KSRTC Munnar Royal View double-decker bus is a hit: How to book, spots covered, fares, timings

On February 8, KSRTC launched the daily Munnar Royal View double-decker bus, a 50-seater tourist shuttle offering stunning views of the hill station. The service has generated huge interest among tourists with many online and over-the-phone bookings, says Rajeev NR, district coordinator of the KSRTC budget tourism cell.     

"The number of tourists is going up day by day. Today, we had a total of 30 passengers in the morning trip," he says. The bus offers a panoramic view of Munnar, which is often hailed as the Kashmir of the south. 

Timings
The bus has three trips daily, at 9 am, 12.30 pm and 4 pm. Each trip is of a three-hour duration. 

Spots covered
The service starts at the Munnar KSRTC bus stand. The bus then takes the Munnar GAP Road (NH 85 aka Munnar-Poopara-Bodimettu route) to head to its final destination, Anayirangal Dam. Tourists also get to see Periyakanal waterfalls, Signal Point, Lockhart View, Rock Cave (Malaikallan Cave), Orange Farm View and tea estates en route. "We stop at each of the spots for 10 minutes," Rajeev adds. 
Fares
The upper deck seats cost Rs 400, and the lower deck Rs 200 per passenger. There are 38 seats on the upper deck and 12 on the lower deck. 

How to book
1) Log in to the KSRTC SWIFT website.
2) In the search option, give 'Munnar KSRTC Royal View Double Deck', and the 'sightseeing' option will automatically appear in the 'Going To' box.
3) Set the date you need in the 'Journey Date' box.
4) In the list of trips that appear for the dates, click on the 'Select seats' option to pick the seats you need. Then click on 'Provide passenger details' and select a maximum of six seats in one booking
5) You can pay after filling in the details and proceeding to payee details. 
6) You can also call 98985086324 (AE Benny, Unit Coordinator) to book seats. 
7) Another option is to book via the 'EnteKSRTC Neo-oprs' app