[kvish]

Wow! Fantastic travelogue with great detail ! Really makes me want to go there!

[arindamray]

Originally Posted by akroy

In the pic featuring you and your wife, How did you take the pic wih camera in your hand? Did you use 2 cameras in your trip?

Abhi

Yes we have used more than one cameras. Please find one of my earlier post giving the camera details. Actually carried a camcorder, Canon ZX 70 MC, also but was never used.

Originally Posted by arindamray

Thanks Ravveendrra.
I have used three cameras -
Canon EOS 350 D (DSLR) - most of the pics are from these
Canon Powershot A75 (Digital P&S) - pictures taken from car
Pentax MZ 50 (Film SLR) - only for few wide angle shots, not yet developed.

[arindamray]

Originally Posted by kvish

Wow! Fantastic travelogue with great detail ! Really makes me want to go there!

Thanks KVish for the compliment. It is definitely worth a visit.

But it is better avoided during summer, it could be really harsh.

[arindamray]

Fuel consumption:
Thanks to large tank size, I have tanked up only twice in the trip, used normal diesel.
1> Bijapur - 51.19 ltr @ Rs 37.10 = Rs. 1899
2> Dobbspet - 62.13 ltr @ Rs. 37.02 = Rs. 2300 (It had a gone little above auto cut-off)

Overall FE = 1178/113.32 = 10.4 km/l
Cost per km = 4199/1178 = 3.56 Rs/km

I have not tanked up after reaching Bangalore, so the above calculations excludes 80 km from Dobbspet to my home.

Lodging cost:
As we needed them only to sleep for night, we were looking out for budget hotels. Our cost for stay was -
1> Bijapur - Kanishka International - Rs 684
2> Badami - Hotel New Satkar - Rs 450
3> Hampi - Mayura Bhuvaneswari - Rs 900
A total of Rs 2034 @ an average of Rs 678 per night.

Food cost:
Starting from 24th breakfast, till 27th evening snacks it was Rs. 1452, averaging to Rs. 181.50 per person per day.

Toll + Parking fees:
Total toll paid (NH4 and NICE road): Rs 258
Total Parking fees: Rs 125

Entrance fees:
Entrance fees, fees for keeping footwear, tips to local guides: Rs 230

Here is the complete log for the trip.
Log_Bijapur-Badami-Hampi.xls

[arindamray]

If you are in want of leave, this trip can be completed in 3 days (but luck has to be on your side, not to have a traffic jam near Hospet, at least not a 3 hour long one ).

Day 1
Start from Bangalore: 0400
Chitradurga (NH4 - 200 km): 0700
Bijapur (NH13 - 330 km): 1230 (including breakfast and/or bio break

Cover Bijapur attractions in this order (refer map) - Jami Masjid, Gol Gumbaz, Bara Kaman, Malik-e-Maidan, Ibrahim Rouza. Other attractions are missable. Should take about 4-5 hours to cover all well. Should be able to manage a quick lunch of 30-45 min. Kamat will be a good place, very near to Gol Gumbaz, on the way to Bara Kaman.

Night halt at Bijapur.

Day 2
Start from Bijapur : 0400
Reach Badami (130 km) : 0630
Caves+Yelemma Teample : 0630 - 0830
Breakfast : 0830 - 0900
Other temples + museum : 0900 - 1130
Reach Pattadkal : 1200
Sightseeing : 1200 - 1315
Reach Aihole : 1315
Lunch (Mayura) : 1315 - 1400
Sightseeing : 1400 - 1530
Reach Hospet/Hampi (130 km): 1800

Night halt at Hospet/Hampi

Day 3:
Start at 0600 AM (from Kamalapura) or 0530 (from Hospet).
Follow the map to cover in this order Ugra Narasimha, Badhava Linga, Krishna temple, Two Ganesha's, (Park the car) Virupaksha temple (Breakfast in Hampi Bazar), Mononlithic Bull, Achyutraya teample, Varaha temple, Photograh Gallery (opens at 1000 am), (back to the car), Underground Shiva temple (take diversion from tarred road), Zenana enclosure, Hazara Rama temple, Mahanabami Dibba, Stepped Tank, Queen's bath. Next, drive to Vittal temple (will save time and energy) instead of hiking from Achyutraya temple. Should be covered by 1400 or only Vittal temple will be left. Have lunch in Mayura Bhuvaneswari, very conveniently located.

