How to Be a Good Houseguest in a Foreign Country

Being a guest in another's home is a wonderful way to experience a foreign country. It Momay take special efforts to be a good house guest in an unfamiliar culture, but the payoff for friendship and enhanced cultural intimacy makes it worthwhile.

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Step1
Research ahead of time appropriate gift-giving customs of the locality you'll be visiting. Consult with local guide books, general guide books, cultural readers, Web sites pertinent to the region, and other travelers.


Step2
Do some homework on appropriate behaviors between various categories of people such as men and women, adults and children, and seniors and juniors. Read and talk with other people, and make your own observations once you arrive.


Step3
Limit your stay to just a couple of days if you are spontaneously invited as a guest to someone's home. Your host may be culturally required to insist you stay longer, but this may inconvenience the host's life and family economy.


Step4
If you admire something within a person's home, they may feel obliged to give this to you as a gift in some cultures. Be very careful about the ways in which you communicate your appreciation for your accommodations, and never accept something used in a home as a gift.


Step5
Observe how people behave in their homes and use this as a model for your own behavior. Pay attention to when people bathe, how frequently and for how long; when people get up and go to sleep; what is considered appropriately modest dress in the home; whether or not shoes or hats are worn indoors.


Step6
Be aware that your stay may be a severe economic burden on your host family, so do what you can to mitigate this burden: Pay attention to foods the family purchases and buy these in the market; treat if your host offers to accompany you while you go sightseeing; eat as many meals as possible away from the home; limit your use of hot water and fuel; limit your stay.


Step7
Expect to pay for a meal if you invite someone to eat with you. The custom of splitting a check is considered insulting in many cultures.


Step8
Give your host numerous opportunities to accept your offers of gifts or to make purchases for the household. In some cultures it is customary to refuse a gift or payment several times before finally accepting it: Your host may actually be expecting a third or fourth offer.


Step9
Stock up on relatively expensive non-perishable items that your host family can appreciate after you have left; consider coffee, sugar, tea, spices, rice or other staples.


Step10
Take plenty of photos and send these to your host family along with a thank-you note once you have developed the film.

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