Looking out of the window sipping my morning coffee, a serene sensation pervades my whole being as I see the lush green coffee plantations all around, the fresh morning sun and the breathtakingly blue sky; I feel so much at home...but wait!! I'm not at home!!....I am in Munnar on a romantic getaway with the husband (who else!!) Well, I am almost at home, staying at a vacation rental run by Carpe Diem Education Trust at Munnar.
While we were planning on a holiday in Munnar, both of us wanted to stay at a place which would be very private and not be disturbed by too many people around. One of our close friends suggested trying out vacation rentals for a change and taking his advice, we booked this very quaint villa which came with one attendant (as an add on facility). We applauded ourselves for the decision right from the time we landed in Munnar. We have the whole house to ourselves and enjoy personalised F & B services.
The concept of a vacation rental (or home as it's popularly called) is a great one. Vacation rentals have long been a popular travel option in Europe (especially in the UK) as well as in Canada and are becoming increasingly popular across India also. Vacation rentals offer a pleasant alternative for honeymoon couples, families and travel groups looking for privacy & comfort during holiday. Also, vacation rentals serve as great venues for Corporate Team Building Exercises, Corporate / Personal Guest House and as R&R destinations (such as Spiritual Meditation and Yoga Venues). It scores over hotels in many ways such as cost savings, space, comfort and most of all privacy. And personally for me, the unique charm of a vacation home comes from the experience of living in a real neighbourhood and soaking up the rhythm of the locals.
In fact, I had a very pleasant experience in Ooty, staying at a vacation home whilst on an office tour. I was part of a big group from my office and we were to stay in Ooty for a week as part of some project. Our work required us to work odd hours in the field at different locations of the town and we wanted to stay at a place which could provide us with add on services (like food, laundry, etc.) quickly and also at odd times (if required). We looked around a lot of hotels and none were to our satisfaction. Then one of the hotel owners suggested a vacation home located in the residential area. We checked it out and loved it!!....it was a big bungalow with a large living room, kitchen area, 5 rooms with attached bathrooms, a terrace and came with a caretaker. It was located in the middle of a residential neighbourhood, totally quiet and away from the "touristy" Ooty. We could work there as a team without disturbance from any other guests or staff like in a hotel but at the same time could avail housekeeping services as & when required. We had a comfortable stay during the course of our hectic work schedule at Ooty and I am of the opinion that it could not have been a better experience if we had opted for a hotel stay. Nowadays, there are a number of travel agencies, vacation rental agencies & stand alone private operators in India which are into the business of vacation rentals/home stays and one can choose from a wide variety of options available in the market. The key points to note while booking vacation homes are the reliability of the rental agency/travel operator, location and the services on offer. Remember, with a vacation home, what you see (literally!!) is what you get (well that's my experience at least!!).
To sum up, I would recommend that if you are planning for a romantic holiday, weekend getaway, an R&R retreat or even a corporate get together, a vacation rental is a nice (and much more fun!) alternative to hotels... and who knows, like me, you also end up feeling like its' a home away from home!
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