How Safe Are Homestays In Himachal For Travelers – All Your Queries Answered

Are Homestays In Himachal Safe For Travelers would be a definite question on your mind in case you were planning to stay at homestays on your next trip to Himachal. As someone who has stayed for months in homestays in Himachal with locals I think I can answer this question aptly.

So in this blog I am going to be discussing about how safe homestays in Himachal for solo travelers, women, couples, families. I am also going to share some of my experiences while staying at local homestays in Himachal. So lets dive into it.

Are Homestays In Himachal Safe For Travelers – All You Need To Know As A Traveler

The simple answer to the question is a big YES. In fact, homestays are one of the safest places to stay in Himachal as you actually stay with a real family unlike at hotels or guesthouses. Staying at homestays is actually one of the best ways to experience the impeccable beauty of Himachal and its culture.

At homestays, you are excepted to stay with locals under the same roof, eat what they eat, witness and a get a glimpse of their tough life in the mountains. Its like staying with a family away from home. And for me personally that is the true essence of traveling in Himachal.

I’ve been staying exclusively in homestays during Himachal trips for the past two years and till date there have been no safety issues whatsoever. Instead, I have felt the safest at these homestays and thanks to their insane hospitality, I always have ended up feeling that I actually am a part of their family.

And with covid-19 changing the way we travel, homestays in Himachal are more popular than ever. With more and more people opting for experiential stays and homestays tucked away in isolated and remote villages Himachal due to the pandemic. Homestays are the safest and the most reliable options.

Are Homestays In Himachal Safe for Solo Travelers

Yes Homestays in Himachal are very safe for solo travelers. And according to me it is one of the safest places to stay at in Himachal for Solo Travelers.

When staying at these homestays you actually live with a local family. And become a part of their family at least for a few days. And the good thing is even they treat you just like a family member.

Since they are the locals they’ll take you around their villages, take you on insane hikes, arrange multi-day treks. So you as a Solo traveler will always have guidance and never feel unsafe when exploring around, going on day-hikes or village walks etc.

Over the past couple of years on my trips to Himachal, I have stayed at homestays in Himachal exclusively in rustic villages for months. And my experiences have been just mesmerizing thanks to these amazing homestays owners and their incredible hospitality.

So if you are solo traveler who wants to experience the true beauty and cultural of himachal along with scenic landscapes, trust me homestays in rustic villages are the safest and the best. Ditch the hostel or Guesthouse and try staying at homestays, it will surely be an experience of the lifetime.

By the way, here is a blog on how safe Kasol, a popular tourist place in Parvati valley for solo travelers. I am sure it will be of a great help to you.

Are Homestays In Himachal Safe For Couples ?

Both Married and Unmarried couples will not have any problems whatsoever when it comes to the safety in homestays of Himachal. In fact, most of the homestays owners are quite chill and they usually don’t really care about the marital status.

I personally have seen married, unmarried couples at several homestays where I have stayed over the years. And from what I saw all of them were quite happy and had no such safety issues whatsoever.

Usually in India, a lot of hotels are quite skeptical to let unmarried couple stay in their hotels and usually they are treated in terrible way quite often. But the experience at Himachali homestays will be polar opposite. So yes homestays in Himachal are very safe for couple.

In fact, if you want a quite peaceful stay as a couple away from clamor of the popular tourist places, I’ll advise you to stay at these the beautiful rustic homestays and enjoy you time together. Homestay owners do not usually discriminate between the couple as per their marital status.

If you are planning trip to Lahaul anytime soon, here is a detailed blog on how safe Lahaul is for travelers. I am sure it will be a great value to you.

Are Homestays In Himachal Safe For Female Travelers ?

Well with so much crime against women in India, female travelers have to be always wary of the place of their stay. Its quite disheartening to witness. But there can be nothing more comforting and safe than the homestays of Himachal for female travelers.

When you are living with local families who are very much like your own family, you are bound to feel quite safe as a female traveler.

I’ve personally seen and heard stories from the homestay hosts about how a lot of female travelers have stayed for months at their place and have always felt safe.

Sometimes you never know as a female traveler, you might encounter a creep, Or have not so pleasant experiences at hotel, hostels, or guesthouses especially if you are solo female traveler. So the safest bet is to opt for family homestays in Himachal.

Are Homestays in Himachal Safe For Families ?

Absolutely ! if you as a family are looking for peaceful stay amidst the beautiful vistas of Himachal, homestays are one of the safest options to stay out their.

Its always great as a family to spend some quality time together and relax. And what better way to do it than to stay with another family itself in their homes.

Homestays in Himachal are a huge hit amongst families with a lot more families now opting for quaint homestays over traditional hotel or guesthouses.

