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Homestay

Participating families are chosen for their friendliness and helpfulness. To ensure their safety and the best immersion experience possible, we have carefully screened and chosen all host families according to your needs. We do our best to ensure that students are placed with a compatible family. When students or organizations participate in any one of Amazing Andes’ programs our vision of home-stay is not just room rental; rather students are welcomed into an Ecuadorian homes as if they were a member of the family. Students will be with the same family for the duration of the program. As a student you will enjoy the comfort and advantage of living with a middle to upper class Ecuadorian families in one of South America’s most beautiful countries. Home-stays are a great way to experience the daily life in an Ecuadorian home and to know and understand about the local customs, such as food, music and daily life. The home-stay provides the opportunity to learn and practice Spanish in a home environment, and also outside of the classroom.

We work with different host families situated in the north of Quito, not too far from the school or the volunteer and work placements. Transportation is easy and inexpensive and students should have no problems in getting to the different places. Most of the families have been receiving foreign students for years.

Each student will have his or her own private bedroom and a shared bathroom with other students. Two meals will be provided daily (breakfast and dinner) from Sunday to Friday. Families will keep your room and the bathroom you use clean. Laundry service is provided once a week. All of the families have two or more students in the house.

Generally, students share the same interests and enjoy having other students around. It gives students another person to travel with, not only to other places in Ecuador, but in Quito as well. Friendly, enthusiastic and flexible students tend to create a friendly and positive atmosphere Any problems experienced in the home-stay family will be immediately addressed by an Amazing Andes representative and if needed the student will be placed with a different family. Most often, these problems can be quickly resolved. The home-stay family is an important part of the exchange experience and the students should feel comfortable.

We believe that speaking Spanish in the home-stay is an integral part of the immersion process and encourage students to take full advantage of this opportunity. It will greatly improve your ability so speak the language, become fully immersed in the culture and enrich the time with the family. Please let us know if you would like us to arrange a home-stay with an Ecuadorian family.

The cost for our home-stay program is $18 per day. PLEASE NOTE: IF THE HOMESTAY OPTION IS CHOOSEN, YOU MUST PAY FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD BOOKED. SHOULD STUDENTS GO ON AN EXCURSION (I.E. GALÁPAGOS, AMAZONIAN JUNGLE, ETC), A REFUND WILL NOT BE GIVEN FOR THE DAYS SPENT OUTSIDE OF THE HOMESTAY.