Every Indian should visit Hampi: Amish Tripathi

Author Amish Tripathi talks about his favourite heritage holidays and more to ET Travel


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There has been a lot of debate regarding the ending of the third part of the Shiva Trilogy: The Oath of the Vayuputras. I wanted there to be this sort of debate about the idea of evil.

Aside from publicity travel for the books, are you an avid traveller?

Absolutely. My wife and I travel every chance we get. We like to spend atleast two weeks in a country to get a more local feel of the place. I find tours are like boot camps — have breakfast at this time, spend so many minutes at this place. We like to ease our way through a destination. That’s why we only travel one country per holiday.

As a kid also, I travelled a lot. I came from middle-class family, so we most often travelled in India. But there’s enough history here itself to keep you interested.

When deciding a holiday destination, what plays a big role in attracting you?

I’m a history freak, so I love going to places that are rich in heritage. My wife on the other hand is a nature lover. So we take turns, one nature-centric vacation and then a history one.

Any memorable destinations come to mind?

I remember visiting the Kashivishwanath Temple in Benaras. It is said that this is where the original pillar of light was. Aside from that, my favourite Indian destinations are Delhi-Agra , Rajasthan and Hampi. I think every Indian should visit Hampi to witness the beauty of the Vijaynagara empire. On the international circuit, I loved Italy, Greece and Egypt.

What destination is on your travel bucket list?

I want to visit Khajuraho in India and Machu Pichu in Peru.

What do you never travel without?

A travel guide. We have found that the food recommendations are most often pretty good.

With your background in banking, are you a money smart traveller?

Our travels are not strictly budgeted but we prefer to spend money on experiences rather than commodities. For instance, we enjoy staying at atmospheric hotels or resorts. They don’t have to be five stars necessarily, but the story behind the place or the ambience should draw us in. In Florence, for example, I stayed at a guesthouse hotel which claims to be 600 years old. Many Renaissance artists are said to have lived there in the past.