Experience life as a local when you travel as a tourist

Too many people can be a bit snobbish when it comes to travelling. They don’t like visiting the top attractions as they can be ‘too touristy’. But top sights in a city are the most visited places for a reason…they’re the most instantly recognisable sights, everybody wants their photos taken in front of them and you’d feel you missed something if you didn’t check them out.

When people ask me what they should do in a city, I tell them two things – I tell them that they should make sure to visit the best-known attractions, so then when they see them on TV they can go ‘ah, remember that time we visited there?’. It brings back nice memories.

The second thing I tell them to do is put by time to do nothing. This time is to do whatever they want – walk the streets aimlessly, go for drinks in the bars and people watch from a café. By doing this you get to really experience a city – you get to see how the locals live their lives.

Staying in a homestay is a great way to get a fast track to this side of a destination. The difference with the type of accommodation listed on our site and hotels, guesthouses and other types is that, when you stay in a homestay, you stay with a host. You stay with somebody who knows the destination better than most people because they live there. They know the best restaurants, the best bars, what neighbourhoods are worth visiting, what areas aren’t and everything else you need to know.

Take New York City for example. Evan, the host of this hip room in the East Village , puts it perfectly when he says, “Why stay in a shared apartment? What’s better than visiting a city where you have a friend?” Evan has just returned from a 14-month trip around the world so knows what it’s like to be on the road. He spent his time living with locals and picking up tips…now he wants to do the same to other travellers. He doesn’t only want to show you the hotspots, but also help you meet new people on your travels. This is an authentic tourist experience that you won’t find in other accommodation types.

In other cities around the world you can mix the life of a local with the life of a tourist with great ease. In Melbourne, if you stay with Jennifer in her Clifton Hill house, you’ll see what it’s like to work from home in the Victorian capital – she has an office in her house that she works from part time.

In London you can stay with Salwa, a host who lives in her apartment in Paddington with her daughter. As she says herself, “My daughter and I are interested in meeting new people and learning more about different cultures.”

Visiting a country is about much more than simply seeing the sights, taking the pictures and leaving. It’s about experiencing, living and feeling a destination. Homestays give you this opportunity through the one thing that makes them different from the rest – the hosts.

These hosts are just three listed on our site who want to make sure your stay in their destination is an unforgettable one by telling you secrets the guidebooks won’t and introducing you to others who know even more. We have more in destinations like Amsterdam, Buenos Aires and Toronto. Why not meet them.

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