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Home » Budget Travel » Homestays 101: The ULTIMATE Guide to Staying With Locals! (2024)

Homestays 101: The ULTIMATE Guide to Staying With Locals! (2024)

Some of my best nights spent travelling haven’t been inside of an Airbnb, a hotel, or even a hostel. They’ve taken place in local abodes, complete with home-cooked meals and heaps of connections.

If you’ve never heard of them before, the entire concept of homestays might sound confusing. Spending a night with a stranger? I get it. Homestays aren’t common everywhere, and it’s not an experience you can seek just anywhere.

But once you have your first real experience in a family homestay, I guarantee you’ll see what all the hype is about. Homestays give you a home away from home, and not just in the practical way that Airbnb does.

We all know home is so much more about “who” than “what” which is why staying with a real family can be so impactful. It directly immerses you into local life, and allows you to interact with communities in ways that aren’t possible otherwise.

But how exactly do you find these mystical homes that provide such unique travel experiences? In hopes to share the magic of homestays with other adventurous backpackers, I’ve put together this epic guide.

Here’s absolutely everything you need to know about homestay accommodation.

What is a Homestay?

How to find travel homestays, the best countries to try a homestay, what to expect at a homestay, are homestays safe, tips for epic homestay experiences, homestays explained: faqs, final thoughts for your homestay-ing adventures.

If you’re wondering “what the heck is a homestay?” you’ve absolutely come to the right place. They’re my favorite kind of accommodation and have led me to some of the best travel adventures. But that doesn’t really explain the meaning of a homestay, does it?

In short, a homestay allows you to meaningfully connect with locals by staying with them in their homes. These days, such accommodations come in all shapes and sizes. But at their core, they involve an “authentic” stay at a local home. They’ve also become more and more popular according to holiday accommodation stats .

It could put you inside the house in the same room, in a guest room, or in a separate portion of their home built specifically for tourists; it varies wildly between homes. Staying in a homestay could be as casual as grabbing a living room couch or in the form of a long-term arrangement like what you’d find with WWOOF.

Regardless of the varying specifics, one thing is constant across all homestays across the world. Or should be, that is.

A homestay isn’t just a place to rest your head after a long day of exploring. It’s an experience. And at its best, can actually become a home-away-from-away.

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Why You Should Book a Homestay

Homestay bookings allow you insight into local life that you’d never find otherwise, all whilst fostering connections that can lead to real friendships. It doesn’t matter how authentic a killer street food is. The reality is that no type of food is more authentic than one cooked in a home kitchen.

And even if you stay in an Airbnb that gives you an idea of how a local home looks , you still won’t know how it feels. You won’t get to experience sipping butter tea boiled over a traditional bukhari . Nor will you feel the joy of getting to connect with someone born worlds away from you.

Whether you want to tend to crops on a rural Spanish farm or discover every corner of South Asian city via Couchsurfing , there’s a host out there for you! Unlike hotels which often provide quite stale experiences, staying with a host family is guaranteed to be more than just a place to rest at night. In fact, if you really do it right, you should come away from a homestay feeling like it taught you more about the destination than anywhere else you’ve visited.

Because that’s the whole point. Homestays give rare access into the daily lives and happenings of locals, and expose you to things you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Staying in homestays can lead to onward travel plans, hidden spots that only locals know, and real, long-lasting friendships!

Homestay vs Airbnb & Hotels: Homestay Advantages and Disadvantages

As with everything, there are definitely advantages AND disadvantages to staying in a homestay. 

Sure, Hotels and (private) Airbnbs might be able to provide you with more privacy and luxury. But they’ll never be able to compete with homestays when it comes to real, immersive travel experiences.

But while I like to think the positives of homestays far outweigh the negatives, here are some realities to be aware of before you book homes from local hosts.

• Cultural immersion like no other
• Homecooked meals
• Ability to make long-lasting friendships
• Getting to go to local spots you wouldn’t know about otherwise
• Usually budget-friendly or even free
• Language learning
• Little to no privacy
• Homestay families may set rules or curfews
• Some working homestays might require a lot from you
• Possible safety concerns
• Homestays aren’t available everywhere
• A host can cancel last minute

If you’re traveling in a country like Pakistan or India, finding a host family can literally be as simple as stepping outside or hopping on a local bus. Seriously, it’s happened to me dozens of times by now!

But for more traditional locales, using one of the following websites is surely the best way to find your homestay.

The Best Homestay Websites

The way you find your host family will be as unique as the stay itself as there are a LOT of different ways to discover homestays these days. “Official” local homestays are often listed on popular booking sites. However be extremely nitpicky with these, as it’s not unheard of for regular hotels to call themselves homestays these days.

Homestay.com

There’s also Homestay.com . This site functions very much like Couchsurfing, but for nightly rates instead of just a yearly fee. Homestay.com states that it has “over 33,000 homes in 176 countries” so there’s certainly a hefty dose of variety there.

Like Couchsurfing, Homestay.com has reviews available for each host and a full description of where and with whom you’ll be staying.

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is perhaps one of the best homestay websites to find “real” host families. For just $14 a year, you have full access to the platform, which can connect you with locals and their homes all over the globe.

Couchsurfers can be found all over the globe. And while you might have to stay on an actual couch, many hosts have separate private rooms for surfers.

What makes the platform so great is that it breeds authenticity. Hosts are not paid for accommodating travelers, so you can be sure that anyone on the platform is genuinely looking to make friends. Plus it’s a platform with slow travelers in mind. I once stayed with a host for over a month!

It’s important to note that “real” Couchsurfing is not possible everywhere. In most American and Western European cities, it’s become more of a hookup service instead of a form of cultural immersion. Couchsurfing is definitely at its best in offbeat travel destinations . 

Volunteering at Homestays

Worldpackers, Workaway, and WWOOF are the world’s most popular ways to find working homestay options.

These gigs tend to be semi-long-term, and usually include free food as well. Altogether, the 3 sites have such a wide variety of jobs to choose from that virtually any traveler will be able to find something appealing.

Booking.com

While primarily for finding hotels, you can also find traditional local homestays with signs and designated spaces for travelers on Booking.com. 

Make sure to read the reviews very carefully to ensure that the listing is ACTUALLY a homestay. Keep in mind that there are many destinations where you won’t be able to find any at all. In that case, Couchsurfing should be able to come in handy. 

Airbnb is unique in the travel accommodation game. And it’s yet ANOTHER way to find a homestay. “Private” and “Shared” room options sometimes mean you’ll be sharing the space with locals. You still have to carefully read reviews though–not all listings in these categories provide the type of stay you’re likely seeking.

Good, old-fashioned word of mouth is another way to find kick-ass homestays. The best homestay I’ve ever experienced was mentioned in casual conversation by another traveler. 

Types of Homestay Accommodation

No two homestays are the same, but there are definitely distinct categories of home stays you should be aware of. These days you’ll also find platforms like Fairbnb that are supporting social projects and local communities. Let’s get into it:

Ever heard of Worldpackers, Workaway, or WWOOF? If so, you know where I’m going with this. But in case not: let me explain. These three platforms connect travelers with jobs all over the world.

The set-up is simple: travelers get free food and accommodation in exchange for working an agreed-upon job. This type of homestay ensures you still get the local accommodation experience. It also helps you to contribute to a local project at the same time.

Local homestays can often be found on hotel booking sites . Most commonly function either as an addition or a guest room on someone’s property. The key difference between a homestay and a hotel is the home element. While a budget guesthouse might also be run by a local family, a homestay means you will undoubtedly get to spend some or all of your stay in a place where a family actually lives.

The original homestay was literally finding a host off the street, usually via invite. This still happens in numerous countries today and I’ve had incredible experiences with hosts in India and Pakistan in particular.

Finding random hosts is undoubtedly the most “authentic” type of homestay experience if we’re being honest. Although that doesn’t mean all the other types of homestays aren’t also awesome.

Aside from finding random host families, you can also try Couchsurfing, which is a (mostly) free platform. It recently began charging a $14 annual membership fee, but the nights with your host abroad are completely free. Couchsurfing is still one of the easiest ways to stay with locals around the world, and you can do it pretty much everywhere.

Personally, this is my least favorite type of homestay and the only one on this list I do NOT recommend trying. While homestays traditionally cater to backpackers, more and more bougie “eco-lodges.”

Unless this is what you’re interested in, make sure you read ALL reviews to ensure they’re not just borrowing the word ‘homestay’. It’s also a fairly solid rule that genuine homestay experiences are under $20 a night, often with food included. If you see a rate above that, be very skeptical!

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So you can book an Airbnb practically anywhere in the world. And you can live the hostel life almost everywhere. But local homestays (not working ones, which can also be found pretty much anywhere) are best experienced in a select few regions. 

Asia, in particular, is the Queen of Homestay accommodation. Though you can find hosts on other continents, too. 

Thailand is one of the best destinations to experience “official” local homestays. As I mentioned, these types of homestays can often be booked online, and usually include a private room for guests to stay in.

As Thailand is one of the most popular backpacking destinations in the world, its tourism industry is quite developed and homestays are not hard to find! You can also find various working homestay projects to get involved in all over the country. 

Another iconic South Asian locale, Nepal is filled with friendly people and unique traditions that are best experienced inside of a home! The “trekker’s paradise” has dozens of registered homestays all over the country, with additional options on Airbnb and Couchsurfing.

To make the most of your experience at a Nepal homestay, look for homes in remote areas that might be difficult to stay in or access otherwise. 

It doesn’t get much easier than this to find a host family. I’ve stayed with locals while backpacking in Pakistan through random encounters, Couchsurfing, official listings, and even friends (or family) of friends. Heavy on the random encounters though!

Pakistanis are extremely hospitable to tourists, and this is the number one characteristic of a good homestay destination. 

The mountainous regions of Chitral and Gilgit Baltistan have some fantastic local homestays to choose from. My favorite is the Tourist Garden Inn in Mastuj. It’s a separate portion of a family’s home and has been helping adventurous backpackers since the ‘90s. 

Since it’s so easy to meet Pakistanis, and so many speak English, receiving an invite from a kind stranger is all but a guarantee. 

484 pages with cities, towns, parks, and ALL the out-of-the-way places you will WANT to know. If you truly want to discover Pakistan , download this PDF .

India is filled with the aforementioned local homestay option. You can find particularly great ones in scenic areas like Himachal Pradesh and Kerala, the breathtaking Southern state dubbed “God’s Own Country.”

Like its neighbor Pakistan, you can expect to find breathtaking hospitality in India, which makes it yet another top pick for completely random homestays. India also has a thriving Couchsurfing scene. I’ve personally stayed with surfers in numerous cities throughout the country, and each experience highly, highly beat out what I could have found in nearby hotels.

If you plan on backpacking India , you should deffs at least download the Couchsurfing app. Look for places on booking sites that include the word “homestay,” and BE SURE they have descriptions and reviews that can confirm.

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Each homestay is just as unique as those who run it. But here are some common amenities that make homestays so special–and so different from hotels!

• Homecooked food – One of my favorite things about homestays is that they almost ALWAYS serve homecooked food! Whether or not the food is included in the nightly rate depends on each specific host, but you can almost guarantee you’ll be eating straight from your host’s kitchen!
• Cultural immersion – Why choose a homestay over a hotel? If no other reason appeals to you, allow cultural immersion to be that reason. Homestays allow you to connect with locals in ways you would never be able to in other options. They give you a chance to see how locals really live, and provide insights into traditions and cultures you can only get inside a real home.
• Space to chill – Homestays often mean amazing outdoor spaces. From massive gardens to surreal mountain views, to cool rooftop spots, hosts I’ve stayed with have had it all and more. Unlike hotels that often have no “chill space,” homestays have a knack for keeping open areas inviting and often trendy, too! 
• Affordable rates – While some commercialized homestays might not be budget-friendly, authentic homes are often priced with budget backpackers in mind. Some platforms like Couchsurfing are completely free! Homestays sometimes include at least one meal or extras like tea in the nightly rate, which is another benefit over hotels. 
• Daytrips – One of my favorite trips while traveling was only made possible thanks to the amazing hosts of the homestay I was staying at. They helped me arrange travel to a very remote region while traveling in Pakistan and connected me with more homes to stay in deeper in the valley. Homestay hosts are also known to show travelers around or offer trips to more difficult-to-reach locales. At the very least, your host can certainly help you plan onward travel!
• Real friendships! – Due to their intimate nature, homestays should be your go-to if you’re looking to make genuine local connections. Whether they’re a Couchsurfing host or an owner of an established homestay business, don’t count out your host becoming a legit friend.

