Family with three kids, eight chickens and a couple of thousand bees in Tromsø, Norway
Last activity
: 19 May 2025
Profile information
Usually responds within 1 day
Min stay requested: at least 3 weeks
Workawayers needed
Possibility that workawayers are needed
No availability
Details
Host ref number: 922482569683
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Feedback (4)
Left by host for Workawayer (Karina)
Karina stayed with us for about 6 weeks during the summer of 2023. She instantly became integrated into the family and into the daily routines in the house. She was very social, flexible and creative, helping out with all we could ask for, and doing large and small task and duties around the house. She was also very spontaneous, tidying up and
… read more toys and other items from around the house, arranging them into place, which was really appreciated.
She got many responsibilities during her stay. Mainly, she learned the craft of beekeeping together with us, so that she could look after and care for the two beehives while we were on holidays. She did this with high interest and perfection, taking notes, and using proper equipment and tools for the tasks. When it was time to harvest the honey, she helped in all the steps, from peeling of the wax from the combs, through centrifuging and puring all the honey into containers and jars. Not to forget the patient stirring of the honey twice per day for 4 weeks!
Karina also took good care of our chickens during her stay, giving them food, water and basically the attention that they needed. She never complained about any of the duties, and always asked if there were something else that she could help with.
In addition to caring for the chickens, she helped with all other house duties, such as cooking, grocery shopping, lawn moving, house cleaning and more! Everything was done with passion and perfection! Karina was also a very nice friend for our three kids. She were playing with them and looking after them whenever needed.
We were very happy of having Karina around the house for the summer, and we also felt very comfortable with leaving the house, chickens and bees in her hands while we were away for some weeks. Of course we would strongly recommend her help to anyone out there looking for a reliable and responsible guest!
Left by host for Workawayer (Ffion)
Ffion stayed with us for 3 weeks during the summer of 2023. She rapidly integrated into the family and into the daily routines in the house. She was very social, flexible and creative, helping out with all we could ask for, and doing large and small task and duties around the house. Ffion helped us to wash and paint the entrance veranda to the
… read more house. She did it with excellence and passion, first, to remove the old paint by scrubbing and sanding the old wood, then, carefully painting board by board, making sure to get a nice and smooth finish. She never complained about any of the duties, and always asked if there were something else that she could help with.
Ffion also helped with all other house duties, such as cooking, grocery shopping, lawn moving, house cleaning and more! Everything was done with perfection! Ffion was also a very nice friend for our three kids. She were playing with them and looking after them whenever needed.
We were very happy of having Ffion around the house for the summer, and of course, I would strongly recommend her help to anyone out there looking for a reliable and responsible guest!
Left by host for Workawayer (Aicha)
Aicha stayed with us for about 3 weeks during the summer of 2023. She quickly integrated into the family and into the daily routines in the house. She was very social, flexible and creative, helping out with all we could ask for, and doing large and small task and duties around the house. She got many responsibilities during her stay. For
… read more instance, she to good care of our new-hatched chickens, giving them the attention and love that they needed. She also did a thorough cleaning of the chicken coop, including taking out all stray, washing the entire inside of the coop, including ceiling, walls and floor, as well as the food and water containers. When she was done, the coop was shining! Aicha also helped us to wash and paint the large veranda on the house. This was a hard and time-consuming job, and she did it with excellence and passion. First, to remove the old paint was a realy pain, because the need to scrub and sand down the old wood. Then, carefully painting board by board, making sure to get a nice and smooth finish. Aicha did an excellent job! She never complained about any of the duties, and always asked if there were something else that she could help with.
In addition to caring for the chickens, she helped with all other house duties, such as cooking (excellent vegan dinners), grocery shopping, lawn moving, house cleaning and more! Everything was done with passion and perfection! Aicha was also a very nice friend for our three kids. She were playing with them and looking after them whenever needed.
We were very happy of having Aicha around the house for the summer, and of course, I would strongly recommend her help to anyone out there looking for a reliable and responsible guest!Feedback
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Left by host for Workawayer (Karina)
Karina stayed with us for about 6 weeks during the summer of 2023. She instantly became integrated into the family and into the daily routines in the house. She was very social, flexible and creative, helping out with all we could ask for, and doing large and small task and duties around the house. She was also very spontaneous, tidying up and
… read more toys and other items from around the house, arranging them into place, which was really appreciated.
