Bhutan Series w/ Breathe Bhutan: A Traditional Homestay in Bhutan - Interview with the owner Ama Om (Ama Om's Homestay)

About this episode

The episode features an interview with Ama Om, the owner of a traditional homestay in Bhutan, discussing her life and the cultural significance of homestays.

What is it really like to stay in a traditional homestay in Bhutan ? In this episode of the Winging It Travel Podcast , I’m coming to you from rural Bhutan, where I sit down with Ama Om — the owner of a traditional Bhutanese homestay located in a small village outside Punakha. With the help of a translator, Ama Om shares her life story and what it truly means to welcome travellers into her home. Ama Om has been hosting guests for over a decade, offering far more than just accommodation. We talk about daily village life in Bhutan, balancing farming with tourism, cooking traditional food, caring for animals, and preserving a way of life that’s slowly disappearing due to modernisation. This conversation explores Bhutanese Buddhist beliefs, especially the idea of karmic connections — the belief that people don’t arrive in our lives by accident. Ama Om explains why hosting guests brings her so much joy and why she believes homestays offer the most authentic way to experience Bhutanese culture. You’ll also hear about: What daily life in a rural Bhutanese village looks like Why homestays are important for local livelihoods in Bhutan Traditional Bhutanese food, farming, and household…

People in this episode

Host: unknown

Guest: Ama Om

Topics covered

• traditional homestay
• Bhutanese culture
• rural life
• tourism
• Buddhist beliefs

Keywords

• Bhutan
• homestay
• Ama Om
• traditional food
• rural village
• Buddhism
• tourism
• cultural experience

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Bhutan, Punakha, Thimphu, Paro

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