While homestay-ing is generally safe, there’s obviously a difference between staying with a random family you met on the street and a registered homestay house. Solo female travelers in particular will want to forego staying with single men for the most part, unless they have a plethora of positive reviews from other women.

To have the safest homestay experience possible, only stay with hosts who have great feedback. Ignore those on Couchsurfing especially with little to no feedback.

Of course, the ultimate travel safety tip: go with your gut. Even if a place has a million positive reviews, if you arrive at a homestay and feel unsafe or uncomfy in any way, get out! You won’t have to see the person again, and safety is always more important than saving face.

Staying Safe at Homestays

Whether you’re heading to an official homestay that’s been stayed in thousands of times, or taking a chance on a completely random family, you’re going to want to protect yourself (and your wallet) from any potential mishaps. Regardless of which country you’ll be exploring, or how long you’ll be there, it’s always a stellar idea to have some good travel insurance !

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After spending many incredible nights in various homestays all over the world, I’ve found there are a few things you absolutely SHOULD do before staying with locals while traveling.

• Read ALL reviews! – Not all homestays have an online presence. For those that do, you’re definitely going to get real familiar with the review section. This is especially important if you’re traveling without a travel buddy .
• Note the location – Staying with a host family on the outskirts of a city can still make for a great time, but it can also hinder your experience as well if there isn’t any transportation. Of course, this doesn’t really apply to rural areas, where the goal is to be far away from civilization!
• Get recommendations from other travelers – Online booking sites have revolutionized the travel industry, and they’re super useful for finding homestays. But some of the best homestays I’ve had the pleasure of spending time in weren’t found online, but rather in conversation with fellow backpackers. Facebook groups about your destination are great places to start when you’re planning your trip . 
• Know what you’re getting into – Each and every homestay is different. Some might give you a private room. Some may be home to children, and still others might have plenty of cuddly animals running around. For the most rewarding experience, make sure you’re choosing a host who fits your travel style!
• Take advantage of every opportunity! – The whole point of a homestay is to fully immerse yourself into a brand new culture, while hopefully making some friends along the way. Spend as much time as you can in shared spaces, try all the food, and if a host invites you on an outing–go go go! 

Work and Stay With Locals Through Worldpackers!

If you’re looking for a more long-term homestay situation, then look no further than Worldpackers! I’ve already mentioned the concept of working homestays. 

Here at The Broke Backpacker, it’s our number one choice for volunteering abroad . In exchange for accommodation, food, and real cultural immersion of course!

Worldpackers connects travelers with local hosts and projects all over the world and has unique community features that beat out all competitors. 

Alternatively, Workaway is another fantastic platform for finding working homestays abroad.

Worldpackers: connecting travellers with  meaningful travel experiences.

What is a homestay?

Homestay accommodation is when you stay in a local home. It, therefore, becomes a cultural experience too. A homestay can take many forms, and may or may not be free.

What is a host family?

A host family is the family that owns the home or runs the homestay you’ll be staying in. This may be a large family, a couple, or a single person.

How is a homestay different from a regular hotel?

While you might still have your own private room in a homestay, unlike a hotel, a homestay is either attached to or in someone’s home. You’ll get to have home-cooked meals and have unique local experience and knowledge you won’t find from hotels, where workers are often not even locals.

Can you live in a homestay?

If you find a homestay you really like, you can certainly stay there as long as you’re allowed to stay in the country. Working homestays also provide a more long-term live-in experience.

What kinds of homes can you stay in?

Homestays come in all shapes and sizes. You can find homestays in the forms of mansions, shared rooms, and everything in between.

Homestays aren’t just a place to rest your head at night. They’re a place to truly get to know the people and the place you’re visiting in ways that could never happen from a hotel room. 

In 2019, I found a homestay in the nether regions of Pakistan’s Chitral district. What I thought would just be a short stay turned into an entire adventure with my host, along with a follow-up visit more than two years later. Now that’s the magic of homestays .

On yet another occasion, I ended up spending a total of 6 weeks with a host I met from Couchsurfing, which allowed me to experience some truly epic Pakistani festivals that I never would have known about otherwise. 

It’s for these exact reasons why homestays are so sweet. At their best, they allow you to genuinely connect with locals, and take part in aspects of their lives that hotels shield you from. Discovering amazing homes, and making lifelong friendships within them, have made for some of my favorite experiences on the road.

As great as hostels, traditional hotels, and private Airbnbs can be, they can’t quite beat out a killer homestay. Because if you do it right, a homestay can easily become a second home and the people who run it can turn into a second family. 

Now what are you waiting for?

Get out there and find an amazing homestay today! And don’t forget to be present once you get there. There’s so much to see and learn!

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Samantha Shea

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I just experienced homestaying in the north region of Pakistan, i.e. Swat, Chitral, Gilgit, Hunza and Skardu and i have gathered heaps of experiences, tastes all traditional cuisines, made so many meaningful connections with people, land and culture. I am going to adapt it as my travel-style onwards. thanks for very kind words about Pakistani hospitality, it’s true worth-experiencing

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Homestays and Farmstays: A Traveler’s Guide

Sarah Schlichter

Deputy Executive Editor Sarah Schlichter's idea of a perfect trip includes spotting exotic animals, hiking through pristine landscapes, exploring new neighborhoods on foot, and soaking up as much art as she can. She often attempts to recreate recipes from her international travels after she gets home (which has twice resulted in accidental kitchen fires—no humans or animals were harmed).

Sarah joined the SmarterTravel team in 2017 after more than a decade at the helm of IndependentTraveler.com. Sarah's practical travel advice has been featured in dozens of news outlets including the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Budget Travel, and Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio. Follow her on Twitter @TravelEditor .

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A journal. Even years later, reading my notes from a trip can bring back incredibly vivid memories."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Road tripping and hiking through the rugged mountains of Patagonia."

Travel Motto: "'To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.'—Freya Stark"

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle. I get restless on long flights and like to be able to move around without disturbing anyone else."

Email Sarah at [email protected] .

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Imagine waking up to the sound of a rooster on a farm in New Zealand, or sitting around a kitchen table with a Tuscan family to enjoy a homemade Italian meal. Sound appealing? If you’re sick of sterile hotel rooms and you’d like to get a closer look at the local culture on your next trip, you may want to consider a homestay or farmstay.

Staying on a working farm or in the home of a local family can offer an intimate glimpse of what life is truly like in another country. It can also be an inexpensive (or even free) way to travel. But homestays and farmstays aren’t for everyone — so it’s important to know what to expect before you show up at a stranger’s front door. Read on for tips, Web resources and more information to help you plan your own homestay or farmstay.

What’s a Homestay?

A typical homestay involves living with a local family (often for a nominal nightly or weekly fee) and experiencing its customs, cuisine and way of life first-hand. Homestays are most common among young people studying or working abroad, but they’re open to any type of traveler.

Homestays vary widely — in some cases you’ll be very involved in the life of your host family, sharing meals and attending family events, while in other cases you may simply get your own room and be left to come and go as you please. When planning your homestay, find out how much (or how little) interaction you’ll have with your host family ahead of time to make sure you know what to expect.

What’s a Farmstay?

Also known as agritourism or agriturismo, farmstays can encompass a range of accommodations from rural bed and breakfasts to working ranches and cattle farms. Some farmstays are quite luxurious, with spacious rooms and homemade breakfasts each morning; in this sort of accommodation, your closest contact with the farm itself may be a leisurely stroll across a rolling pasture. Other farmstays offer more hands-on activities, which could include learning about the workings of a vineyard or even pitching in to help with milking cows and feeding livestock.

Farmstays are most popular in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

If you’re looking to interact with locals in the country you’re visiting, a homestay or farmstay offers an unbeatable opportunity for cross-cultural exchange. While living with a family for a few nights or a few weeks, you can practice a new language, learn to cook traditional dishes, get the inside scoop on local politics or see a neighborhood through the eyes of someone who lives there.

Many people who have done homestays discover that by the time they leave, they feel less like a guest and more like a member of the family. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself keeping in touch with your hosts long after you head back home.

For travelers on a budget, homestays and farmstays can be a real bargain over hotels and other types of accommodation, particularly for long-term travel. Many hosts choose to have guests in their home not only to supplement their income but also because they simply enjoy meeting travelers from around the world; profit is often not their primary motive (and some hosts make no profit at all). Also, at a homestay or farmstay there’s no built-in cost for extras such as swimming pools, gyms, business centers and other common hotel amenities. Many homestays cost as little as $10 to $15 a night per person — and if you join a homestay membership club or hospitality exchange, you could even stay for free.

Disadvantages

Homestays and farmstays aren’t right for everyone. If you appreciate the privacy, personal space and anonymity of a hotel, you may feel claustrophobic in a small home where you have to share a bathroom with five or six other people.

When you choose a homestay, you are choosing to be a guest in someone’s home and to abide by a set of house rules that may not match your own. That might mean limiting your showers to less than 10 minutes, helping with cleaning or cooking, sharing the television or computer, or keeping quiet after certain hours. Be prepared for less personal space and less freedom than you’re used to at home.

Also, keep in mind that some homestays may have a required minimum length of stay. ( HomestayAgency.com , for instance, has a two-week minimum stay.)

Of course, living in close quarters with others may occasionally lead to personality conflicts, particularly during longer stays. Discovering that you don’t get along with one of your hosts when you still have a two-month homestay ahead of you can be a traveler’s worst nightmare. Many homestay agencies will help you change accommodations in the case of a major mismatch — but ask ahead of time to be sure.

Homestay and Farmstay Tips

Before you arrive for your stay, send an email or letter to your hosts and introduce yourself. Tell them a bit about who you are and where you’re from. If you have any food allergies or other special needs, make sure to mention those as well. Establishing a relationship with your hosts before your stay will help ease the transition once you arrive.

If you don’t speak the language of the country you’re visiting, try to learn a few key phrases before you arrive — it will help you communicate better with your hosts, and they’ll appreciate your effort to reach out to them.

Bring a thank-you gift for your hosts. Ideas to consider include food items, postcards or souvenirs from your home town. Keep in mind that wine and other alcoholic beverages may not be appropriate gifts in certain cultures.

As soon as you arrive (or better yet, beforehand), discuss any ground rules for television or Wi-Fi use, curfews, meals and other aspects of your stay. Do quiet hours apply at a certain time of night once family members have gone to bed? Will you be responsible for cooking your own meals or will you be eating some meals with your hosts? What chores, if any, will you be expected to help with?

Use your hosts’ resources sparingly. Water, electricity and Internet bandwidth are in short supply in many parts of the world.

Attune yourself to the local customs and try to fit in as best you can. Some adjustments may be simple, like remembering to take off your shoes as soon as you enter the house. But other cultural differences may be more difficult to adapt to, such as gender roles that are less egalitarian than you’re used to at home. Use your homestay as an opportunity to learn more about local practices and perhaps discuss them (in a respectful way) with your hosts. For more help, see our tips for dealing with culture shock .

Communicate, communicate, communicate. Going out for the day? Tell your hosts about your plans so they know whether to save a place for you at dinner. Confused about one of the house rules? Ask for clarification. Keeping the lines of communication open will make for a smoother stay.

Take advantage of your host family’s local knowledge. Go beyond your guidebook and ask them for recommendations about what to see in the area. If you’re lucky, they may even give you a personal tour.

At the end of your stay, consider leaving your host family a memento — perhaps a photo of yourself with them. And be sure to write a thank-you message after you return home.