She got many responsibilities during her stay. Mainly, she learned the craft of beekeeping together with us, so that she could look after and care for the two beehives while we were on holidays. She did this with high interest and perfection, taking notes, and using proper equipment and tools for the tasks. When it was time to harvest the honey, she helped in all the steps, from peeling of the wax from the combs, through centrifuging and puring all the honey into containers and jars. Not to forget the patient stirring of the honey twice per day for 4 weeks!
Karina also took good care of our chickens during her stay, giving them food, water and basically the attention that they needed. She never complained about any of the duties, and always asked if there were something else that she could help with.
In addition to caring for the chickens, she helped with all other house duties, such as cooking, grocery shopping, lawn moving, house cleaning and more! Everything was done with passion and perfection! Karina was also a very nice friend for our three kids. She were playing with them and looking after them whenever needed.
We were very happy of having Karina around the house for the summer, and we also felt very comfortable with leaving the house, chickens and bees in her hands while we were away for some weeks. Of course we would strongly recommend her help to anyone out there looking for a reliable and responsible guest!
Left by host for Workawayer (Ffion)
Ffion stayed with us for 3 weeks during the summer of 2023. She rapidly integrated into the family and into the daily routines in the house. She was very social, flexible and creative, helping out with all we could ask for, and doing large and small task and duties around the house. Ffion helped us to wash and paint the entrance veranda to the
… read more house. She did it with excellence and passion, first, to remove the old paint by scrubbing and sanding the old wood, then, carefully painting board by board, making sure to get a nice and smooth finish. She never complained about any of the duties, and always asked if there were something else that she could help with.
Ffion also helped with all other house duties, such as cooking, grocery shopping, lawn moving, house cleaning and more! Everything was done with perfection! Ffion was also a very nice friend for our three kids. She were playing with them and looking after them whenever needed.
We were very happy of having Ffion around the house for the summer, and of course, I would strongly recommend her help to anyone out there looking for a reliable and responsible guest!
Left by host for Workawayer (Aicha)
Aicha stayed with us for about 3 weeks during the summer of 2023. She quickly integrated into the family and into the daily routines in the house. She was very social, flexible and creative, helping out with all we could ask for, and doing large and small task and duties around the house. She got many responsibilities during her stay. For
… read more instance, she to good care of our new-hatched chickens, giving them the attention and love that they needed. She also did a thorough cleaning of the chicken coop, including taking out all stray, washing the entire inside of the coop, including ceiling, walls and floor, as well as the food and water containers. When she was done, the coop was shining! Aicha also helped us to wash and paint the large veranda on the house. This was a hard and time-consuming job, and she did it with excellence and passion. First, to remove the old paint was a realy pain, because the need to scrub and sand down the old wood. Then, carefully painting board by board, making sure to get a nice and smooth finish. Aicha did an excellent job! She never complained about any of the duties, and always asked if there were something else that she could help with.
In addition to caring for the chickens, she helped with all other house duties, such as cooking (excellent vegan dinners), grocery shopping, lawn moving, house cleaning and more! Everything was done with passion and perfection! Aicha was also a very nice friend for our three kids. She were playing with them and looking after them whenever needed.
We were very happy of having Aicha around the house for the summer, and of course, I would strongly recommend her help to anyone out there looking for a reliable and responsible guest!
Left by Workawayer (Alisha) for host
I stayed with Samuel, Inga, Eskil, Ola and Lotta for about three months for the summer of 2022.
I already got a warming welcome (with a party horn 🥳) when I arrived and they all showed me the house, including the room I could stay. So, the first impression was already nice; we got along really well, and that didn’t change for the entire duration
… read more of my stay.
Looking back I can confidently say that I am happy I got to meet this open-minded, kind and lively family. I never felt uncomfortable or unwelcome during my stay. On the contrary, I felt like a part of the family and was included in everything, like plans for a camping trip, being asked what I want from the grocery store, going on hikes together or having a movie night.
Samuel was really understanding and we found a good ratio between the worktasks and free time. I got plenty of time to go on beautiful hikes, visit cafes or the city, or even go on some longer trips to Senja and Lyngen. It never felt like a job or work, it rather felt like a vacation combined with some tasks and I felt very connected to the nature around Tromsø afterwards as well. I helped paint the chicken house and really enjoyed watching the chickens grow up and taking care of them. Overall, all of the tasks were fair and Samuel was very patient with me and always thanked me for my help.
