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12 Aug. 2026
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Beschreibung
Ready for an Adventure? Become a Social Host in Sunny Unawatuna!
So... are you looking to swap alarm clocks, traffic jams and the daily grind for palm trees, tropical beaches and conversations with travellers from every corner of the world?
If your answer is “Absolutely!”, then keep reading.
We’re a small backpacker hostel in beautiful Unawatuna on Sri Lanka’s stunning south coast. We’re not right on the beach (we asked the ocean to move a little closer, but it politely declined 😜), although it’s only a walk away. We’re also just a quick tuk-tuk ride from the famous UNESCO World Heritage city of Galle Fort.
If you’re the type of person who enjoys meeting new people, sharing stories over a beer, joining spontaneous beach trips, laughing over board games or simply making others feel welcome, then you might be exactly the person we’re looking for.
### What We’re All About
Our mission is simple:
“To create an unforgettable experience of a lifetime for every guest who walks through our doors.”
Over the years we’ve learned something important.
Guests rarely remember whether the Wi-Fi was fast or whether the pillows were especially fluffy.
They remember the people.
The late-night conversations.
The beach trips.
The group dinners.
The people they met from countries they’d never even thought about visiting.
Those are the memories that stay with them.
That’s why we’ve created our Social Host Programme.
### So... what exactly is a Social Host?
Here’s the important bit.
Your role is to be the friendly face of the hostel.
Our Social Hosts work around 15 hours a week, usually in five-hour morning or evening shifts. While you’re on shift, your main job is simply to be around, welcome guests when they arrive and help them feel at home from the moment they walk through the door.
Each day, our Duty Manager will let the Social Hosts know which guests are expected to arrive and which rooms they’ll be staying in.
When one of those guests arrives, you’ll greet them, check the arrivals information, show them where they’ll be staying and let the Duty Manager know they’re here.
The Duty Manager takes care of the formal stuff — the booking system, passport details, payments and the actual check-in.
If somebody simply walks in looking for a bed, that’s easy too. Make them feel welcome, give the Duty Manager a call and keep them company until they arrive.
Once everything is sorted, you can show the guest their room, their locker and help them settle into hostel life.
That’s basically the job.
No handling money.
No booking systems.
No emails or reception administration.
No cleaning shifts — we have wonderful housekeeping staff who take care of that.
What we do want is someone who genuinely enjoys being around travellers and understands that arriving somewhere new is a lot nicer when there’s a friendly person there to say hello.
And once your shift is over?
You’re another traveller living in the hostel.
Head to the beach.
Join everyone for dinner.
Play cards.
Start a drinking game.
Organise a movie night if the mood strikes.
Go out together.
Sit on the terrace talking until someone realises it’s somehow 2am.
We don’t have a rigid calendar of compulsory hostel activities. The best hostel nights usually aren’t planned weeks in advance anyway. They happen because the right group of people are together and somebody says, “Who’s up for...?”
That’s the kind of atmosphere we want our Social Hosts to help create simply by being part of the hostel.
### Who’s in the Hostel Family?
Our little team consists of two owners, a manager and our wonderful housekeeping staff, who keep everything running behind the scenes.
Alongside them, we normally host around four to six Social Hosts at any given time, creating a genuinely international community where guests and Social Hosts quickly become part of the same group.
### What We Offer
As a Social Host you’ll receive complimentary accommodation in one of our shared dormitories.
You’ll also have access to our shared kitchen if you’d like to cook your own meals.
Not much of a chef?
No problem.
There are a few a lovely local restaurants less than five minutes away where you can enjoy authentic Sri Lankan breakfasts, lunches and dinners for less a very reasonable price.
The rest of your time is yours.
Explore the beaches.
Learn to surf.
Visit Galle Fort.
Go diving.
Take a train along Sri Lanka’s spectacular coastline.
Or simply spend the afternoon in a hammock chatting with people from around the world.
### How to Stand Out (Hint: We Love a Sense of Humour!)
If you’d like to become part of our little community, send us a message with the subject line:
“Hi, I’m looking forward to becoming part of your hostel family!”
Then forget the “copy and paste” applications.
Tell us something about yourself.