Arranging a Homestay or Farmstay: Resources and Links

While there are a few worldwide databases of homestays and farmstays (see below), often your best bet is to do an Internet search for stays in your destination; many homestay and farmstay resources are specific to a particular country or region.

Another good bet is to visit the website of the local tourist board. Typically these sites have a database of accommodations that include homestays and farmstays. If you don’t see the type of listings you’re looking for, give the tourist board a call and ask if they’re familiar with any homestay or farmstay resources in the area.

Before booking any homestay or farmstay, ask for references from travelers who have stayed there before. Be sure you understand exactly what type of stay you’re signing up for — if things like hot showers or Internet access are important to you, ask whether they’ll be available. Read any contracts carefully before signing and check to see what recourse you have if you need to find a new host due to personality conflicts or other issues.

Homestay Resources

Airbnb.com : Private and shared rooms for rent around the world CouchSurfing.com : Worldwide network of hosts offering their couches for visiting travelers GayHomestays.com : LGBT-friendly rooms in popular destinations GlobalFreeloaders.com : Free homestay accommodations around the world GoHomestay.com : Homestay listings around the world Homestay.com : Homestay listings around the world HomestayAgency.com : Homestay listings around the world HomestayIn.com : Long- and short-term homestays around the world Hospex.net : Members offer homestays around the world (paid membership) Servas.org : The oldest homestay organization with members around the world (paid membership) WomenWelcomeWomen.org.uk : Homestays for women (paid membership)

Farmstay Resources

AgritourismWorld.com : Farmstays around the U.S. Farmstay.co.uk : Farmstays in the U.K. Farmstay.co.za : Farmstays in South Africa FarmStayUS.com : Farmstays in the United States IrishFarmHolidays.com : Farmhouse accommodations in Ireland TrueNZ.co.nz/farmstays : Farmstays in New Zealand WWOOF.pl : Staying and working on organic farms around the world

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Homestays: Finding Comfort in a Stranger’s Home

From a Peruvian mud-brick house to a wooden longhouse in Borneo, travelers are rediscovering the intimate thrill of a homestay.

By Alex Schechter

While planning a trip to Peru last July, Brian Twite and his girlfriend, Constance Hansen, decided to skip hotels and stay with a host family. At $35 a night, the accommodation in the Santiago district of Cusco was a bargain. But the warmth of their host mother, a 65-year-old widow named Marie, won them over.

“We’d wake up and she’d yell, ‘Chicos!’, calling us for breakfast down the hall,” said Mr. Twite, a Chicagoan who works in manufacturing logistics.

After a long day of sightseeing in the Sacred Valley, Mr. Twite, 32, said he was grateful to come home and share highlights of his day with Marie and her son, Jonathan. “You sit down to a meal and talk about your day. They asked us, ‘What did you do? Where did you go?’ That was really magical, because you don’t get that with a hotel.”

As travelers’ appetites move toward wanting more intimate, locally driven and nongeneric experiences in recent years, homestays — traditionally the fallback for backpackers and foreign exchange students — are emerging in a new light.

“It’s the best way to get a feel for the place you’re visiting,” said Cliff Carruthers, a retired urban planner in York, England, who booked a homestay in Pakistan last month.

At London-based Wild Frontiers , a luxury tour planner, the founder, Jonny Bealby, says 80 percent of his tours today include at least some kind of homestay. In some cases, popular itineraries have been revised to include a homestay; a walking tour of Palestine that’s been offered since 2013, for example, now features a village stay in Sanur.

“It’s being driven by the customer,” Mr. Bealby said, noting that travelers from London, Boston and New York seem willing to forgo the conveniences of a plush hotel every night. “What they want to do is connect.”

How to Travel Like a Local

Vacations are great and being a tourist is fine. But what if you want to go deeper? We’ll show you how to experience a place like the locals do.

“It absolutely takes a bit of trust,” said Yvonne Finlay, the managing director at Homestay.com , which launched in 2013 and now operates in 142 countries. “Effectively, you’re coming into this person’s home. So there needs to be that element of respect.”

Homestays also have a practical appeal. With Cuba’s limited hotel inventory, homestays are often the best option. One boutique travel company, Pelorus , pairs guests with specific hosts and neighborhoods, depending on their interests — food, music or retracing family roots. “Homestays allow us to be more flexible,” Jimmy Carroll, the company’s co-founder, said.

Of course, there is also the benefit of going further off the grid.

Iya Romantei , a rustic 1950s cabin with tatami floors and firewood stacked outside the front door, is a hotel in Japan’s Iya Valley, an ancient forested landscape six hours from Tokyo. It’s also the home of Yasuki Shinomiya. Inside, guests sleep on futon mats and gather around the sunken irori hearth for home-cooked meals. Favorite activities include raiding the “sake shrine” (a comprehensive collection with more than 300 bottles) and soaking in the outdoor goemonburo (coal-fired hot tub) while enjoying plunging views of the surrounding mountains.

Since 2012, more than 30 nationalities have logged entries in Mr. Shinomiya’s guest book, and guests range in age from 2 to 80. An Australian woman came recently, he said, after booking one night at a fancy hotel in Tokyo. The reason for the detour? “She wanted to feel nature.”

On a trip to Granada in October, 30-year-old Jeanne Volomi chose a particular homestay because the owner had a son the same age as her own. “He got language immersion and a roomful of toys to play with. It was pretty ideal,” said Ms. Volomi, who lives in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Toys weren’t the only draw: the two-story house was tucked in the quiet Albayzin district, with plenty of space and a patio overlooking the entire city. Before booking, Ms. Volomi asked the homeowner to send her a short video of herself walking through the house, which she did.

“I feel like people are looking for safety,” Ms. Volomi said.

In June, Wild Frontiers created an itinerary that whisks travelers off to a remote corner of the Altai Mountains in southern Siberia. During the 11-day “Altai Adventure” tour, guests spend the night in basic pine huts alongside their host, a 42-year-old Altaian wolf hunter named Valerii Orgunov. (Meals are served in a separate felt yurt that once belonged to Valerii’s grandparents.)

“This place is very remote, even for Russians,” Mr. Orgunov said. With its undulating plains, ice-preserved kurgans (burial sites) and rare wildlife, the region, known as Shaman’s Valley, is a photographer’s dream. But without basic amenities like electricity, shops and internet, it’s tough for leisure travelers to navigate alone.

Perhaps what is drawing travelers to this domestic tourism is a sense of hope. More than anything, homestays offer a rare bridge between cultures in a world that feels increasingly divided. It is still possible to enter a stranger’s home and find unmeasured kindness and generosity on the other side of the door.

52 PLACES AND MUCH, MUCH MORE Follow our 52 Places traveler, Sebastian Modak, on Instagram as he travels the world , and discover more Travel coverage by following us on Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter : Each week you’ll receive tips on traveling smarter, stories on hot destinations and access to photos from all over the world.

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7 tips for a successful shared homestay experience

Mar 11, 2013 • 5 min read

You’re staying in someone’s home you don’t know on a trip. Naturally that means you walk around in your underwear, fart, make a mess in the kitchen, throw used towels on the bathroom floor and hog the TV remote. Right?

Of course not. But this picture isn’t as rare as it sounds. Now that more travelelrs are opting out of the lonely and often pricier hotels and checking into shared and social homestays found via booking sites like Airbnb , Tripping , HomeAway or Onefinestay , some travelers are bringing in hotel-like expectations - and bad behaviours - into homes.

You've paid for the room, but these are homes not dorms or hotels. Here’s a handful of etiquette tips put together with help from real-life hosts and my numerous experiences as a homestay guest.

1. Fill out your profile first

Some first-timers try to test out a site by contacting hosts first. But no one wants you to stay in their home if they have no idea who you are. ‘You’re trying to check us out, but we’re checking you out too,’ explains Rebecca, who rents out a spare bedroom in her red-brick St Louis townhouse .

Before contacting anyone, fill out your profile with a photo and accurate contact info. Treat first inquiries a bit like a job interview. Once you have a few good reviews – yes, on Airbnb hosts review guests too – it becomes more automatic to be accepted.

2. Read details and comments before contacting

Most hosts leave detailed descriptions about their home or apartment – that is, if the bed’s a futon, the bathroom’s private, if there’s wi-fi or TV or a cat named Freddie, how much extra it will cost for additional people. Read the entries first, along with past guests’ comments, before asking a potential host what could be redundant questions. It saves everyone time, and it can give the impression you’d be careless if you ask questions for things already answered.

3. But ask questions before reserving

If you do have questions, all hosts want to hear them before you click ‘reserve’ – no host or guest wants a wrong fit. If you’re trying a homestay for the first time, be sure it’s really what you want. One San Francisco host, who rents out a private floor of her Noe Valley home (and chose to remain anonymous) said ‘some people really just want all the services a hotel offers – they should probably stay at a hotel then.’

4. Be friendly, but respect a host's privacy too

Most hosts see the social interaction with guests from around the world as the top reason they offer rooms for accommodation. But just because you’re staying there doesn’t mean you have to be best chums 24/7. Rebecca in St Louis says she always gauges what the guest wants, but finds even first-timers find they ‘enjoy the interaction more than they expected.’

Being overly social can be a problem on occasion, says Sari, who rents a couple rooms out of a Philadelphia townhouse . ‘Life still happens when you’re in our homes. So if you see someone look stressed or busy, it’s not the best time to start a 20-minute conversation about cheese steaks!’

5. Don't monopolize common areas

Generally it’s up to a host to make it clear whether a kitchen or TV room is available for you to use or not; if you’re not sure, ask first. But just because one is open, don’t camp out in a living room all day, or take over a kitchen for hours either.

Shawn, who rents out a few rooms in his house in the Alberta Arts district in Portland, Oregon , calls such guests ‘heavy house users.’ He’s pretty flexible about it though. ‘It’s fine as long as the guest is sensitive to the idea that sometimes it’s nice to let others use on their own too, if only for an hour.’

Not everyone is a laid back as Shawn. So if you’re hoping to watch Monday Night Football and need the telly for a few hours, it’s polite to ask first.

6. Be open to personal differences

If you stay in a hotel, you don’t have to worry about a concierge’s political interests – or whether they eat raw meat, or insist that cats are smarter than dogs. But in someone’s home, you have to expect not everyone thinks the way you do. I’ve stayed at a home with a Tea Party flag out front, another where I was hosted by a 60-something post-hippie in a Che Guevara shirt. Both turned out to be equally good experiences. ‘Not everyone has the same beliefs, but it’s never been an issue,’ the San Francisco homeowner said.

7. Leave honest feedback

The whole trust between host and guest breaks down if we don't leave honest, constructive reviews. If you don't like a sofa pattern, ease up. But if you found a place dirty, or a shower without hot water, or the description didn't match the experience, it benefits everyone to give honest feedback - even if you are fond of the hosts.

I've stayed in a variety of places - a House Beautiful -worthy home north of San Francisco that required a car to get to, and a cramped, loud (but clean) Midtown apartment near Times Square. I liked both. Not everyone would. So I try to review them as I would for a Lonely Planet guidebook. The luxurious one is more remote, but great for someone with a car and an interest in the outdoors, while the central apartment is a real dose of urban life. There was no common space. Just a bed in a good place. Some people won't be comfortable there.

Also check out:

• Travel etiquette 101: rules for house guests and hosts
• How to travel with friends and not want to kill them

Robert Reid is Lonely Planet's US Travel Editor and frequently uses homestays around the world

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How a homestay became the highlight of my trip to Morocco

The word homestay felt both exhilarating and harrowing as it rolled off my tongue. As a first time traveller I experienced a wide range of emotions in the days leading up to my trip.

So, how did I, a first time adventure seeker, find myself booked on Intrepid Travel’s Morocco Uncovered adventure in the first place? Well, as fate would have it I became close with a colleague in New York with a zest for solo travel. One day after a yoga class we started talking about our summer plans and realized we both had the dream of going to Morocco… only she was an action taker and I was still a dreamer. Jessie had been on several Intrepid tours before so she recommended that we book through them. About a week later it was booked and I was officially going on my first proper adventure!

