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!
