Hampi

Hampi | November 2015

The backpacker paradise of Hampi has it all. Ancient ruins stand camouflaged amidst piles of boulders which look like the shards of shattered mountains. Monkeys lay in the shade in an effort to escape the scorching midday sun. The wind blows through plantation palms. At night the sun ignites the Tungabhadra River as it sets, turning the whole sky a flaming shade of pink. 

The former imperial capital was built between the 14th and 16th centuries and was massive in scale. Today the site still boasts more than 1,600 remains which include everything from temples to stables that reveal themselves at every turn. The site feels like an open-map Indiana Jones video game come to life - though I never found anything to swap with my bag of sand. With a few exceptions the area is entirely open for exploration and there is no shortage of places to go. You simply park your car, wander out into rubble and get lost in its history.