We decided to drive northwest across the Western Ghats to Hampi, then westward to Dandeli, and further west to the Konkan coast at Karwar before heading south along the coast to reach home at Mangalore.
BHPian cogWheel recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
We recently completed a 5-day leisurely road trip in our 2023 Jimny Alpha AT. Here’s a brief report of it.
The Plan
With schools having a short break during the first two weeks of October, we planned a short vacation. We decided to drive northwest across the Western Ghats to Hampi, then westward to Dandeli, and further west to the Konkan coast at Karwar before heading south along the coast to reach home at Mangalore. Once we finalized the waypoints and dates of travel, I booked the accommodations online. We wanted this to be a relaxed drive and, as always, avoided cramming too much sightseeing into our itinerary. The trip spanned five days and four nights, with two nights in Hampi and one night each in Dandeli and Karwar.
The trip route plan
The Car and Preparations
We chose to drive in our Jimny. At the start of the trip, the Jimny had clocked 19,900 km and was approaching its 20K service. The car was in great condition with no issues, so I decided to get the service done after the trip. The only preparation I did was to check and top up the tyre pressures with a portable tyre inflator I had recently bought on Amazon, and to refill the wiper fluid.
All set for an early morning start
Day 1 – Drive to Hampi
Route: Mangalore – Karkala – Agumbe – Shimoga – Chitradurga – Hospet – Hampi
Distance covered: 390 km
Place of stay: Hampi Heritage and Wilderness Resort, Jungle Lodges at Kamalapura, just outside Hampi.
We started early at 4:30 AM. The first stretch from Mangalore to Karkala was probably the worst in terms of road conditions. The road is being widened to four lanes, so there were several diversions and rough patches. However, the Jimny handled it well, and with almost no traffic, we made good progress and climbed the Agumbe Ghat as dawn broke. Light drizzles made the drive cool and pleasant, and fortunately, we didn’t encounter any significant fog.
A view of the Tunga river as we drew close to Shivamogga
We stopped for breakfast at Hotel Shubham in Shimoga, a basic eatery with average food and relatively clean washrooms. The drive from Shimoga to Chitradurga was along two-lane roads in fairly good condition. We made another stop at Namaste Durga Pure Veg, about 8 km before Chitradurga. It was an average place but had enough parking and clean washrooms. The stretch from Chitradurga to Hospet on NH50 was smooth with good roads through the plains. We arrived at our resort in Hampi by 1:30 PM, just in time for lunch.
Our accommodation, the Hampi Heritage and Wilderness Resort by Jungle Lodges, is located within the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary. It features independent cottages with basic amenities, no TVs, and poor mobile connectivity, providing an ideal break from work.
Hampi Heritage and Wilderness Resort
The cottage at the resort
View across the cottage
In the evening, we went on a “safari” through the shrub forest in the bear sanctuary. Although we didn’t see much wildlife besides birds and distant sloth bears, the views from a watchtower on a hill were the highlights of the evening.
View from a watch tower within the Doraji Sloth Bear Sanctuary
Day 2 – Drives Around Hampi
The eastern sky at dawn break – as seen from the cottage balcony
We started the day with an early morning drive in the Jimny to the Sri Malyvantha Raghunatha Temple in Venkatapura, just outside Hampi. It was a perfect destination for an early morning trip.
The road towards the temple on top of Malayavanta Hill
On the way up to the Sri Malayavanta Ranganatha Temple
On top of the Malyavanta Hill
Courtyard around the Ranganatha Temple
Later, after breakfast, we took the resort bus to visit several landmarks, including the Virupaksha Temple, Kadale Kalu Ganpati Temple, Sasive Kalu Ganapati Temple, Ugranarasimha statue, Kamala Mahal, Elephant Stables, and the Ranga Temple.
An archway behind the Kadale Kalu Ganapati temple which can be seen in the background
The Sasive Kalu Ganesha Temple
A stone water tank
A large monolith statue – Ugra Narasimha – within its stone enclosure
The Kamala (Lotus) Bhavana
A watch tower near the Kamala Bhavana
After lunch, we drove to Sanapur Lake via the Bukkasagara-Anegundi bridge and returned through Huligi Cross, covering a 75 km circuit.
The route to and from Sanapur Lake
The two-lane roads were scenic, with views of boulder-strewn hills and lush green fields.
On the way to Sanapur lake
The roads from Sanapur Lake to Huligi Cross were newer and more enjoyable. The lake itself offers beautiful views, but the last 200 meters of the approach road is uneven with large potholes—not suitable for low-clearance vehicles.
Sanapur Lake
The valley below the Sanapur Lake
We returned to the resort for the night. The food was standard Jungle Lodges fare.
Total driving distance on Day 2: 93 km.
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