Travelguru has some deals for a few good hotels in Goa.

You can stay at a Five Star Hotel In goa for JUST Rs 2786. Yes, unbelievable but true.Get a 3 Nights / 4 Days Package inclusive of Breakfast, Free use of in house DVDs, Free Use of Steam and Sauna once during the stay, Airport Transfer and welcome drink.. At which Hotel?
At The LEELA HOTEL. What more can you ask for. Rs 2786 for 3 nights at a 5 star Hotel, that too the best Five Star Hotel, the Leela Hotel? (Rate is per person per night)

That is not all, the Lemon Tree Amarante Beach Resort, which is a 4 star resort also has an offer for 3 Nights / 4 days inclusive, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, 10% discount on food and Beverages, Airport Transfers, Complimentary Wine and the Rooms for just Rs 2583 per person per night.

ANother Resort, the Royal Orchid Galaxy Beach Resort, which is also a 4 star resort also has an offer for 2 Nights / 3 days inclusive, Breakfast, Airport Transfers, Wine in the room and One half day sight seeing by Coach for just Rs 1160 per per son per night.

I say what are you waiting for? Just go….. I am thinking of going to the Leela.

And one more advice, call up the hotel direct and try to negotiate a better deal. Whats the harm?

NOTE: I don’t get anything for this article. This is not a sponsored post.

If you are going to Shimla, you can Try the following:
Hotel Springfields in Shimla is a 3 star hotel. The deal offer is Rs 2824 for 2 nigths/ 3 days package Inclusive of Breakfast and Dinner.

Fairmount Hotel in Shimla is a 3 star hotel. The deal offer is Rs 1617 for 2 nights/ 3 days package Inclusive of Breakfast and Dinner, Bed Tea, COmplimentary Pickup and welcome drink.

For Mussoorie:

Country Inn in Mussoorie is Unrated. The deal offer is Rs 2500 for 2 nights/ 3 days package Inclusive of Breakfast and Dinner, Bed Tea, COmplimentary Fruit Basket and welcome drink.

Hotel Shiva Continental is Two Star, and the deal is 1313 for room.

For Gangtok:

Orange Village Resort is 4 star. The deal offer is Rs 2450 for 3 nights / 4 days package Inclusive of Breakfast and Dinner.

Hotel Rumtek Dzong Ohana is a 3 star Hotel and The deal offer is ONLY Rs 550 for 3 nights/ 4 days package Inclusive of Breakfast and Dinner.

There is also an offer for Rishikesh:

Rs 925 for room at the Narayana Palace at Rishikesh. Rishikesh is a great place for adventure sports like white water rafting, camping, sports etc.

I would also suggest you call up the hotels and see if you can get a better rate. I once did, and got a much better offer.

TUI’s Package of 5 nights and 6 days at Phuket and Bangkok at Rs 19990/- has an offer on an additional night at Bangkok. This includes the Return Flight from Delhi to Thailand. Quite a Cheap Deal.

This Offfer is valid till June 30th.

For Details, SMS TUI at 57575 or email them at holidayshop[at]tui.in

TUI have two offices in Delhi:
G-60 Select Citywalk, Saket. Telephone: 011-42658467
Central Delhi: 10-A, Ist floor Govind Manshion, H Block Connaught Place. Phone: 011-41513311

