Montenegro
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We're Emma and Ben and we've been running activity holidays, nature and yoga retreats from our small guesthouse at Lake Skadar National Park since 2011. We take our guests hiking, kayaking and to enjoy 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!
In 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 or a private bedroom, surrounded by nature, fruit trees and the occasional wild tortoise. You will also be able to share outdoor spaces with our guests including the swimming pool and nature/yoga deck.
We're based in walking distance of Virpazar, a pretty little village by Lake Skadar, and have three young kids.
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
You will be based in an extremely beautiful, rural area of Montenegro - Lake Skadar 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 meet locals and learn the local language - Serbian/Montenegrin.
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
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.
We're currently looking for someone who, from June, can help our young family get through a busy tourist season hosting guests at our activity retreat centre, which is also our home. You'll need to have experience of and enjoy child-care, plus cleaning, helping out with family meals and taking the kids to activities and play dates. A driving license is essential, as is a love of nature, animals (our household includes three cats, a dog and 7 chickens!), cooking and fun activities to occupy the kids on their long summer break (creative homemade art projects, beach trips, plus some FIFA/Minecraft gaming action!). Ideally, we'd like the right person to stay until the end of August.
Hours are flexible, but on average 5 hrs a day, 5 days a week, with private bedroom and meals included and access to bicycles, kayaks and a car.
Additionally, we're looking for two outdoors-loving volunteers from September to help us run our activity holidays and guest accommodation. For the right people (nature-loving, outdoorsy neat freaks who are as good cleaning a guest bedroom as they are chatting with guests!), this is an amazing opportunity which will need your commitment to stay at least a month and ideally until mid-October. The role is chiefly to be our main house and groundskeepers, with support from us when needed (eg. on guest changeover days). Daily tasks involve getting up early to water the plants, maintain the swimming pool, sweep, clean and tidy the communal guest areas like the yoga deck and guest kitchen/living room. In addition, we'll sometimes need help with running our tours, so you'll come along kayaking, hiking and being a co-driver - or assist with our social media (social media skills are especially welcome!). There will also be some gardening to do, guest bedrooms to prepare, bicycle maintenance and, occasionally, babysitting (you need to be family-friendly and ready to distract the kids with some FIFA, Minecraft and creative homemade art projects!). A living allowance of €75 per couple per week would be provided as well as use of a car, bikes and a kayak. We require both of you to have a decent level of physical fitness, fluent English, a full and clean driving licence - we provide a 4x4 for you to use on your days off. Experience of kayaking, hiking & property maintenance is desirable (we would provide a certain amount of training).
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Serbian: Fluent
In-season you would sleep in a private wooden eco-cabin or bedroom in the grounds of the Villa estate, surrounded by nature and fruit trees. The eco-cabin is basic but comfortable (double bed) with a kitchenette and access to a shower/WC - and you will also be able to enjoy outdoor facilities for our guests such as our swimming pool and yoga deck. We provide internet access via a mobile modem, a 4x4 you can use when available as well access to mountain bikes.
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 cook together with our volunteers helping out with childcare. We pay our Workawayers living in the eco-cabin a living allowance rather than cooking together, as we don't have space for everyone in our family home and the cabin has its own kitchenette.
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
December/January - house and pet sit require! April/May/September/October: 5 days a week, 5 hours a day. June/July/August: 5 days a week, 9 hours a day (paid)
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