There is no place like home, they say. The mere thought of it makes the heart smile and you are cocooned in the warmth of love and comfort.
I have been traveling for decades now and have stayed in all types of hotels and resorts… from the high end ones to the basic camping sites. And then sometime back, I started exploring homestays. The fact that my sister, Sheetal runs a homestay and has great stories to share about her guests and experiences was on the back of my mind too. And today, I am a huge fan of homestays and would prefer it over a star hotel or resort for a vacation.
Here are my 7 reasons to choose a homestay…
Reason #1 : A True ‘Home Away From Home’ – This phrase is used commonly all over the world by hotels and resorts. While these accommodations may provide a homely atmosphere, they are not really homes. A homestay is someone’s home!! Here you get all the comforts of your home but in a different locale. The host family go all out to make you feel a part of their family. The best part is that they as neat and clean as your own home!!
Reason #2 : Home Cooked Food – During travels, food is my biggest concern. Restaurant food appeals to me max for a day and then I crave for some home-made fare. And homestays simply fulfill that need. The food served is simple and delicious with local flavors and taste. At one of the homestay, the host let KG cook in their kitchen (who is PASSIONATE about food and cooking) and then we all shared the meal over stories and laughter.
Reason #3 : Personalized Attention – Unlike hotels, homestays have fewer rooms and fewer guests. The owners of the property are the hosts and they offer the best service and personal attention. A friend needed to see a doctor and their host took him in his car despite the easy availability of cabs. Food can be prepared as per your preference and you may even get adrak-shahad (ginger-honey) for your cough in the middle of the night.
Reason #4 : Forge Bonds – Homestay hosts are usually friendly and chatty people. I believe, people who are not comfortable with other people would not open their homes to strangers. So, conversations with them are always entertaining and interesting. Recently, when our hostess told Aaryan to visit her and have homemade food whenever he gets town visit from his boarding school, my motherly heart shed a tear of gratitude. The best is that even their pets are friendly!
Reason #5 : Local Insights – With the information at our fingertips, we gather the details of the place we are visiting. But it cannot match with the insights of the one who has been born and raised at a particular place. Homestay hosts can share a lot of hidden and unknown ‘secrets’ of the city which are usually not known by the tourists. And you can learn local culture and customs through them too.
Reason #6 : Ideal for Solo Travellers – While travel liberates you, there are times when you can feel lonely and intimidated. A homestay gives you that comforting feeling in a faraway place. Also your safety and privacy is ensured too.
Reason #7 : Value for Money – During peak seasons, hotels can be prohibitively expensive. A homestay is certainly affordable alternative. While it might be same cost at some places, but you get a lot more in terms of personalized service and great experiences at a homestay.
Have you stayed in a homestay? How has been your experience? Would you choose a Homestay for your next holiday?
Linking this to the second edition of BAR-A-THON by Blog-A-Rhythm
Theme – Seven
Day 1
57 Responses
Exactly my thoughts too!
Thanks for dropping by Mr Bhatia, glad that this post resonates with you!
Great minds think alike. I recently draft a condo vacation versus all inclusive vacstion! Great post! Cheers!
That’s cool. Would love to read your post on condo vacations, haven’t experienced that.
Beautiful thoughts Shilpa and I quite agree. I had the opportunity to do up a homestay in Benares where the hosts have named the rooms after women of substance and yes your truly got one named after her too (Ahem Ahem) – since I did that place and stayed with them multiple times over, the concept of homestay has just grown on me and I spent an amazing 5 days in another one in Fort Kochi recently! Its become my preferred mode of stay for sure!!
Wow! A room named after you!! How cool is that!! I am impressed!! Glad that you have had wonderful experiences at homestays!
This was very inspirational, have never stayed in a homestay, looking forward to it now.
Please do check some homestays and do share your experience, Pooja!
I have never stayed in a homestay, but it sure does look very comfortable in all the spheres!
It is truly a home away from home!
I’ve once had an experience of the homestays, I wasn’t the fan but I did like it for a change. When we go to remote locations to explore the place, homestays are the best options one can go for!
Cheers
Yeah, it’s good for a change from regular hotels and resorts.
Wow! Thanks for the lovely write up Shilpa! This means a lot!
Thanks for the inspiration, Sheetal ♥
I hadn’t heard about this concept of Homestay earlier. Is it somewhat like AirBnB, but without the internet middleman?
It does seem like an interesting way to understand cultures of a different place. Thank you for sharing these seven wonderful reasons! 🙂
Airbnb is an online marketplace and hospitality service, enabling people to lease or rent short-term lodging including vacation rentals, apartment rentals, homestays, hostel beds, or hotel rooms. The company does not own any lodging; it is merely a broker and receives percentage service fees (commissions) from both guests and hosts in conjunction with every booking.It has over 3,000,000 lodging listings in 65,000 cities and 191 countries, and the cost of lodging is set by the host.
