Part of the family on homestay adventure in Sri Lanka

When Sorin and Adelina from Romania were booking their first homestay, they decided they wanted to travel somewhere completely different. After browsing destinations in Asia, they settled on Sri Lanka with their host Osweld, who lives in Kandy. They did everything from visiting a tea museum to playing with elephants and exploring the lush scenery of the island nation.

When they returned they left such a glowing review of their host and their homestay experience that we had to find out more. Their story is proof of the power of homestays with Osweld and his family now considered friends rather than hosts by Sorin and Adelina. Here’s their account of their trip to Sri Lanka as they tell us what makes a homestay different from a regular holiday.

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What made you choose Sri Lanka as your holiday destination?

We wanted a special holiday for the occasion of my girlfriend's birthday and she wanted to go to Asia. This was to be our first trip out of Europe. We started reading about Asia on the internet, on forums about the opinions of those who have traveled there. Sri Lanka seemed to us closer to our soul, less developed in terms of tourism, closer to nature, to the wild. In addition, we were lucky to find a convenient flight.

Why did you choose Osweld as your host?

We chose his house first of all for its location. It’s close to the city centre, has a great view over the city, the Temple of Tooth and the nearby lake is beautiful. We liked the personality of the house, the rooms seemed clean and with good energy, tastefully furnished. But more important was the fact that they responded promptly to all our questions before we made the reservation and they seemed to be willing to fulfil our needs.

You said you had a real Sri Lankan experience with Osweld and his family. Tell us about some of the things you did with them.

They were very open to know us and to let us get to know them. He invited us into his home to meet his family, who were so impressively open to us, even the kids, and they have such a sincere smile that you can see the goodness of their heart. We really felt so close to them like we were also family. They always ask us if we needed anything, if we want something else at breakfast, if we were okay. First night was a little cold because of the rain and we ask for some blankets, we didn't know that they don’t use blankets because the weather is usually so warm, so they went and bought blankets especially for us. This is not something you could experience in a hotel.

His partner Nilan Kolagolla was also so good to us, not like a guide but like a really close friend. He let us know about Sri Lankan life and people, he offered us the possibility to try different kinds of authentic food, he gave us advice about what is safe to do and what is not, he introduced us to his friends and we had such a great time with them. He really took care of us. Nilan and Osweld organised a party for us and it was so fun and all the language and cultural barriers disappeared like it was only in our minds. We had a really authentic experience with them and we are very honoured to have met such extraordinary people.

Why did you choose to stay in a homestay over other types of accommodation?

This was our first time in a homestay and we were curious about this kind of experience. We thought it offered a more authentic experience than staying in a hotel, which is more impersonal. We were looking to have a closer interaction with local people and to stay among them.

Where is your next holiday destination?

At this moment we would say going back to Sri Lanka, we had such a great time there and made such good friends that we could not think about other destinations. There are so many other things to see and to do there!

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Inspired by Sorin and Adelina's trip? Take a look at our Sri Lanka homestays and find the host that is right for you.

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