Forget hotels, homestays are buzzword here

BANGALORE: The verdant stretches ofKodagu and Chikmagalur have an added attraction now — homestays in manyhues which are turning out to be extremely popular withtourists.Though hotels continue to thrive in these tourism-richdistricts, homestays are the more happening places to be. And,touristshave over 1,500 options and range of budgets to choose from.Anextension of the extremely popular European and American concept of Bed andBreakfast, homestays in Karnataka boast of much more. They come packed with avariety of local flavours and surprises, spawning an entirely newidiom.Set amidst rolling plantations, wooden-beamed bungalows andsprawling colonial-era mansions form a glorious backdrop for a break from thehumdrum of city life. And, this is the sentiment that owners are using to thehilt.In fact, Karnataka tourism floated the idea over five yearsago, but the response was lukewarm. However, during the past two to three years,many households have opened up their homes to take in boarders — some haveas few as two rooms, others 10. "Many of the estates have hugebungalows, a large part of which is usually unused for a variety of reasons.Till five years ago, the owners did not know what do with them. But the tourismboom, combined with tourists seeking variety, has seen a huge spurt. It alsomakes good business sense for the owners," an industry source said. But for mosttourists, it is the ambience and experience which attracts. "All promotion is byword of mouth, yet I have bookings for more than 250 nights a year," a homestayentrepreneur from South Kodagu said. Such places are more popularwith the youth, specially with those from IT industry. "We get a lot of youngcouples, who want to experience estate life, something different from a hotelstay," said a homestay facilitator from Chikmagalur.But far fromimages of dingy accommodation, many homestays speak volumes of professionalismwith a touch of traditional warmth and hospitality,which are missing in hotels.