Homestays are becoming more and more popular, and people around the world are offering their homes as hotels. Homestays offer cheap places to stay, and the chance for guests to see the area like a local. They are very popular with people who want to stay in another country to study or on holiday. We asked three families who run homestays to tell us about where they live.

The Atal family

Our family home is in a small village in the north of Pakistan, in the Himalayan mountains. The village is quite small and very quiet. The mountains are extremely beautiful. You can go for long walks and swim in the rivers but there are no shops, cinemas or cafes.

Kate and Julian Foxton

Our two-bed house is by the sea in the south-west of England. It is about five minutes' drive to the nearest village of Portreath. There are lots of beaches, rivers and forests and it is very quiet. We spend a lot of time reading books, watching films and going for walks. Our area is great for sports like surfing, kayaking and mountain biking. However, the houses here are expensive, which can be a problem for local people. There are no buses or trains here, so it can be difficult to get around without a car。

Chafic and Aline Halwany

Our home is near the centre of Beirut, Lebanon, one of the largest cities in the Middle East. There are lots of cafes and restaurants, which open late at night. We love it here because it's so friendly and you can always find what you need-lots of people come to stay to learn Arabic and French. However, it can be noisy at night, and there is quite a lot of traffic during the day.

Homestay holidays - A home __ 1 ___ from home

Families	Advantages	Disadvantages
The Atal family (Pakistan)	It's in a small and quiet village in beautiful mountains. People can __ 2 ___and swim there.	There are no shops, cinemas or cafes.
Kate and Julian Foxton （   3  ）	It takes a short __ 4 __to the beaches, rivers and forests by car. It's a good place for ___ 5 ___like surfing, kayaking and mountain biking.	Houses here are not ___ 6 __. It's difficult to get around ___ 7 ___a car.
Chafic and Aline Halwany (Lebanon)	Lots of cafes and restaurants ___ 8 __at night. You can always find ___ 9 __you need.	There is much __ 10 ___at night and lot of traffic during the day.