Hope you explore these sometime soon 🙂
I totally agree with your insights on home stay, Shilpa. We too proffered home stay while traveling around South Africa for our vacation. Looking forward to read more ….. 😛
Glad to know that you have stayed in a homestay too, Vasantha. 🙂
I have never done a homestay Shilpa but feeling really tempted to do so. One gets the feel of a place only when one experiences the local cuisine, conversations with local folk, the feel of everyday living in a new place. Great post and great idea for Barathon Shilpa!
Yes, it is a novel way to explore the local culture and cuisine.
Hope you check some of them during your next vacation, Kala. Thanks, glad you liked this post.
Totally agree! I love homestays as they give the comfort of the home while being in budget. It makes travelling with small kids easy
Glad that this post resonates with you, Neha. 🙂
I am totally agree with you.. home stays are more economic and best option for stay with kids..
You bet!! 🙂
I agree with the thoughts. I just had one bad experience and that’s because the host was too different than what had expected. It didn’t work and we moved out in 24 hours.
Oh, that’s sad. Yeah, it happens sometimes. We found that at one place, the pics uploaded on the site were different from that of the actual homestay. Though that left a bad taste, but the stay, food and hosts were great.
Yea, agree with all the reasons! We have chosen home stays quite a lot and the flexibility that comes with it cannot be compared to that of a hotel. The one that I love the most is the warmth of a homestay that is totally absent in hotels.
Shubhangi @ The Little Princess
True. I love the conversations with the hosts. Most of them are so warm and gracious hosts.
I haven’t done so in the past but it is there at the back of my mind. A Conference trip due at the end of the years shows some very expensive hotel rates which actually got me looking at this path or choosing to avoid going altogether.
Do check them out and hope you get a great deal. You may explore Airbnb or booking.com.
I haven’t stayed in a homestay, the main reason being that I’ve barely travelled. But I like the concept of a homestay and I agree with all your points here.
Here’s to more travel and experiences for you, Reema. And hope you explore homestays too.
This surely is a good food for thought.. Would keep in mind for next travel
That’s cool, Manisha!
This is like AirBnB, is it? I do like renting houses but for solo travel I like backpacker accommodation or motels. It’s great for groups though.
Airbnb is the hosting site for vacation rentals, apartment rentals, homestays, hostel beds, or hotel rooms. I havent explored backpacker accommodation, would love to check them out.
It makes me remember my Paying Guest days as a student and this beautiful post touching all aspects and benefits of homestay. It’s something that I look forward to during future travel. I didn’t know that both you and Sheetal are sisters. Both of you have writing in your blood:)
Paying Guests… that brought back some memories. have stayed as a paying guest during MBA days.
Hope you get to explore homestays too, Vishal.
Yes, Sheetal is my youngest sister. Thanks 🙂
I believe homestays are similar to bed and breakfast places we have here. They indeed are so homely and safe. And great for solo travelling too.I prefer staying in those accommodations too.
Yes, they are and B&Bs are all over the world. We have them in India too. Homestays are B&B actually and some offer all meals too. Glad to know that you have stayed at homestays too 🙂
Nope I’ve never stayed in a homestay but it does sound cosy and homey.
It is. Check it out sometime, Tulika!
Very interesting read, Shilpa. Never did earlier but will now give it a try to opt for a homestay during our next trip. Sounds like a great option for families.
Do check it out, Esha and do share your experience.
I have never tried a homestay, Shilpa. But your well written post has intrigued me enough to try it soon.
Thanks Mayuri. Glad you liked this post. Do check out a homestay for your next vacation and do share your experience. Cheers!
I haven’t ever lived in a home-stay, not sure if they are available in US. But I will definitely make it a point to pick a home-stay next time when I am vacationing in India.
Oh, homestays are there all over the world. In fact, Airbnb which is a hosting site for vacation rentals, apartment rentals, homestays, hostel beds, or hotel rooms has over 3,000,000 lodging listings in 65,000 cities and 191 countries. And they are there in USA too. 🙂
You’ve come up with seven excellent reasons to choose this way to travel.
Thanks a lot, Lee . Glad you liked this post!
So nice shilpa, I have heard about paying guest; something similar to this, but I have never stayed, sounds interesting, also safe when you are travelling alone.
Yes, homestays are safe, neat and inexpensive option. Hope you get to explore them someday!
Great post! I’ve never tried a homestay. We did stay in an AirBnB in Scotland but it was a separate cottage from the family so we had no contact with them. I think it would be fun to know the owners of the place we stayed and to have meals with them. I would enjoy that homey type feeling, too.
Yes, there are apartment on rent too. In fact AirBnB offers vacation rentals, apartment rentals, homestays, hostel beds, and hotel rooms too.
I know what you mean, staying with the host family is altogether a different and a wonderful experience.
I haven’t stayed in a homestay and frankly I’m queasy about staying in a stranger’s home. I once stayed overnight at an aunt’s place and was worried the whole night that she might just die in the middle all because she kept telling me during dinner ” Oh I’m so happy if I die today I’ll be glad”. She was 70 years old and diabetic and a widow waiting to die……
LOL 😀 That would scare me too. Glad that nothing untoward happened during your stay with your aunt. 😀
I cant stop smiling @ “widow waiting to die” 😀