6 Reasons to Book a Vacation Rentals in India this summer

Summer vacations are just around the corner and kids are clamoring to get away from home, you too would be thinking of taking a break.  But stop before you book a hotel!  Though booking a hotel comes naturally while planning for holidays, there are strong reasons for you to consider a vacation rental in place of a hotel this time.

You get more for less

In a hotel room you what you actually get is a bedroom and a bathroom vacation rentals gives you a chance to have more space a whole apartment at your disposal. All the family members can enjoy the togetherness which is not possible in separate hotel rooms. Some of the vacation rentals come with spacious outdoors complete swimming pools and lawns which adds to the space and the whole experience is much richer than hanging out in a hotel lobby or being cooped up in the rooms.

More Add-ons

Though hotels sometimes offers amenities (for which  you pay through your nose)   but none of them match up to the add – ons which you have in your vacation rentals. A vacation rental gives you a whole range from swimming pools, private kitchens, cook on call laundry facility and games for children etc.

Catering to all needs

My daughter being a very picky eater always throws tantrums with hotel food . At vacation rentals I can always  cook whatever she likes also being totally relaxed the cooking becomes a labour of love rather than a routine exercise.  My husband being a movie buff is able to catch on his favorite movies. My teen age son can engross himself in gaming and I can snooze in a quiet corner all this is only possible when we book a vacation rental.  So many times two three families have gone together on a holiday booking a vacation rental and each one of us could do our own thing it was a perfect balance between togetherness and space.

A peek into local culture

With vacation rental you can get an authentic holiday experience Sometimes vacation rentals owners also provide the local guide or a local trek facility which give you a peek into the local culture which a sanitized hotel atmosphere will never be able to deliver. The local cuisine the quaint undiscovered sites and travel tips go a long way in making your holiday memorable.

Family Reunion

When it is time for all the extended family to come together be it your 25 wedding anniversary or the  in laws are celebrating their 50 anniversary or your daughter’s 16 birthday or your son’s graduation celebrations nothing can match the vacation rentals as the ideal choice. These are the occasions where there are people of different age groups and preferences and the vacation rentals provide ideal ambiance for everyone to indulge.

You save huge money

With vacation rentals when you cook your own food consume your own beverages the amount of money you save is amazing.  Just consider the number of hotel rooms you would have to book in order to accommodate the entire family, the amount of money that  you would  spend on hotel restaurants and bars. And also calculate the amount you would have had to spent on keeping everyone happily occupied like spa’s , games etc. Add all these together and vacation rentals turn out to be a huge money saver.

I being a huge fan of vacation rentals can vouch for them being the best way to enjoy the holidays together. If vacationing together with friends nothing can come close to the bonding and experience one can have in vacation rentals. The above are some of the reasons but once you book a vacation rental you will be surprised how many more reasons you would discover for vacation rentals being your first choice for holidays .

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Leave Travel Concession – How to Get the Maximum Advantage

Who doesn’t like to travel, especially when travelling could be fruitful? One of the many facilities that employees enjoy in India are the Leave Travel Concession (LTC) and Leave Travel Allowance (LTA). Using your LTA effectively could actually help you save up on a lot of money.

Leave Travel Allowance is basically the cost of travel that is granted to an employee to travel in India. LTA exemption can be claimed by an employee where the employer provides LTA to employee for a leave to anywhere in India, while on a leave. This cost of travel includes only the cost of travel. The mode of travel could be by air, by rail or any other means of transport with certain regulations. The amount of exemption varies according to the mode of transport.

It is important to clearly understand what qualifies as the amount available for exemption. If one is travelling by air, the exemption available is the economy fare on the national carrier on the shortest route. If one is travelling to a destination connected by rail then the exemption allowed is the first class AC fare by train on the shortest route. For destinations that are not connected by rail, an exemption of first class or deluxe class fare on a recognized public transport can be availed.

If you travel by car then LTA is permitted only if the car is owned by a central government organisation, the local body or the state government. If you resort to private transport options like renting a car, you could simply get a bill issued from the rental company. If the bill is not accepted by your employer you could file and income tax return and get a refund by claiming an exemption.

Family members directly dependent on the assessee can also avail the exemption. By family it means Spouse and children as well as parents and siblings directly dependent on the assessee. Exemption is not available for two or more children of an individual born after October 01, 1998. For children born before this date there is no such restriction, the term child also includes step children and adopted children of an individual. If your spouse is also granted LTA allowance, you could both claim the LTA allowance independently from your respective companies.  If say in a given holiday you travel allowance have been more than the LTA allowance granted to you by your company, your spouse could get a ticket for the remaining amount from their company.

If you switch your job you could get LTA not only from your present employer but also the unutilized LTA concession from your former employer. The Travel expenses more than the LTA allowance granted to you will be subject to Tax deduction.