During my stay at Rabbit house homestay I met a lovely family from Mumbai and it seemed that they loved every bit of their time at the homestay which was so great to see.

Planning to visit Spiti anytime soon, check this blog out about how safe Spiti is to visit for the travelers.

My Personal Experiences Of Staying in Homestays Across Himachal

By now you must have understood my inclination towards staying in homestays across rustic villages of Himachal. Over the past two years I’ve exclusively stayed in Homestays during my trip in Upper Kullu, Sainj Valley, Lahaul Valey, Tirthan valley.

So I’ll share with some of my incredible experiences of my stays to make a point that how safe the homestays are.

A Month Long Sojourn In Raison At The Incredible Yuthok Homestay

I randomly came across the Yuthok Homestay (+91 7018369494 ) on Instagram. And after looking at all the lovely pictures and knowing about the Host Rajeshwar Thakur, I decided I’ll surely visit Yuthok house one day.

It did not take too long though. And I planned a stay at Yuthok Homestay for a month. The host Rajeshwar Thakur is a gem of a person. He is incredibly well learned and is an encyclopedia when it comes to Himalayas.

Profound conversations that I had with him on several topics was one of the highlights. And what do I even say about the lip smacking organic home cooked food prepared by his lovely family – Just Sumptuous  !

We went on several day hikes, ancient villages, explored lesser known valleys of Kullu. I must say he knows Kullu in and out. And of course his native land of Lahaul. Along with deep knowledge of Spiti, Zanskar, Ladakh, Kinnaur.

All in all, I had one of the best trips of my life while living for a month in Raison (Upper Kullu) with Rajeshwar and his lovely family. During the whole trip I felt as safe as I would feel in my own dwelling. That’s what it should really feel like to stay with a local family in Himachal.

So if you really want to explore the true beauty, culture, cuisine of Himachal, I would definitely recommend you to stay here. And I loved my time at Yuthok house so much that I went again in a few months after my first stint. For me it is a home away from home in Himachal.

If you are looking for a quaint getaway here is a detailed itinerary for Upper Kullu, where in you can have an authentic experience of Kullu while staying at the beautiful Yuthok House

A Month Long Homestay Hopping Trip To Sainj Valley

I was eyeing a trip to Sainj valley for the longest of times as I came across impressive blog posts about picturesque Shangarh and Upper Neahi,

I had a trip planned in spring of 2020 and thats when the pandemic struck ruining my plans. But anyways in the winter of 2021 I decided to embark on a trip to Sainj with only one way ticket.

I loved my time at the homestays of Sainj so much that I ended up staying for one whole month just in Sainj hopping from one rustic homestay to another.

My first stop was at the beautiful Aastha homestay (+91 8278795110 )in Upper Neahi where I stayed for 8 days. The second stop was at Daghara village in Shangarh wherein I stayed at the Secret homestay (+91 8626808707) for another 8 days. And Finally 18 days at one of my favourites, The Rabbit house homestay (+91 9805188083) in Kamtan village, Raila.

All the hosts were just incredible. Accompanied me one several hikes, villages walks. And food absolutely delicious across all the homestays in Sainj where I stayed. Had so many fruitful conversations with them learned a ton about Sainj valley.

Again, I felt as safe as I feel when living with my own family. Its experience like these that just entices me to homestays of himachal. If you ever want to visit Sainj feel free to contact the homestay I stayed at.

So I hope that all of my personal experiences will clear all your apprehensions if you had any about “How safe are homestays in Himachal for travelers”. And will also inspire you to stay in them on your next trip.

By the way here is a detailed itinerary of Sainj which will come in quite handy if you are looking to visit this lesser known valley in Kullu.

9 Wonderful Reasons Why You Should Stay in Homestays On Your Himachal Trip

So now that we know homestays in Himachal are usually the safest means of accommodation when traveling. I want to personally run you through some of advantages or reasons why should be staying at homestays in Himachal.

In my opinion, it does not matter in which part of the country or the world you are traveling to. Staying in homestays with locals is always beneficial. It gets you acquainted with true culture, tradition, practices, way of life of the area. And It in turn you can have one of the most authentic experiences.

Here 9 reasons why homestays in Himachal are absolutely worth it.

1. Stay with the Locals of Himachal

2. Staying in homestays of Himachal is light on the pocket

3. Get Simple yet Lip smacking home cooked food in Homestays of Himachal

4. Eat super delicious local cuisine of Himachal at Homestays

5. Discover hidden and unexplored places in Himachal

6. Go Impromptu hikes and nature walks for therapeutic experience in Himachal

7. Get a glimpse into the of unique culture of Himachal

8. Solitude seekers will find homestays in Himachal blissful

9. Witness interesting and unique Festivals of Himachal for A complete Experience

1. Stay With The Locals of Himachal 

One of the biggest advantages of staying in homestays in Himachal is that you get to live with a local of the region of Himachal you are visiting.

