Trip Report: Hampi, Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal

arunchs

I spent 2 weeks around this historical circuit of Karnataka in December/Jan. Managed to complete a report on it only this week, an exhaustive write up, though Needless to say, had a great time at Hampi, but surprisingly, highlight of the trip was a tiny relatively unknown temple village called Mahakoota near Badami, a very calm and beautiful temple that instantly put me in peace. Here is the complete list.

1. Hampi - part 1, part 2, part 3
2. Badami
3. Banashankari
4. Pattadakal
5. Mahakoota
6. Playing Cricket with kids in Aihole..
7. Aihole's temples

And a couple of photos of Mahakoota uploaded on IndiaMike..

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Jorge Reverter

Great Post, thanks for sharing.

Jorge

JuliaF

I'll second that!

I was looking at the photos thinking 'so where is this gorgeous-looking place, never heard of Mahakoota ...'
gentle hint - maybe you could add 'Karnataka' or 'near Badami' to the photos

I love the way the trees wrap themselves around temples and buildings. It looks like a really peaceful spot. Thankyou!

gianni66

Great report and pictures, I understand more and more the people suggesting to visit Hampi as a MUST!

divadino

Hi Arun

I've read the whole of your travelogue including your trop to Gokarna and it has come at a good time. I leave UK on Sunday for Karnataka (about a month to play with) and had originally planned to visit Bangalore, Mysore (and Belur/Halebid etc etc), Coorg, Gokarna, Paolim (Goa) and then Hampi, Badami (and surrounding areas like you) and finally Bijapur before taking train up to Mumbai.

I think your amazing photography and descriptive writing has persuaded me further that maybe I should drop my 4 days in Goa (as I'm not going to be swimming anyway) and focus more time around these other areas.

I'd welcome any thoughts on hotels (budget 400rps - 2000 rps - the higher rate for Bangalore only though) etc.

Thanks so much for giving me inspiration and a wonderful advance insight into the area I'm visiting. This is the most unprepared I've been of all my India trips and I don't even have Monday's hotel room booked yet for Bangalore!!!!

best

Dinah

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arunchs

Thanks for the comments

Hotels, whatever I know -

Bangalore: Irony is that I would have little knowledge of hotels in my own town Mostly I head people talk about Hotel Ajanta on MG Road or Hotel Ballal Residency on Residency road. I think both of them fall around Rs.2000 category. But dont so much count on my words here.

Badami: Options are very few. Hotel Mookambika right next to bus stand has clean rooms at Rs.400

Hampi: Namaste on Om Beach seems to be the default choice for the beach, hotel Gokarna international if you are planning to stay in town

Coorg: You might want to figure out where in Coorg you want to be, and look for homestays around that place. Search on the internet, there are plenty of options. Honey Valley Estate in Kakkabe seems to have some good feedbacks for budget acco.

aashish_delhi

well dear, you must be confusing Hampi with Gokarna here! :-)om beach and namaste resort are in Gokarna and not Hampi.

Aishah

arunchs - really nice blog and pics. Thanks for posting that,and I can see it would have been an 'exhaustive write-up'. Very useful information.

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safari vala

I missed aihole but did go to mahakoota(hindi for big dog!} and liked it very much.Pattadakkal was fab. Badami was excellent.Aihole will have to be on another trip.