Hill stations in India, and the first name that strikes you is Kashmir! Srinagar, the capital city of Kashmir is famous for its house boats, canals and Mughal gardens. ‘sri’ means beauty and knowledge, and ‘nagar’ means city, and when you reach Srinagar, it just personifies the name to a greater degree. Srinagar has three major lakes within the city – the famous Dal Lake, and the not so known Nagin and Anchar lakes. River Jhelum also flows through a part of the city. Most of the house boats are situated at the banks of the lakes, although some are situated in the interiors and a ‘Shikara’ is needed to access them. Shikara is a local row – boat. The city has virtual villages that are established on these lakes, and besides the lakes also have floating lotus vegetations and floating markets. The average tourist usually books a Shikara for the whole day and takes a tour of the Hazrat Bal, Nazim bagh, Nishat garden and Pathar masjid while cruising on the Shikara. The Moghul gardens at Kashmir are a fine treat to the eyes and follow a fixed pattern, wherein a central water channel carries the water through the gardens in a web of pools, canals and sprinklers. Other popular hill stations near Srinagar are Pehalgam, Patni top and Gulmarg. Pehelgam is 95 km by road from Srinagar and is a famous fishing spot and also has the world’s highest golf course. Patni top is a lesser known hill station near Srinagar, and is a perfect place to go if you want to get read of the hustle and bustle of the busy market place. Patni top is known for trekking and adventure sports like paragliding, skiing and bungee jumping. Gulmarg is also a beautiful hill station of Jammu and Kashmir, with its lush greenery and pine forests, it really leaves you speechless.
Himachal Pradesh is also a top tourist destination in north India when it comes to hill- stations. Shimla being the capital of Himachal Pradesh , attracts nearly 16 million visitors an year. Shimla was the summer capital during British rule, and therefore, is home to buildings built in contemporary British architecture. The most eminent spot of Shimla is the Ridge. The ridge was built by the British to store water supply of the city, and it’s a flat area atop a hill, where still, the water supply of Shimla is stored and kept. Just moving from the Ridge, towards the Mall road, you would reach a point where the road divides into 4 roads, this point is called the ‘Scandal point’ and is associated with the Maharaja of Patiala’s escapede during the British rule. Atop the ridge stands the cathedral of st. Michael, embracing authentic British architecture. This structure is visible from the highway, even when you are quite far away from Shimla.
From Shimla, you can go on a number of intra day trips to places like Kufri, Chail and Jakhu top, and even Kasauli. All these places are reminiscent of British architecture and remind you of the colonial days, besides offering a delightful natural back drop, the chilling wind and some ultimate food!
Another part of Himachal Pradesh is Manali. This part is known for some notorious rave parties, which more often than not, are underground. Hard feelings apart, it offers a beautiful setting none the less. You reach here from Chandigarh or Roop Nagar in Punjab by road, and in the process, you can stop at some amazing destinations like Kangra (famous for tea plantations), Palampur ( famous for sprawling gardens and apple orchids), Dharamshala and Mc.leod ganj. Mc.leod ganj is the capital of the exiled Tibetan government and is home to the Dalai Lama. Other parts of Himachal Pradesh worth a visit are Dalhousie, named after Lord Dalhousie, Lahaul and Spiti and the Kinnaur belt as a whole, which offers an insight into the Himachal culture. If you can afford it, then you can hire motor bikes from Shimla and roam into the interiors of Lahaul and Spiti to get a totally new look at the beauty of this place.
Final hill station destinations of north India would be those at the newly born state of Uttaranchal. Mussoorie, popularly known as the queen of hills, is a revered destination here. It is a beautiful city, with clouds running into your hair at every step, ultimate resorts and a good background of educational institutes, usually at the high school level. The crowd here is also young mostly, owing to the presence of schools and other places of interest here. Mussoorie also has a cemetery famous for its haunted places, the most famous being the Camel- back road. Another important place to be is the Gun-hill, where you can go through a rope-way, an experience in itself. From Mussoorie, the valley of Dehradun, also the capital city of Uttaranchal is visible. Dehradun also has a prestigious past and present when it comes to schools. The Doon school- arguably the best in India right now, is housed here. Dehradun also has many places of interest like Lachhiwala and Sasrat dhara among other places. The bakery culture of Dehradun dates back to the British rule and hence, you can really have a treat with some wonderful cakes and pastries, fresh from the oven, just walk in to any of the numerous bakery shops over here. The last destination would probably be a combined tour of Rishikesh and Haridwar, both famous as religious places of utter importance for Hindus. Some resorts and travel operators at Rishikesh also host white water rafting on the river Ganges during the season time, and this is something you just can’t miss.

Tamil Nadu has a culture and history that is one of the oldest in the world. This guarantees that you have a lot of places to roam around and visit. Tamil Nadu is a part of the golden quadrilateral project, which connects the metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and kolkata, and it should certainly be aprt of the itinerary if you are visiting Indian Cities .The tagline adopted for tourism in Tamil nadu is ‘enchanting Tamil Nadu’ and rightly so. Tamil Nadu is home to many religious places of interest. Mahabalipuram houses many of these. Mahabalipuram is situated roughly 60 km from Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu.

Thirukadalmallai temple at Mahabalipuram is an important shrine for the Hindus; it is dedicated to lord Vishnu.
Descent to the Ganges is also worth a visit. It is a giant open air bas relief which is a sculpture which depicts a lot of activities taking place in the background at depth.
Other bas reliefs in this town are the Arjuna’s penance and the Varaha cave temple, which depicts a huge epic from the Mahabharata.