This in turn gives you a wonderful opportunity to get a glimpse into Himalayan way of life. This is one of the USP’s of staying in homestays.

2. Staying In Homestays of Himachal is Light On The Pocket

Homestays are usually quite budget friendly in Himachal. Unless they are experiential stays or luxury cottages. Plus usually you get the both food and stay included which you don’t get in hotel, hostels or guesthouses.

For instance I’ve ended up paying around Rs 500-800 for both food and stay per day at several homestays I’ve been to across Himachal. You’ll end up spending considerably more if you opt for hotels, homestays, hotels.

3. Get Simple Yet Lip Smacking home cooked food in Homestays of Himachal

For me personally, I hate eating at cafes on trips to Himachal. One of the main reasons is they are quite expensive to be honest. And I’m on long trips usually and eating cafe food everyday doesn’t even make sense.

So this is one of the reasons why I choose homestays over hotels, hostels or guesthouses. You get piping home cooked which is simple yet delicious when in homestays.

Across several homestays I’ve been to one thing I is common, amazing food served with lots of Pahari love by beautiful locals of Himachal

4. Eat Super Delicious Local Cuisine of Himachal

Trying out different local and traditional foods of Himachal is one of the important parts for Himachali experience. And what better place than a local homestay to try out such sumptuous delicacies.

During my stay at Yuthok Homestay I got to try out Kullavi Delicacies like Siddu, Bhataru etc. Also since they are the natives of Lahaul, I also had a chance to eat Lahauli local cuisine which included foods like Tingmo, Shunali, Thukpa, Kholag etc.

5. Discover Hidden and Unexplored places in Himachal

If you are like me you likes tread on off the beaten path often and explore the lesser known places and villages in Himachal, then homestays will be your best bet.

The hosts at local Homestays known their backyard in and out. Some homestays are itself located in remote places. And you can explore extremely scenic meadows, pretty viewpoints, ancient villages and temples from these homestays.

The hosts of the homestays usually chalk out a good plan for your. And also accompany you wherever possible. By the way, here is blog on 47 incredible hidden places in Kullu valley.

6. Go Impromptu Hikes and Nature Walks For Therapeutic Experience in Himachal

One of the biggest positives when staying in homestays are impromptu hikes and therapeutic nature walks from the homestays. The homestays located in rustic villages tend to have lot of hiking trails from the homestay itself.

During my stay at the several homestays in several homestays of Sainj, I could just go out on such hikes an walks instantly which was quite refreshing to be honest. Such reward is one of the reasons why should you choose homestays over hotels in Himachal.

7. Get A Glimpse Into The Of Unique Culture Of Himachal

One of the major reasons why homestays are absolutely worth it, is that you get the first hand experience of witnessing the true culture of Himachal and their way of life.

The reason being, most of the homestays are located in rural setting. And rural himachal and its rustic villages are the places where the unique culture of Himachal is visible overtly. And if you are cultural fanatic like me, than staying in homestays will be absolutely worth it.

8. Solitude Seekers Will Find Homestays in Himachal Blissful

One of the reasons why I mostly stay in homestays, is due to my aversion for touristy and crowded places in Himachal. This why I am constantly in search of rustic homestays tucked in far away villages.

So if you like solitude and want to escape the hustle and bustle of touristy places, homestays are your best bets. The open orchard spaces, peaceful walks, slow life of homestays in lesser known locations will surely make for a therapeutic experience.

9. Witness Interesting and Unique Festivals of Himachal for A complete Experience

Tribal and folk festivals of several districts of Himachal makes for an interesting and eccentric experience. And such festivals can be more easily experienced in rustic villages which is where most of the homestays are.

I personally was quite elated to have gotten to experience Lhamoi folk festival in Gundla village, Lahaul during winters. Plus I had a great time witnessing the popular Fagli festival (Celebrated in Kullu and Saraj Region) in Raison and Jana villages respectively.

And I was able to easily witness these festivals only because I was staying at the homestays and they apprised me about the same. Festivals like these are one of the 31 promising reasons why you should visit Himachal.

This brings me to the end of this blog, I hope that your questions and apprehensions about “are homestays in Himachal safe for travelers” have been convincingly put to rest by me. And some of my incredible homestay experiences also have inspired to choose them for your next trip.

So if you want to stay with a local family, experience the eccentric culture of Himachal, hike on pristine trails, feel like you are at home away from home in Himachal, then definitely go for homestays over hotels, hostels guesthouses.