We recently completed a leisurely five-day road trip in our 2023 Jimny Alpha AT, and here’s a summary of our journey.
The Plan
With a short school break in early October, we organized a quick getaway. Our route was set to take us northwest across the Western Ghats to Hampi, then to Dandeli, and finally to Karwar on the Konkan coast before heading south along the coastline to Mangalore. After finalizing waypoints and dates, I booked our accommodations online. We aimed for a relaxed pace, intentionally limiting sightseeing stops. The trip spanned five days and four nights: two in Hampi, and one night each in Dandeli and Karwar.
The Car and Preparations
We took our Jimny, which had just clocked 19,900 km, nearing its 20K service. With no issues in the car, I decided to service it after the trip. The only prep involved topping up tire pressure with a portable inflator I’d recently purchased and refilling the wiper fluid.
All set for an early morning departure.
Day 1 – Drive to Hampi
Route: Mangalore – Karkala – Agumbe – Shimoga – Chitradurga – Hospet – Hampi
Distance covered: 390 km
Accommodation: Hampi Heritage and Wilderness Resort, Jungle Lodges at Kamalapura, just outside Hampi.
We started early, leaving by 4:30 AM. The Mangalore-Karkala stretch was the roughest, with widening construction leaving several diversions and uneven patches. Despite that, the Jimny handled it well, and the empty roads let us make good time. By dawn, we were climbing Agumbe Ghat, where light drizzles and a cool breeze made for a scenic, pleasant drive, fortunately without heavy fog.
Approaching Shivamogga, we caught a serene view of the Tunga river. We stopped for breakfast at Hotel Shubham in Shimoga, a simple place with decent food and clean washrooms. From Shimoga to Chitradurga, the two-lane road was in relatively good condition. We made a second stop at Namaste Durga Pure Veg, roughly 8 km before Chitradurga, which was average but had good parking and clean facilities. The final stretch from Chitradurga to Hospet on NH50 was smooth, and we reached our resort in Hampi around 1:30 PM, in time for lunch.
Our accommodation, the Hampi Heritage and Wilderness Resort by Jungle Lodges, is nestled within the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, offering independent cottages with basic amenities and limited connectivity, perfect for disconnecting from work.
That evening, we went on a short “safari” in the sanctuary. We spotted birds and a few sloth bears from afar, but the watchtower views over the forest were the main highlight.
Day 2 – Exploring Around Hampi
The eastern sky at dawn, as seen from our cottage balcony, made for a perfect start. We took an early morning drive in the Jimny to the Sri Malyvantha Raghunatha Temple in Venkatapura, just outside Hampi.
The drive up to the Sri Malyvantha Ranganatha Temple on Malayavanta Hill was scenic, and the temple itself was peaceful and quiet.
After breakfast, we used the resort’s shuttle to visit key Hampi landmarks, including Virupaksha Temple, Kadale Kalu Ganapati Temple, Sasive Kalu Ganapati Temple, the Ugranarasimha statue, Kamala Mahal, Elephant Stables, and the Ranga Temple.
In the afternoon, we drove to Sanapur Lake via the Bukkasagara-Anegundi bridge, then returned by Huligi Cross, covering a circuit of 75 km. The route offered beautiful views of boulder-filled hills and green fields.
The last 200 meters to Sanapur Lake had a rough, pothole-filled road, which could be challenging for vehicles with low ground clearance, but the lake views were worth it.
Total driving distance on Day 2: 93 km.
The roads back to the resort were scenic, and the food at Jungle Lodges remained consistently good.
