Homestay - A Perfect Tool That Promotes Culture And Traditions

With the changing times, there has been a growing desire to explore the natural environment, heritage, customs, and culture of different places. Travelers seek to get an insight into the art, music, festivals, and other cultural attractions like food, drinks, and the local cuisine. 

In the current times, traveling is being considered as a way to gain new experiences. Due to the changing lifestyle, individuals get a very limited time to relax in the natural environment. This forces them to go for vacations at a peaceful and calm place like Mussoorie. Due to this reason, there has been a significant growth in tourism. 

There has been an emergence of new forms of tourism that increases the proximity between nature, community, and individuals. And one of the best ways to stay close to nature is by staying in a homestay. 

What is a homestay?

Homestay refers to a home of a local family that is provided for rent to the visitors. It gives you an opportunity to learn the local culture, cuisine, and lifestyle of a particular place. You get to stay at a well-furnished house with shared places and amenities. It also allows you to get a deep knowledge of the culture of a specific area.  For instance, the hosts of a luxury homestays in Mussoorie, offer to take guests for the sight of the town, helping you to learn the local insights.  Homestays in themselves are considered to be a holiday destination. They help in uniting people of diverse backgrounds by bringing them under a common roof, thus helping in building long-lasting relationships.

How do homestays act as a tool for cultural promotion?

There is a growing trend for homestay tourism nowadays.  The beautiful sights and abundance of resources help the tourists to accomplish the tourism dream. One such place that has the best homestays is Mussoorie.   The luxury homestays of this place are known for their hospitality and uniqueness. The “queen of hills” has authentic and luxury homestays like the log house that provides a peaceful stay.  It attracts the tourists due to the facilities and amenities it provides as well as due to the social opportunities it offers.  A few of the social opportunities provided by the homestays are:

·         Staying in a homestay facilitates cross-culture exchange.

·         It promotes harmony among different races.

·         It makes the tourists experience the natural and cultural diversity.

·         It also makes tourists aware of the environmental sustainability. 

What does homestay offer?

The homestays offer the following products:

 

·         Accommodation: Homestays are the houses of local people that offer accommodation to the tourists. They have a beautiful architecture that depicts the local flavor.  The major attractions are their spacious rooms, modernized kitchens, and garden and terrace views. 

·         Amenities: Besides accommodation, one of the features that attract tourists is the amenities provided in a homestay. This includes facilities such as housekeeping services, car parking facilities, etc.

·         Local activities: The homestays give the guests an insight into the local culture of a place. It gives them a chance to understand the customs of a place. 

·         Local cuisine:  The guests get to experience the local cuisine of a place through the homestay. Moreover, it also offers them an opportunity to enjoy eating meals with their friends and family.

Hence it cannot be denied that besides providing accommodation to the guests, the homestays are a perfect tool that promotes cultural tourism.  So, by staying in a luxurious homestay in a beautiful place like Mussoorie, you will not get a comfortable stay but will also get to experience the local cuisine, customs, and traditions of this place.

Things You Should Consider Before Choosing A Right Homestay

If you’re a frequent traveler and love to explore various places, then you need to choose a homestay that is not just affordable but is also equipped with the best facilities for your comfortable stay. It won’t be wrong to say that you would like to stay in a cottage that offers a bundle of amenities for the guests.  A few of the things that you should consider before choosing the best cottage for your stay are:

·         Cleanliness: No matter wherever you go, cleanliness is the topmost priority of every individual. Everyone wants to stay at a place that is well cleaned with minimal interiors. Some hosts even take a step forward by disinfecting the bed sheets and pillow covers so that the cottage remains germ-free.

·         Facilities:  Guests generally prefer homestay that offers different amenities such as a free Wi-Fi connection, parking facilities, spacious rooms, and a cable TV. Well, there are just a few homestays or cottages that provide luxury facilities to the visitors.

·         Warming hosts: Who wouldn’t want to stay at a place where they’re welcomed with full warmth and love?  When you have wonderful and friendly hosts, you don’t need any guide to explore hidden places and good cuisine of the place. Moreover, good hosts rescue you from several problems that you might face while staying at the cottage. 

·         Security:  Apart from cleanliness and facilities, safety, and security is the foremost priority that you should keep in mind while choosing a homestay. You should choose the best cottage where you enjoy privacy and where your belongings are safe.

·         Ambience: The ambience of the place should be refreshing and positive if you want to make memorable and unforgettable memories. Generally, people like to stay at a homestay that has a beautiful ambience with unique interiors. 

·         Meals: The best thing about staying in a homestay is the delicious food that you’re served. The homestays that offer a kitchen with all the basic facilities so that you can cook the meal of your choice are the best to stay. 

·         Transport facilities: Most of the visitors like to stay in a cottage that is near to the major attractions especially in hill stations like Mussoorie. This helps in saving a good amount of time and money. 

·         A home-like feeling: A homestay that gives a home away from home kind of feeling is a major attraction for the visitors.

    If you’re still confused about choosing a luxury cottage for a comfortable stay while visiting any hill station to spend your vacation, then you can have a word with the homeowners. Talking to the homeowners will provide you an insight into what you’re overall experience of staying in the cottage will be. You can clear all your doubts and get an answer to all your queries. There are very few homestays and homeowners who not only offer all the facilities to the guests but also take care of them just like the family members. One of the best cottages where you get all the amenities is the log house in Mussoorie. This beautiful cottage, set amidst the hills is a perfect homestay for the guests.