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Host rating
80 %
Reply rate
75.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
104
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Details
Description
We will be hosting in 2022! Of course, every week brings new surprises and nobody can say how the situation will be after a month or 3, but the grass keeps growing (and needs mowing), we have a couple of great new projects in the different phases of development, so - hell, yea! let s do it again!
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This is a beautiful place, a family campsite and also our home where we invite to join us!
I am Zane and we live together with my children Miks (12) and Tina (16).
Our season as for the campsite is very busy from April to November, its 24/7 for us, so there is not much time to meet my friends. Therefore I love my volunteers to be my friends and I want to have fun together! Which means that I prefer people who like to socialize, hang around, chat while I am cooking, talk and share. If you want mostly to be on your own and be here only to do what needs to be done disappearing when job is completed - there are better places for such type of volunteering. Come here if you want to be one of us! We can't promise that there will always be party, but we give our best to spend time together with our extended volunteer family.
We have many years experience in hosting travelers, our campsite guests and for the last 10 years - volunteers. We have done volunteering ourselves - in 2012 we spend a month in France and in Spring 2016 me and Miks were volunteering 1 month in Spain. Help given by workawayers is very valuable to us, but we do not take it as a cheep labor. If you come to stay with us, you will become member of our family and we will share our everyday life with you.
This will be the 12th year for our own family business - small campsite. We had been working hard to build up the place from zero and most of what you can see is DIY. We have done a lot, but there are more to do by improving and adding and rebuilding as new ideas pop up every day.
Our campsite is located in a countryside area some 15 km from the capital of Latvia Riga. There are 2 squash courts with patio surrounded by garden. Also a pond and canal for swimming, big children playground, canoe boats and 3 romantic floating bungalows. We are opened during the summer season from April until November and help mainly is needed within these months.
If you love to play squash by the chance, this is a wonderful possibility as you will have unlimited access to the courts!
Thanks for our fantastic volunteers and friends we had been able to achieve so much and also had a great time together! We are very thankful to all the people we have hosted - we love you all. Without you life would be not so interesting!Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Though the place is a family business place, you will live here in a family and become one of us. We eat together, go to parties together, go to the beach, play board games and card games, watch movies, make BBQs - it s fun. You will be part of little crazy Latvian family (oh, we are divorced now, but still own the business together).
You can learn some national dishes, more about gardening, DIY projects - many things going on here. Never tried to play squash - we can teach you!Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Every year here is so much different from the previous...
Though the site is a family owned business place, we also live here ourselves, so the work and everyday family life is blended together and it s difficult to understand where one ends and the other starts :)
We never considered or used volunteers to replace regular paid staff. Thus - many things might be for the business we do here with volunteers, but you will not be much involved in routine jobs. Instead, we will do some fun projects together and you will be invited to get creative, learn how to do things and share your knowledge with us. There is only one routine work we all get involved - cutting the lawn.
We work a lot with children - in spring and autumn we host school trips and everybody is involved in these activities. During summer we have children camps which is very busy time for everybody.
We also have 2 squash courts, so anybody playing squash is very much welcomed! We have all the equipment here, just take your sneakers with you! If you have no idea how to play squash - we will teach you. There will be unlimited possibility to use our squash courts for training and playing. Every week there is also a weekly a round robin (tournament). There are different tournaments taking place in Riga and You will have a chance to participate.
Usually we have 2-3 volunteers here at the same time and we do our best to spend some fun time together apart from work.
What type of work you will most probably get involved? Let me explain. If you have any knowledge /experience working with tools like saw, screwdriver, etc. - there are always things we are building, fixing, improving. Be ready that most of the work will be physical - not necessarily hard labor, but still. Painting, digging, planting, sewing, cutting grass , some cleaning, carrying stuff, making things for children activities, etc. We are campsite, but there is not much reception work to do or direct work with clients, so be ready to get your hands dirty.Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Latvian (Lettish): Fluent
Russian: Fluent
German: BeginnerAccommodation
Volunteers will be staying in a caravan (have a heating too, we ourselves slept there until mid-November). The caravan is for 3 people, so you need to be ready to share this place (and may be even big bed) with strangers (all genders).
All facilities will be in the main building where we live now, In 2017 we started to rebuild the main building, so in 2020 our office&kitchen&living room will still be looking little bit like construction site.
