What's a Homestay?
A typical homestay involves living with a local family (often for a nominal nightly or weekly fee) and experiencing its customs, cuisine and way of life first-hand. Homestays are most common among young people studying or working abroad, but they're open to any type of traveler.
Homestays vary widely -- in some cases you'll be very involved in the life of your host family, sharing meals and attending family events, while in other cases you may simply get your own room and be left to come and go as you please. When planning your homestay, find out how much (or how little) interaction you'll have with your host family ahead of time to make sure you know what to expect.