My family and friends were surprised – and a little concerned – to hear that I was travelling to Morocco. This trip was a big deal. I had gone on “vacation” but never truly travelled like this before. 

I didn’t know how much Morocco would change my life!

I was worried less about my physical safety and more about my ability, as an introvert, to handle this style of travel. I also worried whether people would like me. I knew, from my studies as a history teacher, a fair amount about Berber culture but to be there and to experience it all is a world away from merely reading about it. 

We were a small group of only six people – four young women and an older couple from New Zealand. By the time we got halfway through the trip, I’d made lifelong friends with Jen from Boston and Belinda from Australia. We are in our late twenties and quickly bonded over a love of food, and well, let’s just say our experience at the hammam in Marrakech sealed our bond as forever friends. We are still active in our group chat almost a year later and are in the process of planning a roadtrip across America for next summer!

READ MORE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VISITING A HAMMAM IN MOROCCO

New friends!

So, I felt comfortable as I expressed my apprehension to my new travel friends about the upcoming homestay… After all, staying in someone’s home takes away the safety net I’d just begun to feel…

But I needn’t have worried. The first evening in the homestay I was blown away by the hospitality and the breathtaking, endless Atlas Mountain views. I was surprised by the size of the home, and that Jessie and I had our own room and bathroom. After a night in the Sahara desert, where the heat did not seem to break, the cool breeze and shade was a true blessing. We quickly settled in and felt at ease in the beautiful home of our host family.

READ MORE: TIPS AND ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIME TRAVELLERS TO MOROCCO

In the morning we were up early for breakfast on the terrace, which quickly became my favorite location to find a moment of serenity.

Then we set out for a hike led by a member of the family, Ali. Even our driver, Walid, came with us! Ali had a great sense of humor and instantly everyone was having an incredible time.

I was excited to hike. T he trails were “undulating” and “sensational” just as Intrepid had promised. First we walked through the communal gardens in the Berber villages, smelling the wildflowers as we went. Once out of the gardens we climbed up a bit toward the mountains as we moved into another village.

We had stopped for a break up in this village, leaning against a building for shade when three young children came by. They were a bit shy but couldn’t help their own sense of curiosity. A little girl came to sit next to me and tried to speak to me in French. I don’t speak French, and instantly panicked but luckily Jessie does, so we talked about her beads that she had with her and exchanged names and smiles. The encounter with young Fatima reminded me to approach my travels with an open and curious mind and heart. It was an experience that will forever be with me.

Our next stop was for mint tea – a staple in Morocco – in a Berber home in the village. And as we sat there drinking and using a mixture of English, French, Arabic, Berber and Spanish to communicate I thought to myself that this is truly living. Here I was, thousands of miles from home, in North Africa, experiencing the beauty of a different culture and loving every second of it.

DISCOVER MOROCCO ON A SMALL GROUP TRIP WITH INTREPID TRAVEL

I had trouble finding the words to describe the experience in my travel journal later that day. I knew from that moment on that my soul needed more experiences like this one.

After the hike we spent the most memorable few hours helping to prepare dinner. Learning how to make tagine and bread are one-of-a-kind experiences. Watching the young girls use all of their upper body strength to make the bread in the ovens gave me such an appreciation for the meal that I was about to eat. It was fun to see that the men were in the kitchen, bantering and kidding with each other while doing most of the cooking. 

But, I think for me, the most memorable part of meal prep will always be being out-peeled by a nine-year-old while preparing the carrots and potatoes! In my defense, I was distracted by her all-too-proud father showing me her homework notebooks filled with French!

Later that night we settled on the rooftop to enjoy our delicious homemade meal.

Homestay food is the best food

And then it was time for some entertainment. The family put together a beautiful presentation – traditional Berber clothing, drumming, and they even taught us some ritual dances! The dancers wore long, simple white garments and the women had on colorful hair pieces. They danced in a line, the men and women separate but facing each other. It was explained that this was the dance where you would try to line up facing the person you were interested in marrying.

To make the night even more magical, a group of female dancers from Israel happened to be dining with us! These women oozed a sensuality that is difficult to capture in words. In moments, the women had changed into their dancing costumes and had turned on some of their music, playing from a small boombox they had brought with them. The Berber music came from drums and felt very rhythmic; the Israeli music included more instruments and seemed to tell a story.

From there the night began to feel like a dream. The Israeli dancers joined in on our dancing and suddenly we were all a blur of traditional Berber dance, Israeli hip swiveling, and American and Australian swaying. The hugging, teaching, and laughing created an instant sense of empowerment. Dancing with these women of multiple cultures on a rooftop in a foreign country is one that will always be with me.

EXPERIENCE THIS INCREDIBLE HOMESTAY ON INTREPID’S MOROCCO UNCOVERED TRIP

The beautiful rooftop in the daytime

When the night was over I walked back to my room with Jessie and cried as we talked about how beautiful our experience had just been. In a world that can perpetuate so much hatred and exacerbate differences, here we were women from all over the world laughing and dancing together as one – regardless of religion or nationality. And that is exactly what the world needs more of.

My experience at the homestay and on the trip was so much more than what was articulated in the itinerary. I could never have predicted the bonds I would make with fellow travellers, the friendships cultivated with our guide and driver, and  the chance meetings with locals along the way.

And the trip even brought my teaching to life in a profound and positive way.  I was able to relive the joys of my adventures with my students.

And what an incredible adventure it was.

Ready to have the adventure of your life with a Morocco homestay? Check out Intrepid’s range of small group tours there.

(Image credits from top to bottom: Stacy Jacobs x4, Intrepid Travel x2, Stacy Jacobs.)

Feeling inspired?

Stacy Jacobs

Stacy is a history teacher from New York who cracked open the world of travel by jumping in head first. She has been enamored by her new relationship with the world and filled with gratitude for the experiences she has been afforded. She is looking forward to a lifetime of traveling, teaching, and collecting experiences that light up her soul. Follow her on Instagram @ohayworld

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Transforming Our Inner & Outer Worlds Through Travel

The beginners guide to staying in a homestay abroad.

Some of the most magical experiences you can have whilst travelling are when you participate in a homestay, or stay with a host family abroad. Not only do you feel completely immersed into a culture, you also get a sense of nostalgic hospitality, the kind you feel when you’re at home.

Homestays are becoming an increasingly popular option for travellers for a few reasons. One being the raw exchange of culture, tradition and language and two being the opportunity to contribute to sustainable development, in many cases for marginalised communities.  Homestays are popular amongst responsible travellers because they know their money is making a difference to the lives of others.

Whether you’re joining a homestay for the former or latter reason here is a guide to get you started –

Prepare for your trip

Preparing for any trip is important, especially when you’re participating in a homestay as you’re essentially a guest in someone’s home. Research the place you are going to stay, research what is provided in the homestay. Don’t expect to find the same amenities as a hotel, this is certainly not the case.

Many homestay programs will provide a detailed description of what is available online on their website, and if you can’t find the information you need to email or phone the program coordinator before you arrive. The last thing you want is to show up unprepared.

Understand the culture

Understanding the culture is important because all cultures are different. They have different traditions, different rules and different ideas about what is acceptable behaviour and what is not so acceptable.

If you are staying in a religious home research if you may need to adhere to a dress code or a certain routine. If you are in a home that is vegetarian understand that you may need to change your diet for a few days. Be open to the fact that your homestay might have different cultures and customs than you’re used to. This is all part of the experience and your host family is here to share these with you.

      A post shared by The Altruistic Traveller (@thealtruistictraveller) on May 6, 2017 at 5:53am PDT  

Leave your comfort zone behind

I’ve too often seen disappointed travellers leaving a homestay because they didn’t feel it was comfortable enough, or not what they are used to back home. Homestays are not hotels. They are a place where you live like the locals live.

In this case it might mean squat toilets instead of western toilets, bucket showers instead of head showers. There might be a few geckos in the room and your mattress might not be so soft, but when you put all these aside it’s the experience that truly matters. It’s the opportunity to live for a few days in a completely new environment, developing empathy and understanding towards a different way of life. So leave your comfort zone behind, even if only for a night and experience life in someone else’s shoes.

Communicate with the family

Language barriers can be difficult when participating in a homestay but it’s important to try and communicate as much as possible with your host. It’s a great way to learn the language and to help the host to learn your language as well.

Many homestay programs have helped communities significantly improve their English and given them the confidence to communicate with travellers from around the world. This confidence shows in their every day lives as many of the hosts have had little education, so being able to speak to you is a huge achievement for them.

Leave a review

It’s easy to forget the impact we can make when we take a short time to leave a review of our experience. Our reviews are really one of the small things we can leave for the next person who chooses to partake in this experience and it also has huge benefits for our hosts.

We’re a little accustomed to leaving reviews only when something is wrong, complaining about a bad experience. We should also be leaving reviews when something is right, or even just for the sake of your host and their opportunity to have more visitors, which in turn is more income generating for them.

So as a gesture of appreciation, if you felt your time spent with your host was nothing short of wonderful then leave a review. It will surely help them in the future.

Now you should be on your way to feeling comfortable to partake in a homestay anywhere in the world. Here are some websites you can try that offer homestay experiences worldwide –

Homestay.com *

I-like-local *, lokal travel *, duara travels, communityhomestay.com, philippines homestay.

Read about some of my homestay experiences in various countries –

A Homestay Experience in Sapa, Vietnam

A homestay experience in balicasag island, philippines, a homestay experience in koh yao noi thailand, a homestay experience in manikhel, nepal.

*In the spirit of full disclosure, this is an affiliate link, which means that I may get a commission if you decide to book a homestay through these organisations. I only recommend organisations that I trust to be ethical, so I know you’ll be in good hands.

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[…] Related Article: The Beginners Guide to Staying in a Homestay Abroad […]

[…] Related reading: A beginner’s guide to staying in a Homestay abroad […]

[…] members of the village to earn income from guests travelling here. Villagers earn income through a homestay program, as well as culturally-immersive activities that include basket and scarf weaving, cooking classes […]

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Exploring the World Through Homestays: A Guide To Homestay Travel

Traveling is often seen as a journey of self-discovery and exploration, and accommodation is an important facet of any trip. Not just because it’s your place of rest, but also because it’s a pivotal gateway into your surroundings. 

One of the most immersive ways to maximize your exposure to the culture of your destination is to opt for a homestay.

With homestay travel, you'll be able to immerse yourself in a new culture without feeling like an outsider; stay with locals who will open up their homes and share stories about their life; learn the language better than if you were only visiting for a few days; eat authentic food prepared by someone who knows how it should taste; save money compared to other types of accommodation options; and even have access to unique experiences not available elsewhere.

It’s a unique way to see the world from an entirely new perspective—one that you can’t find staying at your traditional hotels or resorts.

However, even though homestay is becoming a pretty popular way to travel, it can still be pretty daunting to someone who has never done this before. 

So, if you’re new to homestay travel, or looking to expand your horizons on your next travel adventure, let's explore the wonderful world of homestay travel!

What Is Homestay Travel?

For us, traveling and exploring the world is all about the experience. That’s the difference between “traveling” and having a “vacation.” When you take a vacation, you just put your feet up for a few days, whereas travel is about the experience.

A homestay is lodging in a local’s home instead of a hotel, campsite, or hostel.

And by lodging with a local, you get that chance to have those meaningful travel experiences by connecting with people from different backgrounds while being exposed to unfamiliar customs, cultures, and traditions. 

It's all about connecting with locals, exchanging cultures, and living like a local by staying with a host family.

Experiencing local life in another part of the world provides a truly authentic journey and is an incredible way to explore and experience new cultures without feeling like you're just another tourist on vacation. 

And, with homestay traveling, you are able to get off the beaten path and learn more about their destination than you ever could through traditional tourism. You can interact with locals on a deeper level while also learning skills such as cooking or new phrases in their language that will stay with you forever. 

And another benefit is it’s often far cheaper than hotels if you're willing to venture outside your comfort zone a little! 

The real beauty of homestay travel lies in its ability to access authentic cultural experiences which are far removed from what you are used to at home.

Is Homestay Travel Safe?

