Workaway reviews, feedback and ratings

I stayed at the hostel in Ha Giang for about three weeks, and I really enjoyed my time here. Not only because I got to do the famous Loop, but because you get so much more immersed in Ha Giang than you normally would if just passing through. What made volunteering here a lot of fun was of course the fantastic team that works at Bong, both Vietnamese staff (who are all lovely and cheerful people) and an ever-changing team of other volunteers with whom you can spend a lot of time hanging out. The work itself is not too difficult - you work a shift a day, either at the reception or at the bar downstairs. At the beginning, learning the booking system was definitely a tad challenging, but there are always experienced volunteers or managers around that you can ask a million questions, and you get the hang of things very quickly. I loved also how people were always happy to jump in to help if a shift got really busy, or just to keep you company (many times I ended up helping out even if it wasn't my shift). As for Ha Giang itself, it is definitely an up-and-coming town, so much quieter than larger cities like Hanoi. Nevertheless there is still plenty that you can do, from visiting local waterfalls, hiking to villages or climbing nearby mountains, or just chilling and having a massage. And, when I finally got to do the Loop, the anticipation had been thoroughly built up - and I was still blown away by the experience. Definite recommend for anyone who wants to do the Loop but has a few weeks to spare and immerse themselves in Ha Giang itself. Thank you to all the volunteers at the hostel that I got to work with, as well as Kiu, King Kong, Mike, and the other Vietnamese staff. Mot hai ba zo!

Françoise and Dada welcomed me with open arms and treated me just like family. They are incredibly kind, cheerful, and warm-hearted. Spending time with them was so peaceful, and their beautiful musical performances truly healed my soul. The surrounding nature was absolutely breathtaking. Seeing how they live in harmony with wildlife and the local community taught me so much, and it’s an experience that will definitely shape my future. The events held in the community were also fascinating, and I had a wonderful time listening to everyone's stories. I would absolutely love to come back again. Big love to you both!

Jozef was a very social workawayer at the brewery. Other than finishing his tasks, he also managed to Bring the group together by taking them to kayak on the river, organising to clean the communal spaces. We would recommend Jozef highly to go to other places as he shows a lot of respect for himself, the group, the environment and much more. Thank you Jozef for being part of the project for the time you were with us

Nives is truly an amazing and stunning woman — inside and out. She is wonderful at teaching so everyone can follow along. All the children absolutely love playing with her; she brings so much joy and energy whenever she’s around. She helped me in so many ways and made my work much easier. Even though she was only here for a short time, she gave her absolute best in everything she did, no task was too small or too hard for her. I honestly miss her already and her kind, wonderful present.

Tim was such a wonderful addition to our team during his 3 weeks with us. Within his time here, he immediately fit into the team and created a great atmosphere with our guests keeping vibes up. He has great communication and customer service skills and is always happy to help out. Tim was loved by not only the volunteers and guests, but also by the locals and always was making connections outside of work hours. We highly recommend Tim if you are looking for a volunteer to host, he was an incredible addition.

Yumi was with us for 6 weeks. She is willing and ready for the tasks, cleaning, oiling, painting, lashing bamboo, do weeding/restoration work on common land. She is very respectful of us oldies' timing and house rules, and was pleasant to have around. Communication was good with a little effort due to language. I'd recommend her to any host or prospective employer.

Jebish is a wonderful person and a genuine soul. The children loved her energy and the teacher found it very inspiring to work with her. Thank you for all your support. Will miss you greatly.

Mika is a 27-year-old man, happy, curious, enterprising, capable, and with an excellent predisposition to supporting those close to him. He helped with the maintenance of a long-abandoned country house and was able to welcome and create a virtuous circle with all the workers involved. He appreciated my cooking, speaks Italian, is very independent, and respects the rules. We miss him 😊

Sha (Sharon) is a cheerful girl who brings joy to the family and I think she integrated right away. She actively participated in one of our eco projects, helping the team paint and prepare all the spaces available to current and upcoming workers. She's punctual and always smiling.

Our experience with Elena was clear and very pleasant. She participated in an eco project, helping the team paint the rooms and spaces available to current and future workers.

We really enjoyed our stay in this beautiful farm. We mainly helped to weed the bottom of the coffee trees, but we also did some other little things around. There is a lot to do in the farm but we could organize our time as we wanted, without any pressure. Hiro and his family were very welcoming and the food was good. Our two kids (3 and 5 years old) played a lot with Hirain, their lovely little girl. Our room was basic, but ok. We had to live a few days before excpected (we didn't pay enough attention to our visa expiration date) and Hiro make us feel very confortable with this. To Hiro and Sophea : thank you for everything, we wish you all the best !