We have WiFi. Volunteers can also use bikes if they like and canoe boats and may be a car too.
We will provide all meals or food so that you can cook yourselves. Normally we cook lunch and a big evening meal and provide you with food for self-made breakfast. I am pretty good cook, so promise you will get tasty meals! Please note, that helping in preparing meals and cleaning kitchen afterwards is not considered as work, but sharing of house chores. One of our family is vegetarian, so this is not problem. But, we do not and will not cook vegan or provide spacial vegan stuff (coconut milk, nuts, tofu, almond/soya milk, fancy expensive fruits&vegetables, etc.). If you are vegan, you are welcome, but you will need pretty much to look for your special dietary needs yourself.
The closest village Kekava with shops and bus to Riga is 20 min walk away form the campsite, Riga is 30 min on the bus, easy accessible.What else ...
Latvia is a small, but very beautiful country, an unspoiled oasis. Beaches are fantastic and there are plenty of things to do (including Riga nightlife if you go for it!). If You look for volunteering job to improve or learn languages, this is a good chance to learn Latvian or Russian.
You must have your profile filled in before you write to us.A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Our internet connection works fine, though I am not sure hosting people who would need to spend a lot of hours working on their own projects is smth what would fit to us.
Space for parking camper vans
We are a campsite, so there is space for all kind of campervans or motorhomes
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
25 hours a week
Feedback (49)
As for the Host, Zane is communicative and good at managing and assigning activities for a volunteer that are varied and interesting. In addition, Zane explains the task very accurately in English. You can learn a lot from her. Most of these tasks are more like enjoyable activities than… read more
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.6)
Cultural exchange:
(4.4)
Communication:
(4.8)
As for the Host, Zane is communicative and good at managing and assigning activities for a volunteer that are varied and interesting. In addition, Zane explains the task very accurately in English. You can learn a lot from her. Most of these tasks are more like enjoyable activities than… read more
When I plan to… read more
Was very happy to host her here and hope to… read more
Thank you for having us for this 3 weeks in April 2019. Thank you for the responsibility we got with the work and we are also happy that we could experience folk dance together with you guys!
We tried quite a variety of jobs which we enjoyed to do. They were sometimes simple, sometimes complex, all in all… read more
The working atmosphere was also relaxed. There was a lot of work to do because they where building a new floor but I got plenty of free-time also. The food was very nice, they recommended me places to go to… read more
Since it was low season, the campsite was quiet. Which made it a really peaceful place. Our tasks consisted of landscaping, cleaning, cooking and construction… read more
Thanks guys for having me :)
I was going there real last minute and it was best thing I did. First I liked to stay only one week but it makes so mucht fun with Zane and the others they was there, I had to stay one week more. We was doing alot of work and fun things, we was with Zane at 3 conserts, in waterjump place, at Riga for eating and at… read more
it is an amazing place! If you like nature, kids and sport then this is your place.
Here you have a so much different things to do as kanoe, bycicle, squash and a long more things that I usually never have tryed before.
People is very very friendly and you smell whole day a happy and positive feelings… read more
It's such a paradise for me. From the Very first time Atmosphere is very welcomed.
Zane's children Miks and Tina(also Tina's friends) speaks English very well like a Native Speaker!
So There are many people who share the conversation and hangout with.
I never feel boring. Living in Caravan also very Cool!
Everyday… read more
The camp is beautiful surrounded by a lot of nature.
Thanks for all the plays, jokes, halloween, snowman, movies and fun time!! aahh and Olive oil! ;-)
I had great time, trying to do things I've never done before, helping around and breathing with the greatest fresh air ever. Everyone is very friendly, and especially kids are adventurous, communicative and always full of energy :) Also, Zane cooks great, and they always work on multiple different projects.… read more
We would love to come back and see you again !
Kenny, François and Louison
There was always plenty of food and the children ensured you never got bored!
The location is also excellent as you get to experience the… read more
Wishing you all the best
We really recommend this place for you ! It was really nice to talk… read more
The food was delicious and I was always full… read more
I shall definitely be making a return visit, hopefully sooner… read more
Anette is a very nice girl, may be a little shy for the first moment and may be not so loaded with… read more
P.S. I am putting 3 smiles insted of 4 just because of too short… read more
The squash club is a very nice place… read more