Every individual is entitled to this LTA twice in a period of 4 years. The exemption allowed is either the LTA that an individual is entitled to or the amount incurred during the travel that is eligible for exemption, whichever is the lesser of the two amounts. Leave Travel Allowance is allowed to your hometown once in a block of two years. The LTA is a great way to get an exemption from the hefty TDS that eats up half your salary.

The LTA is granted twice in a period of 4 years. These four years are called a block of four years for the reference of people applying for LTA. The Current block is 2010- 2013. If one does not use their LTA in the present block, they could carry forward their LTA to the first year of the next block, while making use of the next 2 LTA allowance in the last 3 years of the next block. The LTA allowance can be claimed just once every year. You cannot make a claim for two LTA allowance in one year.

While claiming the LTA it is important that the assessee has all the documents of the amount spent to allow exemption. Mere certificate that is received from the employee of the amount spent is not enough to claim an exemption. The proof of travel that should be documented includes the tickets, boarding passes, and the likes. If the booking is done through a travel agent it is important to also document the invoice of the Travel Agent. Such documents come handy during the audit of the tax return of the individual.

The employee does not necessarily have to submit his travel bills to his employer. Sometimes employers insist on having a copy of the travel bills of the employee, but it is the employees call. If one forgets to claim LTA and the employer has deducted tax on the amount paid, this money can be claimed in the income tax return and the tax that was previously deducted could be refunded back.

It is also important to note that you are eligible for exemption if you are travelling with your family. Also only the to and fro cost of travelling is only eligible for exemption. Other expenses like food, boarding, lodging, conveyance charges do not qualify for exemption. The Other Home, would help you find a Vacation Rental, Homestay or an Outdoor Adventure properties so that you could make the best of your vacation having an added benefit of having an LTA offer as well as a getting a customized vacation rental or homestay according to your preferences. Choose from numerous vacation rental or homestay options in the breath taking scenic locations like Goa,Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and Uttarakhand.

After the elimination of the Fringe Benefit Tax that was more beneficial to an employee, Employees are now extensively trying to use the LTA as much as possible. Travel agencies are also banking on such schemes to make the best and reliable packages that could attract a lot of customers.

LTA packages are now available in all parts of India. With such attractive offers, all the tourist destinations being covered under the LTA, as well as the TDS saved on your salary, using LTA effectively could prove to be very fruitful to an employee. It is important to plan your trip smartly and make use of your LTA allowance in the best possible way.

Write to us to design an itinerary special designed to suit the way you define a perfect holiday.  You could write to us at support@theotherhome.com.

If you want to be notified next time, subscribe to the RSS feed or say hello via Twitter @theotherhome. You can plan your dream holiday with us, visit The Other Home.

"Vacation Homes Market In India"

The term vacation home or vacation rental is new to India but it is very popular in the US travel industry. If you are interested to know vacation homes and the present scenario ofvacation homes market in India, then read on. In this article, you will get to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of vacation homes, the key facts about this market in India and how vacation rental management can turn out into big profits.

Vacation Homes, as the name suggests are homes meant for enjoying vacations. One can really earn handsomely by renting out vacation homes. All one needs is to buy a location at a popular destination that is visited by a number of tourists on a regular basis. After this renting such a vacation home on small duration rents can fetch really good money. After a major success in the US, this market of vacation homes is slowly increasing in India too. Now, let us talk about some advantages and disadvantages of vacation rentals in a general sense. Vacation rentals are usually considered cost savings. Those who avail this service save a lot of money in the form of tips, taxes and service charges. Moreover, by opting to stay in vacation homes, a tourist gets to stay in more space as compared to hotels. Apart from this, staying in a vacation home means getting a kitchen to cook your food and a living room just like your home. In short, staying in a vacation home means almost staying at home.

Vacation Home in Mussoorie, The Mall

One major discomfort often observed among those who get to stay in a vacation home on rent is that they have to interact with the property owner directly. Sometimes, lack of staff at the vacation home is also considered as a discomfort for tourists. In some cases, there are also hygiene and cleanliness concerns.

Le Bleu Villa,Goa

Now, have a look at the recent key facts about the vacation home rental market in India:

• Most of the holiday homes are rent out for vacation and as home stays for the rest of the year.
• About 54% of second homes in India are bought particularly for recreational use like holidays and vacations.
• As per a survey, second home sales increased by up to 50% during 2002 – 2007.
• Second Homes account make about 3-4% of total home sales per year.
• In India, NRIs are considered to be the most potential customers for vacation properties.
• In India, Kerala is the most popular destination for second home or vacation home and in Kerala, Wayanad is on the top slot.
• Vacation home sales in India have tremendously rose during the last 15 years.
• To get leading vacation homes in India you can surf at The Other Home.

To sum it up, we can’t say that how successful the future of vacation home market in India would be but we could definitely say that this market is going to stay for long in India.

If you want to be notified next time, subscribe to the RSS feed or say hello via Twitter @theotherhome. You can plan your dream holiday with us, visit The Other Home.