Start for Bangalore. It will take 6 hours to reach outskirt of Bangalore, and depending on what time you are reaching there, and location of your home, next leg will vary.

Keep a guidebook with map handy, Lonely Planet had helped me a lot with the maps of each place.

[Sowmya]

Nice Travelog with lotz of pic...

[nnandi]

Arindam,
brilliant travelogue, enjoyed reading every bit of your narration as well as the pictures! As you know, I was also planning this trip same time when you went, but dropped at the last moment.
I was waiting for your entire travelogue to complete. Now that I have read it, I think I would not want to go to Hampi-Badami-Bijapur some time soon, as I feel I have seen everything in your travelogue. But just for the drive, I would do it some time later in the year.
I agree with Abhijit, this thread deserves 5 stars.

[arindamray]

Originally Posted by Sowmya

Nice Travelog with lotz of pic...

thanks Sowmya.

Originally Posted by nnandi

Arindam,
brilliant travelogue, enjoyed reading every bit of your narration as well as the pictures! As you know, I was also planning this trip same time when you went, but dropped at the last moment.
I was waiting for your entire travelogue to complete. Now that I have read it, I think I would not want to go to Hampi-Badami-Bijapur some time soon, as I feel I have seen everything in your travelogue. But just for the drive, I would do it some time later in the year.
I agree with Abhijit, this thread deserves 5 stars.

Whatever I have captured, may not be even 1% of the places. So please do visit. and thanks for the compliment.

[NRKUMAR]

Hi Arindam,

One of the best travelogues I have seen on Team-BHP.
Your coverage has been excellent. Definitely a useful benchmark for travelers bound this way.
Hope we can enjoy many more of these.

[arindamray]

Thanks NRK for the compliments. Would feel priviledged if the information is useful for fellow bhpians.

Surely I will continue with travelogues for my upcoming trips.

BTW, I have started a 'flashback series' for my earlier trips, but they will not have all the info, as they were not captured and I have to mainly rely on my memory and the photographs.

[ravibhat]

More than Excellant is the word! This is best travelogue in TBHP. This travelogue is mirror of Karnataka. AmaZing work Man.

Photos have come out very well, better than what we can see there with our naked eye.

Present Karnataka governement If in Power next 2 years, we can expect roads will improve very much in Karnataka. I am getting ready for my next set of travelogues which includes Badami-Bijapura side. This thread is my guide, Thank YOU KING.

Regards,

Ravi.

[arindamray]

@ravibhat: the feeling is mutual. I remember your help during my Karwar trip. And when I plan my next trip to coastal Karnataka, I know I can count on you and Samurai.

[smsrini]

Arindam,

I enjoyed the Bijapur section a lot. Something I wanted to cover during my trip to Hampi, but did not..

Excellent travelouge! Look forward to more of your 'Flashback' series

[arindamray]

Originally Posted by smsrini

Arindam,

I enjoyed the Bijapur section a lot. Something I wanted to cover during my trip to Hampi, but did not..

Excellent travelouge! Look forward to more of your 'Flashback' series

Thank you sir. Yes, trying to get them (flashback series) rolling but too taxing for my memory to do them in quick succession.

Suggestion, you can do Bijapur, if you are planning to Aurangabad-Ajanta-Ellora by road. Bijapur can be your stop-over place for the first day.

OT: Please try to make it to 28th. On your 'aero show' point only I moved it to 28th.