Sometimes I stayed alone with the kids and that worked out fine too. I was a bit nervous at first (as I don’t have any siblings myself), but we got along good and did some fun activities together. Communication was no problem, as Ola and Eskil speak good English (and also taught me some swedish and norwegian :D)
I really felt I could trust Samuel and the whole family and I am so grateful that they have shown me their trust as well.
I am thankful that I got the chance to make all these memories and experiences this summer and I sure plan on coming back to Kvaløya.
In conclusion, I can definitely recommend staying with Samuel, Inga and their kids. As probably most workawayers, I had some worries and general nervousness holding me back before making my first experience with a host family, but I wouldn’t have needed to be worried at all (in this case) and I am happy I didn’t let my worries win in the end.
So, just a cheesy little reminder for all the possible future workawayers reading this:
“Believe in your heart that you're meant to live a life full of passion, purpose, magic and miracles.” - Roy Bennett.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Alisha)
Alisha stayed with us for about 10 weeks during the summer of 2022. She immediately became well integrated in the family, and into the daily routines in the house. She was flexible and creative, solving all the large and small task and duties around the house. Her main responsibility was to look after our new-hatched chickens, and she cared for
… read more them with love and passion. She helped us to paint the outside of the chicken shed, and to build a fence around the outside area of the chicken shed. These tasks she solved in an excellent and efficient way, just according to plan. She never complained about any of the duties, and always asked if there were something else that she could help with.
In addition to caring for the chickens, she helped with all other house duties, such as cooking (excellent german dinners and cakes!), grocery shopping, lawn moving, house and window cleaning and more! Everything was done with passion and perfection! Alisha was also a very nice friend for our three kids. She were playing with them, reading to them, and looking after them whenever needed.
We were very happy of having Alisha around the house for the summer, and of course, I would strongly recommend her help to anyone out there looking for a reliable and responsible guest!
Left by Workawayer (Mira) for host
This was my first Workaway experience, and it was just perfect. Samuel and his family are absolutely kind and open-minded people. They shared a lot of knowledge about the chickens with me and additionally to the normal duties around the chicken shed, we did some ground work for a roof in front of it. This was sometimes a bit challenging for me but
… read more Samuel was very patient and showed me how to do the concrete work.
Since I don’t have siblings, I was a little excited about how it will be with three children around, but all kids are just great, lovable and funny personalities. The boys speak English on a very high level, so communication was never a problem. And even though there was a little language barrier between the youngest and me (as I can’t speak Norwegian) we got along very well.
The landscape of Kvaløya is beautiful, there are countless stunning hiking possibilities and I was allowed to use one of their bikes too. And the bus connections to Tromsø aren’t as worse as you might think (comparable to those in some villages in Germany…).
I always felt welcomed at Samuel and Inga's place, learned a lot about Norwegian way of living/ culture and was able to broaden my horizons in so many ways. One weekend we even went camping all together, this was a lot of fun and another unforgettable experience for me. I’m very grateful for the three weeks in August/September I spent with Samuel’s family, they will definitely stay as a very positive memory in my mind!
Thanks a lot for everything!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Mira)
Mira stayed with us for about three weeks during the summer of 2022. She quickly became integrated in the family, and into the daily routines in the house. She was flexible and creative, and helped out in any small or large task that she was given. Mira looked after the chickens while we were out of the house, taking responsibility for cleaning,
… read more and filling food/water for them. She also helped with ground work for a roof over the outside part of the chicken shed. This included digging holes and moulding concrete blocks for the ground support for the roof. This was a precision task to get all the support-irons in level and in line. Mira tackled this with perfection, even though the task was completely new to her.
Mira also helped with all other house duties, such as cooking (excellent german dinners and cakes!), lawn moving, playing/looking after the kids. She was playing with them, reading to them, and looking after them whenever needed. She also taught the oldest kids to take the bus independently when coming home from school.
We were very happy of having Mira around the house for the weeks she stayed, and of course, I would strongly recommend her help to anyone out there looking for a reliable and responsible guest!
Left by host for Workawayer (Franka)
Franka stayed with us in our house for about two months (Aug-Sept 2021). She instantly became an integrated part of our family, sharing the daily tasks of household duties, playing with the kids, cooking and carpentry.
