Renting a homestay when traveling is not only for a place to stay, but can also bring many benefits if tourists know how to exploit information from the homeowner.
Most accommodation establishments are willing to provide "added value" to tourists to make their vacation a pleasant experience, because nowadays, tourist satisfaction can directly affect the number of future customers through hotel and motel reviews. Taking advantage of that, tourists can exploit the accommodation even though they are not originally on the booking form.
Exploiting local tourism information
No one knows a tourist destination better than those who were born and raised there. Therefore, homestay owners can become a source of diverse and useful information: interesting places to visit, shopping, cheap flea markets, shops selling unique artifacts... Tourists can even ask for the address of a flea market, a restaurant selling authentic traditional dishes, or the location of memorable local events or delicious restaurants that only locals go to, not tourists.
If you have identified suitable destinations, you can also ask them about how to buy tickets, visiting hours to avoid crowds, avoid bad weather, or avoid spending a lot of time waiting in line.
Find out traffic information
If you are confused about using public transportation, you can ask your host about the most convenient train and bus routes for your sightseeing route. Most practically, you can ask how to get from the airport or train station to the hotel, from the hotel to famous places to save time and money.
In case tourists need to rent motorbikes or self-drive cars, the hotel can also provide the phone numbers of local car rental establishments, and can even suggest that they deliver and pick up the car right at the hotel so that tourists do not have to travel. Some homestay owners have their own cars and provide services to take you to your desired locations at affordable prices, limiting the chance of encountering unlicensed taxis or scams.
Use home appliances like at home
Only in a homestay can you use household appliances like at home. Photo: Trinh Hang
Unlike traditional hotels, in recent years, the form of renting accommodation in the form of independent apartments, private houses or homestays has flourished and is popular with tourists. If in a hotel, you rarely have the opportunity to use the kitchen, washing machine... then when renting an apartment or homestay, tourists will have full household appliances like at home.
However, if you don’t see the details you need on your booking, don’t hesitate to contact the host. For example, if the booking only says “kitchen included,” you can ask if there is a rice cooker, oven, or microwave, and if you can use them for cooking. Many hosts are even happy to provide guests with free spices for cooking, detergent for laundry, or a bicycle if they want to get around.
Nowadays, most homestay owners take advantage of social media communication methods. No matter where you are, you can text or email them in advance to discuss everything you need support with. If you do not receive a response or an insufficient response, you can consider changing to another accommodation facility, because customer care partly reflects the quality of service at the hotel or motel where you intend to rent a room.
When checking out, don't forget to leave an honest review of the accommodation, as your review is a great encouragement to caring hosts, and a useful reference for future guests.
Buy sim and phone card
When traveling abroad, many tourists want to buy SIM cards and phone cards but do not know where to buy them and the price of each type. If you buy them right at the airport or train station, you may have to spend a long time looking for a place to buy them, and if the train or bus arrives late, the store may be closed. Instead, contact the hotel or motel in advance to buy a SIM card right at the hotel when checking in. They may charge a higher price than the original price of the telecommunications service provider, but it is often cheaper than buying at the airport, and you save time looking for it elsewhere.
Hire a local guide
When traveling independently, you can freely explore new lands, but it will also take a lot of effort to learn to complete the schedule. Especially if you go to places where English is not spoken or the language you know is not available, then figuring things out on your own will be quite difficult.
Instead, you can ask your landlord to recommend a local tour guide - it can be a professional tour guide or a student working part-time. This will help you save a lot of energy, and at the same time, it will be more comfortable in your schedule and less expensive than buying a ready-made tour. You can discuss with the tour guide about your needs. They will also suggest places worth going, which the tour company may not include in the schedule. Thanks to that, you will have more unique experiences at a very affordable cost.
Trinh Hang
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