Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
29 Nov 2024
Feedback
14
Facebook verified
Email verified
Badges (4)
Details
Description
We are Sean (Anglo-Irish) and Helen (Welsh), a couple who moved to Crete from the UK in 2005. We built our home and set up our agro-tourism business providing self catering accommodation in our two self-catering apartments.
Our place is on the doorstep of Western Crete, only 30 minutes from the Venetian town of Chania, in the small working village of Xamoudochori.
Set in an olive grove on the edge of the village, we have much work out of season in the Winter months harvesting our olives, gardening, painting and various projects we have to complete before the next tourist season begins.
Accommodation will be provided in one of our beautiful apartments, private and fully equipped for self catering with 2 balconies, wifi and heating.
All safety equipment is provided and all help is supervised by us.
Breakfast ingredients will be provided for you to prepare in your own kitchen, coffee and cake or biscuits for mid morning break plus a large lunch, on workdays only.
A typical work day will start at 09.00, a 30 minute coffee/tea break at 11.00, lunch at 13.00 for 1 hour and finish at 15.30.
A maximum of 5 hours per day for 5 days.
All subject to the weather. If rain stops the harvest then we will have to adjust the days/hours accordingly but we will never ask you to do more than the maximum 5 hours per day.
Sean and I will start work before you and finish long after you, when it gets dark, hence the reason we don't offer evening meals.
So in summary, we are offering a fully furnished apartment, with wifi and all utilities for 5 hours of work a day for 5 days a week.
Before we decide, we would like to talk and give full details via a video call, also giving you the opportunity to ask us any questions you may have.
Thanks
Helen & Sean
Types of help and learning opportunities
Farmstay help
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Crete is a very special island and the hospitality of the people is world famous. Travellers lucky enough to visit and stay out of season in a working village like ours , with people like us who have integrated into the village, will experience the island's magical landscapes, it's delicious clean food, it's hospitality and a way of life long forgotten in many western societies.
The most important lesson will be how the local Cretan people value health and family above anything else and the simplicity of life here in the village.
Help
We are looking for 2 fit, strong individuals to help us with our olive harvest of our 5500 square meter olive grove, which has 100 trees.
The work is very physically demanding and anybody interested should be prepared for this.
We will require a Skype/Facetime meeting with the applicant before we commit, to ensure that we are all in agreement with the details and that we are compatible.
Languages spoken
Welsh: Fluent
English: Fluent
Greek: Intermediate
Accommodation
We have a fully equipped private, self - catering apartment it has a bedroom with two large single beds and mattresses from England, a bathroom with toilet, shower and wash basin, a small kitchen with cooker, fridge, kettle, microwave , pots and pans , dishes , cutlery etc a dinning area with table and chairs, two balconies all furnished as it would be for our paying guests in the Summer season.
Our apartments have 95 x 5 star reviews online. The accommodation is of a very high standard and we expect it to be treated with respect. There is also wi-fi and heating.
The volunteers can make their own meals in their kitchen in the apartment.
We can provide free range eggs and our very own extra virgin olive oil, plus any vegetables from the garden.
What else ...
Our village is 3 kms from the bus stop in Maleme where buses run regularly every day . We will provide transport to and from the bus stop during the day and a reliable taxi number for evenings out. Chania is 30 minutes by bus. Volunteers can explore the local area by foot, we will advise them on many walks and places to visit once here.
We will happily advise or organise day trips in accordance with what the volunteers interests are. The beaches in Crete are beautiful on warm sunny Winter days and no tourists and the mountains are spectacular, offering many choices to suite all tastes.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (7)
Hard working, considerate and enthusiastic, they gave us their best.
Great company and conversation, a very interesting couple to get to know.
We really appreciated their help and only wished they could have stayed longer.
Any host would be lucky to get them.
We know everyone keeps saying that but this is true: olive harvesting is demanding and you should be prepared - both physically and mentally - to put in some hard work. We suffered especially the first day - but it did get… read more
They kept us updated throughout their journey to Crete and arrived on time and full of enthusiasm.
Their communications and time keeping were impeccable for the entire stay.
The first two weeks they helped with our olive harvest and… read more
A great couple, very enthusiastic, capable and eager to learn new skills.
The first month was harvesting our olives, pruning and clearing the trees and general landscaping, gardening and grounds maintenance jobs.
The second month was dedicated to painting… read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
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:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
Hard working, considerate and enthusiastic, they gave us their best.
Great company and conversation, a very interesting couple to get to know.
We really appreciated their help and only wished they could have stayed longer.
Any host would be lucky to get them.
We know everyone keeps saying that but this is true: olive harvesting is demanding and you should be prepared - both physically and mentally - to put in some hard work. We suffered especially the first day - but it did get… read more
They kept us updated throughout their journey to Crete and arrived on time and full of enthusiasm.
Their communications and time keeping were impeccable for the entire stay.
The first two weeks they helped with our olive harvest and… read more
A great couple, very enthusiastic, capable and eager to learn new skills.
The first month was harvesting our olives, pruning and clearing the trees and general landscaping, gardening and grounds maintenance jobs.
The second month was dedicated to painting… read more
The work was hard sometimes, but Sean was… read more
They were very… read more
Helen & Sean contacted us for help with their 2016 harvest. What an opportunity!! We arranged a meeting and the 4 of us agreed on a plan of action.
We brought our boots, gloves and eye protection and with the benefit of our hosts' experience, specialist equipment and good teamwork, we made swift progress. The work was… read more
