Keravan Tourism’: Safe like a bubble, comfy like home

The next time Kerala’s spectacular countryside, rollicking backwaters or serene and undulating hill stations pop up on your itinerary, you may find it tempting to opt for a self-contained Home on Wheels, complete with facilities that give the feeling of a home away from home. Yes, we are talking about a caravan holiday. Whether you are a couple, a family looking for quality time together, or a backpacker seeking adventure, caravans offer the freedom of languid, sustainable and responsible travel with a check on hygiene, safety and social distancing. The next time Kerala’s spectacular countryside, rollicking backwaters or serene and undulating hill stations pop up on your itinerary, you may find it tempting to opt for a self-contained Home on Wheels, complete with facilities that give the feeling of a home away from home. Yes, we are talking about a caravan holiday. Whether you are a couple, a family looking for quality time together, or a backpacker seeking adventure, caravans offer the freedom of languid, sustainable and responsible travel with a check on hygiene, safety and social distancing. Caravan tourism is a concept that has gained immense popularity in recent times, owing to the freedom, comfort and flexibility it provides. With the pandemic keeping everyone on tenterhooks, it offers the advantage of an absolutely safe travel bubble from home to destination and back. A travel bubble for everyone sans risks, hassles, long airport delays, unsafe food and public restrooms. Caravans are vehicles are equipped with everything for a smooth ride, and are tipped to be the next big thing for Kerala Tourism after houseboats. The state government has already announced a comprehensive, stakeholder-friendly Caravan Tourism policy, branded as Keravan Kerala, promising customized and close-to-nature travel experiences. “Going by Kerala’s inherent strengths of natural beauty and tourism-friendly culture, Caravan Tourism has immense scope for the state. Besides offering a refreshing experience for the tourists, local communities stand to gain substantially by enabling them to showcase their culture and products before the visitors,” says Mr VR Krishna Teja, Director, Tourism. The policy envisages tourist caravans as safe, comfortable and fully compliant with local and state regulations, providing a homely feeling for the guests. The policy also envisages caravan parks, which need at least 50 cents of land, should have space to accommodate five caravans at a time, with facilities like food parks, rest rooms, activity area and drivers' lodge. A number of these homes come with comfortable beds and recliners, washrooms, solar-powered geysers, Wi-Fi enabled entertainment units, ACs, TV, heaters as well as kitchenettes, equipped with burners, mini-fridge, ovens and more. Add to it the charm of motorised windows, barbeque grills and awnings. The beautiful state, with its eye-popping landscapes ranging from backwaters to hill stations, have a new gamechanger with caravans and caravan parks. Mr Abraham George, Managing Director of Intersight Tours and Travels, feels there will be a good demand for caravans as the recent trend shows that most of the tourists are coming as couples or families and they want to go to less crowded places. The travel company is currently designing hybrid packages that includes caravan tourism. “It will be a big hit with honeymooners because of the privacy and security offered by caravans,” he said. Mr Riyaz UC, Managing Director, Spiceland Holidays, is also elated as he feels that carava