Profile information
Host rating
80 %
Last replied
18 Apr 2024
Reply rate
60.0 %
Usually responds within 2 days
Feedback
18
ID verified
Email verified
Badges (4)
Details
Description
We live on the outskirts of Fruška Gora national park, on the slopes of Fruška Gora mountain, some 25 km from Novi Sad. We've been learning about gardening, growing crops, renovating, building, maintaining the property etc. We live here all year round. In the warm period (spring to autumn), Lazar's mom is usually here too.
*** This year (2024) Arrow will be visiting her family in China until late June, so there will be only Lazar and his mom on the farm. ***
Lazar > Born in Serbia, lived in several countries (most notably 6 years in China), traveled a lot (a passionate hitchhiker in my younger days), with almost two decades on Couchsurfing (since the very beginning). Trying to spend less time with my laptop and more time outside.
Arrow > A city girl who prefers country life. Born in China, spent most of my life in Shanghai doing office jobs. In recent years I've been developing a passion for gardening, cooking (especially baking) and sustainable living.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are happy to share what we know about gardening, nature, edible plants and mushrooms in the forest, as well as construction (wood, concrete, bricks - we've got a little bit of everything going on). We've lived in several countries, speak several languages, and enjoy traveling, reading books and watching movies.
Help
What we need help with generally depends on the season: gardening (weeding, watering, pruning, digging etc), fruit picking, making jams and other fruit preserves, chopping firewood, maintaining the yard (sweeping, mowing the grass and so on), and various repair & construction projects on the property. We are generally not available in winter, as that is our travel season.
Keep in mind, however, that this is a farm, and all the work involved is manual labor. You don't need to be especially strong or fit, but you should at least be acquainted with the concept of working outside and getting your hands dirty. We will do our best to find tasks that suit your abilities; if a job doesn't suit you, feel free to say so and we'll think of something else.
There are no animals on the farm (except for a cat).
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Russian: Fluent
Serbian: Fluent
Chinese (Mandarin): Fluent
Accommodation
You get a separate room all to yourself.
The room has a single-person bed. If there are two of you, an extra mattress will be provided.
We provide all the food. If you are vegan, we cook vegan. A lot of what we eat comes from our garden, orchard and the forest.
We prefer non-smokers, and guests without very young children.
What else ...
Please keep in mind that, while this experience is vacation to you, to us it is not; while most of your day is free (other than the hours you will be helping), most of our time is occupied. In other words, you need to be self-reliant when it comes to your own entertainment. We are generally low-key; although we like to chat over lunch/dinner, or even go for a hike with you if we have time, we also value our privacy and alone time. This is not a "vibrant community"; it is a household. If you are looking for a sitting-by-the-campfire-singing-kumbaya experience, this is not it. This is a quiet place surrounded by nature, where you can rest, reflect, read books, and learn about running a rural property.
The forest starts right at the end of the village, so hiking is an obvious option (the national park is about 80 km long and mostly covered by forest). We have a lot of books (in English) and you are welcome to help yourself to our library. The village is small (population 200, mostly elderly) and there is no public transport to anywhere.
We accept people for a maximum of one week. Let's not get trapped in an awkward cohabitation.
As we provide all the food, you don't really need any money during your stay here.
We get a lot of requests in summer; more than we can accommodate. Bailing out at the last minute isn't cool, because it messes things up for us and also for other volunteers, so please try not to do it.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Both of us work from home, so we have fast Internet.
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
Can possibly accept pets
Cats are ok; dogs sadly aren't as we have a cat who doesn't appreciate dogs.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (9)
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
They are openminded, easygoing and interesting people, we could always find a topic for conversation. That was amazing! Thank you so much
We always had something to talk about. Arrow beeing chinese and Lazar from serbia sharing some of his own travel experience.
Any sort of help, advice or even a new perspective is appreciated.
