Montenegro
Favourited 850 times
We're Emma and Ben and we've been running an activity centre at our small guesthouse at Lake Skadar National Park for 10 years. We take our guests hiking, kayaking and enjoying the great local wine and gastronomy during the season (April to October each year), while out of the season, we always have land and property maintenance to do and often some sort of building project - last winter we built a kayak storage shed and a Mediterranean courtyard!
As our volunteer in the tourist season, or out of season, you will find yourself based in a stunning location for any nature lover with plenty of free time to get out and explore. Out of season, you will get to live at our guesthouse Villa. During the season, your lodgings will be a private wooden eco-cabin on the Villa estate, which is surrounded by nature, fruit trees and the occasional wild tortoise. You will also be able to share outdoor spaces with our guests including our swimming pool.
We're based near Virpazar, a pretty little village which is the main tourist centre for Lake Skadar National Park, and have three young kids.
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
Help with Eco Projects
Help around the house
Animal Care
Help with Computers/ Internet
You will be based in an extremely beautiful, rural area of Montenegro and National Park where you will be able to learn about and enjoy the incredible nature on our doorstep, as well as (during the season) learn to be a hiking and kayaking guide. As little English is spoken here, except at our place (we're British!), you'll also get the chance to learn the local language - Serbian/Montenegrin.
This host offers accommodation and payment.
Host has indicated that they will pay at least the minimum hourly wage of their country for each hour worked and that accommodation will also be provided. They are asking for help with a business or business activity. Contact the host directly via the site messenger for more information and details about the wage provided. Any arrangements should be agreed in advance with your host.
For early and late season (Apr-May, September), we’re looking for fun couples to act as house-keepers and grounds-keepers for our “estate” and help out on occasion with tours and other aspects of our holiday business. Duties include: watering plants, sweeping, cleaning at the guesthouse, swimming pool maintenance, gardening, going on errands, hiking trail clearance, being a driver/assistant guide on our hiking and kayaking tours (training provided), bicycle maintenance. Hours would be 5 hrs/day 5 days a week and we would provide a living allowance of €300/month.
For peak season (Jun-Aug), we’re looking for a couple to stay the entire 3 month period. As well as being house-keepers and grounds-keepers, we would expect you to lead certain hiking, driving and kayaking tours in our amazing National Park! This would be in addition to the standard duties like watering plants, sweeping, cleaning at the guesthouse, swimming pool maintenance, gardening, going on errands, hiking trail clearance, bicycle maintenance, etc. In addition we would also require assistance looking after our 3 children and with our business (answering email enquiries, arranging tours, producing content for our social media platforms). Hours would be 9 hrs/day, 5 days a week and we would provide a living allowance of €600-800/month.
We would require both of you to have a full and clean driving licence - we provide a car for you to use on your days off. Experience of kayaking, hiking & property maintenance is desirable (we would provide a certain amount of training) - fluent English and a love of nature and the outdoors is essential!
Off-season (Oct-Apr): we’re ideally looking for couples with basic building or landscaping experience. Please note that as our business has been affected by Covid-19, for autumn 2020 placements we cannot offer payment, only free accommodation, free internet and use of a 4x4 vehicle in return for some simple gardening and maintenance tasks. We're looking to repair some dry stone walls and may have some other zero-budget projects making use of reclaimed and recycled materials!
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Serbian: Fluent
In-season - a private wooden eco-cabin in the grounds of the Villa estate, surrounded by nature and fruit trees. The condition is basic but comfortable (double bed) with a kitchenette and bathroom (the toilet is compost) - and you will also be able to enjoy outdoor facilities for our guests such as our swimming pool, yoga deck and guest shower room. We provide internet access via a dongle, as well as a car you can use and bicycles.
Off-season - a bedroom at our guesthouse Villa, near Virpazar, with private bathroom and access to all shared guest areas such as the kitchen, living room with TV/DVD player, wifi, outdoor gardens. The guesthouse is closed to guests at this time of year. We will provide you with access to a car and bicycle.
You will be based in a National Park, so the perfect place for anyone who loves hiking, kayaking and nature photography. Virpazar, which is a 20 minute walk from us, has a train station with good connections to the capital city Podgorica (30 mins) and Bar on the coast (also 30 mins). We prefer to pay our volunteers a living allowance rather than cooking together, as we have three small children and are busy enough just catering for them!
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
We have 4G fast internet throughout the property
On road parking is possible for campers
Two
April/May/September/October: 5 days a week, 5 hours a day. June/July/August: 5 days a week, 9 hours a day (paid)
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:
(4.9)
Communication:
(5.0)