She helped out with painting two wood verandas (on the front and on the back side of the house), including sanding/cleaning away
… read more the old paint, cleaning the dust, taping and covering, and finally painting it with roller and brush. The result was very satisfactory. In addition, she helped with planning and building a shelf out of wood in our storage room. The task was to use as much left-over wood as possible from earlier projects, so she had to look through all available material, make drawings and plan in detail to have enough wood for all parts. Once the wood was found, the job required careful measurements and cutting with circle saw to the right lengths, pre-drilling, and screwing all the parts together. We were very satisfied with the result and the shelf was even tested thoroughly by all family members climbing up and sitting on the top shelf. It is of course still standing. Franka also helped dismounting all out outdoor lamps, cleaning them, changing light bulbs, filling some holes with sealant, to avoid flies coming inside them, and mounting everything back again. With 10 lamps around the house, this required systematic, patient and careful work. Franka quickly learned to use tools and techniques required for the carpentry, and performed all the work with careful patience and precision, and with excellent end results!
Apart from carpentry-related duties, Franka also helped out with all daily house routines, including planning the weekly dinners, helping out with grocery shopping, cooking delicious vegetarian dishes for the whole family and cleaning the kitchen after dinner. In addition, she was amazingly helpful with the kids, tirelessly playing, singing and reading for them. The kids really loved Franka, and they are still talking frequently about her. We went for several hikes in the weekends, and Franka was always helping out with everything. One weekend she also helped collecting sheep from the mountains at our family farm. This included two days of walking in steep mountains in rough, off-the-path terrain, working together with others to find and collect the sheep. She managed this very well, and quickly understood the principles and behaviour of the animals.
Franka is a hard-working and never-complaining young lady, who is not afraid of getting her hands dirty. She is super-social and life-experienced, willingly sharing stories from her country, her studies and her earlier travelling adventures around the dinner table. It was a pity that she had to leave, and I would happily have her back one day, and of course, I would strongly recommend her help to anyone out there looking for a reliable and responsible guest!
Left by host for Workawayer (Larissa Maria)
Larissa stayed in our house with my family for about three weeks. She was a perfect guest who immediately became an integrated part of our family. She helped out with painting our wood veranda, including sanding away the old paint, cleaning the dust, taping and covering, and finally painting it with roller and brush. The result was very
… read more satisfactory. In addition, she helped with planning and building a shelf out of wood in our storage room. The task was to use as much left-over wood as possible from earlier projects, so she had to look through all available material, make drawings and plan in detail to have enough wood for all parts. Once the wood was found, the job required careful measurements and cutting with circle saw to the right lengths, pre-drilling, and screwing all the parts together. We were very satisfied with the result and the shelf was even tested thoroughly by all family members climbing up and sitting on the top shelf. It is of course still standing.
Apart from carpentry-related duties, Larissa helped out with all daily house routines, including planning the weekly dinners, helping out with grocery shopping, cooking delicious vegan dishes for the whole family and cleaning the kitchen after dinner. In addition, she was amazingly helpful with the kids, playing, singing, reading for them, the kids just loved Larissa, especially our two-year old daughter is still talking about her frequently. We also had interesting conversations around the dinner table, telling stories from her country, her studies and her earlier travelling adventures.
Larissa is a hard-working and never-complaining young lady, who is not afraid of getting her hands dirty. It was a pity that she had to leave, and I would happily have her back one day, and of course, I would strongly recommend her help to anyone out there looking for a reliable and responsible guest!
Left by Workawayer (Larissa Maria) for host
I had a lovely time with Samuel, his wife Inga, and their three children on Kvalkøya, near Tromsø. I was picked up from the airport and taken care of from the very start. I was staying there for three weeks in the beginning of August together with another Workawayer whom I have not met before. I got along very well with the other woman, and we
… read more worked on building a shelf for a small storage room and on painting the veranda, as well as some smaller tasks in the kitchen and around the house. The working environment was very amicable, and Samuel always reassured us that this was not a bootcamp but rather a nice vacation combined with some work.
The family is incredibly friendly and understanding as they not only accepted my strictly vegan diet but also accommodated to my wishes and bought vegan food for me regularly. Inga even made multiple delicious vegan cakes for me on the weekends, so that I could enjoy a weekly cake just like the others did and feel integrated and welcome.
Apart from that they took us on great daytime trips such as a hike on a small mountain or a day at the local beach. We were also free to use the family’s bikes and had a day off to go to the city centre by bus. On one weekend, we even got to attend a small garden festival in Tromsø with many incredible local artists, such as Samuel’s band. In the evening there was always time for me to take a calming walk on the coast or in the forest.
