Homestays are my favorite. I like to stay in a homestay when I travel to the hills. In this write-up, I am going to tell you why people should choose a homestay instead of a hotel. Darjeeling is a very important tourist destination for people not only from West Bengal or India but for different countries in the world. Darjeeling tea is supposed to be the most famous thing of the place to those who are from other countries. When you are in Darjeeling, you may able to find some hotels around the place near the mall road. But those are a bit clumsy and you can’t enjoy the serene beauty of nature. If you choose a homestay near Darjeeling which is not clogged into the busy hustle-bustle of the city, then you must go through this write-up till the end.
Homestays are different than hotels and resorts, if you want to know more you have to understand what is this homestay? and why you should book a homestay? A homestay is a part of someone’s home converted into a hotel. Guests are either accommodated in the family home, or in separate quarters nearby. Nowadays, most homestays provide their guests with just as much comfort as a reputed hotel. In Darjeeling, Sikkim, entire northeast states, and North Bengal there are a good number of a homestay.
Why I have chosen a homestay near Darjeeling instead of a hotel
We wanted to book a homestay near Darjeeling while we wanted to go there. We stayed in proper Darjeeling a few times but this time we wanted a serene place to stay. We called our trusted trip designer and he suggested the place Chatakpur. It is a small hamlet near Darjeeling. We were very excited about the place. We wanted a less crowded place to stay from where we can visit Darjeeling easily and enjoy nature to its fullest.
Homestays are a kind of converted hotel. The idea of ‘home’ brings a joyful sense of warmth to our hearts and it brings the sentiment of love and pleasure. Homestays are a very good option to stay. Those are not only nice to stay but have awesome scenic beauty as well as very close to nature.
It is a home after all
That’s the biggest reason to choose homestays when you are traveling. You will never miss your home when you are traveling because you will not be treated as a customer but will be greeted like a family member or respective guest. You will get heartwarming hospitality and a village experience. This is the best and most important reason why we book homestay.
In our Chatakpur trip, we booked Akriti homestay. Owner Barsha Rai was amazing. She has a very in-depth knowledge of sustainable tourism. She shared all her experiences with us.
Homemade food
You will get authentic homemade food, even in the adverse weather in Darjeeling Homestay or any other hilly homestay. Staying in a homestay near Darjeeling will give you an opportunity to enjoy homemade food as well as some authenticated Darjeeling cuisine in restaurant delicacy. Let me explain how one can try both.
This is one of the most important aspects for a traveler. In the hotel, you can get Chinese or Mexican, or Indian Mughlai anytime, but at homestays, you can get that delicious home-cooked food that is our favorite among the local people. A hotel food can’t beat the simple homemade food that is made especially with less or no pesticide vegetables, fish, local chicken. It allows you to understand local cuisine and even learn what goes into the preparation as most hosts willing to share secret recipes with you. Every five miles the taste and texture of the staple dish of the state changes–and this is your chance to try something new.
Barsha, the Chatakpur homestay owner was making the food herself. She was telling us that the water they used was tasty and very helpful to digest. Some vegetables like cabbage, beans, etc. were collected from their organic farm. This was an amazing experience. We simply loved their food. This is unbeatable and no one can get this love and warmth from hotels and restaurants.
When we will visit Darjeeling we didn’t miss the Darjeeling delicacy at all. We had our breakfast at Glenary’s. A cup of Darjeeling tea along with a pork sandwich works best for us.
We had our authenticated Tibetan lunch at Kunga and for dinner it was obviously at Keventers.
Homestay near Darjeeling will take you closer to culture
You are getting a chance to live in an authentic culture of a place, you can live a life of a local people. You may get to know how they spent a normal day, how they celebrate their occasion, how they dress up for any ceremony. In some homestays of North Bengal, you can enjoy folk dance, bonfire along with local chicken and beverages, etc. in the evening to cherish the flavor of that particular place.
I can remember how I got fascinated with the local dresses while visiting the apparel shops
Children friendly
If someone is traveling with kids, then homestay is a must-booking option for parents. You can request them to make boiled vegetables, khichdi, hot water, or any less spicy food at any time. If you are carrying a pressure cooker then you can cook the food for your baby yourself in their kitchen. So a homestay is a convenient travel friend for every parent. It saves many hazardous issues of traveling with babies. Your child can play with host kids also and will enjoy the trip as you would enjoy your vacation making countless memories near mother nature.
Our 5 years old kid was instantly got happy to see so many domestic chickens around the homestay and started playing with those.
Best Way To stay
No one knows a place better than the local occupants, and by staying with someone local you have access to the best information on the place. We sometimes ignore some local places because we don’t have proper information about the place.
