Howie's HomeStay♡

A Unique and Relaxing Experience

10.0

We recently spent four wonderful nights at Howie’s Homestay. Howie’s is a truly unique haven of beauty, personal warmth and privacy. The buildings and grounds are gorgeous, with lush spaces to wander, an awesome pool and pool-side seating areas, and art-filled interior and exterior spaces created with incredible attention to detail. It was fun to discover a new piece of art or fruit tree on each walk around the grounds or a beautiful floral decoration placed on a counter or piece of furniture in our rooms. Howie and Jerri are amazing hosts. Howie made our stay so easy—he arranged our activities and the guides (who were knowledgeable and fun), and would check-in a few times daily to go over the schedule and make sure everything was to our liking. We welcomed his suggestions on things to do and flexibility in accommodating a late change in travel plans. He also has a great way with a story, and we enjoyed learning about his life and how Howie’s Homestay and the amazing art collection came to be. We had been told by our travel advisor that Jerri is an outstanding cook and, wow, is she ever. The food Jerri prepared for us was so delicious and always presented beautifully—every plate of every course contained a special surprise—whether it was a small floral arrangement on the plate or a clever concealment of food in a plant wrapper. And Jerri’s walk through the menu was so welcome—she explained what was special about the dish, its provenance in the region, and how to approach eating it. We had a great time trying all her dishes and loved her warmth and positive energy.

World Class Accommodations, Design and Dining in an Incredible Private Villa Complx

10.0

Our family of seven, all adults, just completed a four-night stay at Howie’s Homestay. We’ve been extremely fortunate to be able to do some extensive traveling, including staying in other similar luxury villa-type accommodations in various countries, and I can say without question that Howie and Jerri’s place is “world-class” in every regard. The property itself is incredible. The design, the layout, the decor, the finishes, the incredible landscaping (landscaping is a very inadequate word to describe the grounds there) - every detail was clearly the subject of extensive thought during the design and construction process. We spent much of our time there just relaxing and walking around in awe, taking it all in, discovering new things every day. Howie and Jerri and the whole team there provide service at a level that is just as incredible. Again, at the micro level, the grounds and our rooms were impeccably maintained and the guides that Howie provided for our various activities were incredibly personable and informative. And Howie was a fabulous host, always making sure we were comfortable and enjoying our stay and sharing his easy-going and warm personality with us. During one meal, we expressed some interest in a particular activity and within 10 minutes Howie had arranged for a team to grant our wish. And speaking of meals: Jerri, who is a true culinary professional, prepared daily meals for us that were equally mind-blowing. Again, as good as if not better than any meals we have had at any other world-class, fine-dining restaurant anywhere. And to do this consistently every night, for a group of seven, seemingly effortlessly - truly just an amazing, amazing dining experience. I could go on and on and on, although I’m not sure mere words can do justice to the experience there. Just know that all the five-star ratings and gushing reviews are truly well-deserved. Our time at Howie’s was the highlight of our two-and-a-half week trip through Southeast Asia. A one in a life time experience that we’ll never forget.

Amazing place, highly recommend!

10.0

We just left an amazing 3 night stay at Howie’s Homestay. The experience was incredible, and our only regret was not staying longer. From the moment we connected with Howie to reserve our room until we boarded our flight home from Chiang Mai, Howie was consistently responsive, personable, and helpful. Howie made sure our entire experience was seamless - setting up our airport transfers and activities in advance (highly recommend the elephant experience!!), making sure we were comfortable and had everything we need, and being an overall welcoming host. Whenever we needed anything, we could contact Howie directly on WhatsApp and have a resolution within minutes. My husband got an upset stomach during our time at Howie’s, and Howie was quick to help and offer solutions, even going to the pharmacy to get medicine. In addition, Jerri’s food was INCREDIBLE. Each meal included multiple dishes for us to share, each more delicious than the last. In particular, her Khao Soi and shrimp curry were my personal favorites, and my husband loved the Tom Kha soup. Not only were the plates delicious, but they were also beautifully presented and absolutely abundant. We ate at several Michelin starred restaurants during our travels in Thailand, and Jerri’s food was on par if not better than those places. Jerri was also willing to accommodate food preferences or allergies, which I appreciated. Finally, the room and grounds were stunning and even more beautiful than in photos we had seen. We loved walking around the gardens and rooms to admire the beautiful foliage and art. The whole place was like a gallery, and you could spend hours just admiring it. Our bedroom itself was comfortable with a cozy bed, very clean, and included an incredible bathroom that offered both an indoor and outdoor shower. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to try the pool though it looked incredible. Thank you, Howie and Jerri!

There are no words to describe how unique this is

10.0

I invited my wife for a surprise silver wedding honeymoon and chose Howie‘s Homestay to make our one week stay in Chiang Mai special. I spent thorough research before booking it but nevertheless it was still way more special than I would have imagined. It‘s absolutely stunning, unique and outstanding! It‘s spacious, luxurious and yet tasteful, built in the Thai-Lanna style and lavishly decorated. We felt incredibly comfortable here. Howie and Jerri go out of their way to make sure all your wishes are taken care of without any fuss and with perfection. Howie recommended the best activities, organized everything reliably and at highest standards. Eddy the guide is very experienced and super nice. Finally, let me comment on the absolute highlight of our stay: the food prepared and served by Jerri. Jerri can easily compete with any Michelin-starred restaurant, introduces you to the universe of Thai food and arranges everything with such infinite love and passion. The heart which she puts into the cooking and how she treats her guests so lovingly are the icing on the cake!

Paradise on earth!

10.0

Absolutely enchanting. Fantastic environment and room. Wonderful garden. The best part though were the host and hostess. Our every wish was immediately fulfilled. Jerri, the hostess spoiled us every lunch and evening with the most creative, beautifully presented 5 dish meals. Her passion, inspiration and knowledge about cooking were so clearly apparent. Her warm and loving presence and companionship left us every evening feeling as if we were in heaven. Howie arranged our outings with a very knowledgeable guide and he catered to our every whim. He socialized with us each day and we had good and fun times story telling. It was by far the an extraordinary stay and we miss them already

I NEVER leave reviews

10.0

Absolutely amazing stay. Saw the pictures online and thought it was a steal for the price. It is. Not only is it just as, if not more beautiful in person, but Howie and his wife, Jerri are the best hosts I have ever had. And I've stayed in some nice places with great hospitality. Howie went absolutely out of his way to make sure that our time in Thailand was best spent. If you decide to make this your accommodation I can guarantee you will be pleased, as we were. I NEVER leave reviews. I felt compelled to do so now because of the strength of the beauty of Howie as a human being/Host and his lovely stay. Book this place before people catch on to it. P.S. The Khao soi that Jerri, Howie's wife, prepared us was UNREAL. We went to one of the most highly recommended khao soi joints - Khao Soi Khun Yai. Jerri's Khao Soi made their Khao Soi taste like garbage. It's no exaggeration. Her cooking was phenomenal. Also, Howie went absolutely out of his way to make sure that our plans would be tailored to the best experience possible. We followed his advice on multiple plans that we changed/added on his recommendation and we have no doubt that it was for the best. Allow your plans to be in his hands. PPS. We spent the first day/night of our stay just strolling the grounds and taking everything in because it was so beautiful. Give yourselves permission to do that rather than feeling like you need to use the place as a base. Happy traveling, Elias