What makes you laugh?
What’s the best travel story you’ve got?
Do you have a completely useless talent you’re oddly proud of?
We’re much more interested in getting to know the person than reading a perfect CV.
### What You’ll Get in Return
If you decide to join us, we hope you’ll leave with far more than just photos of Sri Lanka.
Our aim is that you’ll leave with friendships that last long after your flight home, unforgettable memories, and a collection of stories you’ll still be telling years from now.
If that sounds like your kind of adventure...
We’d love to hear from you.
See you in sunny Sri Lanka!
Rajiv
Hostel Owner -
Arten von Hilfe und Lernmöglichkeiten
Kunstprojekte
Hausarbeiten
Tourismus / Gastgewerbe
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Interessengebiete
Events & SoziallebenTechnikPolitik & SozialesKulturHaustiereNachhaltigkeitLeben im Camper-VanSelbstentwicklungFilm & FernsehenKaritative ArbeitenKochen & BackenGartenarbeitenSprachenFotografieTiereSchreibenBücherKunst & DesignArchitekturStrandSegeln / BooteFitnessYoga / WellnessMannschaftssportartenWandernErlebnissportartenWassersportOutdoor-Aktivitäten -
Kultureller Austausch und Lernmöglichkeiten
Let’s be honest. You probably won’t leave here knowing how to run a hostel. But we hope you’ll leave with something much more valuable.
One of the greatest things about backpacking is that the world suddenly becomes a much smaller place. On any given evening you might find yourself sharing dinner with someone from Germany, playing cards with someone from Brazil, discussing life with someone from Japan, and planning tomorrow’s beach trip with someone from Australia. Those are the experiences people remember long after they return home. Our hostel brings together travellers from all over the world, creating the kind of international atmosphere that’s difficult to find anywhere else.
Living in a hostel is completely different from staying in a hotel. You’ll quickly become part of a community where people explore together, recommend hidden beaches to one another, organise spontaneous day trips and often make friendships that continue long after everyone has returned home. When you’re not relaxing at the hostel, you’ll have plenty to explore.
Beautiful beaches, surfing, diving, whale watching, jungle walks, local markets and incredible Sri Lankan food are all within easy reach. Just 5.5 km away lies the historic city of Galle Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where centuries of Portuguese, Dutch and British history blend with cafés, boutiques and spectacular ocean views.
One of the most rewarding parts of this experience isn’t something we organise. It’s the people you meet.
Every traveller arrives with different stories, cultures, traditions and perspectives. Some may teach you a card game you’ve never played. Others might introduce you to food from their country, recommend destinations you’ve never considered visiting, or simply change the way you look at the world through a late night conversation on the terrace. We think that’s one of the greatest forms of cultural exchange there is.
Of course you’ll probably go home with thousands of pictures of beaches, sunsets and palm trees. But our hope is that you’ll also leave with new friendships, unforgettable memories and stories you’ll still be telling years from now. After all, those are the souvenirs that don’t take up any space in your backpack. -
Arbeit
So... what exactly does a Social Host do?
Your role is pretty simple.
Our Social Hosts work around 15 hours a week, usually in five-hour morning or evening shifts. During your shift, you’ll be the friendly face of the hostel — hanging around, welcoming arriving guests and helping them settle in.
Before guests arrive, our Duty Manager will post the day’s expected arrivals and room information in our WhatsApp group.
When someone arrives, you’ll greet them, check that they’re on the arrivals list, let the Duty Manager know they’re here and help make them feel at home.
Our Duty Manager handles all the boring official stuff — the booking system, passport details, payments and formal check-in.
Once that’s done, you can show the guest their room and locker, introduce them to whoever happens to be around and help them settle into hostel life.
And if someone walks in without a booking?
No problem.
Welcome them, give the Duty Manager a call and keep them company until they arrive. The Duty Manager will take it from there.
That’s basically your shift.
You won’t be handling money, working with booking systems, answering emails or doing reception administration. And you definitely won’t be cleaning rooms or making beds — our housekeepers already have that covered.
But being a Social Host is about more than those 15 hours.
