Homestays in Vietnam offer a more immersive experience in the local culture than your average hotel. Rooms are usually more affordable and come with amenities like breakfast and shared facilities. They vary greatly from region to region and place to place.
Top Homestays in Hoi An
In a city with so much rich culture and history, Hoi An’s best explored by staying at a homestay “hotel.” A homestay is more formal than a hostel but less fancy than a chain hotel. Not only will you save a lot of money on your overall trip but also you’ll get to mingle with …
Top Homestays by Town
Choosing a homestay while in Vietnam is a great way to meet some locals and travel cheaply. While you may get the impression you’re giving up a lot of privacy, most homestays still offer you plenty of personal space. There does tend to be a bit more sharing, whether it’s a kitchen or bathroom. Just like hotels, homestays vary from place to place. Rest assured, the rooms at the top homestays are clean and comfortable.
Guide to Homestays in Vietnam
When traveling abroad, your instinct might be to make reservations at a chain hotel since that’s what most of us know. However, if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly and immersive cultural experience, there’s another option that might suit your needs in a better way.
What is a Homestay?
Homestays are often operated on properties owned by natives who live in the area, and while they offer more privacy than a hostel, they are still situated in someone’s home and not as private as a hotel. On the other hand, most homestays have private rooms for each guest or family, and many of them offer similar features, activities, and amenities that a hotel does.
There are also fewer rooms at a homestay since most of them are based in residential areas, so you can expect to interact with other travelers or the hosts more often than you would hotel staff.
The other most significant difference between homestays and hotels is the price. As previously mentioned, homestays are significantly cheaper than hotel stays. What you might spend on a week at a homestay could equal the cost of one or two nights at a hotel, making this option a lot easier on the wallet. In addition to that, you can feel good about supporting small local businesses in a foreign land.
Homestays in Vietnam
Homestays in Vietnam vastly vary by city. In larger cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, you’re more likely to get accommodations that are very close to the city center and within walking distances to many attractions.
Meanwhile, properties in smaller towns like Sapa allow you to escape the madness of metro life and enjoy some peace in the country, surrounded by open land and forestry. There are also many homestay types in-between, too, tucked away in residential areas with more rural settings but still with easy access to downtown areas.
Regardless of what type of stay you’re looking for, homestays allow visitors to customize their trip by the sort of home they book with. Even though they don’t have as many rooms available as traditional hotels, it’s nice to have some flexibility and environmental choice.
If you are considering booking a homestay for your next trip, but are on the hunt for more information about them, here’s a list of some pros and cons about these accommodations.
Pros:
- It’s much more inexpensive, especially for group travel
- An immersive experience with local culture
- Getting to interact and meet local residents
- Being able to have home-cooked meals at some homestays
- The feeling of living like a local in a residential area for the duration of your trip
- Having a more personal experience and getting tips from the host
- Having the option to prepare your own food in a kitchen
Cons:
- Not all homestays have private bathrooms
- Parking and internet options may be limited
- Air conditioning and heat not available at every homestay
- There may not be as much privacy as in a hotel
- Having to be more self-reliant, like preparing at least the majority of your own meals
- Not all homestays have high-end technology equipment
- Guests may not get along with the homestay host
The next time you plan to visit Vietnam and would like to experience staying at a homestay, check out our lists of best choices in different cities around the country.
