Top 8 best homestays

Our top eight homestays explore remote, rural parts of India, Nepal, Thailand and Mongolia as well as vibrant Cuban cities. Welcoming communities envelop you in their unique cultures, where you might learn how to cook a Keralan curry, how to roll a Cuban cigar, or how to hunt with an eagle. Homestays are a superb way for both host and guest to learn about different ways of life, and for the benefits of tourism to reach areas that rarely see much of it.

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Top 8 best homestays

The most wonderful thing about homestays is the cultural exchange – you’re learning about life in their community from your hosts, but they’re also learning a little about where you come from. You’ll find that our top eight homestays are usually located in remote, rural areas, where traditional, near self-sufficient ways of life dominate, and where guests are often encouraged to get involved with day-to-day activities from preparing meals to picking fruit or taking cattle out into the pastures to graze. This kind of holiday is the very essence of responsible travel: immensely beneficial to both the visitor and the community that welcomes them, and spreading the income of tourism to areas that typically don’t see a great deal of it.

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1. Kerala homestay tour

Kerala is one of India’s most beguiling regions, with houseboat tours on the backwaters especially popular. You can stay at no fewer than six residences across a two-week trip, sometimes in the same house as your hosts, occasionally in a separate building. Activities to bring you closer to the local community are often included too, from cookery classes to performances of Indian dance and martial arts.

When to go: All year round
Our top selling trip: Kerala homestay tour
See all our trips: Kerala holidays
Read more: Kerala travel guide

2.Cuba casas particulares

Cuban homestays, or casas particulares, have long been the preferred accommodation for many travellers to the Caribbean island. You’ll stay in private homes, sometimes sharing a bathroom with other guests. Most Cubans don’t have the luxury of travelling abroad, so your stay can be a valuable way for them to stay in touch with other cultures, although many will only speak a little English.

When to go: All year round
Our top selling trip: Cuba cultural holiday
See all our trips: Cuba holidays
Read more: Cuba casas particulares travel guide

3. Nepal homestay & trekking

Nepal homestays are a wonderful way to explore the culture and grasp the traditions of remote Himalayan communities as you trek from place to place. Another option is to stay in a community-owned house, constructed from wood and mud, in Bardiya National Park. These homestays are run by local women, empowering them to find employment and earn income from tourism.

When to go: September to June
Our top selling trip: Nepal homestay trekking holiday
See all our trips: Nepal holidays
Read more: Nepal travel guide

4. Bhutan culture and homestay tour

Wangchuck Centennial National Park is Bhutan’s newest national park, but communities within it used to use the land’s resources for food and fuel. Staying at a homestay gives a community a valuable alternative source of income so that they are compensated from any loss of crops from hungry park wildlife, and have less need to deforest the park, or poach for food. What’s in it for you? A lovely hot stone bath, for starters, then Bhutanese home cooked food, and dance performances around the campfire.

When to go: October and November
Our top selling trip: Bhutan culture and homestay tour
See all our trips: Bhutan tours
Read more: Bhutan travel guide

5. Malawi village homestay

Stay in a traditional Maravi hut, and immerse yourself in rural Malawian culture, with this homestay just a few minutes’ walk from Lake Malawi. Your hosts will help you to join in with village life, from tending to the goats and chickens to fishing on the lake, or helping out in the fields. Every stay here helps to fund a brilliant swathe of community projects, including paying teachers’ salaries, and helping to pay medical bills for those in need.

When to go: All year round
Our top selling trip: Chitimba cultural homestay, Malawi
See all our trips: Malawi holidays
Read more: Malawi travel guide

6. Northern Thailand homestay

The Thai Lue community in northern Thailand is noted for its commitment to traditional self-sufficient lifestyles, but this is under threat from modern culture. Homestays here don’t just provide valuable tourism income or allow for interesting cultural exchange. They’re also helpful in keeping old ways of life going, and encouraging younger people to remain instead of leaving to find jobs elsewhere.

When to go: All year round
Our top selling trip: Northern Thailand homestay holiday in Phayao
See all our trips: Thailand holidays
Read more: Thailand travel guide

7. Cape Town homestay in South Africa

There are three Ws when it comes to South Africa: Wildlife, Wine and Welcome. And on our homestay tours based in Cape Town, it’s the welcome, or wamkelekile in Xhosa, that’s the focus. Stay with a local family in their village home in the heart of the famous Winelands, gaining a incomparable introduction to the region’s culture, as well as a taste of genuine Rainbow Nation hospitality.

When to go: All year-round
Our top selling trip: Cape Town homestay holiday
See all our trips: South Africa holidays
Read more: Cape Town travel guide

8. Vietnam homestay tour

Stay with families from Tai Lü ethnic minority tribes in rural areas of Vietnam for an immersive take on life outside the big cities. There are some wonderful experiences to be had as you make your way between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Cycle past rice fields to the coast, join local fishermen in their basket boats, pick fruits from orchards, and visit villages known for their specialities (such as fish sauce).

When to go: All year round
Our top selling trip: Vietnam homestay tour
See all our trips: Vietnam holidays
Read more: Vietnam travel guide