Another eye catching monument of Mahabalipuram is the Shore temple, just adjoining the Bay of Bengal. It was built in full stone. This temple was washed away in a cyclone and was reconstructed piece by piece from the remains, the re construction is still on. It is a UNESCO world heritage site.

The Pancha Rathas, depicting chariots of the five Pandavas, are also important monuments, and each one of these huge structures has been carved out of single stones. After the tsunami of 2004, an underwater city has also been unearthed by the sheer force of water at Mahabalipuram. Mahabalipuram is also home to many orphanages.

There are other important Hindu shrines at Tamil nadu at places like Srirangam, which is home to the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple. This temple is the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world. The Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple, situated at Madurai, is also know for its grandeur. This temple sports 12 magnificent GOPURAMS or towers, which are beautifully painted and sculpted.

Rameshwaram, Kanchipuram, Chidambram, Aragalur and Choalpuram are also home to certain important hindu temples.

Tamil nadu is also home to many important and famous hill stations of India. Ooty (udhagamandalam), Kodaikanal and Cunoor are a part of this legacy. Ooty is almost 2000 m above sea level and is a prominent hill station of the ‘nilgiri hills’.

Tamil nadu hills are prominently divided into the Nilgiri hills, The Palani hills, The Shevaroy hills and the Cardamom Tops, and these are home to a sizeable wildlife population and a good forest cover. This points to the fact that Tamil Nadu is home to many famous and stocks wildlife sanctuaries such as the Indira Gandhi wildlife sanctuary, The Gulf of Mannar bio sphere reserve And the Mudumalai National Park and The Mundathurai Tiger reserve.

If you are a tourist inclined towards vegetation, the mangrove forests in the Pichavaram district should fascinate you. Kanyakumari is one place which you just can’t miss; it is the southern most tip of India (cape comorin), where the Indian ocean, the Arabian sea and the bay of Bengal meet. Places of interest in knayakumari include the Vivekananda rock memorial, where Swami Vivekanada meditated once, the Gandhi memorial, where Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were kept before immersion and the Thiruvalluvar statue, which is the tallest statue in whole of Asia and the Indira point. Kanyakumari has one of the most beautiful sunsets in the whole world. Other places of interest here are the kalpakkam nuclear plant, tuticorin and a whole lot of textile mills and shops located at coimbatore.

Talking about the capital, Chennai, there are numerous places in Chennai which might suit your interests. Fort st. george, built around 1960s boasts of british architecture.a visit to marina beach on a sultry evening is a must. Marina beach is the second largest beach in the world, running for 12 km and has the famous anna park.the theosophical society campus is a place to be if you are interested in their motive of universal brotherhood. The birla planetarium ( one of the most modern science museums in the country), the kalakshetra ( temple of art) and the mgr film city are prime arttractions of chennai

The first and foremost, according to me should be a visit to the fort aguada (meaning ‘water’ in Portuguese), which is home to the first light house in Asia. Today it is converted into a jail. Then you can take a cruise in the Santa Monica.

Then you can take a stroll at the anjuna beach, sipping a coconut drink or just slurping over a can of beer or fenny at the most popular ‘hippy’ hang outs of goa. There is a flea market at the beach towards the southern end and almost a km long stretch of white sand towards the northern end. You can get here via buses from panjim and mapusa. The accommodation here is mostly in the form of small private houses and some resorts.

Don’t forget to savor a moment at the Dona Paula beach where two of goa’s most famous rivers meet into the Arabian Sea. The Dona Paula bay area also provides certain motor sporting facilities such as water scooting. You can get here by a bus or a motorcycle-taxi from panaji or take a ferry from the maramagao port.

Other places of interest at goa are St.Augenstine’s tower. This 46 m high tower happens to be the only remains of a church that once stood atop a hill in Old goa. The chapel of our lady of the mount is also an interesting place to see. Other churches and famous catholic landmarks of Goa are The church of St.Monica, The Church Of our lady of the Rosary, The Churches of St. Francis Of Assisi and St. Francis Xavier. Perhaps, the most famous of the cathedrals of goa is the SE cathedral or St. Catherine’s Cathedral, draping in the Portuguese architecture and grandiose. And if you think you have had too much of the frenzy, and you just want to relax in the middle-class Indian set up, then head towards condolim beach, a quiet beach, towards the southern end of calangute beach.
Now, this brings us to calangute beach, which is predominantly the most hyped, frenzied and commercialized part of goa, and is a meager 45 min drive from the capital. The motto of survival here is … “bargain hard, shop harder”.
Calangute has everything a tourist wants, bars, cafes, restaurants, shops, hawkers, loud music, parties and tito’s, a place of fun and merry making. Calangute house goa’s best hotels, guest houses and stay homes, so one has no problems is finding accommodation a this place. And if you have any steam left, visit the Archeological museum and portrait gallery at Old Goa. The museum has many items on exhibition including shikaras, architectural and archeological pieces, stones and reminiscent of the Portuguese rule.

