Hyatt Place.

Probably we can meet there ....

[roshithr]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

We are going to Humpi next weekend and the stay in is Hyatt Place.

Instead of straightaway suggestions, I would like to tell you what we did as first time travelers to Hampi. We just finished a 3 days trip to Hampi on Dusherra weekend and found it very difficult to cover Hampi in just one day.

Here is how it went.
Day 1: to Hotel Rock Regency in Toranagallu via Google maps preferred route Hiriyur-Challakere-Rampur-Bandravi-Toranagallu. The roads are pretty good till Rampur and we took a left turn as suggested by Google maps. It was a narrow stretch of well laid village roads there after till Toranagallu; and it is very scenic too. This small detour goes via a small reserve jungle and many villages with insanely tall concrete speed bumps; I had bottomed my Polo a few times. Started from Old Airport Road at 0600 and reached hotel by 1400, relaxed driving with an hour breakfast break at Shree Rathnam on NH4.
After chek-in, headed to Tungabhadra Dam via Bellary-Hubli Road through Hospet town. Road is in average condition and road widening works are happening at many places just after Toranagallu. Hospet town in the evening can be very crowded and it is not worth the pain and I would say you can avoid TB dam and instead go to Hampi itself and cover a few smaller sites near Kamalapura.

Day 2: Visited Vittala temple and by the time we reached Virupaksha temple area it was lunch time. Had lunch at the famous Mango Tree restaurant inside the market area; it was very crowded and had to wait 15-20 min to enter. By the time we finished Virupaksha temple it was evening and we climbed the adjacent Matangi Hill to catch the sunset. The small hike is worth and the view at the top is marvelous though the recent showery season spoils the fun by blocking the sunset view with clouds. Headed back to hotel in heavy rain and the drive was a bit scary with all the venomous high beam spitting trucks via Bellary-Hubli Road.

Summary: Just Vittala, Virupaksha, Matangi Hill and a very god lunch, day is over with cravings to see more of Hampi.

Day 3: Relaxed at the hotel till 1100 and headed back to Bangalore scrapping the plan to visit Hampi in the morning to catch up some more places as it is a bit far for an up and down from Toranagallu. This was a long weekend ending and to avoid the Tumkur-Neelamangala-Peenya traffic we took the Bellary-Joladarasi-Anatapur-NH44 back home. And that turned out to be a wonderful decision as the roads were very good through out barring a few patches between Bellary and Joladarasi. The road from Joladarasi to Anantapur is a very beautiful newly laid stretch and a lot of windmills on either side to treat your eyes. Right after Anantapur, stopped at Dolphins Highway restaurant on the NH for lunch. By 1630 reached Hotel Pranav after Chikkaballapura for some refreshments and reached home by 1830 via ORR from Hebbal.

Hope I helped you a little bit for your planning. Happy Journey!