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World's most interesting homestay hosts
  • Quirky Diana von Cranach, who is a former Egyptian high priestess, runs an extraordinarily laid-back-luxe hideaway in northern Bali. She picks up guests from the airport by Harley and has a team of Dalmatians whom she calls her staff. Set a stone’s throw from the sea in the sleepy village of Pemuteran, her four eclectic villas are full of carefully chosen pieces from her many travels. The extent of Diana’s vitality stretches from arranging shopping trips on nearby Java (she’s a shopping expert) and special yoga and detox weeks, to late night stories of spirits, lost loves and past lives.

  • If you want to leave your holiday with serious interiors inspiration, this is the house for you. Peet is a textile artist and maker who works mostly in felt, while her partner Carl is a sculptor, designer and furniture maker who has sold and exhibited widely and internationally. His beautiful and highly original work has featured in exhibitions in Sotheby’s London and New York, the V&A, Boca Raton and SOFA Miami. The couple say their home is filled with their artwork so that it feels original and unique for guests, who quite often leave with a piece after their stay.

  • For those who like to be entertained on holiday, Romi and her family have an unusual way to ensure guests never forget their time at her home in Canada. The family lives in the peaceful and green Gatineau district of Ottawa, where Romi works as an illustrator and develops her passion for puppetry. With over 100 marionettes, she is a puppet enthusiast and has even built her own puppet theatre with different hand-painted backgrounds for each representation. As well as enjoying puppet shows, guests can join the family on mountain biking or hiking trails through nearby Gatineau Park or go ice-skating or cross-country skiing in the winter.

  • Experience a truly magical homestay experience in Rome by staying with Flavio, a professional musician with a stylish apartment in a quiet area of the city. Flavio has adorned his room with posters of shows, decks of cards, flying bottles and plenty of other ‘magical’ elements. He loves to share his newest magic tricks with guests, as well as show them around the enchanting city of Rome. 
  • Located in the heart of the buzzing city of Jaipur in Rajasthan, this beautiful homestay is just five minutes from the old pink city centre. The huge rooms are air-conditioned with the option for home-cooked jalfrezis and thalis provided by Kalpana and her family. What really makes a stay here exceptional is that Kalpana is a renowned yoga guru and holistic advisor so you can gain unforgettable yoga experiences to take back with you when you return from your travels.

  • John Voigtmann was once a big shot music exec who managed The Strokes and Christina Aguilera. After escaping his crazy life in New York, he pitched up in rural Tuscany and hasn't looked back since. He’s the owner of an eight-bedroom 21st-century renovated Tuscan farmhouse turned country inn that’s full of contemporary fixtures and bold slabs of colour. Plus, its vast garden and modernist infinity pool overlook the UNESCO-protected Val d'Orcia. Set in the World Heritage Site of Pienza, it offers sensational views and utter peace and quiet. Head along a winding track to reach villages, charming piazzas and film set landscapes - chunks of Gladiator and Under the Tuscan Sun were filmed here.

  • For a very upmarket homestay, head to the former home of the Emperor Napoleon III and his mother, former Queen of Holland, which is now owned by the wonderfully welcoming Princess Letizia Ruspoli. Although she doesn’t live here full-time, she happily chats and mingles with guests as much as she can when visiting. Her special 16th-century palazzo is adorned in marble and scattered with imperial busts, rare Gobelin tapestries and 500-year-old oil paintings. There are two large apartments - the romantic Napolian suite and an open-plan Roof Garden penthouse suite - both fit for royalty.

  • The Watasittikul family has run rice farm Tigerland in Chiang Rai, Thailand for four generations. The farm is named after Kitt's great-grandfather who was called Tiger by all the villagers. According to legend, Tiger fought with and killed a tiger that wandered into the village to hunt for prey. This legendary story is told to every generation of the family so nobody forgets the origin of the name of the land. The farm is open to guests to learn about the rice farming process and experience the life of a farming family while staying in a natural setting.

  • Budding actors will love a stay with Jo and Gil in South Melbourne. Jo is an acting consultant and has worked for the likes of Australia’s Got Talent, while Gil has been working in stage, film and TV for several years. The couple decided to open up their home to guests so that they could meet like-minded travellers seeking something more than an impersonal hotel experience. As well as listening to their fascinating stories of Australian showbiz life, guests can enjoy a comfortable queen bedroom with a new en-suite bathroom in their striking period property only 2km from the centre of Melbourne.
  • Samart is a former Buddhist monk who built traditional tribal jungle huts high in the mountains of Mae Wang, Thailand, as part of his new life in sustainable tourism. He also set up a weekend school for children in local tribes and encourages guests who would like to volunteer to teach English in the school or learn about rice farming by helping locals work the fields. The huts are located in the middle of the jungle and offer amazing views to the valley.

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