This is quite a common question we get asked about homestay accommodation. I guess we are so used to this type of travel that we don't really think of it as an issue anymore.

Of course, safety is absolutely paramount when it comes to homestay travel - no one wants to put themselves at risk of danger while on holiday! 

Fortunately, the vast majority of homestays are safe and secure. In fact, they are often safer than staying in a hotel or guest house.

Homestay hosts take great pride in offering their guests a warm welcome and providing them with comfortable, clean accommodation. 

That being said, there are a few steps to take to help you have a better experience once you arrive.

First, familiarize yourself with the local laws and customs before arriving at your destination. Do some preliminary research about key cultural points like gender roles, religious observances, acceptable behavior for visitors, etc., so that you’re not caught off guard or put into any potentially uncomfortable situations. 

Then it’s time to vet possible hosts. When looking for accommodation through online platforms, read reviews carefully before committing to anything. 

Check out their profile page too – do they have pictures? How long have they been hosting? Have they gotten good feedback from previous travelers? Are there restrictions listed in terms of check-in times, noise levels, allowed guests, etc.?

So don't let worries about security ruin your dream vacation – just make sure to research each host and find someone you feel you are comfortable with before booking, and you're good to go.

How To Find A Homestay

If you want to plan your own adventure, how do you go about finding a homestay?

There are plenty of online resources, and many websites provide detailed reviews written by previous travelers who have stayed at various homestays around the world, so you can get a good insight into what to expect before booking.

Here are a few trusted websites we recommend: > Homestay . > Worldpackers .  > WWOOF . > Couchsurfing . 

Another great option is to ask around on travel forums and speak with people who have already been on a homestay trip abroad if they recommend any specific places or services. 

This can be especially helpful when it comes to getting first-hand information since they’ve experienced it themselves.

Benefits Of Homestay A Homestay Experience

Homestay travel offers many unique benefits that make it an attractive way to visit a new place.

For those who are new to this style of travel, here are just some of the benefits of homestay travel.

While the stiff competition amongst hotels drives them toward identical offerings and aesthetic similarity, homestays are refreshingly distinctive. Homes come in all shapes and sizes with differing décor, surrounding ambiance, and great local history.

Immersive Experience

During your stay, you'll likely find yourself living among locals who have been part of their community for generations. 

Gone are the days when traveling was just about hopping from one place to another, taking pictures, and moving on. 

With homestay travel, you can experience a new culture in its entirety - right from the food, language, and customs of the locals up to the nuances of their lifestyle!

Even simply spending time conversing over coffee gives travelers an opportunity to observe how locals interact with each other and learn more about some unique aspects of their lives. 

It's almost like being transported back in time as you discover stories behind certain traditions which may have been forgotten otherwise. 

In turn, not only do you get a chance to witness cultural diversity firsthand but also become aware of important issues faced by communities around us today.

Not only does this give you an understanding of the way others view things differently than you do but also helps build meaningful connections between two people regardless of where they come from.

Personal Attention

Many homestay families are well adjusted to the hosting experienced. 

Unlike alternative accommodation styles, homestays offer a high degree of personalized attention and interaction between the host and guest.

> Get insider tips on the best places to visit and the most delicious local cuisine. > Learn about culture and traditions from someone who has grown up immersed in it. > Spend quality time with locals and gain an understanding of what everyday life looks like for people in the region.

Plus, there’s nothing like being welcomed into someone else’s home with open arms!

Local Knowledge

Nobody knows a country like locals. For an authentic representation of how life is lived in any country, homestays are unrivaled. 

There is no better way to get acquainted with a place than by speaking with those who live there. 

So, talk to your host or other locals: they are likely proud of their hometown and eager to share its secrets. Ask them about where you should go, what's worth seeing, and what could be interesting to check out.

By staying with a host family, you get local information sometimes even the most experienced tour guides don’t know, giving you a chance to discover hidden gems, and learn valuable lessons about the area.

Home Cooking

Restaurants are available to anyone; home-cooked meals are confined to homes. Local home cooking is a gateway into authentic cuisine. 

When looking for homestays, search for ones that include breakfast or dinner options. This will ensure you have access to locally prepared meals as part of your stay and is also another great way to bond with your host.

And many homestays offer genuine local farm to table experiences .

Many hosts are more than happy to share their recipes with visitors, allowing you to take some of their favorite dishes back home.

Homestays are typically much cheaper than hotels (depending on the style of hotel you are accustomed to). 

You can save money while still enjoying all the comforts of home. 

Homestays also provide basic amenities such as towels, linens, and even kitchen appliances at no additional cost. And, this type of accommodation also eliminates hidden costs such as parking fees, housekeeping, or those extortionate Air Bnb cleaning fees.

This makes it easier to explore new places without breaking the bank. 

It also puts your money where it matters most: towards making memories that will last a lifetime!

Friendships

Most importantly, you get to build lasting connections and friendships. Rarely do you get a chance to connect with local people the way you do during a homestay. The relationship is one of mutual respect and admiration and often grows into a friendship.

What Are The Different Types Of Homestay Travel?

There are a few different types of homestay experiences to choose from.

Let's take a look at the more popular options and what each one has to offer.

Traditional Home Stay

Traditional home-stay , where guests stay with local hosts in their own homes and experience daily life as part of the family. This type of accommodation offers an authentic cultural exchange and can be incredibly rewarding – but also quite challenging if language or lifestyle differences exist between host and guest.

Volunteer Home Stay

Volunteer homestays involve staying with local families while volunteering on projects like conservation work or teaching English. These programs usually provide an orientation period prior to placement, giving visitors a chance to get accustomed to the culture before they settle into their new environment. The rewards here can be significant, allowing travelers to make meaningful contributions during their travels and gain an insight into local customs and traditions rarely seen by tourists who only scratch the surface of a destination.

Mutual Exchange Homestay

Mutual exchange homestays , the traveler hosts foreign visitors in return for being hosted themselves by those same visitors when they make their own international trip at some point in time—a fair exchange between cultures!

Work For & Farm Homestays

Work for & farm homestays , basically, you offer to work in exchange for food and lodging. This can be anything from helping with cooking, cleaning, and minding children, to farm work and manual labor.  This type of homestay better suits backpackers or students traveling for a short time, but it can be a great way to meet new people and the volunteer work helps the local communities. So it’s a win-win.

Tips For Communicating With Your Host Family

The key to having a successful homestay experience is to maintain open lines of communication between you and the hosts. 

Here are a few ways to ensure that things run smoothly.

First off, it's important to be mindful of cultural differences; although we all speak the same language, there may be subtle nuances or customs which could lead to misunderstanding if not respected. 

For example, body language might mean something different depending on where you come from. 

Also, it always helps to have a few words and phrases from their native language, as this will show respect for their culture and make them feel more comfortable around you.

It can also help to establish ground rules upfront about how often you'll communicate, what topics are okay (and not okay) to talk about etc., as well as any other expectations each party has of one another. 

This way everyone knows what they should do during the stay and there won't be any surprises down the line.

Avoid assumptions - Don't assume that all families have the same customs as yours. Instead, pay attention to how things are done in their home, then follow suit. If there’s anything you don’t understand about how things work, don't hesitate to ask questions! 

Doing so shows respect and helps build understanding between both parties.

Now that we've got the basics out of the way, it's time to look at making the most of your homestay experience!

Making The Most Of Your Homestay Experience

Here are some tips on getting the most out of your homestay journey.

First, don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone while traveling. 

Your host family will likely show you around town and teach you about local attractions that tourists may not typically visit. 

Take advantage of these opportunities, as they can reveal cultural nuances that otherwise would have gone unnoticed. 

Also, try new foods and take part in helping out with the cooking – this will help foster stronger bonds between you and your hosts.

Finally, remember that communication is key when it comes to enjoying a successful homestay trip. 

Make sure to ask questions about how things work differently from back at home; being curious demonstrates respect for their culture and builds trust within the host family. 

All in all, by making an effort to interact with your host family and embrace everything the destination has to offer, you'll get more out of your homestay than just sightseeing tours alone.

Homestay Travel With Bikehike

While traveling, it is often an advantage to mix it up and dabble with differing styles of accommodation.

If you want to know more about homestay travel, you can get in touch anytime, or take a look at our list of   Adventure holidays . It’s always possible to customize a trip to include homestay. 

We also highly recommend our Vietnam adventure trips , Morocco cycling tours , or Guatemala adventure tour as some of our favourite homestay trips.

Happy Travels,

Trish Sare.

About The Author

• Cultural Travel

City breaks with a twist: the world's best homestay experiences

Book your individual trip , stress-free with local travel experts

• roughguides.com
• city-breaks-with-a-twist-the-worlds-best-homestay-experiences

written by Jack Palfrey

updated 27.01.2020

This feature has been made possible by Homestay.com, an accommodation marketplace connecting guests to local hosts in over 150 countries.

1. New York City

5. melbourne, 8. los angeles, 10. auckland.

Why struggle as a stranger in a foreign land when you can opt to travel as a friend in a familiar city? Homestays offer a more intimate alternative to traditional hotels that, with the help of a friendly host, can showcase the soul of a city shielded beneath the mask of a modern megalopolis.

In our last feature, we revealed the best cities in Europe to try a homestay . Here, we look at the best cities from around the world, from Toronto to Tokyo, and what to look forward to when you're prepared to swap the hotel mod cons for a spare room in a local's home.

From Brooklyn to The Bronx , The City That Never Sleeps strikes an electrifying chord composed of the shrieks of sports venues, cries of concert halls, whines of office workers and the drunken babble seeping from the city’s bars. A homestay in the Big Apple can help you escape from the claustrophobic cluster of hotels surrounding Midtown Manhattan and have you dancing to your own beat. Options include the arty maritime neighbourhood of Red Hook , the bustling backstreets of charming Chinatown or slow-paced Inwood , home to acres of peaceful parkland where the city’s howl dims to a pleasant hum.

That iconic snap of Sydney – the sun spilling over cocktail-swilling crowds swarming the hallowed harbour that reflects the resplendent opera house in its calm waters – can promote an image of Australia’s largest city as somewhat one dimensional. Mixing with locals in a homestay can awaken guests to the city’s myriad of exciting activities. Visitors can sink into a salt-water swimming pool, swerve through the city on a Segway or attempt that most archetypal of Aussie activities: surfing (not barbecuing).

Canadians are renowned for their hospitality, and in Canada’s largest and most multicultural metropolis it can be beneficial to have a host help cut through the city’s modern veneer. A recommendation for the best exhibits in the monolithic Royal Ontario Museum, one of the largest museums in North America, could very well turn into a day out that sees you sampling Queen Street ’s sloppiest poutine and scoring rink-side tickets to witness the Maple Leafs, Toronto’s professional ice hockey team, carve up the ice. You’ve been warned.

Royal Ontario Museum © Gary Blakeley/Shutterstock

Culture shock is Tokyo’s forte. From sumos to kimonos, the megalopolis revels in reducing even the most accomplished globetrotter to a trembling timid tourist. A homestay can really ground the experience and offer an intimate insight into modern Japan, with friendly locals keen to showcase their unique culture to visitors. Expect to be shown the correct way to slurp soba from stalls at Ameya-Yokochō market, debriefed on the history of the Meiji Shrine , Tokyo’s most renowned Shinto structure, and, come nightfall, encouraged to sip sake and sing karaoke – the newest of Japanese traditions.

Related articles from the blog

A hipster nirvana, Melbourne is continually crowned one of the world’s most liveable cities, and its stylish streets, swarming with bearded gents and girls garnered in vintage threads, has started to attract an increasing number of tourists over the last few years, enticed by the city’s idiosyncrasies. Things change quickly here, and securing the expertise of a local means you’ll have a greater chance of sampling the town’s trendiest venues. A glampsite on a rooftop? No problem. A charitable whisky bar? Of course. A vegan coffee shop filled with owls? Probably coming soon.

