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Experience life in a rural village near Dobrich, Bulgaria

Bulgaria
Last activity : 11 May 2025

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Host rating
80 %
Last replied
8 May 2025
Feedback
24
Email verified

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2025

Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Description
We are Ian, Kate and Andrew. We are English (A couple in their 70s) and Kate's son.

We have wi-fi internet access.

We have 2 dogs who win the hearts of everyone they meet! We also have 4 cats, also very friendly and we have 3 pet ducks.

We do not have TV. We love music and there is usually something playing. Food is good, wholesome with multi-cultural roots. Vegetarians are welcome but no vegans, sorry.

We offer flexible hours - agreed between you and us: 25 hrs per week.

We live in a village with 2 shops/pubs. It is 4 kms from Dobrich (there are buses: 4 per day), a city of 65,000 people; 30 km from the sea, including either quiet beaches or lively resorts - a bus ride away.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You will see life in a rural village (a common method of transport is a horse and cart) but is only 4kms from a city. You can explore farther afield, buses are very cheap. You can learn some Bulgarian!
Help
We have a large garden (whole site is 1850 m2) and it is now largely landscaped but there is a long way to go yet.

If you have any experience in DIY, it will be welcome. There are are a lot of examples of why we need a welder on site. If you can weld you will be very welcome; we have the equipment but not the skill, yet.

There is much painting and varnishing to be done, inside and out and fencing jobs to do. There are other areas of the garden requiring less skilled work: digging, planting, weeding, lawn mowing and strimming.

Ian is a qualified TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher so can give help and guidance with your English, if required.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Bulgarian: Beginner
Greek: Beginner
Spanish: Beginner
French: Beginner
This host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
Accommodation is in a modernised, separate building:
(i) (double/twin bedroom (your own front door}, with en-suite toilet/shower.
(ii) a second bedroom, similar configuration but with one bed
What else ...
You can stay with us AND stay/work with other people in Bulgaria or elsewhere, or explore the country and then come back to us. There is no obligation. The beaches are a bus ride away: take your pick from loud, busy tourist beaches to quiet places.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
- Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two

Host ref number: 8471641454d5

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Feedback (13)

3 Dec 2022

Left by host for Workawayer (Thomas & Lisa)

Thomas and Lisa were excellent! They rotavated, rolled, and seeded an approximately 6m x 5m area of lawn. Their success was seen subsequently by the emergence of a brand new lawn! They turned and sorted five large compost bins. They painted the outside of out guest house. They split, stacked and stored our winter's supply of logs. At all times… read more

(Excellent )

29 Oct 2022

Left by Workawayer (Thomas & Lisa) for host

It was wonderful. Ian, Katey and Andrew are lovely hosts. We stayed longer than planned. We preparared a lawn and painted the guest house. For that we were served with best food and drinks and also with very good cakes!
We had really nice evenings together.
Thank you for this nice time, we enjoyed it a lot and so did our dogs ;)

(Excellent )

12 Sep 2022

Left by host for Workawayer (Aykut)

An excellent, willing worker. He came to do a job: he was to weld certain metal objects in the garden, teaching Andrew how to weld in the process. This he achieved quickly. He then painted all the work he had done. All in all a very satisfactory job; well done. Our little dog, Georgie, loved him too! He was a good house guest and excellent… read more

(Excellent )

10 Sep 2022

Left by Workawayer (Aykut) for host

Ian, Kate and Andrew were like my family. I loved and respected them all. If I had the opportunity, I would like to stay longer. They helped a lot with English. I wish I knew English better so we could chat for hours. Georgia loved me too :) thank you very much for everything. food was also great. I want to go again as soon as possible.