Almost every hotel and resort stated below offers water sporting facilities like the “banana-boat race”, paragliding, Para sailing, water scooting and motor boat cruises.
Here is a list of top hotels in Goa.
5 star hotels in goa-
The leela palace,
Aguada hermitage
Taj exotica
4 start hotels-
Taj holiday village
Dona Sylvia
Sun village
Club mahindra
3 star hotels and beach resorts –
Nnu resorts
Whispering palms resorts,
Heritage village club
Colonia santa maria
Resorte de goa

Domestic and international flights come into Goa from all major cities across the globe. When in panaji, you can hire a motorcycle taxi, local bus or a cab, according to your adventure levels and budget.

‘Goa’, the name literally has supposedly many origins. Some claim that it is derived from the Portuguese language, yet some others claim it is derived from certain hindi and Sanskrit words like ‘gopakapattanam’ and Gomantak. The locals here prefer to call goa as Gomantak in their native tongue.

Goa has a coastline which stretches to almost 65 miles or roughly 110 kms, and most of this tiny state lies on the coastal region of India, popularly known as ‘konkan’. This region (konkan) is basically the western coastline of India, separated from the deccan plateau by the western ghats. The highest point in goa is sonsogor, which lies 1600 m above sea level. Goa boasts of more than a hundred natural springs, having medicinal properties. The main rivers of goa are the Zuari, Mandovi and Betul. Zuari river also has the one of the world’s best and most convenient to operate natural harbors- the Mormugao harbor.

The climate here is mostly warm and humid, with slightly cool temperature during the months of December and January. The hottest month(s) are May and June with temperatures soaring well above 35” with high humidity.

Goa is mostly covered in forest and is discussed as being a well off bio-diversity destination in the world. The national geographic magazine has even compared it to the Amazon and the Congo basins for the diverse vegetation and numerous animal species it houses. Goa is home to ‘gaur’ the endangered Indian bull, which also happens to be the state animal of goa. The bondla wildlife sanctuary, Netravali wildlife sanctuary and mahavir sanctuary are homes to other wild animals like foxes, wild boars and snakes. Snakes are in abundance in goa though! Goa also experiences fresh groups of migratory birds and fish. Most common birds found here are the kingfishers, different varieties of parrots and the ruby throated yellow bulbul (also the state bird). Sea food is an intrinsic part of the goan way of life and hence, crabs, lobsters, shrimps and other edible varieties of fish are also caught off the goa coastline and in the rivers, therefore, it is a wonderful fishing spot as well.

There are more than 2 million tourists who flow into goa every year, no doubt the beaches including the Miramar beach, candolim beach, baga beach and vegator beach are one of the most revered, relished and sought after the world over! Besides, you can pay a visit to temples like shri mahalasha, durga devi and Gomentashwar temple. And last but not the least, you can take a look around the churches, dating back to the Portuguese time.

What is the first thing that comes to you mind when you hear the word Kerala?

Well, the case with me is- ‘backwaters‘! The first and foremost attraction for any tourist, domestic or foreigner is definitely the backwaters of Kerala. Backwaters, as the name suggests , are actually water bodies on the mainland of Kerala. The Kerala Backwater are actually interconnected networks of lagoons, lakes and canals. The backwaters of Kerala were formed by the beautiful hand of Nature.

The activities of ocean currents and waves have created certain barriers type of land masses or “barrier islands” along the mouths of many rivers, and because of this, the water that once seeps in, is retained, and you get a natural wonder, all yours to be experienced!!

The size and magnitude of the backwaters is also aw-inspiring, they stretch to a total of around 900km!! It would take you days if you want to traverse the whole stretch of the water bodies, on the long boats. And, yes, the boat rides are just too awesome, and you can view the whole rural life along the banks.