Melbourne's famous skyline from Southbank towards Flinders St Station © FiledIMAGE/Shutterstock

Part of LA’s appeal is the chance for the average traveller to rub shoulders with America’s high and mighty, and while your host is unlikely to be a movie star – at least a professional one – they are probably familiar with the city’s chief celeb hangouts. The Sunday morning Studio City Farmers Market is a good place to start, while a run around Runyon Canyon , popular with celebrity joggers, may result in sweaty small talk. If all else fails, see the stars of tomorrow at the excellent Upright Citizens Bridgade Theatre, where a number of America’s biggest comedic names started out.

Sandwiched between two handsome harbours, the City of Sails manages to squeeze a cultural cornucopia into its concentrated centre. Displays of Maori culture are on offer at the Auckland Museum, while ever-changing contemporary collections span the Wallace Arts Centre. But it is in its outskirts that Auckland excels, and with the luxury of private transport, a plethora of pilgrimages awaits. Chief among these is a visit to the wild and desolate West Coast surf beaches (and its wondrous wineries), just one hour from the city.

© Andrei Diomidov/Shutterstock

If you are looking for some ideas for your city breaks in Europe, explore our guide to the best European city breaks with rural escapes .

Homestay.com is a global homestays booking platform with a community of hosts and guests from around the world. They aspire to provide authentic travel experiences, where the hosts at the heart of a homestay offer the chance to live and breathe the local culture, make friends as well as memories, and explore destinations in a truly authentic way.

This feature was sponsored by Homestay.com; all content is editorially independent.

Top image © Hayk_Shalunts/Shutterstock

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Homestays Tours & Trips

Top 10 homestay tours for 2024-2025, sacred valley & lake titicaca multisport, ungava polar ecotour adventure, trekking chapada diamantina, inca pathways, best of vietnam & laos, mount everest basecamp wellness trek, experience nepal, best of colombia, glamping the seas and sierras of baja, amazon kayak adventure, 8 best homestay destinations for 2024-2025, 10 best homestays in latin america for 2024-2025, top 3 peru homestays for 2024-2025, amantani homestay, colca canyon homestay, huilloc homestay, 4 best homestays in asia for 2024-2025, thai cultural discovery, hiking enchanted china, luang prabang explorer, homestay tours travel guide.

• Authentic home-cooked meals
• Cheaper alternative to hotels and offer superior experiences
• Personalized services
• Generates income for locals
• Meet the Aymara, a major tribe of South American Indians that inhabit the Altiplano, a huge, windswept plateau in Peru and Bolivia  during your trip to Lake Titicaca . A homestay on Amantani Island is a unique opportunity to meet their families.  
• Sibayo , an Andean community located in the area of Arequipa in Colca Canyon  provides a rare and distinct cultural experience for travelers. Because of its one-story stone dwellings, Sibayo is also known as "Rumillacta," or "stone town." Visitors to Sibayo appreciate learning about the way of life of the inhabitants and participating in some of their everyday tasks.
• Visit Huilloc , an Andean community located near Ollantaytambo . Comfortable eco-houses are available for overnight stays.

Homestay Traveler Stories

Nim li punit, homestay in blue creek village, day 10 - homestay on amantani, why travel with adventure life, recognized by.

Is Homestay.com legit? A Honest Review [2024]

Looking for an affordable home-sharing and hosting service but tired of Airbnb and Vrbo? Homestay is a long-term accommodation option for both students and travelers with friendlier hosts and better prices. Are they legit, and are they worth it? Find out now.

One of the most important aspects to nail down is your accommodation when you're traveling. There are so many different options out there. Still, it ultimately boils down to what you're looking for: a hotel, your own studio, or even a homestay in someone's house.

We've reviewed some  alternatives to Airbnb , but what if you want to stay with someone local while traveling? That's where Homestay comes into the picture. Curious if this might be perfect for your next trip? Read on for all you need to know!

What is Homestay?

Founded in 2013,  Homestay  is an online booking service that allows travelers to book a room in someone's house so they can stay with a local host while traveling. In turn, the site will enable homeowners to rent out spare rooms, and the site allows for both short and long-term accommodation.

Homestay's goal is also for their rentals to be "wallet-friendly," so travelers of all budgets can partake in their accommodation model. Homestay hosts can list their rooms for travel, students, or even professionals, making the concept available to more than just those visiting for a short time. 

Not to be confused with Homeaway, now popularly known as  Vrbo , Homestay provides the service for travelers to stay with locals while Vrbo provides vacation rentals services.

Homestay accommodation 

While in general, Homestays are designed for you to stay in someone's home, that doesn't mean that you can't seek out a host who has similar interests to you or caters to your travel style. 

Using Homestay's Inspire Me page, you can browse and filter hosts speaking specific languages, living in certain homes, or having similar hobbies to you. This fun feature allows you to personalize your experience a little and make a good match with a potential host. 

To speak with hosts or make a booking, you will have to account with Homestay. You'll need to provide your first and last name, as well as an email address and password to get started. You can also choose to log in with Facebook or Google. 

To make a booking, you also must be over 18 years of age. 

Homestay locations

Homestay has rooms available all over the world. 

Using their search function, you can browse through all the hosts and rooms available in your target destination and then reach out to the hosts to see who fits best with your plans. 

Top destinations currently include: London, Edinburgh, Sydney, Rome, Boston, New York, and Vancouver, to name a few! They claim to have over 63,000 rooms in over 176 countries, so there are many locations. 

Unlike Airbnb, Homestay hosts are expected to welcome and greet their guests, and they are also likely to advertise the kind of host they are on their profile. Hosts can specify the following: if they live in the house full time, if they're friendly/resourceful, and any other host services they provide (including meals, tours, etc.). Homestay hosts can only rent out a room in their house, not the whole house. 

When you find a homestay that interests you, you can click on the host to read more about their rules and home. You'll also be able to read reviews of other travelers to help you decide if that Homestay is a good fit for you. 

How much does Homestay cost?

Nightly rates for staying in Homestay properties will vary based on where you want to travel and when you're looking to stay there. That being said, Homestay does boast that their average price per night globally is $38.

Looking at payments, Homestay does have a nice feature where you can pay upon arrival. This means that when budgeting for your travels, you can push that payment date to when you arrive, rather than having to bundle it into your pre-departure expenditures. 

Homestay's website allows you to search through Homestay options in your local currency. However, be sure to check the host's profile to see if they require payment in the local currency of the country you're visiting. 

Homestay students

Homestay also markets itself as an option for students studying abroad or those who need to rent a place to stay Monday-Friday while attending online school away from home. 

They can also be used as an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in the local language, especially if you're using a study abroad experience to work on a second language. If you're curious about what staying in a Homestay might be like as a student, check out Homestay's  blog !

Contact information

As with any accommodation booking, it's never a bad idea to have contact information if you have any questions or run into any issues. Most of Homestay's departments can be reached via email, and you can find the various department contact information  here . You can also head to their  FAQ page  for commonly asked questions! 

Is Homestay worth it?

While there are tons of other vacation rental sites out there, Homestay is one that we can confidently say stands out. They aim to provide guests with a better and friendlier experience through affordable prices, sociable hosts, and accommodation varieties.

While they have their limitations, we recommend you give Homestay a try if you're looking for an Airbnb alternative with better prices! Their services are free so it doesn't hurt to look through what they have to offer.

Our review: 4.0/5

• Short and long-term accommodation.
• Pay upon arrival feature.
• Host reviews.
• Inspire Me search page.
• Not helpful with the booking process.
• Email-only customer support.
• No map search function, only targeted search location. 
• Hosts may misrepresent their properties.

Homestay alternatives

While Homestay can be a fun way to plan your accommodation, it's not the only option! If you don't think Homestay's the exemplary booking service for you, check out all the other  best vacation rental sites  to use for some more inspiration!

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The Rise of Homestays: How They’re Redefining Travel Experiences

Over the last decade, homestays have taken the...

Erica De Silva

January 5, 2024.

Over the last decade, homestays have taken the world by storm. What was once a niche idea has since become a popular form of lodging for thousands of eager travelers. Individuals from the biggest and most exciting cities in the world are opening their homes and embracing human connection like never before.

Whether you’re traveling for work, leisure, or school, a homestay is a great way to create friendships and get to know a new town. They offer a unique and intimate insight into a new place at a fraction of the cost of most hotels, Airbnbs, or apartments.

This article will explore the many benefits of homestays and how they’re redefining the travel industry.

What Makes a Homestay So Special?

Homestays offer an opportunity for individual or group travelers to stay with a local family for an affordable fee. This allows travelers to not only experience a new place but it allows them to build new relationships. While the idea of a homestay is hardly a new idea, it has become increasingly popular within the mainstream travel industry.

But what makes choosing a homestay so special for travelers? Here are just a few reasons.

Learn About a New Culture

One of the most interesting parts about traveling is getting to experience life from a different perspective. When traveling abroad, it’s easy to experience a bit of a culture shock. New food, new social habits, and new expectations can be jarring for some.

By staying with locals, you have a unique opportunity to learn all of the unique details that make their culture great.

Experience Great Home Cooked Meals

Unlike staying at a hotel, Airbnb, or apartment, homestayers could potentially experience delicious, home-cooked meals from their hosts.

When traveling, it can be difficult to find good local food. Most people become dependent on internet reviews or walk into a random restaurant. While you might get lucky, it’s unlikely that you get a true understanding of the local cuisine. Eating out every night can also prove to be a very costly endeavor.

Learn a New Language

Traveling abroad often means learning a new language. Most people can pick up a few key phrases while they travel, but most fail to practice the language conversationally. Therefore, staying with a local family offers a fantastic opportunity to hone your language skills.

Evidence suggests that the best way to learn a new language is to use it in various contexts. Practicing daily with people who know the language intimately is a great place to start!

Homestay Travel is Much Less Expensive

One of the biggest selling points of homestay travel is the price. While some travelers prefer the privacy of a hotel room or apartment, they tend to be a much more expensive form of lodging. In many cases, choosing to rent a place comes with additional expenses like wifi, room-meal packages, cable/electric, laundry, and much more. Additionally, food costs can also pile up, causing you to have a shorter trip than you might have hoped.

Staying with a host family allows you to spend money in other ways, effectively making your trip longer and more eventful.

A Homestay Can Make Everyday Life Easier

A homestay can help travelers adjust to everyday life more quickly. Simple necessary things like doing laundry, going grocery shopping, acquiring transportation, or finding a drug store can be a hassle on your own. When at a homestay, your host family can offer suggestions and even help you acquire what you need.

While these things may seem straightforward, they are often more difficult in a new place. Ultimately, host families can be your business support system while you make the transition.

You Can Build Lifelong Friendships

Living with people you don’t know can create a special bond. By sharing space, food, and stories, choosing a homestay may give you much more than you anticipated. Unlike more conventional lodging, a homestay offers more than just a place to stay. It can create unexpected experiences and help to form new friendships.

Another unintended consequence of staying with a local family is that you could create a home away from home. Overall, the friendships you build during your stay may awaken opportunities for future stays.

Are You a Student Looking for a Homestay? Choose StudentRoomStay Today

Are you looking for a new adventure? Are you a student seeking a soft, supportive landing spot in a new place? Let StudentRoomStay be your guide!

At StudentRoomStay, we aim to help travelers and students find homes in an unknown land. We are devoted to finding the perfect host family for you – one that will welcome you with open arms and make your transition smooth and easy.

We understand how stressful traveling can be. That’s what makes a homestay so special. Rather than being alone, a host family can ease you into the new culture, show you the best restaurants, and so much more. With StudentRoomStay, you can create a beautiful home away from home!

Ready to get started? Explore our homestay options and start your journey today!

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Living with Strangers: Homestays 101

by GoAbroad Writing Team - Last updated on November 14, 2016

• While Abroad

For those that want the highest level of cultural and language immersion while studying abroad, homestays are the cherry on top of what will soon turn to be more beneficial and tasty than the rest of the sundae. Living with a host family is a great way to be immersed in a new culture, make meaningful connections abroad, and to learn more about yourself in the process.

While living with locals is a great opportunity to pick up on the local lifestyle, it can also be a little intimidating. Like in any relationship, some days go better than others. There might be cultural differences, conflicting perspectives, and language barriers, but that’s alright; these are all part of the homestay experience.

