A short, useful guide to homestay etiquette

A homestay is someone's home first and accommodation second. The rhythms of the house — when meals happen, where you sit, where you sleep — follow the family, not the guest.

Take your shoes off at the threshold. Always. The raised wooden floor of a stilt house is a clean space.

Don't step over the central hearth or point your feet toward it. It's a minor thing in the moment and a meaningful one in the household.

Eat what's offered, drink slowly, and let your guide handle the toasts. A small gift from your country — tea, a postcard, something for the children — is welcomed but not expected.