Someone told me that the pukhuri of Chatakpur was not so impressing. I ignored the place initially. Then we talked to some local people and went there. It was a serene place and a beautiful trail took us to the spot. We got so many birds here. This is supposed to be the most promising area of chatakpur for wildlife lovers.
Live a country life
You are getting a chance to live in an authentic culture of a place, you can live a life of a local people. You may get to know how they spent a normal day, how they celebrate their occasion, how they dress up for any ceremony. In some homestays of North Bengal, you can enjoy folk dance, bonfire along with local chicken and beverages, etc. in the evening to cherish the flavor of that particular place.
In Chatakpur you can’t enjoy a bonfire because it is situated in Senchal wildlife sanctuary, but if you stay anywhere outside the sanctuary then a bonfire is possible.
Just like your own home among your own family members
You don’t feel alone in a new place. Staying in a homestay is a completely new experience where you can get the comfort of a home and the security of a hotel. This is more like visiting an acquaintance from another community and culture. You don’t need to compromise because you are actually living in luxury. You don’t need to do any cleaning or cooking and you get your privacy too.
Chatakpur, which was pretty near the Darjeeling has a magnificent Kanchenjunga view. Chatakpur is like a full-frame camera with a wide lens and Darjeeling is like a cropped body. Kanchenjunga is more nearer to Darjeeling but the 360-degree view is missing.
Cheaper than hotel
Homestay means something which is cost-effective as well as very good in terms of service. Homestays don’t have any hidden cost.
Most of the time homestays offer their packages with all meals.
Cleanliness
Homestays are very hygienic and clean overall. They are close to nature, so the material they use, is eco-friendly and never harmful to nature. They don’t throw away plastics here and there because a well-maintained green homestay can attract more tourists.
Personalized services
Hotels tend to be highly professional with high-end managers, reception desks, and too many visitors. If you need some tailored adjustments in the stuff you like to eat, it’s easy to work that out. You are treated as guests, not as clients. The emotion attached to a homestay can never be found in hotel service.
Economic backbone
The tourism industry strengthened the backbone of the local economy. One of the finest aspects is that our homestays are generating income for the local people and you’d feel good for having done something for the natives of the place you’re traveling to. It’s a very productive effort towards the way of eco-tourism.
In Chatakpur, our homestay owned opined clearly that tourism helped them a lot. They didn’t have the economic strength before sending their children to Catholic schools. Now they are able to get proper education and home with the help of tourism.
Eco-Tourism is one of the most important reasons to book a homestay near Darjeeling
Tourism has grown by leaps and bounds all over the world. It contributes considerably to the local, regional, national and global economy. One of today’s major ecological challenges is the conservation of biodiversity and eco-tourism could well play a vital role in conservation.
Specifically, it has raised the local living standard and made local people become more involved in conservation. Moreover, ecotourism could fulfill the needs of people living in places that attract tourists. Thus, eco-tourism could prove to be a much-needed tool to protect biodiversity as well as provide a livelihood to local people. The idea of eco-tourism is now a popular word in all around the world. This is because tourism forms an important part of the world’s economy. The number of tourists increases year by year, and within the tourism industry, ecotourism is the fastest-growing part. Homestay is a part of Eco-tourism and is a sustainable way to conserve nature.
Living with locals
You can sit with the family of your host and talk with them for hours. They won’t mind exchanging ideas and views. In fact, your host can assist you in finding fair-priced deals for all the activities you look forward to doing. Some of our homestays are offering adventure sports, birding trails, etc. with a very small budget.
More peace and quiet
If you are traveling to get away from the noise and hustle-bustle of monotonous city life, then choosing a homestay is a good option to escape. Homestays can’t accommodate many people, so a traveler can get full peace of mind and privacy. You can spend a good amount of quality time with your family and yourself.
More spacious
Homestays have very spacious rooms. In a hotel, you may get small rooms but homestays are overall very spacious with big rooms, front yard, backyard, etc.
Unique Activities in some of the homestays are important when people think of booking them instead of a hotel
As a guest at a homestay, the focus is on you, your likes, and your preferences. The hosts are usually very accommodating and will put a great deal of effort into arranging activities that are of interest to you.
So overall a homestay is all about a personalized hotel. Now you know the homestay meaning and its’ amenities. Give them a try! For example, if you want to book a hotel in Darjeeling then try booking a Darjeeling homestay. We can assure you that staying in a Darjeeling homestay can be far more beautiful than a Darjeeling hotel. It is very clear now that there are several reasons that you must know that why you should book a homestay instead of a hotel.
We booked our homestay at Chatakpur with the help of NorthEastTravels. Contact : 8972247306
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Tour Operator
Dipankar Roy
Contact: +91. 8972247306
Website: northeasttravels.in
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