The Royal Ruins of Hampi

Scattered over about nine square miles of land, the ruins of Hampi take one back to a lost, magnificent era. Hampi was the capital of the largest empire in post-Mughal India, the famed Vijayanagar empire. The empire flourished under Sri Krishnadevaraya, the most famous king of the Vijayanagara empire.

Although in ruins today, this capital city once boasted riches known far beyond the shores of India. These ruins stand testimony to the magnificence and grandeur of the erstwhile empire.

Hampi has been recognised as a World Heritage Centre by UNESCO.

What to see:

• The temple of Malyavanta Raghunathaswamy

• The Hampi Bazaar

• The Virupaksha Temple

• Statue of Ugra Narasimha

• The Vithala Temple

• Lotus Maha

• The Elephant Stables

Hampi is situated about 350 kms from Bangalore in Karnataka. The best time to visit is between October and March.

Jet-lagged?

• Make sure you're fully rested before you travel. If you’re flying overnight try to sleep on the flight, it will help you to stay up all day once you arrive at your destination.

• Including a stopover into your flight will make it easier to adjust to the time change, and you'll be less tired when you arrive.

• Adjust to your destination as soon as you can. You could try changing your routine a few days before you travel. Start getting up and going to bed earlier (if travelling east) or later (if travelling west). During the flight, try to eat and sleep according to your destination's local time.

• Drink plenty of water since dehydration can step up the effects of jet lag, especially after sitting in a dry aeroplane cabin for many hours. Don’t reach for that free alcoholic drink!

• When you arrive at your destination, don’t hit the bed. Stay up till at least 11 pm to get adjusted to the local time.

• It takes at least a day to recuperate for each time zone you cross and can take up to a week to adjust completely to the time zone of your destination, so make sure to relax once you reach.