Village stays in Georgia offer a unique full-immersion cultural experience in the destination of your choosing. Having the opportunity to feel like part of a community is an invaluable resource for any traveler’s portfolio.
Having the possibility to experience being a part of a community that one is visiting, is a unique opportunity that will not be forgotten.
7 Reasons to Try a Village Stay in Georgia
1. The old traditions
It has long since been said that travel is the best teacher. There is high value in learning about the day-to-day lives of people and cultures other than one’s own. Off-the-beaten-path communities offer such rich learning experiences. As traditional ways have a tendency to drop away in our modern lifestyles, the opportunity to learn these valuable life lessons grows smaller every year. Many village communities in Georgia continue to practice the old traditions. Village stays make it possible to live at the destination, not just to visit it.
2. Participating in local celebrations
It’s a big pleasure to be able to join in with local festivities. It’s not something a traveler is able to do when staying in high tourism areas. There are festivities, of course, however, they are mainly focused on the tourists. Festivities in small communities with low – no tourists means that the traveler will be able to experience these local happenings on a scale that is meant for the community, not the visitor.
3. Local food, Georgian food!
Meals with the host family are usually included as a part of village stays. Meals are local and family-style cuisine, affording one the opportunity to sample delightful dishes one would not otherwise have the chance to try. Many of these local dishes can include rare food ingredients only found in the local area. Usually, this is because the food is locally produced, fresh, and cooked by the real locals, not by international chefs!
4. Make memories
You are making memories. Not only memories for yourself, your children, or with whom you are traveling but also for those in the community which hosts you. Making lifelong friends with the locals is not unheard of and in many ways can foster an environment of creating continuing memories from one travel experience. Whatever you do, be certain to take the time to appreciate making memories that will last a lifetime.
5. Help the local communities
Village stays contribute to the local communities. In addition to contributing monetarily to the communities, travelers are also contributing by sharing their own cultures, history, and language. The people in the hosting community are learning from the travelers, just as travelers are learning from the hosting community. The ability to share experiences is the creation of a bond. You have the ability to contribute to a community simply by being there!
6. Feel like a member of the family
When traveling, it is quite the normal feeling to be an outsider that is observing culture and history of which you are not a part, in most circumstances. During village stays, however, the traveler is treated as a member of the family, a member of the community, and as such is invited to participate in local festivities and happenings. This opportunity for inclusion is quite rare and one should not only appreciate the opportunity but respect the culture and show such respect by learning as much as possible about it.
7. Get out of the tourism bubble
Traditional forms of tourism have a tendency to feel a bit isolated from the destination itself. Programs, pre-arranged trips, and special tourist areas – all catered to the tourism experience, but which can also be far removed from the real-life at the destination itself, are what is meant by the ‘tourism bubble’. Taking a village stay will give the traveler a unique experience, one in which the traveler is considered part of the community and is able to help with chores, join celebrations and help to prepare food for all to eat. This offers a unique perspective on the destination and creates memorable experiences for both travelers and hosts!
8. Slow down and relax
The pace of daily life in many villages is slower than the daily hustle and bustle of life in the cities. As a traveler experiencing daily life in the destination village, you will have the opportunity to take a break and just sit, enjoy the views, or do some daytime exploration of your own. Village hosts think it important to make time allowances for their guests to have their own time. As daily life in the destination is the experience, ‘downtime’ in a family environment is a perfect opportunity to just slow down and enjoy the smaller things in life. Relax a bit and refresh yourself by taking a village stay during your holiday!