You’ll also be living in the hostel alongside travellers from all over the world, and some of the best moments in a backpacker hostel are completely unplanned.
You might find yourself chatting with someone who’s just arrived from a country you’ve never been to, joining a group heading to the beach, playing cards on the terrace, sharing travel stories over dinner, starting a drinking game or introducing two guests who end up becoming great friends.
We don’t have a compulsory calendar of organised activities. Sometimes there might be karaoke. Sometimes a quiz. Sometimes a drinking game. Sometimes everyone suddenly decides they’re going out.
We’d much rather let those things happen naturally than turn hostel life into a timetable.
Every Social Host brings something different. Some are naturally outgoing and end up getting the whole hostel involved in something. Others are better at sitting down with the new person who just arrived and making them feel like they’re already part of the group.
Both are equally valuable.
And you’re always welcome to bring your own personality and passions into hostel life.
Love photography? Enjoy making travel videos? Play guitar? Know a fun card game from your country? Speak five languages?
Whatever makes you YOU, feel free to share it with the people around you. Some of the most memorable hostel experiences come from travellers sharing their own interests and cultures with each other.
If you enjoy photography or social media and happen to take some great photos or videos during your stay, we’d absolutely love it if you shared a few with us.
Likewise, if you feel inspired to create content about your experience at our hostel, that’s fantastic! We want anything you share to come from genuine enthusiasm, not because anyone asked you to do it.
More than anything, come with an open mind, be kind, be respectful, get to know people from different cultures and help make our hostel the sort of place that travellers remember long after they’ve gone home.
Everything else tends to happen naturally. -
Gesprochene Sprachen
Englisch: Fließend
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Unterkunft
As a Social Host, you’ll have a comfortable bed in one of our shared dormitories with everything you need for a relaxed stay.
Your accommodation includes:
• A comfortable bed with fresh bed linen (so no need to pack your own!)
• Fresh towels
• Individual charging sockets for your devices
• Easy access to shared bathrooms
• Free Wi-Fi throughout the hostel
• Access to our shared kitchen if you’d like to prepare your own meals
Need to do some laundry after a few days at the beach?
No problem! A local laundry lady regularly collects and returns clothes from the hostel for a very reasonable price, making it an easy and convenient option during your stay. If you prefer, there are also other laundry services available nearby.
Our aim is simple: we want you to feel less like you’re staying in a hostel and more like you’ve found a temporary home while exploring Sri Lanka. -
Was noch ...
Most attractions are just a walk or a quick tuk-tuk ride away. And if you’re feeling adventurous, we can set you up with a scooter rental. Helmet on, wind in your face, and the thrill of dodging the occasional monkey paparazzi trying to photobomb your journey..
Welcome to the real Sri Lankan experience! -
Etwas mehr Information
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Internet Zugang
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Eingeschränkter Internet Zugang
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Wir besitzen Tiere
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Wir sind Raucher
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Familien möglich
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Kapazität - wie viele Workawayer maximal
mehr als zwei
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Meine Tiere/Haustiere
Chatte mit Workawayern, die diesen Gastgeber besucht haben
Feedback (93)
Chatte mit Workawayern, die diesen Gastgeber besucht haben
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Korrekte Angaben im Profil:
(5.0)
Kultureller Austausch:
(4.9)
Kommunikation:
(5.0)
The work is easy - you are given 4 hours reception shifts and they train you on how to check in and check out guests. There is a cleaning lady that comes every day. I was staying … read more
happened to me during my 2 month stay here
To get more real abt my experience- during the high season you will be … read more
He’s the kind of person who keeps the vibe alive … read more
We spend two weeks here and wish we could’ve stayed at least 6 more weeks
This place immediately felt like home and we’ve met so many other travellers and volunteers along the way
The work hours are well balanced and clear. We also appreciated being able to work on the same days without even asking has … read more
We wish her all the … read more
The work was very relaxed, checking in/out guests and if your shift is quiet you have the freedom to be creative, make artwork or plan activities! Unawatuna is a great area to explore, surf and enjoy the seaside lifestyle in your free time.
He’s the type of guy … read more
Every evening there was always something going on: playing games at the hostel … read more
I stayed for 1 month in March 2025 and had a really great time ! Special message for Ukku ! Best guy ever !