The three children, who are ranging from two to nine years old are incredibly smart and open-minded. I really enjoyed playing with them as they were always able to lighten the mood and make a normal dinner more fun with their magic shows and funny jokes. They were all very talented in different categories, with the oldest son being incredibly well-read and even able to speak fluent English at this young age. The six-year-old son in the middle was extremely creative and expressive and seems like he might be growing up to be a fantastic artist one day. The youngest daughter talks very well for her age and has a lovely way of casting a spell over everyone and might become a great leader, when she is grown.
Samuel and Inga are very kind and laid-back people, who are also gentle and fair to their own children. They are great listeners and always accommodated to our needs and wishes. They always built a safe environment for us to talk about whatever we were dealing with and told us interesting stories about their youth. We also loved to crack jokes together and had a lot of fun. I was incredibly lucky to have found a Workaway host like this. There was never an uncomfortable moment during my stay and the whole family, as well as the other Workawayer staying there made it feel like home. I am beyond grateful for the lovely time in Tromsø and hope to see the family again someday.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Florian & Aurélie)
Aurélie and Florian lived in our house, together with me and my family for almost three weeks this summer. It was such a great experience to have them in our house, helping out with small and large duties. Their main work was to paint the main house, garage, and a terass, which they did with passion, pleasure and precision. This included scraping,
… read more washing ground painting and cover painting wood and stone surfaces. In addition they helped painting an indoor storage room, as well as cleaning up, sorting and reordering a large pile of wood material. The worked efficiently and solved all problems that arose in a great manner! In addition they were excellent chefs, and made delicious main courses and deserts from the French cuisine. They also had a great hand with out kids, playing with them and babysitting for a few occasions, which was a really great help! They came with their own car, so they were very flexible and self-maintained. I would really recommend Aurélie and Florian to anyone who want to have a neat, friendly and hard-working couple on visit.
Left by Workawayer (Magdalena) for host
My time with Samuel and his family was amazing, one of the best weeks of my life, filled with new experiences. Samuel has a wonderful family, his wife Inga is a very warm and friendly person and his sons, Ola and Eskil are polite, clever and very contactable, daughter - Lotta is charming :) The time spent with the kids was great and I had a lot of
… read more fun.
I felt very well at their house, I helped mainly with painting the house and the garage - work was not hard
Scenery and surroundings of the house is beautiful and you can have contact with wonderful nature.
Samuel is a calm, sympathic and very contact person and has a nice sense of humor. He made me feel at home, very comfortable and always made sure everything was ok. They also showed me beautiful places around Tromso, took me on trips to wonderful places like lunches on beautiful beaches. He even lent us his own car, tent and equipment so I could take a weekend trip with Natasha (another helper) to the beautiful island of Senja. It was an unforgettable and wonderful time.
Samuel is also an amazing cook and he prepared some typical Norwegian dishes for me, which I enjoyed trying. To be honest, I felt more like I was visiting good friends. We had nice conversations and he talked interestingly about Norway and their customs and way of life.
I was very lucky to land with Samuel and his family - the time spent with them was a wonderful and unforgettable experience for me.
I would recommend staying with Samuel and his family!You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Left by host for Workawayer (Magdalena)
Magda was a fantastic guest to have in our house. She stayed with our family for around three weeks, helping out with outdoor painting of the wood house and garage, including scraping, washing, ground painting and cover painting three layers. She was a hard worker, quick learner and did all the work with passion and perfection! It was fun to have
… read more her around the house, and she was keen on playing with our kids, helping out in the kitchen, or with whatever small and large duties there was to do. It was a pity that she had to leave, and I would gladly have her back one day, and of course, I warmly recommend her help to anyone out there who is in the need for a reliable and responsible guest!
Left by host for Workawayer (Natalia)
Natalia stayed in our house with my family for about one month. She was an absolutely perfect guest who immediately became an integrated part of our family. She helped out with painting our house and garage, including scraping, washing, ground painting and cover painting three layers, a real tough job, which included climbing ladders to reach to
… read more the top. She did all the work with pedantic perfection, not finishing until the result was perfect! She worked hard, solved problems as they came, and was passionate for the work that was to be done. Never complained, just did everything what was expected, and more! It was so nice to have her around the house, she constantly played with our kids, helped out in the kitchen, cooking, cleaning, did all the house duties etc. It was a pity that she had to leave, and I would happily have her back one day, and of course, I would strongly recommend her help to anyone out there looking for a reliable and responsible guest!Seaside cottage, light maintenance, gardening and building projects in Bodø, Norway
Join me at home in the garden.near Oslo, Norway
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