Em Shadi welcomes visitors to their house in Duma, a tranquille agricultural village in the vicinity of Nablus. She likes to host guests at her house, something that she has done for more than eight years. She finds it important that visitors experience a stay with a Palestinian family. Besides having a pleasure from the presence of guests at her house, Em Shadi sees hosting as way of financial support for her family. 

She is happy to speak English. As she says, “Knowing the language helps me a lot in communicating with the visitors.” She enjoys hosting groups of adults, but she finds hosting families the most enriching for her children. “I am happy to see my children interacting and learning about others,” she explains. She recalls a foreign visitors, a teenage girl who came with her parents to stay at their place. The girl was curious how to wear a hijab (headscarf) so she asked Em Shadi to show her. It was a very nice cross-cultural experience for both of them.

A good meal is a part of the Palestinian hospitality. Makhloubeh (chicken and vegetable risotto) and musakhan (flatbread and piece of chicken, covered with sauted onions) are Em Sahdi’s specialties. She likes to serve these meals to her guests as they are nutritious and representative of the traditional Palestinian food.

And what does Em Shadi wish for her guests?  

“I would like that our visitors get to know us - a truly simple family. They could learn about our habits and traditions. We also enjoy meeting people from different cultures and we like to connect with them.”

Em Shadi Guesthouse Accommodations

Location: Duma, Nablus District 

Homestay accommodations: 2 bedrooms allowing for up to 5 guests, with two 2 available bathrooms.  Meals available for breakfast and dinner. 

Annex Guesthouse Accommodation: A separate apartment connected to the family home, includes space for up to 5 guests (including 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, with extra mattresses placed on the floor), and kitchen.