Work was really chill. Mostly reception with a clear schedule and lot of free time. We where a good group of volunteer working, managing activities etc with 1 manager and the … read more
I had such a good time with others volunteers and guests, surfing, discovering Unawatuna and around, partying.
The work is super chill (mainly check-in and check-out) and gives a lot of free time.
Special thanks to Rajiv and Adam for being such great people !
What makes this hostel really special is the family atmosphere – from the shared dinners to the game nights and the great … read more
Rajiv is a great host - his communication before my arrival and during my stay was always clear, and you can tell that he truly cares about the experience of the volunteers and guests. He is also frustratingly good at chess!
The team on site are also … read more
The vibe at the hostel is really chill and social, and the family dinners and activitys every night make it super easy to get to know everyone. It really felt like one big group of friends. The whole crew were amazing – always there if you needed anything. … read more
The work was super easy to learn; consisting mainly of checking guests in and out (with the occasional evening social event to organise), and you get a lot of free time which I spent learning to surf at the local beach!
The hostel itself has a really cosy … read more
The work is easy and you always have support around if you need. Unawatuna is perfect if you're a beginner at surf and there's a lot of cheap local places … read more
The hostelwork was very easy to learn and the working hours were very limited so there was a lot of free time to spend on your own or with guest/other volunteer.
Rajiv the owner was very caring about the volunteers … read more
Everything was perfect, the atmosphere was great, the food excellent, and I also loved the town of Unawatuna.
As for the workload, it left plenty of time to discover the surrounding area.
The cook, Ukku, and the host, Rajiv, were also very kind and great people to meet!
Serenay has an … read more
Luke balanced being the life of the party with … read more
It’s always rewarding to see volunteers make the most of their time here, and your positive energy … read more
Outside of work, Benjamin embraced the hostel lifestyle, … read more
She’s a dependable and easygoing volunteer—definitely a good fit for any hostel team!
Let’s just say Lisa definitely made her mark here If you’re looking for someone to add … read more
We were there during low season, so the work was limited to front desk, with occasional creative projects like creating videos for … read more
But the best part was the people working there, Ukku, … read more
I learned how to run a hostel, how to welcome guests, it was very interesting, Rajiv is very accommodating … read more
I extended my stay and some guests as well, there were really good vibes among volunteers and guests, we went to surf all together every morning and every afternoon🤙
The work was not difficult and the hostel was super chill surrounded by … read more
estube dos semanas, y he pedido volver 20 dias mas dentro de un mes.
el trabajo no es muy complicado, lo qual te permite compartir con los guests y sus experiencias, … read more
We stayed during the off-season so socially, Unawatuna was a bit quieter than usual. However, we got to thoroughly enjoy the surf and natural beauty of the area. We rented a scooter from Ukku … read more
we were 5 volunteers and became a small family. all the guests we had during that time extended their stay.
the cook is one of the best people i have ever met.
thank you for the unforgettable time!
Regarding the work, we mainly manned the … read more
complete the tasks assigned to her in a responsible manner. Her bubbly personality and easy going attitude contributed towards … read more
the staff is really nice and welcomend me directly as part of the Team. You just have to work a few hours per week and have enough time to explore the closer citys on your day off.
i really miss ukkus ( the chef) food, it was delicious and he even showed us how to cook … read more
Highly recommended
I was planning to do a few weeks to get some experience in working hostels then I ended up staying 3 months. Everything was perfect. Lovely and super helpful staff they were always flexible if I wanted to do something like a day trip or day off. I had good … read more
The work is simple and easy, and you can chill most of the time, or maybe play some carron with the guests, (or trying to beat Laki, the owner)
I met only great people there.
It was a great first experience using workaway.
The work was easy, mostly having fun with guest. The team is awesome and always ready to help. You can discover around and specially learn or go to surf!!
I just stayed 2-3 weeks on both Hostel but it was my best time in Sri Lanka, miss all the team already!
Xavi was absolutely great as a team member during the 6 weeks he stayed with us. As usually I will split my feedback the professional and personal.
