Hampi had been in our wish list for a while. We initially attempted to cover it during our trip to Gokarna last December 2023.
BHPian Cruiser_D recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
Hampi had been in our wish list for a while. We initially attempted to cover it during our trip to Gokarna last December 2023. But we had to drop it due to lack of time. Hampi has humid weather through out the year, and hence the best time for a visit is considered to be between October to February. We decided to do this during first week of October. Dates were finalized a couple of months before the travel. We chose to stay with Heritage Resorts, Hampi. Prices were on the higher side due to holiday season, but we had a very pleasant stay.
Our itinerary as follows.
Day 1 – Chennai to Hampi (Chennai – Arcot – Ranipet – Chittoor – Kolar – Hoskote – Tumkur – Chitradurga – Hosapet) (NH48, NH40, NH75, NH50)
Day 2 – Hampi sight seeing
Day 3 – Hampi sight seeing
Day 4 – Hampi to Chennai (Hosapet – Chitradurga – Tumkur – Neelamangala – Electronic city – Hosur – Krishnagiri – Sriperumbadur – Chennai)
There are mainly two routes from Chennai to Hampi. First one goes through Chittoor – Kolar – Chitradurga and the other one goes through Chittoor – Anantpur – Ballari. The latter one seems to be a short one from the distance standpoint (around 80kms lesser), however as per maps, this takes more time to cover due to the road condition. Hence we decided to take the first option which appeared to be a right decision at the end. We were able to cover the distance quickly, as the traffic was light and able to reach the destination an hour early as per maps.
My ride is 2017 model Toyota Fortuner Diesel 4×4 AT variant. It has been our trusted ride since its inception to the family. The space it offers inside is definitely an advantage during the long road trips. I changed the stock tyres with Apollo Apterra AT2 all terrain tyres which offers decent grip during the off-roads without compromising too much on the road. As the vehicle is ladder on frame type, the ride may not be as smooth as the other monocoque SUVs in the market, especially while dealing the corners. But its go anywhere capability without breaking a sweat, higher seating position, ground clearance, visibility, huge road presence, and more importantly the reliability would compensate enough.
True workhorse basking in the glory!
Continue reading BHPian Cruiser_D’s post for more insights and information.