(Excellent )

4 Jun 2021

Left by Workawayer (Tim) for host

The work is fine, but as with most volunteering experiences what makes it is the people. Ian, Kate and Andrew will make you feel at home and treat you like one of the family from the minute you arrive, as will all the lovely dogs and cats 😊 I only stayed a couple of weeks but enjoyed the place, the work and above all the people. Thanks and best… read more

(Excellent )

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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)

Cultural exchange:
(4.5)

Communication:
(5.0)

3 Dec 2022

Left by host for Workawayer (Thomas & Lisa)

(Excellent)

29 Oct 2022

Left by Workawayer (Thomas & Lisa) for host

(Excellent)

12 Sep 2022

Left by host for Workawayer (Aykut)

(Excellent)

10 Sep 2022

Left by Workawayer (Aykut) for host

(Excellent)

4 Jun 2021

Left by Workawayer (Tim) for host

(Excellent)

10 Nov 2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Alejandro)

Alex (as he prefers to called)was excellent. He was with us about three months. He did chopping wood - he was excellent at it, once shown how; major gardening work - moving great quantities of earth, raking, clearing, etc, etc. He is a big, strong lad so we made good use of him! He got on well with our cats and dogs and took the latter for walks.… read more

(Excellent)

12 Oct 2019

Left by Workawayer (Alejandro) for host

Staying with Ian and Kate was my first workaway experience and let me tell you, it was amazing! They’re really nice people and have great conversation as well!
The work was easy, in my opinion, and they were always understanding if the day was too hot or anything happened.
Kate’s cooking is amazing and they also really appreciate any dishes you… read more

(Excellent)

4 Jan 2019

Left by Workawayer (Maya) for host

Hello, Ian & Kate.

I spend really great time with them. and dogs, cats and ducks :)
I was painting,digging and sometimes cleaning.
I've cut wood. It was my first experience.
They taught me a lot! I enjoying working there.

Also Ian taught me English with other workaway. It was wonderful time !

I feel happinest is when I having Kate's cake and… read more

(Excellent)

10 Nov 2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Matias)

Matias was excellent! At first, I think he was a little overawed by the volunteers that were already here and his relative lack of English, for he was a little reserved but as he got to know us his confidence grew, his English improved and he became a very good Workawayer in his own right. He moved tons of rubble to provide hardcore for two large… read more

(Excellent)

3 Nov 2018

Left by Workawayer (Matias) for host

My stay with Kate and Ian was really lovely. They made me feel very comfortable from the first moment. Everything exceeded my expectations. The work was very simple, because they took the trouble to explain to me and show me what they needed, how to do it in a very warm and friendly way. In the middle of the work Kate invited us with a delicious… read more

(Excellent)

10 Jul 2018

Left by Workawayer (Couplegoals2018) for host

Ian, Kate, Theon, Lucy, Poppy, Patsy, Spot, Blondie and Two-tone. We spent just under 2 months with you and it was great, as forementioned the work we carried out and completed in return for a cosy household with hearty meals and the ability to either enjoy the lovely weather with a nice cold beer or to go and explore Bulgaria in which we done… read more

(Excellent)

2 Jul 2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Couplegoals2018)

John and Stacey stayed with us for about 7 weeks including time away. John was excellent; he dug up a concrete path (which. he found, was laid on top of another path of stone slabs) and this was during a very hot spell in May. He worked in conjunction with another volunteer to fit new boards, which they planed, treated and stained, to the… read more

(Excellent)

2 Dec 2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Sin Bei & Chang Dar)

Yuu (as he prefers to be called) was with us for about three months and he was excellent. He did a wide range of jobs including: chopping 5 tonnes of wood and stacking it for winter, helping build a new wood-shed and putting a roof on it, laying cement and concrete, building walls, painting an exterior wall, repainted our fence and pergola,… read more

(Excellent)

1 Oct 2017

Left by Workawayer (Sin Bei & Chang Dar) for host

Hey guys, how are you? I can imagine now is very good weather in Plachi Dol. I miss you all! I stayed here for two months and I feel comfortable and flexible at here like home. I enjoy two months here especially after a long bike journey. I miss everything here so much! Morning walk with Ian and dogs in a lovely village. Amazing food from Kate.… read more

(Excellent)