Professional: Xavi assisted us here with the typical accommodation tasks getting a good knowledge of the basic and more technical tasks in the reception. … read more
My apologies for the time that has taken me to write a feedback for such an amazing person. Pepe (Joseph) stayed with us for one month between 2017 (Xmas period) and January 2018.
First, thanks to his scientific background, he has a pretty well-structured mind which allowed him to get easily the … read more
Ivana joined us during 6 weeks, especially in the more difficult moment as we were setting up our second hostel, so most of our efforts were focused on it, without missing the operations in the first property in Unawatuna, where she worked most of the time.
As usual, I will split my feedback in … read more
Fun and learning experience,
Exciting and recharging experience.
I believe all of us in the hostel family enjoyed and learned a lot. We made strong friendship bonds among volunteers (Jolie & Edgar & Ana) as well as with devoted managers (Miguel & Rajiv). I also what to express great appreciation to local staff … read more
Was a great experience to work with Alen. Besides his amazing and caring personality, he helped out us to improve the place during a change period in the company. Coming up with great feedbacks in any field, Alen is a great team player that understand what a business needs, and mostly, what a hostel needs.
Funny, smart, committed and … read more
In simple words… place totally recommended for people interested in learn and develop their hospitality skills… this … read more
Ana helped us out during a few days and we cannot be more thankful. She took the tasks with responsibility, super keen to learn, to make her best and giving extra care with her friendly and outgoing personality with all the team and our guests.
Specifically, she helped out as follows:
- Frontdesk shifts, managing our property … read more
Moreover, they make it with a smile and a positive attitude. Friendly, open, respectful and well behave are adjectives that describe them.
Responsible in both cleaning and reception/guest tasks, as well as professional. … read more
This was my first workaway experience and i cpuldnt be mote happy with it. The whole hostel Mansion is unbelievably cool, very laid back and chill vibe. Its built in such a way that brings everyone together so that all the guests and staff are just like a big … read more
Here he helped out managing shifts at the reception, with our PMS Cloudbeds and controlling income and expenses with an … read more
Thank you very much Emilie, hope to see you soon!!
His main role here involved in … read more
The food is good, both the chefs are amazing and the atmosphere is superb. Nights of drinking are common … read more
She mainly helped out doing reception shifts (managing our PMS and Excel documents for expenses) and with housekeeping tasks when needed :) Was a pleasure to work with her, always responsible, reliable … read more
Fanny joined us at the end of … read more
Working with Stephanie is being simply amazing. She stayed here for 18 days. Her description in WA is short in comparison what you ll find in the reality. It s 100 % goals and business oriented person, team player and leader. She is well versed in multitasks and could help as her description says in (without … read more
From the operational point of view Ani managed here:
- Property Management System: named Cloudbeds, she managed further than the basics of … read more
If you love meet people, help travelers and learn about turisim or marketing, feel at home... this is your place!
Miguel, the manager, is the smarters and entusiashtic person i ever met! He is always ready to help you, to teach you and … read more
Wooow! What can I see about Zima?! Potential hosts, check this feedback out :) I ll divide it into 2 parts, professional and personal.
As a professional, Zima joined us for 2 weeks and bearing in mind the short period she worked here she set the bar as high as nobody has done before! Was crazy seeing how fast she got the hang … read more
- I worked in marketing online mainly with SEO, analytics and content. What I needed was the help of a native English speaker to … read more
Their background as ingeniers, designers and interior designers was a perk for our hostel, but also their availability for mutitasking, for teamworking, for undertstanding the deadline we had and of course to manage the deco project on their own.
I must remark their amazing … read more
Regarding her personality, she was always plenty of energies, a big smile, and transmitting good vibes and motivating the team in those days in which we were reforming the building and dealing with the locals was kind of hard. As he speaks … read more
We improved our surfing skills together … read more
I also got to improve my Spanish thanks to the number of Spanish speakers at the hostel.
I … read more
Karan brought his best vibes to the hostel and unwilling he created with me, the team and the rest of guests a live still. Basically we made our job and then we went surfing every single day. Amazing Karan! Pretty responsible and caring, best dancer and hilarious person, one of these kind of person who you don t easily forget. … read more