So, as a tourist why should you visit the backwaters?
Well, firstly, these are the only of their kinds, at least in India. This is eco tourism at its best and, if you are going to Kerala, you just can’t miss them. The back waters boast of a myriad types of species of animals, rainforests, sea creatures like crabs, frogs and mudskippers and a score of species of birds like the kingfisher. Actually a treat for for an eco tourist.

Other than eco tourism , the best part about backwaters of Kerala, is that you get to live in the backwaters, yes, I mean in them. You can actually live on House Boats. These are nothing spectacular, and not like your usual cruise, but you can experience basic living in these boats which often houses a couple of room, perfect for outdoor living and sleep to the sounds of nature.

The house boat is popularly known as ‘kettuvallams’ in Kerala and initially they were made to tow the rice harvest from the rice and fertile land mass around the backwaters and later, by the British , they were turned into houseboats. Kettuvallams come in different shapes and sizes, according to your needs and budget, and they can be up to 30m long on an average but mostly all the house boats have a living room, a dining area, an English type seating toilet and an open area on the dock, besides a kitchen and some staff consisting of cooks and cleaners usually accompany you.

These houseboats are made in such a way, so as to provide maximum view of the grandeur to you and soothe your senses. One noticeable point about these is that they are on the move most of the time, and stop only at the time of the meals; this ensures that you explore new territories and new avenues, giving you maximum value for money! If you want to know how these house boats are made, then, you need to visit the houseboat making yard near kollam (alumkadavu). Most of the house boat trips are pre planned, one or two night trips, during which you are picked up from a starting point, taken for a cruise overnight (or two nights) on a pre planned track and brought back to your destination. Some of the most famous houseboat cruises can be found at places like allapuzha and surrounding areas and beylore- a small fishing town in the backwaters of Kerala.

If you find a good travel agent, they also arrange nature tourism packages, where you get to live in the real homes of some people here. These houses are untarnished by anything modern, and you get to live in the simple ways of natives, complete with an outdoor latrine.

Hope to see you in Kerala next monsoon- happy sailing!!

Remember when you last heard the phrase “God’s own country”? Exactly, Kerala is what I am talking about, but have you ever wondered as to why this place, and only this place in India, where you have thousands of diversified cultures, is given that title??

Let me elaborate on this.. Well, Kerala is situated on the south-eastern coast of India (also called the Malabar coast), which falls in the tropical region, and it lies along the Arabian sea, plus it has the western ghats surrounding it, which, according to a study makes it one of the most bio-diverse places on this planet. it shares its borders with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. and the Andaman and Nicobar islands are also just around the corner.
Kerala is considered to be one the most social and non-corrupt states in the world, and has more than 90pc literacy rate, which means, it is one of the safest states for non-resident tourists coming to Kerala.

Coming on the main story, why Kerala?

Kerala hosts the snake boat races (officially known as the Nehru Trophy boat race), which are one of its kind in the world. Then you have the mellow backwaters of Kerala, which are networks of interconnected lakes and rivers, nowhere in the world will you be able to find such lush environment and guess what, you can actually live in a house boat for as long as you want at affordable rates and enjoy the scrumptious cuisines of Kerala, composed mainly of sea food and coconuts. Infact, after tourism, it’s the coconut industry that’s is most vital in Kerala.All these attractions can be found out around the areas of Alleypey, Kumarakom and Punnamada

You get to see places like kochi and thiruvananthpuram, which are thriving markets and kochi is known specially for its spices, which are famous the world over(Christopher Columbus was coming to kochi only when he “discovered” America).

Have you ever seen the festivals consisting of elephants and other animals on the discovery channel? Well, that festival is officially known as the Thrissur pooram!!it is an annual festival usually held around April and May every year.

Kerala gave birth to an ancient dance form, known as mohiniattam, meaning dance of the enchantress in literal terms.. and trust me , it is enchanting. Keralite culture includes other dance and theatrical forms such as kathakali( story telling) thullal,padyani and theyyam( all three are art forms).Kerala also boasts of a martial art form, native to Kerala itself, known as kalaripayattu, meaning practice of the battlefield. And if you think Kerala lags behind in sports, just to give you an idea, well it is home to football clubs like Viva Kerala and FC cochin .

Other popular attraction of the state include the world famous Kovalam and varkala beaches, the sunset , specially at varkala beach is an eye soothing site for all. Besised, as mentioned , Kerala is home to many wildlife sanctuaries like the ones at periyar and eravikulum and if you are lucky, you might even be able to spot the Bengal Tiger, which inhibits the eastern coasts of Kerala.Ayurveda and holistic healing methods are also something the foreign visitor expects out of Kerala, and mind it, Kerala provides the best ayurveda healing techniques and services such as natural spas and acupuncture in the whole of India.

