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Budget-Friendly Munnar Trip by KSRTC Bus
A Family Travelogue for Affordable Adventures
By Sujatha N
You may be postponing a vacation trip or a picnic due to the hike in taxi and hotel rates. We faced a similar situation, and this article is about how we resolved the matter and successfully visited Munnar, Kerala's best hill station.
We decided to go for a trip to Munnar, one of the most visited hill stations in India. My husband inquired with a taxi agent and we were shocked by their rates. He calculated the driver's boarding/travel allowance, food, tips, and other expenses. We considered dropping the Munnar trip altogether, thinking it might be better for a middle-class family to stay at home and watch television instead.
However, the children became quite upset when they heard our decision. With just a few days left before schools reopened after the holidays, they had nothing to share with their friends or teachers about their vacation.
Budget Tour to Munnar by KSRTC Bus
Finally, we decided to travel by KSRTC bus owned by the Kerala State Government for just Rs 95 per head. In total, it cost us only Rs 760 for a round trip to Munnar for all four of us.
The next challenge was finding good accommodation at the lowest price. Luck was on our side as we found an online coupon offering a forty percent discount. We ended up paying only Rs 1200 per day instead of Rs 2000. This meant we saved Rs 1600 for two days' stay, which included complimentary breakfast. We booked our hotel through a reliable website.
We packed our luggage but got confused about whether to take sweaters since the bag couldn't hold too much. The temperature until Neriamangalam was warm, making it impractical to wear them from Kochi. As everyone knows, reducing luggage is better for bus travel. We called the hotel in Munnar, and they assured us that woolen garments were not essential, as blankets would be provided. All our preparations went smoothly.
On the proposed day, we woke up early, got ready, and reached the KSRTC bus stand in Ernakulam by 7 AM. After inquiring at the counter, we found a bus leaving at 7:20 AM and occupied the best seats available. We were delighted to see several Indian and foreign tourists heading to Munnar on the same bus.
Munnar: In and Around
The bus moved through busy streets, poorly maintained roads, and metro rail construction sites. It passed through Aluva, Perumbavoor, Kothamangalam, and Adimali bus stands. The trip was quite comfortable as there wasn't much rush inside the bus. We enjoyed watching the scenery through the window and felt the soothing breeze along with the refreshing scent of greenery from Neriamangalam forest onwards. We caught a glimpse of waterfalls at Walara when the bus slowed down to make way for a private bus approaching us from the opposite direction. The temperature gradually dropped, putting us in a holiday mood as we admired the scenic tea gardens and snapped several photos on our mobile phones.
We reached Munnar in less than five hours and thoroughly enjoyed our economical trip. The hotel we booked was conveniently located near town. Upon arrival, the friendly receptionist offered us a complimentary upgrade to a superior room since standard rooms on the first floor were occupied by senior citizens from North India. We were thrilled as we entered the spacious room on the third floor with an excellent view outside.
After having lunch at the hotel, we relaxed for a bit before heading into town. We strolled through tea gardens, visited an old church and temple, and enjoyed dinner at a neat restaurant known for its delicious food before returning to our room.
The next day, we enjoyed a complimentary breakfast at the hotel before starting our trip to Eravikulam National Park and several picnic spots including the "Top Station View Point," courtesy of a full-day tour conducted by the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC). We had fun trekking at Top Station through muddy slopes and returned to our room before day's end.
On our final day, we began our return journey to Kochi at 10 AM on a KSRTC bus from Munnar town. We had enjoyed our three-day picnic for less than the cost of a taxi ride from Kochi to Munnar. It was our way of protesting against frequent taxi fare hikes.
We are thankful to MUNNAR.ORG for guiding us to the right destination and to KSRTC Bus for providing affordable travel options to Munnar.
We invite our readers to explore the personal experiences of others who’ve enjoyed Munnar.