Do you know what homestay is?

I bet some of you still have a wrong impression on this. Honestly, three years ago I would've given you a blank face if you say "homestay" to me.


Then, 2 years ago, if you have said "homestay" to me, I would've thought you were talking about staying at someone's home with them/their family for awhile, while you are there. /sweat - that would be too uncomfortable for me! Pass!



And I also thought it might be uncomfortable and hot, and woody (as in a kampung house) and there will be a lot of mosquitoes as well as other insects. Well, I'm not that much of a "princess" that I can't stand all that. I can - if I were going for a camping where I know and expect everything to be uncomfortable. But if I'm going for a holiday, please spare me that!

Now, I know, that although there are also homestays where you actually stay with the owner, there also homestays where you don't have to. Actually, it is much, much, MUCH more comfortable AND affordable AND convenient than staying at a hotel. During my stay in Terengganu on the last 3rd/9, we stayed at a homestay. Just imagine, the house have 4 rooms, fully air-conditioned including the living room, complete with furniture, tv, washing machine, refrigerator, iron + iron board and even cooking utensils - just like what a home should be (or could be) and it only cost us RM200 per night! The house was clean, and comfortable, I thought it was a wonderful bargain. Since there was 12 of us, staying at a hotel would cost quite a lot. It's not easy to get 4 rooms for a total of RM200 at a hotel half as nice as the house had been! Plus, if the owner permits it, you can even bring your pets along with you - just as long as you clean it up later.

The problem is, you have to choose the homestay you want to stay in carefully. If not, you might land up with horrendous experience instead. While surveying for a homestay, my cousin found one that is so dusty and dirty. So, you have to choose well, since there are a lot types of homestays. Here's some pictures I collected from google.

If you live far from the designate place to check it out yourself, and have no one to survey it for you, you could just go online and search for it. But be careful of cons. Oh! there is also iBilik Rooms For Rent. The website iBilik list down rooms and houses to rent for long and short term. It's Malaysia's largest and No.1 Room For Rent / Homestay / Short Term Rental website. It has over 70,000 listings posted online all across Malaysia, Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Bangsar, Cheras, Setapak, Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, and Penang. I thinks it's quite convenient. You can find a place, and if you have a palace to rent out, you can put it there as well. 

Alright then, I leave you guys with this pictures of us posing at the nice porch of the homestay. (to be precise, the VERY nice wall at the porch. /wahaha )

That's it from the brat. /bye


p/s: I love kampung houses mind you! I was just trying to make an example only.