Tourists
arriving in the state could now have the thrilling experience of sighting
wildlife at the night affordably.

The
Kerala Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has announced a ‘Wildlife night
jungle safari’ through the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary as part of its latest
budget tourism initiative.

The
safari bus, which will enable adventure lovers to explore the busy nightlife of
nocturnal animals, will be operated from the Bathery depot of the corporation.

“We
will start the night jungle safari trips next week. The bus will leave
Bathery depot at 9 pm and take the visitors along to Ponkuzhy on the
Kerala-Karnataka border. It will ply through the Kozhikode-Kollegal NH 766 that
meanders through the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary,” said Joshy John, district
transport officer.

The
bus will return to Bathery depot by 11.30 pm. Out of the 60-km long safari ride,
30 km will be through dense forest route. The ticket price is fixed at Rs 300
per person.

This
is the first-of-its-kind initiative to tap the nighttime tourism potential of
the hill district, gifted with a lush green canopy of forest, wildlife,
waterfalls, lakes, and mountains.

The
KSRTC, of late, has increased its focus on tourism-related activities, ranging
from caravan tourism to city tour services in its attempt to revive the
loss-making entity.