Hampi comes alive...

Hampi re visited. View this email in your browser Hampi Comes Alive Last month my colleague and I were invited by the Orange County Hotels to experience their newest property, in Hampi. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this luxurious Peace Haven, and it is the best thing that could have happened to Hampi.  This awesome site continues to fascinate me as it did when I visited Hampi for the first time in 1991. We now welcome you to visit this last Hindu Kingdom, now in ruins.    Hampi is the last great Hindu Kingdom that fell to the Deccan Muslim confederacy in 1565. It was then pillaged for nearly a decade before being abandoned.  The ruins of Hampi are living testimony to what was once a great empire.  The  scenery here is a perfect example of the integration between archaeology and geology. Five things we learnt about Hampi from our latest visit... Orange County’s newest retreat hotel is the place to stay. The Krsma vineyards are 90 kms away on your way to Badami. A compulsory stop. As yet Mango tree is the only restaurant worth its salt in Hampi. The Kaladham MUSEUM is open from 5:30 PM everyday. There are some great rural roads you can take on your way to Hampi from Bangalore.  Where is Hampi... Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in India located near Hospet town in the Karnataka state. How to get there? The best way to get to Hampi is to drive either on country roads or take the northern highway and visit the hanging pillar at Lepakshi. What can you do in Hampi? Here are Incent's TOP 5 recommendations Discover or re-discover Hampi in 3D...   The “Place Hampi” museum exhibit is nothing like a museum; you put on 3D glasses and virtually walk your way through the ruins of Hampi, stopping along to notice things you never would otherwise.  Even if you aren't a museum buff, this discovery or re-discovery of Hampi will leave you spellbound. Kaladham Take a ride down the Tungabhadra River... Coracles are traditional fishing boats for the state and are made from bamboo shoots, coir ropes, black plastic sheet and a generous coat of bitumen that makes it water proof.  Two oarsmen punt this contraption down stream and the 45 minutes cruise is as exhilarating as it is breathtaking, doing past massive boulders, that hide some ruins. Wear a pair of good trainers and hop off and on the coracle while exploring the hidden ruins of Hampi.  Stop by an unusual vineyard on your way to the Badami Caves... KRSMA vineyards are located 90kms North from Hospet town. The owners gave their names to this brand of wines, by combining their names Krishna and Uma, and it is a testimony of their shared passion for wine-making. KRSMA wines are now among the best labels being produced in India at present. You can watch over the planting, pruning, watering, harvesting and, of course, guiding the wine-making process and continue further to visit to the Badami Caves. Or when returning, make a stop over and have lunch.  The Hanging Pillar of Lepakshi... The Lepakshi temple dates back to 1583 and is built on a low, rocky hill that resembles a tortoise shell.  There are about 70 pillars at this fabulous 16th-century stone temple, but the famed Hanging Column is the best known and is a tribute to the engineering genius of ancient and medieval India’s temple builders.  At 27ft in length and 15ft in height, the spectacular Nandi located almost a mile before the main temple is, reputedly India’s biggest monolithic Bull. Rediscover ancient secrets of water management... Take lessons in Sustainable Hydrology as you uncover a reservoir system dating to the Hindu empire of ancient Vijayanagara, circa 1000AD, that had sustained a population of half million people for hundreds of years with very little rainfall.  Stay at the Orange County, Hampi... With their newest hotel in Hampi, Orange County Hotels have raised the bar. This resort inspired by the ruins of the once might Vijayanagara Empire barely 4 Km from it, is surrounded, by forests, boulders and countless species of birds.  The resort offers  accommodation in 38 suites, and nine Pool Villas with two restaurants offering a fine selection local delicacies and excellent continental fare, a large  Infinity Pool, and a Spa offering traditional Ayurvedic wellness therapies, this is pampered luxury at its best.  Orange County Hampi So if you want to get the real substance of Hampi, beat the crowds, enjoy the monsoons, capture a glimpse of real village life in and around Hampi, this is the time to take a trip...Hop over and experience the magic with Incent!