Many of you wonder whether to stay at a homestay or a hotel when visiting Da Lat. To analyze this issue accurately, I will provide the most subjective opinions for you to compare. The article is subjective in nature, so if there are any inaccuracies, you can contribute and share your thoughts.
Differences between homestay and hotel
Firstly, I will explain more about homestay and hotel, as well as the differences between the two (mostly).
What is a homestay?
Homestay is a form of renting rooms in the homes of local residents. You will have the opportunity to experience the lifestyle, food, and activities with the host as a local. This is a way for you to get closer to their culture and way of life.
What makes homestay special is the people here. Hosts will welcome you with friendliness and warmth in a very unique way. In other words, once you enter their “home,” you will be treated as a member of the family.
However, in Da Lat, many places named Homestay are actually more like Hostels(Hostel is a type of budget hotel that reduces some accompanying services to minimize room rental costs – such as dorm rooms)
Therefore, I will analyze in the form of Homestay in Da Lat.
Advantages of homestay:
- Opportunity to meet and interact with many people from different places. Especially for homes with interactions, cooking, and communal activities. Making friends, understanding different cultures and people from everywhere is truly interesting, right?
- Homestays in Da Lat are very diverse in terms of prices. From 70,000-100,000 VND/day (usually dormitory style) to 1,500,000 – 2,000,000 VND/day depending on the room size and view of the accommodation. With a diverse price range, you can choose a suitable location based on your purpose and budget.
- You can engage in activities, eat, go to the market, cook with the host and gain a better understanding of the people and their warm hospitality.
- Many homestays in Da Lat are beautifully decorated, have style, and offer beautiful views. This can be a paradise for those who love taking photos.
- You can use household items (when allowed) such as a shared kitchen, shared living room.
- Hosts are usually proactive in recommending places to eat and visit with great enthusiasm. Sometimes, these are things you can’t find in books or online.
- You can ask the host to cook. The dishes will be prepared like daily meals, very close and affordable.
Disadvantages of homestay
- Homestays often lack in room facilities.
- If staying in shared rooms (dormitories), it may lack privacy and security for personal belongings.
- Rooms are not cleaned regularly during the stay, and items are not replaced or renewed during the stay (not suitable for those who prefer attentive service and cleanliness like in hotels).
- Many homestays have inconvenient shared bathrooms or communal areas.
- Homestays often have poor sound insulation.
- For homestays with beautiful views, they are usually far from the city center.
Homestays are usually suitable for the following types of people:
- Travelers who enjoy convenience, want to save money, spend most of their time exploring, only need a place to sleep and shower at the homestay.
- Groups of young friends who prefer convenience and can stay together in a group.
- Solo travelers or those seeking relaxation, not needing to go out much, just wanting to stay at the homestay to enjoy the space and interact with the people there.
- Those who want to experience living in a truly beautiful place.
Things to note when staying at a homestay:
- You may not have the same level of comfort and privacy as in a regular hotel.
- Necessary items such as towels, soap, toothbrush, hairdryer, comb… are usually not provided (some hostels may have them). Therefore, you should prepare these items before each trip.
- You must carefully manage your personal belongings and valuables. It’s advisable to carry money and important documents with you whenever you go out and leave only your clothes in your bag (for hostel-type accommodations).
- Sometimes the room may be noisy or too bright due to sharing a dorm room with many people, which may be unavoidable. You should consider bringing earplugs and an eye mask with you.
- If you decide to stay at a homestay, make sure to inquire about the distance from the homestay to the places you want to visit to avoid any inconvenience.
So which types of people should stay in hotels.
- Those who prefer cleanliness and private, quiet spaces.
- Families.
- Those who prefer convenience and being close to the city center.
- Those who want to be served, have their rooms cleaned and all necessary items prepared in advance (without needing to prepare too much).
- However, there are many places to stay in Da Lat that confuse the concepts of homestay, villa, hotel, hostel, so applying the above criteria to all locations will not be accurate.
- To truly have a comfortable trip, you need to clearly define your needs and also check reviews from reputable sources to choose a suitable location.
Hope the article above is helpful for everyone in choosing suitable accommodation for their trip
Compilation of some beautiful view budget homestays in Da Lat
- LengKeng Da Lat Homestay: Address: 57/4 Hoàng Hoa Thám, Ward 10, Da Lat City
- Pine Hill Homestay Da Lat: Address: 1 Triệu Việt Vương, homestay on the hill in front of Bao Dai Palace gate
- The kupid – Dalat no single: Address: 47 Đặng Thái Thân, Ward 3, Da Lat City
- Homestay Nomini Da Lat: Address: 04 Nguyễn Khuyến, Ward 5, Da Lat
- Hai Ả Homestay – Cafe – Bakery: Address: 77 Sào Nam, Ward 11, Da Lat
- The Barn Home Farm: Address: 37B Triệu Việt Vương, Da Lat
- Cú Trên Cây Homestay: Address: 37 Đặng Thái Thân, Ward 3, Da Lat City
- Home of Dreamers: Address: 2/35 Nam Hồ Street, Da Lat
- TOM’s Urban Homestay: Address: 12/1 Phạm Ngũ Lão, Ward 3, Da Lat
- Ngó Dâu Homestay: Address: 6B Hàn Thuyên Street, Ward 5, Da Lat City, Lam Dong
- Stay, Feel & Love Homestay: Address: 12 Lê Văn Tám, Da Lat
- Berry Valley Homestay: Address: 06 (158 old) Thánh Mẫu, Da Lat
- Her homestay – Minion: Address: 142 Hoàng Hoa Thám, Ward 10, Da Lat (next to Dinh 1)
- Dalat Teepee homestay: Address: 54 Ngô Thì Sỹ, Ward 4, Da Lat
- Vườn nhà Củi: Address: D58 Bis An Sơn, Ward 4, Da Lat, Lam Dong, Da Lat
- Dusk Homestay: Address: Quán Cô Hồng, 100 Chùa Linh Phước, Ward 11, Da Lat
- Lê Homestay: Address: Alley 31 Sào Nam, Hùng Vương Street, Ward 11, Da Lat
- Jang & Min’s house: Address: 16/1 Khởi Nghĩa Bắc Sơn, Ward 10, Da Lat City
