Homestay rules

[Maciej87]

Hi guys,
I'd like to stay in homestays in Tajikistan but I'm worried about eating there. I've read lot of travellers came down with worms etc after eating in homestays. Is there any chance to stay there but cook my own meal outside on my stove or they can feel offended? What's more I'm vegetarian and I guess it can be very problematic.

[murg]

Hi,

No Idea about self-cooking, but:

We stayed in Homestays/GH in Kalaikhum, Yamchun, Murgab, Sary Mogul, Sary Tash.
Most of the time we were asked If we are vegetarians
We Had No health issues at all.

Hope that helps.
Safe travelling!

[mazeno]

this is the most stupid thing you can do - they will never show it to you, but such behaviors insult the hosts a lot.
the only reason you can refuse eating with them is really stomach problem - but they can easily see if you cheat.

asking if you are vege is simply to explain - many tourists say "i'm vege" to avoid eating meat and locals treat it as western frills (among many other things) and sometimes it is a problem for them (esp. kyrgyz people, when they have only dairy and meat).

--

i've been travelling across asia for more than 25 years, mostly eating at homestays, bazaars and local (not tourist) restaurants - and never get any worms (but maybe they got me). of course, sometimes i got hard diarrhea, but at home i get too.
i prefer respecting my hosts than my whims, so i don't grizzle. it is not a must to travel in such conditions. if your stomach security is more important than respecting your hosts (often giving you the last piece of bread) - maybe simply stay at home (i've seen things in even ***** hotels' kitchens you wouldn't believe, rats walking around was not the worst). but if you want to show the world you're hard - die hard.

[Maciej87]

Hi,

No Idea about self-cooking, but:

We stayed in Homestays/GH in Kalaikhum, Yamchun, Murgab, Sary Mogul, Sary Tash.
Most of the time we were asked If we are vegetarians
We Had No health issues at all.

Hope that helps.
Safe travelling!

Thanks a lot! It's good to know there's nothing to worry about.

[Christian77]

Worms? I haven't heard about this here in Tajikistan, likely because they overcook most meat (or relentlessly simmer it in the soup for a long time). No chance for the eggs to survive... But you can get bacterial stomach problems from nearly anything here, including veggies and fruit.

As for cooking for yourself, I obviously would not do this if invited in as a guest, but a homestay is a commercial transaction, and people here are reasonable if things can be explained to them. They are not some eternally-insulted people who can't understand other cultures. I know this because enough Israeli travellers who are strictly kosher go to homestays and make it clear that they want to cook for themselves (albeit a far more common occurrence in Kyrgyzstan). I talked to a homestay host and they clearly understood that some Jews have strict diet rules, just like many Muslims, and that they need to do their own cooking. And they of course have dealt with vegetarians numerous times. They will probably put you in one of these categories, or in a doctor-ordered diet category (of which they are also familiar).

They can even be presented with new information and accept it immediately. I briefly travelled with a Hindu guy who explain his religious dietary laws and this was accepted with no problem whatsoever.

It's just a matter of language: you will need to explain this (or have someone explain this for you): You have a strict diet for health or religious reasons and you would like to cook for yourself on your little camping stove. They will still gladly take your money. You are hardly the first slightly strange foreigner they have dealt with.

But they may be annoyed if you ask for a discount on the homestay for your self-catering.

[mazeno]

huh, it did not come to my mind to miscompare real homestay with staying in guest houses...
maybe because i don't use guest houses (e.g. last time i travelled across the stans - 22500km in about 70 days - i stayed only once in khiva), and usually spend a lot of time in yurts and local houses invited "just for a tea".
well, guest houses have their own rules, you pay you're the king (of course within reason).

[Maciej87]

Worms?

But they may be annoyed if you ask for a discount on the homestay for your self-catering.

Yes, worms, I quote what I've read in this subsection https://caravanistan.com/accommodation/ ... #homestays. "If you are staying at homestays, watch out with the food. A lot of travelers come down with worms, amoebes, dysentery, … after eating in homestays."

No, I won't ask for any kind of discount.

huh, it did not come to my mind to miscompare real homestay with staying in guest houses...

I meant places where you pay for staying. You pay you're the king? I think it's about letting local people make some money and not being some kind of freeloader.

[Christian77]

I know a lot of expats (who travel in all conditions in Tajikistan) who also have access to excellent medical care at home and I have never heard of any of them being diagnosed with worms (it requires a stool or blood test). Doesn't mean that it doesn't happen (not something you post on Facebook about), but if it was a serious problem then the doctors who advise the much richer international organizations and embassies would be demanding tests when employees get back home.

From what I read earlier, there was a campaign to wipe out worms in Tajikistan (one of the less harmful types) that was completed about 5 years ago. The % of occurrence is now super low.

I would say "consult a doctor," but doctors can be super over-cautious or even ignorant - I had one doctor at home try to get me to take malaria meds upon arrival 10 years ago (based on some WHO/CDC map). But then I met a disease vector entomologist in Tajikistan who laughed and told me to throw away the pills.

As for the usual bacteria suspects... about 30% of backpackers seem to spend a lot of time on the toilet. But a number of them are doing this after visiting a nice-looking restaurant in Dushanbe. The homestays can't take all the blame.

[mazeno]

maciek, as you're from poland: "nasz klient, nasz pan" ;) i don't know english idiom for this, so there is the king.

a short story for you:
there is an old polish lady living in vrang (with her pamiri family).
born before 2ww in former polish galicia, now ukraine, moved by soviets to donbas after 17.09.1939, then falled in love with a tajik working in donbas mines, then moved with him to pamir and living there from 1959 - now speaking only in russian and local languages, almost forgot polish (only some prayers like "zdrowas mario", some proverbs, etc.). when i come to her i always spend long nights taking with her (mainly in russian of course) - giving her a pleasure of talk with the compatriot (in spite of the fact, that for my feeling she is a pamiri lady indeed, even i know she is polish - she spent most of her days in pamir than away). once, asked if some other poles (or tourists at all) had come to her, she told me very sadly and tearfully:
- yes, once, but they only left a lot of money and went away.
and she started to cry.

so.
i didn't mention to be a freeloader (i wrote i just hadn't use guest houses, as i preffer to stay with real local people, usually much more poorer than guest houses operators, who are a kind of local businessmen, indeed). and you write you let make money for people that just keep their business (small or big) - that's ok.
but i preffer to give my hosts more than money - my time and our talks - inspite i always left some money when i'm leaving, in the way they cannot notice and cannot protest - e.g. under a plate or so, or give them food i had bought for this occasion on the bazaar or so, or help with some work in their farmyard - this way gives much more understanding and creates ties, and it is not only the "obligation to pay money" for the service.
that's the way of making real friends for years, not only to be another one visitor passing by.

[Maciej87]

Mazeno,
I agree with what you say. I think we misunderstood each other. I dont' consider your way of travelling to be a freeloader's behaviour. It's not. I was travelling to Iran, Oman and other countries on Arabian Peninsula and stayed with people I met on the street at their home talking with them until the wee wee hours and we do stay in touch till today. Before I'm setting off, I always try to read about other traveller's experiences as much as I can. I guess "if you don't ask, you won't find out". Lots of people comments can make you get confused. Therefoe some questions seem to be "stupid ones".

Nasz klient nasz pan = The customer is always right.