Homestays And Cultural Immersion Experiences – Travel inspiration, tips and plans in one place: from conquering high mountain peaks or even cycling through remote places.
Every traveler in the post-Covid world has been looking for that totally authentic experience. Unfortunately, the more curated the packages, the less likely you are to get the location and homestay experience.
Homestays And Cultural Immersion Experiences
I’ve had some of the most heartwarming experiences in hostel-style guest houses while traveling the world. It made me feel right at home when the sweetest grandpa or grandma comes out to serve their homemade pies or daals or even sweeter when they put you to sleep.
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This has made remote travel and long distance travel a deeply comforting experience that surpasses any ‘travel’ or curated homestay versions.
Being in a real family means spending days and hours getting to know their culture, history, language and customs. It’s a totally intimate experience without the high price tag.
However, if you don’t know where to start or where to start, it can sometimes be difficult to find these homestays and get the full authentic experience.
A homestay is an accommodation or arrangement where a group of people stay in a local family’s home rather than in formal accommodation.
Reasons To Choose A Homestay
If you’re looking for a more immersive and authentic experience, homestay experiences are gaining popularity as people ditch cold resorts for warmth and hospitality.
In a hostel environment, you will have your own rooms, but you will share common areas such as living room, kitchen and even meals with your host family.
Homestays are now more common in places where there is no formal hotel infrastructure and tourism is high, but accommodation options can be found through community tourism programs, online platforms or sometimes with local families directly.
If you’re into cookie-cutter, seedy hotels and resorts, then a hostel is actually a great experience. This is why you should consider staying at home.
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Travel has made everything accessible, but hostels are the gateway to authenticity. It’s just the kind of transformative experience you need when life gets TOO much!
Most of my home tour experiences have happened when I was in the mountains and far away from civilization, where the only option to stay somewhere is with families – sometimes they are on Google Maps, sometimes not!
Hostels can be found in almost every corner of the world. But if I were to recommend the best places to stay that I’ve been to: here they are.
From the beaches of Bali to the jungles of Sumatra, homestays offer a more intimate and sustainable way to appreciate Indonesia’s stunning landscapes.
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In places like Amed, Bali’s remote Canggu and Ubud, homestays offer an intimate experience with local customs and their way of life.
In Lombok, before climbing Mt Rinjani, I stayed at a family lodge in Sembalung and went to their coffee farm where they brewed a cup of homemade coffee from their garden!
Hostels in Laos are more rustic than usual, but this was where I experienced traditional Lao life. While cycling through the karst mountains, I stayed with locals, managed to play soccer and even had the opportunity to bond with the hosts through farming and handicraft activities.
India has a special place in my heart – the Himalayan mountain range has one of the best cultures and landscapes.
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I stayed at Zomsa Cultural Village, a beautiful 100-year-old mud house that showcases Lahauli traditions and cuisine. On another occasion, I also stayed at the Darcha Baralacha hostel while cycling through the Himalayas.
It was amazing with the most beautiful view of Bhaga river and glaciers in Lahaul region. Tenzin’s family had this whole garden with organic produce of the freshest vegetables like peas, cauliflower and potatoes. It was comforting to have a piece of home and a reminder of the simple things while traveling through these mountains!
As well as providing a cozy atmosphere, Nepalese hostels often serve as a base for trekking and exploring various ecosystems – their houses are often referred to as teahouses, making them a great stopover on journeys deep into the mountain ranges.
Nepal has no shortage of homestays where you can experience Tibetan culture, enjoy the best buttery chai and enjoy momos and dal bhat at a local.
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The Balkan regions of Bosnia, Croatia, Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro are full of hostels. I stayed with a Muslim family in Albania and Kosovo on my travels to the Balkan mountain peaks and was delighted by such heartwarming hospitality.
Fresh honey and bread, great dumplings in the most comfortable bedding and piles of blankets and the company of a large family made for a very warm night.
In Central Asia, community tourism takes place deep in the valleys. I stayed in a small walnut forest called Arslanbob in Krygizstan.
Hayat, a humble and resourceful guy, has turned what was once a popular spot among the locals into a sustainable source of income for many residents of Arslanbob. He currently has around 20 hostels and wants to ensure that visits are in harmony with the environment.
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Located in the Babash-ata Mountains with a picturesque backdrop of Kyrgyzstan’s snow-capped peaks, Arslanbob is 1,400m above sea level.
When it comes to truly experiencing a destination, there’s no better way than staying with a local in a hostel. Leaving the familiar comfort of a hotel and the warm embrace of a local home can be an incredibly enriching adventure.
This allows you to deviate from the so-called path and delve into the essence of the destination, establish real connections with the people and traditions that define it.
From waking up to the aromatic aroma of a home-cooked breakfast to meaningful conversations that transcend language barriers, homestays offer a rare opportunity to experience a lifestyle that no travel guide can capture.
Homestays & Cultural Extensions
You’ll be more than just a spectator, but an active participant as you discover hidden local gems, learn traditional cooking techniques and even join in the festive festivities. And while all programs connect students with the cultures they visit for a truly immersive experience, we recommend homestays and language study experiences. All language immersion programs include daily cultural and language lessons led by a native tour manager.
A visit to a French school, dinner with a local family, a pétanque lesson and an overnight stay at a French theatre, this trip is sure to get you excited about the French and their culture. In addition, your native tour manager will teach the language daily.
This nine-day tour takes you from Seville to Madrid with daily language lessons provided by your tour guide. Along the way, immerse yourself in the culture with flamenco lessons, fan art, a service project, dinner with family, exchanges with local students, and more!
Spend eight days learning Spanish with four hours of daily language classes Monday through Friday at the Sámara Beach Language School campus in beautiful Costa Rica. Students will also enjoy living with a family and participating in engaging and fun activities such as cooking and surfing lessons, playing soccer with local students and a field trip.
Benefits Of Booking A Homestay & How To Do It
For three days of the trip, live with a local family in Río Grande Abajo and spend the days working on a community project coordinated by Brigada Verde. Exact designs will vary to ensure peak needs are met. Students will also meet local students with two evening youth group activities.
This ten-day trip introduces students to Peruvian culture and immerses them in the language. This includes a five-day home stay, where students will also participate in four hours of daily private instruction at the language school.
Our tour guides can speak as much of the local language as you want. When you travel as your own group (limited to 13 participants on selected tours), you can specify exactly what you would like. So if your AP students want to experience a language other than English, go for it! Culture is the focus of many travelers, and what better way to immerse yourself in a destination than staying in a local’s home?
Skip the chain hotels and opt for a real glimpse into local life (with an unusual twist, of course). Often visitors share the house with the owners, although there are plenty of private spaces. From an organic garden in a jungle village in Thailand to a treehouse in Costa Rica to a few days on a local yacht, this list has unique homestays for every travel taste.
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Oh, and for those on a budget, did we mention rates start at $12 a night? On your trip, order…
Experience traditional Bali at an affordable homestay just minutes away from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Pulagan Rice Fields and a 25-minute drive from Ubud town. Here is
When it comes to unique homestays, this quaint grass-roofed house called Villa Nordica is just a few miles from Loviisa town center in the maritime setting of Pernaia. The owners are entrepreneurs
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