The Responsible Tourism Mission has unveiled a unique product to extend the feel and taste of Onam to holidayers by enabling them to enjoy a variety of traditional dishes, including the ‘sadya’, and trips to sylvan rural stretches in the State.It will facilitate tourists to stay at homes as guests, join the celebrations of the festival of flowers, partake of home-made delicacies, and receive attractive gifts before leaving.
For entire State
‘Enjoy Onam feast, get Onam gifts’, piloted in 2017 in select destinations by the mission, will be extended to the entire State on a grand scale from September 1 to 30, Minister for Tourism Kadakampally Surendran says. The scheme offers different packages for the visitors to choose from — a day-and-night stay at a village home for a four-member family that will include breakfast, dinner, and lunch, a special Onam feast package, and exploration of unspoilt rural stretches to experience the sights and sounds of Onam with local communities.
Those choosing the premier Onam Festival package will be presented with a set of traditional gifts such as handcrafted souvenirs, handloom shawls, and packets of crispy banana chips. The charge will range from ₹3,000 to ₹8,500, depending on the facilities.
The Onam Sadya will be charged modestly at ₹250 per head. Visitors can also take up rural trips, which will cost ₹3,000 for a four-member family. Apart from the sadya, they will be given souvenirs, pappad, chips, and handloom shawls.
Balaramapuram, Madavoorpara, Kainakari and Kavalam, Vaikom, Maravanthuruthu, Chembu, Manchira, Varampinakam, Thiruvarpu, Amballur, Olavanna, Kadalundi, Chekadi, Cheruvayal, Nellarachal, Kunhimangalam, Cherupuzha, and Bekal are the spots selected for the package. Those joining the village near Kumarakom for “experiencing the village Onam” for ₹4,500 will have a three-hour cruise on the backwaters and will be taken to villages where they can see activities like coir-spinning and coconut-tree climbing. Also, there will be a three-hour Kumarakom package from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for ₹8,500. It will include a three-hour cruise, village trips, stopover at sites of fishing, coir-making and coconut-tree climbing. The Vaikom package will comprise backwater cruise and darshan at the Mahadeva temple.
Bekal package
The Bekal package will cover the famous beach and the fort besides a visit to pottery work, for which ₹5,000 will be charged.
The Kannur package, which will cost ₹5,000, will include visit to a metal workshop at Kunhimangalam. The Kozhikode package will include a visit to the Farm Tourism Centre at Mampbuzha.
