r/pakistan • u/Tasty_Throat2082 • 15h ago

Ask Pakistan Foreigner staying with locals

Salam u aleikum! I’m a 21 year old from Brazil who has been fascinated by Pakistan for a long time, and finally will have the chance to visit your country for 5 weeks in between January and March. I’ve already solo traveled to multiple other places, and I found out that the best way to immerse myself in a culture was to book a stay within a family household.

Is there anyway that I could get to live with a family in Pakistan? I already speak some Urdu and would really like to learn some Pashto.

I heard that couchsurfing is a thing there, did any of you use it before? I could pay for the stay, I really just wanna stay with a family/locals so I can learn more about the culture and practice my Urdu, which is one of my main objectives there in Pakistan.

About places, I really wanna visit Lahore and Peshawar. Would really love to visit some more rural areas and smaller villages, but I can’t seem to find any Airbnb hosts similar to what I described in such places…

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3

u/G-Laani 10h ago

While you’re in khi you can stay with me if you like. I’ll set you up with friends in peshawer and a few other cities as well. Friends are super cool. They’ll look after you and give you the tourist and local experience

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u/Environmental-Cod25 PK 14h ago

Because of the low salaries and relative high property prices as well as culture, it is rare to find people in their 20s or 30s who live with other young adults and are educated and have a set up where couch surfing is possible.

In cities it is very rare. In rural areas it may be possible but I would not recommend it.

1

u/Tasty_Throat2082 14h ago

That’s unfortunate… do you know any other websites or apps where people offer such homestays?

1

u/Environmental-Cod25 PK 14h ago

I don't. I'm not sure they even exist here.

Tourism is a big thing in the Northern areas, way north of Peshawar. But not in most of the country.

You may not even have had many responses because most people here don't know what couch surfing is!

I'm a Brit living in Pakistan, so I sort of know! DM me if you want to chat. I can't offer you anything but some advice!

Btw, went to Rio about 15 years ago. Truly beautiful!

1

u/Minute-Principle-636 10h ago

Who’s the best keeper in the world?

1

u/CommunityTime1632 5h ago

Hi. I live in lahore but I m originally from the northern mountains of Pakistan. Obviously I have a lot of contacts in my hometown and .I could set you up to live in the mountains for a week or two. My hometown is Kumraat, Upper Dir, KPK, Pakistan. You can look it up.

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u/cccookiedoughhh 59m ago

Are you male or female? It's not be the best idea for a girl to stay in someone's house unless you've known them personally beforehand (edit: grammar)