Hampi

The ruins of Vijayanagara - a 14th–16th-century imperial capital scattered across a surreal landscape of granite boulders and banana plantations. It’s the closest India gets to a genuine lost world, and it rewards slowness. Plan 2–3 full days. This is the sub-region that my family is from and its one of my favorite places in India.

Notes:

From Mumbai: overnight train toward Hosapete Junction (HPT) (the gateway town, 13 km from Hampi), or fly to Vidyanagar Airport (VDY, Jindal) 35 km away or Hubballi (HBX) 150 km away and drive.
From Bangalore (if your route goes that way): the overnight Hampi Express to Hosapete is the classic - sleep in, wake up among boulders.
Train booking online: book via IRCTC (the official app — creating a foreign account works with an email OTP) or, with less friction, ixigo / Cleartrip which accept international cards. Book 2A or 3A class (AC sleeper). Trains open for booking 60 days ahead; popular overnights fill ups
Rent bicycles or a moped or a tuktuk - the site is 25 km² and distances are deceptive.
Sunrise or Sunsets: You get beautiful red sky sunsets in Hampi. The Matanga Hill offers a 360° of the boulder-scape bathed in a red glow. Alternatively Anjaneya Hill (monkey-rich) on the north side.
Sanapur Lake: boulder-jumping and a swim-adjacent hangout on the north side (ask locally about water levels/currents before swimming).
It’s a great spot for anyone who likes to freestyle rock climb amongst old ruins!