Profile information
Host rating
80 %
Last replied
29 May 2025
Feedback
9
Email verified
Badges (3)
Details
Description
We are a couple from England/Serbia and the Netherlands (with a dog and cat) and work in teaching and theatre. We have finished our renovation after all these years, with the help of WorkAwayers as yourself!
We are currently looking for a couple or two friends who are willing to help out a week or two in May or June 2025, to help in the garden. It will involve some digging and other physical work, also doable for her, as long as you have a hands on attitude.
You'll basicaly get your own appartment, altough often in the weekend they are being rented, so we will ask you then to move to our spare room in the house with us. (we rent out these two apartments for holiday makers / check our website).
You must have wellies or working/hiking shoes; we will provide the gloves ;)
We are one hour from Belgrade and 45 minutes from Novi Sad. But let's have a video chat first!
Vivien and Kalki
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
The first time you visit Serbia (as a Westerner) you might expect Eastern European poverty, signs of a recent civil war and NATO bombings. This is true and it is false. People have mobile phones, there's wifi everywhere, most people drive mostly modern cars, but yes, some vehicles wouldn't be allowed on the road in Germany. Roads can be bad, roads can be really bad, but new roads are also being built. Although Serbia lies in the heart of Southern Europe - in between Italy and Greece and South of Hungary - it has been a candidate member of the EU since 2012. Being outside of the EU means you can still smoke cigarettes in cafes and restaurants though, it means that 14 year olds can sip their first glass of beer on the terrace, it means that every farmer can still sell their own goods at the market without having to have the right permits and paperwork, it means that there's a little less regulation, a little bit more of an accepted anarchy, in short: a lot of things in Serbian life make a little more sense :)
Help
Gardening tasks depend on the season. We follow the principles of permaculture. We might also do basic building works, like taking down an old roof, or building some simple (animal) housing using reclaimed materials.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
Serbian: Fluent
German: Beginner
Spanish: Beginner
Accommodation
We rent out two newly renovated apartments in our stable for holidaymakers, and we organise courses and activities for theatre professionals. When you will be here, we might have guests in the weekend, and you might have to move back and forth between your own apartment, and the spare bedroom in our house. The place is big enough, so that shouldnt be a problem in terms of privacy, but we might be housemates for a few days.
What else ...
Apart from taking a dip and a cool-off in the lake down the road, you can take walks or cycle routes in the forest, discover the caves and monasteries of the area, go on a wine-tasting tour around the local vineyards, take a bus to the local town (and cheap taxis!), and from there you can get buses and trains to Belgrade and Novi Sad which have all the usual attractions of cultural cities. The local town has Roman ruins, a river with a beach and fishing.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Please check our website balkan-retreat !
Space for parking camper vans
Plenty of parking outside.
Can possibly accept pets
No agressive/male dogs. And 1 should be enough...
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Feedback (6)
We planned to stay for 10 days and ended up staying with Kalkie and Vivienne for a whole month.
We had some different work to do, every day was something new and exciting and they were very open minded for our ideas. We enjoyed a very well balanced time at their beautiful place- had… read more
Vivien was away most of the time, so I had to deal only with guys and try to help in the farm but the conditions were not the best, so I was not able to help as much as the… read more
Photos
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:
(3.5)
Communication:
(4.0)
We planned to stay for 10 days and ended up staying with Kalkie and Vivienne for a whole month.
We had some different work to do, every day was something new and exciting and they were very open minded for our ideas. We enjoyed a very well balanced time at their beautiful place- had… read more
Vivien was away most of the time, so I had to deal only with guys and try to help in the farm but the conditions were not the best, so I was not able to help as much as the… read more
My stay here was supremely excellent. Communication was perfect beforehand,… read more
Vivien and Kalki - Hosts
Kakli and Viv, I wish you all the best, and i hope you theatre project… read more