1 Feb 2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Misaki)

Misaki stayed with us for about 6 weeks and we think she could have stayed much longer! She is a brilliant worker and did loads of jobs inside and outside; painting & varnishing stonework, gardening, lawn mowing, fetching cut wood into our indoor store for winter, weekly shopping (she always knew what we needed), dog walking, made different… read more

(Excellent)

5 Jan 2017

Left by Workawayer (Misaki) for host

Thank you Ian and Kate!
My stay at their place was parfect! I had a lot of fun spending time with them.
They are easy-going and very respectful for anyone, so they made me feel like home from the first day.
That was one of my greatest experience that I could spend time with other workawayers there. Everyday I had great food and lovely time… read more

(Excellent)

27 Nov 2015

Left by Workawayer (Emil & Chelsea) for host

Staying with Ian and Kate was truly wonderful. They were extremely welcoming and friendly. The work was varied and interesting, the food was spectacular, and they're both lively interesting people. We enjoyed spending time with them and their pets and we learned a lot from them.

We had a chance to use our existing skills as well as learn new… read more

(Excellent)

26 Nov 2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Emil & Chelsea)

In one word: excellent! We couldn't find any fault with them. They are both excellent workers and willing to turn their hands to anything in the house and garden. In the garden they both picked up on Kate's views about what she wanted and they proceeded to produce it with very little supervision. They were great with all our pets. Emil was good… read more

(Excellent)

4 Oct 2015

Left by Workawayer (Richard & Evelyn ) for host

Hey Ian and Kate :-) Even if it is now a summer ago, we'd like to leave you a feedback today. We now live in Hamburg and both started to work as socialworkers here. Life is great ;-) We hope, you are doing well! Greetings to the dogs and cats!

Ian and Kate are great hosts, very lovely, carying and great partners for conversation. They live in a… read more

(Excellent)

24 May 2015

Left by host for Workawayer (Richard & Evelyn )

They are vegetarian which was not a problem for us as we were able to adapt and we had some wonderful meals.
They arrived just after we made it from Greece and they helped us unload the car, clean the house and generally get set up after a winter away. Each of them had a go at strimming and clearing outside. They both helped around the… read more

(Excellent)

30 Sep 2014

Left by Workawayer (Ryan & Kalina) for host

My fiance and I had the best time at Ian and Kate's. They live in quiet countryside, surrounded by traditional bulgarian farms and gardens, so if you are looking for tranquil place to work outdoors it is place for you. They are really open, warm and outgoing couple and we really enjoyed helping them with their projects around house and garden.… read more

(Excellent)

22 Jun 2014

Left by host for Workawayer (Ryan & Kalina)

Ryan and Kalina were great! They were here about 3-4 weeks and during that time they: cleared out and cleaned an old house on our property, strimmed our large garden and outside (Ryan's favourite!), painted interior and garden furniture and windows, cooked Lasagna (Kalina's speciality), dug the garden and helped prepare a very large patio area,… read more

(Excellent)

25 Aug 2014

Left by Workawayer (Eymeric) for host

i spend almost 2 weeks in Ian and Kate property, it 's was really a great experience with lovely people and animals!Ian and kate are two wonderfull persons and share some times with there was relly nice for me,
also it's this kind of person that we would meet in travel,
thank's one more time for all and for the english lessons and have some… read more

(Excellent)

20 Aug 2014

Left by host for Workawayer (Eymeric)

Brilliant! Rico (as he prefers to be known) is an excellent worker and really stimulating company. He built a substantial wall for us and despite the searing temperatures (highest of the year), he worked six or seven hours a day, seven days a week for us. He is good company also and in the evenings he would volunteer to help in the kitchen before… read more

(Excellent)

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Experience life in a rural village near Dobrich, Bulgaria

Profile information

Host rating

Last replied

Feedback

Email verified

Badges (3)

Find your perfect host

Availability

Details

Description

Types of help and learning opportunities

Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

Help

Languages

Accommodation

What else ...

A little more information

Space for parking camper vans

How many Workawayers can stay?

Feedback (13)

Photos

Feedback