Make your trip unforgettable

Memories you'll never forget

Most people have stayed in plenty of hostel or hotel rooms and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't remember one room or receptionist from another on your trips. Not so a home stays. Your hosts a real, genuine people and by getting to know them and their world, you'll make memories you couldn't get from any other kind of accommodation.

A real ‘home away from home’

The phrase ‘home away from home’ is one that is used all too loosely by different accommodations around the world. While they may offer a homely atmosphere, they’re not really homes. Home stays, on the other hand, are just that. Stay in a home stay and you really will be staying in a home away from home.

Learn local cultures and customs

You can read a lot about a destination’s cultures and customs before arriving, but the only way to really get to know them is by experiencing them first-hand. Stay in a home stay and your host will share with you an insight into local life that other forms of accommodation simply can’t offer.

Perfect for solo travellers

Travelling on your own can be an extremely liberating experience, and some would argue it’s the best way to travel. While there’s no doubt it’s a great way to see the world, there’s always something comforting about staying with somebody who knows a destination well when you arrive. In a home stay, you’ll meet interesting people, share stories and experiences and get to know the destination through the eyes of the locals.

Share a meal           

All our home stays include a light breakfast in the per room price (some home stays can provide other meals too by prior arrangement). The best thing about this is that you’ll share a meal with your hosts and learn more about the destination and local culture first-hand from them.

Benefits of staying in home stay

Home stays offer all types of travellers an alternative and affordable place to stay. We have home stays in more than 400 destinations around the world. If you’re looking for a reason to try a home stay yourself, we don’t have one for you…we have ten.

Value for money

Home stays are great value. We have hosts in Chennai offering double rooms for less than 3000 rupees per night others in the heart of Chennai that offer accommodation from 5500 rupees per night, to those on Kanchikudil where you can book a double room from less than 2000 rupees per night.

Moving to a new city

Moving to a new destination is both daunting and exciting. On arrival, you’re in unfamiliar surroundings that take time to get to know. Stay in a home stay and straight away you’ll have met some local people, in their home, which will quickly help you to feel more comfortable, secure and generally at ease in your new destination.

Improve your language skills

If you’re on the road and you’re trying to pick up the language along the way, you need to be speaking it everywhere you go. What better way to do this than stay in a local’s house when you travel? Or if you’re a student attending a language school in another country, stay in a home stay and you’ll get to speak the language every day with your host family.

Meet local people

When you stay in a home stay you experience something that you won’t in other forms of accommodation, not only do you meet the local people…you get to live with them too. It’s a way to live a destination, not just visit it.

See beyond the tourist trail

You can’t go to Barcelona without visiting La Sargodha Familial, or visit Sydney and not get your picture taken at the Opera House. They’re part of the experience. But wouldn’t it be great to see parts of a destination that only the locals know about? Stay in a home stay and our hosts will be able to tell you about those hidden secrets.

What is home stay?

Distinctive Accommodations  

Tired of sterile hotels? There's no better way to experience the incredibly diversity and charm of India than at a home stay. The options are almost endless and include plantation bungalows, historic hovel’s (mansions), forts, and remote rural cottages.

Personalized Service

In contrast to a hotel, a home stay usually only has a few rooms. The family who resides there runs it, and acts as host. This guarantees that guests receive plenty of individual attention. You can spend as little or as much time with the host family as you like. Some guests choose only to dine with them, while others spend hours chatting to them. Regardless, staying with an Indian family is the easiest way of finding out about Indian culture and way of life. Many guests and hosts find that they bond with each other so much, that they keep in touch long after the vacation is over.

Local Knowledge

The wealth of information that the hosts have about their local area makes deciding what to see and do a breeze. Such local knowledge is extremely helpful in getting the most from your visit. Many hosts are delighted to show their guests around their local area, providing them with invaluable insights that simply aren't available from a guide book.

Home Cooked Food

There's a huge difference between the Indian food served in restaurants and hotels, and the food that's cooked in an Indian home. By staying at a home stay, you'll be able to taste authentic Indian home cooked food, made to order. It's a lot lighter, and has more variation and flavour than restaurant food. Some home stays even welcome their guests into their kitchen, and let them watch and participate in the cooking process.

Unique Activities

As a guest at a home stay, the focus is on you, and your likes and preferences. The hosts are usually very accommodating and will put a great deal of effort into arranging activities that are of interest to you. These activities will vary depending on location. Exploring a coffee plantation in Coorg, watching a polo match in chennai, herding animals in remote southern India, village visits, picnics, and temple tours are just some of the options. Guests are often invited to attend weddings, or other festivals that are happening, as well.

Staying at a home stay in India is all about immersing yourself in India, rather skimming over it on the tourist trail.