“Who would have thought that I would go on solo trips at this age? I feel 16, not 60,” a child-like happiness is palpable in Jessy Joseph’s voice. This retired teacher from Thiruvananthapuram is referring to the budget tourism trips of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).
The KSRTC buses, or aanavandi, as they are fondly called, the name derived from the two elephants that are part of its emblem, have been plying passengers to tourist destinations, temples, historical places, monuments etc across the State. The initiative, run by the Budget Tourism Cell (BTC), a vertical under the KSRTC, was launched in 2021.
A whopping 1,500 tour packages are in force now, operated by 90 out of the total 93 KSRTC depots in Kerala, while bringing relief to the cash-strapped KSRTC. “The stipulated target is ₹10 crore a month, which is not easily attainable. But we could collect half of it in December-January. Last month’s revenue was ₹2.51 crore, while it was ₹90 lakh in March 2024,” says R Udayakumar, Chief Traffic Manager, KSRTC. The driving force behind the growth has been the Minister for Transport KB Ganesh Kumar and present Managing Director Pramod Shankar, he adds.
Passengers during a budget tourism trip to Kollur Mookambika Temple
| Photo Credit:
Muraleekrishnan TV
Introduced during the tenure of Biju Prabhakar as the MD, the BTC trips have covered many unexplored scenic spots in the State. “No other State has such an elaborate scheme. Karnataka is doing it on a small scale, that too through contract carriages,” Udayakumar adds.
Temple trail
Ananthapuri Darshanam is a new tour package covering temples in Thiruvananthapuram city. Starts with darshan at Pazhavangady Ganapathy Temple at 6am. Will cover temples at Attukal, Sreekandeswaram, Venpalavattam, and Karikkakam and ends at Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple at 9.30am. Ticket rate is ₹150. Book your seats on https://onlineksrtcswift.com/
The first BTC package, before the official launch of the Cell, was from Chalakkudy depot to Malakkappara on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in Thrissur district, in September 2021. “I was a passenger then and it turned out to be so memorable that I have been part of almost all trips from Chalakkudy depot. A favourite of the lot has been to Mamalakkandam [in Ernakulam district]. The picturesque trail was adventurous as well as refreshing. I am now waiting for new packages,” says Bindu VU, a government employee, who has been on over 20 package tours.
Currently there are BTC services to Malakkappara from all KSRTC depots, the highlight of the package being a journey cutting through a forest area, with viewpoints at Athirappilly, Charpa, Vazhachal, Peringalkoothu dam, Anakkayam bridge, Sholayar dam, tea estates etc.
A Travel to Technology trip organised by the Budget Tourism Cell for school students from Sulthan Bathery depot in Wayanad
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The packages are priced from ₹200 onwards, as in the case of Nagarakazhchakal, a two-hour ride on an open-top electric double-decker within Thiruvananthapuram city. It goes up to ₹6,500, for a two-day package from Kasaragod depot to Gavi in Pathanamthitta district. Except for short trips, the rates cover food and accommodation. Passengers are put up in dormitories with neat restrooms, an official says.
Hotspots
Munnar, Gavi, Ponmudi, Neyyar, Rosemala, Kappukadu, Vagamon, Thekkady, Ilaveezhapoonchira, Illikkalkallu, Mamalakkandam, Paniyeliporu, Malakkapara, Athirappilly, Nelliyampathy, Silent Valley, Nilambur, Thirunelly, Kottiyoor, Banasurasagar Dam, Nefertiti tour package etc.
At present, the most number of BTC trips are operated to Munnar in Idukki followed by Gavi. Over 3120 tours were conducted to Munnar in the last four years, Udayakumar adds. The latest attraction in Munnar is the Royal View double-decker bus that operates three services daily offering a panoramic view of the tea town in three hours, passing through the scenic Munnar GAP road with a stunning view of the Western Ghats, tea plantations, misty hills etc. It was Minister Ganesh Kumar who suggested the design for the bus and the route, Udayakumar says.
“We also have stay-in sleeper buses at the depot with a total of 150 seats, priced ₹220 per head,” says Anish R, coordinator, BTC (Central zone).
A trip to Gavi that has a pristine forest cover teeming with wildlife and birds is often clubbed with a visit to Adavi, famous for its coracle ride across Kallar river, and a trek to Parunthumpara in nearby Idukki district.
The BTC has also tied up with Kerala State Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) for a tour on its luxury liner, Nefertiti, in Kochi. A ride through the Arabian Sea in the three-decker ship, enjoying music, good food, games and more is a huge hit. Tour packages are also being organised to other KSINC vessels, Sagararani and Suryamshu in Kochi.
Passengers near Nefertiti, the luxury liner in Kochi
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Mango Meadows, the agricultural theme park at Kaduthuruthy in Kottayam district, also figures on the list of all depots.
For the devotees
Pilgrimage tourism is a big draw with buses plying to all the famous temples across Kerala. Included in this are seasonal packages to Thiruvairanikkulam in Ernakulam, Naalambalayathra, covering temples dedicated to Lord Ram and his brothers Lakshmana, Bharatha and Shatrughna, in Kottayam and Thrissur districts, and the Panchapandava temples spread over Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts among others. We operated 250 services to Thiruvairanikkulam this season, says Anish.