It’s always a good idea to give your host family a small gift to thank them for opening their home to you.

Here are a few general host family tips to help you get off on the right foot with your homestay family, and leave with an invitation to come back soon:

Bring a small present.

Good first impressions can go a long way. Considering that your new host family is opening their entire home up to you, the least you can do is bring a small present. Something characteristic of your home country or home state is always a great idea, as it can serve as a conversation starter and begin the two-way cultural exchange. Barring any potential issues at customs, bringing a favorite snack or local delicacy is always a great way to share your culture with your host fam.

Take note of how they live.

When living with a host family, be mindful of their lifestyle. Something as simple as leaving your shoes on or taking them off while inside can be seen as disrespectful, so try to mimic their customs. Your homestay family will realize that you’re new to the culture; they don’t expect you to know how to behave right away, but they do expect you to catch on. Have a conversation about general house rules to be sure you know what your homestay family expects of you and what you should expect from them during your homestay program.

Follow house rules and get involved in the day-to-day of your homestay life– yes, that means doing chores.

Try new things.

One of the best ways you can show respect to your homestay family is by immersing yourself in their way of life, even if that means trying things that may seem odd to you. Try every meal that is offered to you at least once. Have them teach you how to play their favorite sport or card game. If you try something that you don’t like, be honest. Your host family wants you to enjoy your homestay program, so they won’t make you do something if you gave it a chance and didn’t like it.

Remember that you’re a guest.

Yes, ideally, your host family offers you more of a “home” than just a “house.” However, at the end of the day, remember that you are a visitor. Partake in chores, help with the meals, spend time together, and stay tidy in your homestay abroad. Even if you are used to a “closed door” policy back home, it’s common in many parts of the world to clean weekly, and this might stretch into your bedroom. Make your bed, wipe the toothpaste out of the sink, and don’t stack up cups on your desk.

Remember that you’re still a guest in their home— be respectful.

Follow the homestay program’s rules.

Some rules are developed by homestay programs, not your host family. But, this doesn’t mean you should break them. Program advisers work closely with host families and require families to notify them if protocol is broken. Homestay families can lose their ability to house international students if they cover for your misbehavior, so think about the situation you’ll be putting them in before breaking any rules.

Learn from them.

Learning from locals is much more beneficial and interesting than learning from a textbook. Not everyone who studies abroad is lucky enough to live with people from their host country, so take advantage of your homestay. When it comes to the language, host families make the best tutors; they’re grammar experts and love to teach phrases used by actual locals. Aside from helping you learn the language, your homestay family can also teach you a great deal about the culture of your study abroad destination, and they are also there to answer any quirky cultural questions you may have.

Stay in touch.

During your homestay program, interactions with your host family will come on a daily basis. The relationship you develop with them doesn’t have to be cut off the moment you return to your home country, so make sure you exchange information that will allow you to continue updating each other on your lives. You’ll be able to maintain a friendship and practice a language at the same time.

Just like you would spend time with your parents and siblings, be sure to spend plenty of time with your host family.

Homestays can be a tricky situation, but the long term benefits of living with a host family far outweigh those awkward first few days. You’ll learn about authentic lifestyles, share a few laughs about common misunderstandings, and make new friends in the process. With clear communication and some flexibility, homestay accommodation can become the highlight of your educational experience abroad.

Totally jazzed about homestay programs abroad? Save and compare programs side-by-side with MyGoAbroad or check out some of the top homestay programs below.

• Andeo International Homestays
• Homestay.com
• Nacel International
• AFS Intercultural Programs - USA

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How to run your own homestay: hosts across the country share their top tips

By Arundhati Ail

Two years of the pandemic and several lockdowns later, travellers are craving experiences that are unique, charming and private. Homestays have become more popular than ever and in recent times, many new ones have cropped up across the country, given the demand as well as the time and flexibility for owners to set up their establishments. If you have an ancestral home you’ve been thinking of opening up to guests, or a piece of land where you want to build a homestay from scratch, this is a great time to do it. But before you get into it, here are some insider tips from homestay hosts across the country on how to get it right.

What you need to know if you want to start your own homestay

It’s a lot of work.

Living in a charming home in the hills or a seaside town with new guests to meet all the time may sound idyllic, but there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes. If you plan to build your own homestay, be prepared for hard work. First, make sure all your paperwork is in place. Rules for running a homestay differ based on the state your property is located in. There are different licences for homestays and farmstays , and requirements you need to meet will differ accordingly too. Refer to the websites of your local tourism department for detailed information. Jharna Thakkar and Rohan Fernandes—who run the sea-side Fernandeswadi in Uran, Maharashtra—recommend starting with certifications from your local body and then working your way up to higher certifications.

Casa Galgibaga

If you’re building a homestay from scratch, Mavrick Cardoz of Casa Galgibaga in Goa recommends setting a budget and working with an architect who understands your vision and is open to your ideas. If you don’t plan on working with an architect, it’s a good idea to at least consult with friends who are in the profession, to get a better understanding of layouts and floor plans.

And, of course, finances matter. Travel content creators Priyanka Jena and Tanveer Taj set up their homestay, Praana Experience , in Byndoor in 2021. They decided to open the home to guests because the cost of building and maintaining a house is high. “Running a home you’ve built yourself is expensive,” says Jena. “So, we needed something that would help cover those living expenses and the maintenance of our place. We didn’t want it to become a burden.” Be aware of what your big costs are going to be, and work backwards from there. Jena and Taj first began looking for their property in 2016. It took them two years to find the right plot and another two years to complete construction. “There’s a lot of backend work. It’s not something you can just wake up and do one day,” says Jena. “You have to be committed to the idea and give it a few years to bloom into something real. It’s a long-term thing.”

Build and design according to your location

Praana Experience in the making

Whether you’re building a home from scratch or revamping an old family house, your surroundings should be your biggest sources of inspiration. No one’s expecting five-star luxury at a homestay and that gives you room to experiment with design. “We wanted the place to have clean lines and simple design,” says Jena. “There’s so much natural beauty outside here. So, we didn’t want the interiors to feel crowded with heavy design elements. We’ve used white and terracotta as our base colours everywhere. And all the artwork is done by our family members.”

Fernandeswadi

Thakkar and Fernandes follow a similar principle. The two moved into the home—owned by Fernandes’ family—to get away from life in Mumbai and soon opened it up to guests. “We didn’t want to do anything ultra-luxe or ostentatious,” says Thakkar. “Both Rohan and I practise and believe in minimalism. We wanted our experience and philosophy to reflect in Fernandeswadi. It makes no sense to have luxury trappings and fittings next to the sea, with the air being so salty and corrosive.” The house features vintage furniture—including a revamped kerosene lamp from the 1800s—art by photographer friends and a balcão inspired by Goan architecture, to keep with the theme of a retro bungalow by the sea.

Speak to your guests before they arrive

Running a homestay is a great way to meet and interact with people across the country and the world. For many homestay hosts, it’s the best part of their job. Sunita Kudle, who runs La Villa Bethany in Landour insists that all guests sit together with her and her family for breakfast and dinner. “I think beautiful bonds are made when people sit together and interact,” she says. “We’ve had so many people who have met here, become friends and gone on to travel together. We’ve had six people who have met here and gone on to get married. Three of those couples are parents now.”

Aishwarya Venkatraman

Praachi Raniwala

Arundhati Ail

The dining room at La Villa Bethany

As amazing as these experiences can be, it’s important to avoid guests who are likely to cause trouble—more on that here . A good way to stay away from that particular breed of guests is to vet potential guests through conversations beforehand. Kudle’s homestay, for instance, cannot be booked online. “You have to pick up the phone and talk to us. And when you talk to someone, you understand who they are and what they’re looking for. It’s only when the expectations on both sides match that we confirm availability,” she says. Other hosts do list their homestay online but make sure to speak to their guests before confirming bookings. Jena and Taj inform guests that the homestay is located in a village and that neighbours sleep early. If they want to play loud music and party through the night, Praana Experience might not be the place for them.

How selective you are depends entirely on you. Usha Hooda and her daughter Vibha Hooda, who run Mayascrest in Himachal Pradesh, prefer being picky about who they let in. “We’ve been very lucky with guests mainly because my daughter speaks to each potential guest. We’re terribly selective,” says Hooda, who lives on the property with her dogs. “Artist’s residence, occasionally a homestay” reads their Airbnb listing.

Lay down some house rules

Basic house rules are a must for any homestay. Think about what’s important to you and how you want your guests to treat the space. The good thing is, if guests are choosing to stay in a homestay, it means they’re actively seeking that unique experience. Often, they know the rules that come with it.

Yet, many hosts lay down rules about loud music, visitors, pets, cooking and more. Jena and Taj don’t allow large groups in the homestay and limit the number of people per room to three. Cardoz maintains light and sound restrictions at the homestay. Galgibaga beach is a turtle nesting beach and the homestay is located in a village—it’s a space meant for peace and quiet. Thakkar and Fernandes are particular about waste segregation at their farmstay, and expect guests to respect that. “They say that when you live by example, people will follow,” says Fernandes. “So I tell guests about how we segregate our garbage, show them how we do it and point out the trees around us that have benefitted through this practice over the years.”

Maintain your privacy

Before being a homestay, your property is your home, and it’s important for you to be able to enjoy the space. Most hosts designate a significant section of the home for themselves before letting out other rooms and spaces to guests. If you have a multi-level home, taking a floor for yourself and your family is a great way to ensure you have ample private space. Keeping a mix of private spaces and communal spaces can help maintain a healthy balance of socialising with guests while also enjoying some much-needed solitude.

Priyanka Jena and Tanveer Taj at their homestay Praana Experience

Kudle, who lives on the property with her husband, mother and daughter, insists that the family have breakfast and dinner with guests, but leaves the rest of the day for themselves. “This way, we encourage people to explore the local areas and food through the day, which also helps the local economy,” she says. “At the same time, it gives us time to do our own thing. So it’s a win-win.” Jena and Taj, on the other hand, block off a few days every month when they don’t take any bookings. “This is our time to relax, get work done or travel and give the staff a break,” says Jena. The two have the top floor of their three-bedroom homestay to themselves and have kept the space open and wall-less, so it feels spacious for them and their two pets.

Fernandes puts it aptly- “When you’re living with your family, everyone has their own spaces and then there are also common spaces. So you do want to hang out with your siblings but if you want to sit in your room and do your own thing, you can. It’s the same way here.”

Homestay Accommodation: How To (Almost) Live Like A Local

Have you tried homestay accommodation?

It’s one of the better ways of  living like a local  and delving below the surface of a place or culture.

It’s also perfect if you’re a woman traveling solo because it offers some degree of safety: you’re staying with a family, and in the best homestays you join their everyday lives for a bit of time.

But wait. Are they still popular? What about all the safety issues we’ve heard about? How sensible is it for a solo female traveler to use one of these services?

This article will peel away some of that confusion, tell you about the best homestay and hospitality exchange networks, and provide you with a list of things to watch out for if this is something you’d like to try.

Whether you’re hiking in Iceland, climbing Kili or kayaking in the Philippines, there’s a local hostess (or host) waiting to welcome you.

This isn’t for everyone, mind you, but this kind of intensely local experience will make you feel like you’re practically a local yourself. 

WHAT EXACTLY IS A HOMESTAY?

According to  Homestay.com , “A homestay is an affordable accommodation alternative… It’s staying in a spare room of a real home while the homeowner is there.”

There are two basic kinds of homestays, paid and free.

Most homestays are paid but cost far less than a hotel or even a guest house. They can even be free, as in couchsurfing or other similar hospitality exchanges.

I’ve tried homestays several times. In Sabah, Malaysia, I stayed with an extended family from the Rungus tribe in the relative luxury of a separate room and bathroom. Another time, I slept on Martina’s couch in Vilnius, Lithuania. We had no common language but somehow managed to communicate. These and many other similar experiences enriched my travels and showed me facets of places I never would have seen or understood otherwise.