If oceans, backwaters and beaches don’t impress you, you can scale certain peaks, ranging from 1500m to 2500m on an avg. in Kerala. Most famous hill stations of Kerala are devikulum, munnar and Kottancherry Hills.

Kerala has also been awarded accolades like “best performing tourism state” ,”best leisure tourist destination” , “most ecofriendly destination” by the world and Indian associations like the Outlook traveler and pacific asia travel writers, among other.

I hope you know now, why on this earth is Kerala called the god’s own country?? Where else would you find the natural wonders like the backwaters, the beaches and the mountains, gelled together with cultural gems such as mohiniyattam and kathakalli, surrounded by soothing and caring people who live in perfect harmony with the wildlife here?? Where else would you find a place on Earth, so complete, tranquil and inviting as the God’s Own Country – Kerala.

The best places to stay are the hotels run by KTDC( Kerala Tourism Department corpotation) at all major towns like munnar, ernakulum , eduki etc. and a unique facility called the “homestay” is offered, which provides you to stay at homes of local families of Kerala, which means that you are basically living in someone else’s home, who has been authorized by the Kerala govt. to look after you, fascinating, isn’t it?

Kerala is well connected by air, land and rail:
By Air-
Airports – Thiruvananthpuram – the major flights are to/from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai Bangalore, Dubai, Colombo, Sharjah, Maldives, Doha and Kuwait.
Kochi - Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Goa , Agathi, Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat
and Khozikode.- Coimbatore, Mumbai, Chennai and same international flight as those of thiruvananthpuram.

By rail and road – Kerala is connected to places within the state by a good rail and road networkd and outside of the state, it is connected to places like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata through railways.

When you hear of Karnatanaka, you would say that the name is familiar. That is because IT or computers made Bangalore famous, and Bangalore (now Bengaluru) is in Karnataka. But there are also a lot of places to visit in karnataka, like Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal, Bidar Bijapur, Srirangapatna, Mysore.

The topic of our discussion today, Hampi is not quite far from Bangalore. The nearest town, Hospet, is about 350 KMs by road from Bangalore and is connected by rail from Bijapur, Hubli and Guntukul besides Bangalore. You can take a flight to Bangalore and from there take a train and soak the beauty of Rural Northen Karnataka along the way. If you want to see India, you need to travel by train.

Hampi was once the proud capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, and it was ravaged by the Bahmani Armies centuries back. The ruins have stood the tests of time and today remains proud as ever, beautiful and majestic. The Vijayanagara Kingdom prospered between 1336 and 1565 AD in the Southern part of India.

The Vittala temple complex remains tall, and is a major tourist destination, and so does the Royal marketplace where once was traded stuff that the western explorers dream of, a few centuries later, Spices, Silver, Gold, Jewellery.

Four Dynasties ruled this once rocky terrain and transformed into the beauty that we still talk about today. Hampi entered its golden era during the rule of Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1539), when Art and Architecture flourished under this Warrior Poet.

Hampi is today a UNESCO world heritage site, and the end of the Hampi happed when the bahmani Kingdoms of Bijapur, Bidar, Ahmednagar and Golconda defeated the Vijayanaga Empire in the battle if Talikota in 1565 AD. It is believed that the conquering army plundered the kingdom for 6 months leaving it to ruins for fear that the beauty of the kingdom might attract other Kings of that time to attack it.

We can still see the ruins of Temples, palaces, monuments and a criss cross of Aqueducts built during this era. There are also Swimming pools inside the palace campus, which indicates the quality of living the kings had..
Some of the legacy that you will get to experience:

Lotus Mahal:This was a summer palace for the queen shaped like a lotus flower from top, this is a two-story palace with beautiful arcways. It was air-cooled using advance ventilation technology.
Elephant Stables: A huge elephant stable, that housed 11 elephants.
Pushkarini Tank: These is where pilgrims took bath before entering the temples.
Mahanavami Dibba: A wooden structure/platform from which the royalty viewed Hampi.
Mustard Ganesh: A single stone statue of the lord Ganesha, also known as Sasivikalu Ganesha.

Noblemen’s Palace: A recent excavation which was used for aristocrats and high-ranking officials.

This is a must visit if you are in Bangalore, or for that matter India.
For more information visit the official karnataka tourism site.

Here is the Hampi Map.