Accommodations where the owners live on the premises as well are called homestays.

Home stays in Coorg are becoming increasingly popular and will vary in terms of standard of accommodation and facilities, which will naturally place a bearing on the cost. Some accommodation will be quite basic offering a bed and meals, but most hosts ensure the houses remain clean and welcoming. Most home stays will have more than adequate facilities though such as bathrooms, kitchen and living areas with books and indoor games available for guests to enjoy. Visitors will experience the delights of authentic home cooking in their Coorg home stay, with the option of vegetarian food such as bamboo shoot curry or pickle or non vegetarian meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is usually provided and in some places the hosts will allow their guests in to the kitchen to watch or even help prepare the meal.

Homestay is a form of tourism and/or study abroad program that allows the visitor to rent a room from a local family to better learn the local lifestyle as well as improve their language ability. While homestays can occur in any destination worldwide, some countries do more to encourage homestay than others as a means of developing their tourism industry.

People in several holiday destinations with large homes invite travellers to stay in their homes as their guests for the duration of their travel. What travellers can expect at a homestay is a comfortable homely stay, homemade food (definitely the best way to experience local cuisine), local culture (unlike typical hotel accommodations) while having your privacy as well. Another added bonus would be the wonderful people you meet who are not only extremely warm and hospitable hosts but also the best source of local information.