Many types of accommodation fall under the homestay umbrella, and hospitality is what they have in common. You may stay in someone’s house, but you might also enjoy their hospitality in other ways, like connecting for a meal, or information about a place you’re visiting.

Most will share at least one thing with you: a  love of travel . Some homestay or hospitality exchange sites were built by travelers themselves, touched by the kindness of strangers as they traveled and wishing – often in pre-Internet days – that they had a network of like-minded people with whom to share their joy of the road. And often, hosts open up their homes not because they need the money, but because they want to meet people from other lands and other cultures.

THE BASICS OF HOMESTAYS AND HOSPITALITY EXCHANGES

The principle is simple: you rent (or borrow) a couch or a room from a local who still lives in it. If the accommodation is empty, it’s no longer a homestay, but a purely commercial rental. 

And then you share part of their life for a few days. You learn all about them, and they learn all about you. Some women will love the experience, others may run screaming. And language can be a barrier.

Some are transactional: you look on a website, choose an accommodation you want, check the availability, and reserve. In most other cases, you join a network, post a profile and look for homestays that fit what you’re looking for.

Most have reviews so you’ll have an idea of what you’re getting into but remember, reviews aren’t necessarily complete or fully authentic, and should be taken as indications, not evidence.

THE ADVANTAGES OF HOMESTAYS

✅  They help you connect with local people so you can see how people live, not just skim the surface.

✅  You’ll be guided towards places that aren’t on the tourist circuit – great restaurants, little-known sights. It’s like  a secret peek at a place  away from the guidebooks.

✅  A chance to exchange views and ideas with people you might not normally meet.

✅  You can  practice the language , learn to cook local dishes, and learn about local customs.

✅  The possibility of staying in unusual places away from tourists; most everyday residents don’t live in tourist areas and you might see towns or regions you wouldn’t visit otherwise.

✅  Sharing someone’s life for a few days means looking behind the scenes  of daily existence  in a place and to me, that’s far more real than just staring at beautiful buildings (although I like that too). For me, discovering how people live is one of the greatest rewards of travel. You’ll understand your destination better because you’ll be part of it, a participant rather than a spectator.

✅  You’ll spend less money. By their nature, these accommodations are either free or inexpensive.

✅  And whatever money you do spend goes straight into  supporting the local economy .

THE DOWNSIDES OF HOMESTAYS

❌   There’s a lot less choice; you can find a hotel on every corner, but not a host.

❌ There’s a safety factor that comes into play when you stay with other people – you’ll be sharing some facilities with individuals you’ve never met. If something goes wrong with your hosts, you won’t have many options for redress.

❌ Living with a host family may mean more familiarity than you’re accustomed to, and certainly  less privacy than staying in a hotel . If it’s your first homestay, you might want to limit it to one or two nights until you see whether you like it. And if you can’t possibility handle the thought of sharing a bathroom, well…

❌ You might be expected to do a few things around the house, keep your room clean, help out with cooking, or abide by certain rules; you may not have the 24/7 freedom you’d have if you’d stayed in a hotel. Or none of the above.

❌  Just as you might discover new, non-touristed areas, you might also be far from the area’s best sights.

❌  You won’t have the guarantees you would from a hotel if your host cancels at the last minute.

❌  If for some reason you don’t get along with your host or hostess, you’ll be stuck unless you’ve made alternative arrangements.

THE MOST POPULAR HOMESTAYS OR HOSPITALITY NETWORKS

Homestay.com.

Homestay.com  is probably the largest provider of homestay accommodation online, with over 55,000 rooms in over 160 countries and a Trustpilot rating of 8.5/10.  If you’re looking to stay with a family rather than in a hotel or guest room, this should be your first port of call.

booking.com

A site like  booking.com  may seem like an unusual place to search for a homestay but think again. While many so-called ‘homestays’ are thinly disguised rentals, others are bona fide homestays with host families. As always, read the fine print and choose something you’ll actually enjoy.

Airbnb may be  the most famous homestay network  there is today – at least the part of Airbnb where you share a room in someone’s house. These days, though, Airbnb has changed and is in large part a rental agency that has wandered far from its roots. Still, it does have a number of homestay opportunities in which you can rent a room in someone’s house.

Women Welcome Women Worldwide

If you prefer  a women-only service ,  Women Welcome Women World Wide , or 5W as it’s also known, operates in 80 countries and has a great reputation. There is a membership fee for which you receive a list of members, whom you then contact directly.

They definitely sound like my kind of people when they say this: “If only people would learn that experiencing a different lifestyle is interesting, enriching and mind-opening. Too many people regard different as threatening.”

gayhomestays.com

If you’re a member of the LGBTQ community and feel more comfortable in a gay or lesbian household,  gayhomestays.com  has listings in dozens of countries around the world at affordable prices. Just be aware that some households host men, others women, and others men and women. You’ll find that information in the lightest of grey type just under the price.

Government homestay networks

Some countries offer homestay networks of their own so before you go, make sure you check the national tourism board website to see if they have homestay contacts for travelers.

FREE HOMESTAY NETWORKS

The idea is  delayed   reciprocity : you stay in someone’s home, and somewhere down the line you might provide someone else with hospitality. In most cases there’s no obligation, but if everyone is a guest and no one a host, the system will soon fall apart.

Couchsurfing

This one is by far the largest and most popular, even today. With over 15 million members in 220,000 cities, you’ll be hard-pressed not to find something suitable.

Couchsurfing has its supporters and detractors. A corporate takeover took away much of its distinct personality, and in many places the network has deteriorated, especially in large touristy North American and European cities. 

Couchsurfing seems to thrive in some Asian countries and in developing countries, especially those with people too poor to travel beyond their region or who are subjected to restricted exchanges by authoritarian regimes. But in some urban centers, it can be more of a hookup platform or one that is used purely to save money, with no interaction with the owners.

So yes, it’s still there, and still heavily in use, but it will take a lot longer for you to find the right connection with the right person in the right place. If you’re patient, chances are you’ll be rewarded. (You’ll find a discussion of safety issues further below.)

For many travelers,  this is the non-profit alternative to Couchsurfing . Here’s their mission: ‘Their dream is to create a project that allows everyone to visit a destination through the eyes of local people and to experience the variety of cultures in everyday life – when travelling but also at home.”

The news about this site is that it seems to have taken over where the old Couchsurfing left off, bearing the standard of the truly curious traveler, and less of a ‘dating service’, which is what some people fear Couchsurfing is turning into.

Servas  means ‘service’ in Esperanto and may well have been the first service of this kind. As active today as it was upon founding more than half a century ago, it offers hospitality to promote world peace and understanding. It doesn’t see itself as simply a free accommodation service – hosts expect to have a  meaningful exchange  with guests and to part ways with a better sense of one another’s worlds. 

Warm Showers

Warm Showers  is no newcomer, having been founded in 1993. It is a  hospitality group for cyclists  and is managed by a group of volunteers. It now boasts more than 120,000 members in more than 160 countries so if you’re on a long-distance bicycle tour and are looking for meaningful exchanges along the way, this is a well-maintained network that’s definitely worth a try –  The Guardian  speaks highly of them as well. The one proviso: you must be ready and willing to ‘pay it forward’.

OTHER HOMESTAY ALTERNATIVES

In my research I’ve come across quite a few other possible networks if a family stay with host families is something you’d like to try:

• Trustroots : launched for hitchhikers but now opened up to everyone.
• HelpX : you don’t pay for accommodation but you have to help with chores instead – there’s also a membership fee.
• Working Traveller : an interesting foray into the barter economy – you provide skills in exchange for your stay. A number of other groups offer this kind of exchange. 
• Pasaporta Servo : for those of you who speak Esperanto.
• Staydu : a slightly different formula where you can stay and pay or stay for free – the host decides and provides the information in her listing.
• Affordable Travel Club : now we wander into the realm of paid accommodation, but not quite. It’s called a “small gratuity” and it’s cheaper than paying for a hotel room, but does include a local orientation by your host. Interesting: it’s for the over 40s.
• Evergreen Bed and Breakfast Club : this is another hospitality exchange with a modest price tag, for people over 50.
• Hospitality Club : once a biggie, this one is limping although a few diehards are trying hard to keep it alive. Too bad – this was an excellent service, not only for overnight stays but just to connect for lunch or coffee. Who knows, it may re-emerge like a phoenix yet…

A FEW FINAL TIPS ABOUT HOSPITALITY EXCHANGES

While this kind of hospitality is something many of us enjoy, there are things to watch out for. Some organizations are well structured for feedback and safety, others less so. These tips will help you find the right hosting family and homestay network.

• This is one of those cases in which you have to  trust your gut . My rule tends to be stay with women only, or with a family. You’ll have your own boundaries, but set them and stick to them. If you get that gnawing feeling in your stomach, listen to it. It’s better to pass up a potential homestay host than to spend your time regretting you didn’t.
• Try to get as much information as possible about your  homestay family , especially if you’re a woman traveling solo. That’s why I often use government-sponsored home stays – at least someone, sometime inspected the home before giving it a stamp of approval.
• If your local homestay network posts reviews, make sure you stick with reviews that are positive. Be  especially cautious  if the home is out of town. Don’t make your own way to a secluded location but meet your hosts in town or at the airport first. And make sure you exchange plenty of emails before deciding – with Skype these days, you might even be able to talk in person before you meet.
• Make sure everything is clear , either in writing or by clear, spoken agreement (things like wifi use, smoking rules, meals etc). Especially check whether you’re expected to spend a lot of time with the family or you may feel a little overwhelmed. In some cultures, boundaries are fuzzy or don’t exist and you might face a barrage of probing questions from your genuinely curious hosts. They’re just as fascinated by you, remember?
• If you have special  food requirements , check carefully because homestays aren’t as flexible as restaurants or hotels. If you eat with the family, they may be cooking for quite a few people at a time so you might not be able to get what you need. This is especially the case if you don’t speak the language. ‘No sugar’ is easily understood by putting your hand over the coffee cup, but what if sugar is used during cooking in your absence? You can’t hover over pots all day.
• Consider the location.  How far is your homestay from local sights and what are your transporation options? If you don’t have a car, is there a bus of some sort nearby? Will you have to drive two hours to the nearest city or monastery? Is a donkey cart the only means of travel?
• Make sure the host house  matches your travel style . For example if you like your privacy don’t choose a place with eight children where you’ll be be expected to spend your evenings with Mom, Dad, and the grandparents. If you’re an independent soul you might not want to sign up for three meals a day.
• Remember that  cultures differ  and when you live in close quarters those differences can be enhanced. You’ll need some flexibility, adaptability, patience, and above all, genuine curiosity and openness to other ways of life.
• Most services and networks have a built-in  safety mechanism,  through reporting or hotline or email. The last thing I want is to wander into a dicey situation in someone’s home. Of course there is never a guarantee of safety but here are some of the safeguards: since people have to register as members, they can be tracked; reviews and testimonials provide information about members and their hospitality; some organizations provide a verification system that ensures your name and address are correct and valid. Make sure you take advantage of these but remember, no system is perfect and ultimately, you are staying with someone you haven’t met.
• If something untoward  should  happen, let the organization know immediately and head straight to the police. Trying to resolve something on your own in a strange place in a foreign language is not a recipe for success.

But ultimately – ENJOY! I’ve loved my various homestays and have always learned more through the families I stayed with than from the many books I read before traveling.

ALTERNATIVES TO HOMESTAYS?

If you’re not convinced and want to try another type of accommodation, you’ll be spoiled for choice:

• stay in a lovely  hotel , with all the services and amenities
• if you’re tight on money you could try one of the modern  hostels  (many of which have private rooms these days)
• sit in the lap of luxury and  mind someone’s house  while they’re away
• rent an  Airbnb  for the duration

I usually like to mix it up – homestays, hotel stays, hostels and couchsurfing. Even for a couple of days, staying with a local opens doors I would not have normally walked through. In Vilnius I shopped in the local market with Martina. In Sabah I joined the women in weaving and cooking and dancing.In each case, I was ‘part of’ rather than ‘a-part from’.

— Originally published on 23 January 2014

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