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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
13 Jun 2025
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100.0 %
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Details
Description
We, my husband and I live in Balen, Belgium, in a big house, with our animals, 3 horses and 2 mini-horses (stallions), 1 dog, 3 cats.). In summer we host swallows and a church owl has a nestbox in the barn. Our land is approx. 4 ha. and is situated in the midst of nature. We are surrounded by woods. On one side of the nature reserve are landdunes and on the other side you find quaking bog. In the woods live also buzzards and recently a couple ravens.
We are fulfilling our dream and are in the making of this place an ecoasis and eqoasis for our horses. We want to design the place as much as possible following permaculture principles. We want to keep our horses as 'natural' and ecological as possible. We call it... a place to explore and discover.... to meet and encounter to grow, develop, thrive.... to reflect and to meditate. A place to come at rest, closer to nature and your own true nature. A place to do what has to be done ánd to enjoy it. A place to share.
The little food forest is planted and we are thrilled every season to see how it evolves.
You can interact with the horses on the pasture, but you can not ride them.
Ingrid also loves all textile crafts and arts. We play or learn to play the guitar.
Although we are in the midst of nature and only reachable by a sandy path of 1 km by car, there is a train station in our village that has a direct train to Antwerp (1 h) or Hasselt, Brussels is about 1:30 h. We also have a bike for our guest.
So we offer you a nice place to stay in the middle of nature near interesting towns and also a lot of learning opportunities about taking care of horses and the land. Ingrid and Luc like to share their interests with you and are interested in what your culture, language an passions are.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You will stay in a unique natural biotope in the world, where land dunes are also 200 m away from marsh/swamps, so you can go walking, running, biking... (We have a bike that you can use). You easily find your way because there is a smart system with nodes. We have maps of the area, but you can also have an app on your smartphone. You won't get lost and feel free to enjoy the area. So you can learn a lot about a different biotope and nature here.
In summer there are a lot of different small festivals in the neighborhood - at which you can also volunteer :-) and get free entrance and/or drinks. There is an abbey nearby with a huge herb garden, with it's own bread, beer and cheese. Belgium is famous for it's different beers. Foreigners often underestimate the strength of the beer (so be warned :-)). In Balen there is also a "café"/ bar where you can meet a lot of youth. This is an opportunity to learn about the local culture.
Mol is a charming town nearby with a small river. You can also find all kinds of cafées/ bars and a youth house too. In the surroundings there is a 'silver lake' where you can swim and even take a boat trip or sail, surrounded by forest. There is also a sports harbor and a high tower with a viewpoint where you can see the whole region (one of the nicest viewpoints in Belgium, says the newspaper :-)).
I have been experimenting with making my food more alive (germinating seeds, fermentation...). I love to learn about self-sufficiency, wild edible plants, and I have done a Permaculture Design Course - I want to apply the principles here as much as possible. We could have talks about this and you share with me what you want to learn.
If the weather is not so good, I have a big library on different topics (psychology, sociology, ethics, philosophy, organisations, communication, horses, learning and developing with the assistance of horses, permaculture... a lot of them in English). I also know something about textile and different crafts. I really like to share this with interested people.
We also play the guitar and someties making music together is also nice.
You see, we are interested in a lot and could share a lot. You just tell us what you are interested in, and we'll help you out as much as we can.
Help
help in and around the house , with the horses, the pastures, the forest garden...
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
German: Intermediate
French: Intermediate
Spanish: Beginner
Accommodation
We can offer you a room (which may be shared with a friend, or partner) when you are coming with 2. Meals are shared.
What else ...
We don't allow smoking in the house, prefer non-smokers. We prefer quiet and peace. We can help you to find your way around, if needed, bring you to the trainstation, etc. We expect you to work some 4 or 5 hours 5 days of the week, but it depends on the needs. We are flexible.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Internet works fine here, Cellphone connection is not great. You have your own room with a desk.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Feedback (12)
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Luc and Ingrid are very kind, generous and lovely people. They care deeply for everything under their roof, be it human or animal.
Nothing was a problem with them. They made sure that we have something intresting to when work is done, however it doesnt even felt like… read more
We hardly recommend their farm,… read more
We'd love to… read more
He now knows how to handle ragwort and I learned him scything (and he did a very good job… read more