During this year’s Attukal Pongala in Thiruvananthapuram, 103 trips were arranged from across Kerala. “Now temples are approaching us for tour packages,” says Udayakumar. He adds that BTC has special packages for educational institutions as well, called Travel to Technology and nearly 50 schools have utilised it. “The idea was mooted by the present MD. He also came up with the concept of Ananthapuri Darshanam, a package covering temples in Thiruvananthapuram,” he says
Now that summer is at its peak, trips are being scheduled to destinations with cooler temperatures. The BTC has a coordinator in each district and they are assigned to come up with new packages. “In Thiruvananthapuram we have the Theeradesayathra or a trip through the coastal stretch, covering Poovar, Vizhinjam, Kovalam, Shanghumugham, Veli, Muthalappozhi, Anchuthengu and Varkala,” says VA Jayakumar, district coordinator, BTC, Thiruvananthapuram (North). Over 240 packages are scheduled for destinations across Kerala this month from various depots in the district.
An ambitious package coming up is night trekking at Chingeri Hills in Wayanad, in association with District Tourism Promotion Council. Trips will be operated from Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta depots. “Wayanad already has a night jungle safari from Mananthavady and Sulthan Bathery depots. We have conducted over 300 such trips. Like Munnar, there is stay-in sleeper bus facility at Sulthan Bathery depot, with 61 bed spaces arranged in five buses,” says Varghese CD, zonal coordinator, BTC (North).
One of the passengers, KG Vijayakumar from Ramapuram in Kottayam, says, “I enjoyed staying in those sleeper buses. Even though I have relatives there, I preferred to be in the bus because it was something new.”
A popular package in this zone is the Nilambur circuit covering Conolly’s Plot that has world’s oldest teak plantations, Teak Museum and Kakkadampoyil waterfall.
Passengers having a coracle ride at Adavi in Pathanamthitta district
| Photo Credit:
Revathi Raveendran
Muraleekrishnan TV, junior superintendent at District Collectorate, Kannur, and a regular of the budget trips, says he looks forward to packages during the rainy season. “Paithalmala trek [in Kannur] was one of them. I have been there three times and it was a different experience each time. The Kasaragod trip has been memorable with visits to Ranipuram, Madhur Ganapathy temple, Bekal Fort, and Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swamy temple famous for its crocodile; in Wayanad, we went to En Ooru, the tribal settlement, Honey museum etc; the Kozhikode package was special with visits to Janakikaadu, Thonnikkadavu, Peruvannamuzhi dam… There is so much to see in our State.”
Meanwhile talks are on to start regular inter-state trips, especially to destinations in Tamil Nadu.
From Ponmudi trip in Thiruvananthapuram
| Photo Credit:
Muraleekrishnan TV
While senior citizens make up a majority on the list of passengers who turn up for the trips there are exceptions like 27-year-old Ajmal CP from Malappuram who travels with his friends. “Initially we were sceptical about how it would turn out. But we enjoyed our first trip to Munnar so much that we haven’t missed any package from the depot and have gone for over 10 trips in the last one year,” says Ajmal.
Jessy adds that most of the passengers on these trips have their own vehicles yet they chose to travel with a group. “By choosing a public transport these people are doing a great service for the environment. Lesser the vehicles, lesser the pollution,” points out Sumesh Kumar, Zonal Coordinator (South), BTC.
The passengers are appreciative of the conduct of KSRTC staff contrary to the perception that they are rude. Some passengers point out that the staff go out of the way to ensure an enjoyable experience for the group.
“The best part of these trips is forging friendship. We start the journey as strangers but by the end we become close friends. The KSRTC personnel in charge ensure that we bond with each other with dance, music etc,” say Jessy and Vijayakumar. Bindu adds, “Our safety is always taken care of.”
When a package is announced, the registered passengers are added to a WhatsApp group. That group is kept active and the members keep in touch. The depots announce the full schedule for a month on their social media pages and in WhatsApp groups.
At Bungalvu Kunnu in Nilambur
| Photo Credit:
Muraleekrishnan TV
There is no dearth of challenges as well. The condition of the buses has often come under scrutiny. “We work with several limitations. Sometimes we have to pay from our pockets in case of an emergency. At the end of the day, we want our passengers to return home happy,” says a KSRTC conductor on conditions of anonymity.
Contact the district coordinators for updates on the trips: Thiruvananthapuram: 9447479789; Kollam: 9747969768; Pathanamthitta: 9744348037; Alappuzha: 9846475874; Kottayam and Ernakulam: 9447223212; Idukki and Ernakulam: 9446525773; Thrissur: 9074503720; Palakkad: 8304859018; Malappuram: 8547109115; Kozhikode: 9544477954; Wayanad: 7907305828; Kannur: 8089463675; Kasaragod: 9895814585
Published – April 03, 2025 04:30 pm IST