Voluntariar en este hostel fue una experiencia increíble. Conocí a las personas más lindas y pasé un mes hermoso en Medellín. La forma de trabajo es relajada y súper conveniente para poder viajar o disfrutar de la ciudad. Además el hostel esta súper bien ubicado! Más que agradecida con Cata y todo el equipo. Gracias por su calidez y buena onda siempre! Porrito te llevo siempre en mi corazón! Hasta la próxima💚

Staying at the monastery for two weeks really was a wonderful experience. It felt like a privilege to be able to blend in with the monastics in their everyday life. The tasks are well organized and diverse. Most of them are explicite and repetitive, thus allowing you to get deeply immersed into what you’re doing. The activities for the volunteers (calligraphy, taichi, discussions…) are very interesting. We also really enjoyed the free time to cultivate our minds and presence. From the many teahouses to the calligraphy hall, there is always something new to do or discover at the monastery and if you’re into learning more about humanistic Buddhism, there are books everywhere. Everyday there was enriching and full of discoveries. We would advise to stay on the monastery ground for those two weeks for a total immersion, and take some time beforehand or afterwards to visit Kaohsiung. You can modulate the experience at the temple to suit your needs and wants, you don’t need to strictly follow the monastery schedule, but we would totally recommend trying it! If there is a time in your life where waking up at 5 everyday feels possible and worth it, it’s definitely here! We enjoyed taking part in the morning chanting and the evening meditation, as well as the formal dining. A big thanks to Venerable Hui Zan and Boey for their organization and to all the other Venerables and volunteers that welcomed us with open arms!

Euge fue una muy buena voluntaria, siempre con la mejor predisposición y ganas de colaborar en lo que se necesite. Cumplió con sus tareas y turnos. Tiene muy buena actitud y habilidades para trabajar en equipo. Gracias por pasar por nuestro hostel! Te deseamos lo mejor en tu viaje Cata y Porro.

We stayed for roughly 1,5 weeks with Monti‘s parents. They were really friendly with us, took us to the market and cooked us fresh traditional meals which we loved. The work was different every day with some gardening, some maintenance and some interior design tasks. We had a lot of free time as well to explore the surrounding area and the village. We could even see monkeys from the balcony! We greatly appreciated their hospitality, even with the language barrier. Thank you very much again, stay safe and best wishes!

It was great to have Lucy share our home for a few days, helping us out with general household chores and maintenance, spending lots of time with our child, playing board games and sharing stories of her adventures! Lucy is a great communicator, hard worker, fun to be around and easy to get on with. All the best for your travels, Lucy, come again any time!

Diana answered my messages immediately and it was very easy to communicate with her. The family is very nice, multicultural, open-minded and curious in a positive way, I was rapidly "adopted" as if I was an old friend. The house is at about one hour by tramway and bus from Nantes and we went once to the house in construction. I was able to help especially by sorting items, but the exchange was more about exchanging life experiences, opinions, good conversations. I had the chance to attend singing and music performances put on by the children, to go to a beautiful beach with Diana, who also gave me a lot of suggestions to visit Nantes (where I spent a whole afternoon). I t was a really nice experience to spend a few days with all of them, I am very grateful.

I had a nice time staying with Gloria, Juan, and Vanessa. My work mostly consisted of gardening, and in the mornings I would also help clean the kitchen. We had lunch together every day, and I got to try some really tasty vegetarian meals. I also really enjoyed being able to use fresh fruit from the garden! Everyone prepared their own breakfast and dinner, and I could use whatever ingredients were available in the kitchen. If I wanted something extra, there was a supermarket nearby, so that was easy. The work itself was very relaxed, and I had a lot of freedom. I worked about four hours a day, usually starting in the morning and finishing around lunch at 2 pm. I could choose when to do my tasks and take a break whenever I wanted. I would highly recommend having a good level of Spanish. Juan speaks English, but Gloria and Vanessa don’t. With my intermediate Spanish, I still sometimes found it difficult to keep up with conversations or really feel part of them. I did miss the social aspect of this Workaway a bit, as I was left on my own quite a lot. I can’t say we got to know each other too well. Because of that, I think this place is better for people who really enjoy having plenty of time to themselves, or for those coming with someone else. In my free time, I had the chance to explore Filandia and Salento on my own, which was really nice. Juan was also kind enough to drop me off and pick me up from the bus station whenever I wanted to go somewhere. Thank you again for hosting me!

We 1000% recommend this Workaway! We stayed with Dani for three weeks: the work involved walking the shelter dogs (all adorable!), doing an hour of DIY projects each day, and taking care of the horses at the end of the day. It's demanding work, but so rewarding. The living conditions are simple but comfortable. The cabin is well-equipped and very cozy. And what a joy it is to live with dogs! The shelter is located in a large, wooded park; it's a real pleasure to walk with the dogs and observe nature. The shelter staff are also lovely. Whether with them, with Dani, or with her dad, Pancho, there's also a genuine cultural exchange, a real connection. We learned so much about Chilean culture and left feeling very inspired by Dani's unique way of life. An experience that leaves you with tears in your eyes but a full heart.

Lottie and her new boyfriend Ergent from Albania stayed with us a whole week in Königsau at my parents large guest house and are both early risers. They were our first guests of the season after my parents returned from a long trip themselves. Lottie is a very experienced Workawayer and did not need much explanation on how to do housework. She was acutually supervising Ergent, who is more experienced in Couchsurfing. They turned into a great team and made the guest house ready for further Workwayers to arrive after it was empty since last year fall. Now all windows, floors and much more look great. While I was busy with some jobs elsewhere they cracked a big amound of wallnuts other Workawayers, as well as my mother collected from a neighbors tree last fall and everytime I snack them I worship their help. I wish Lottie and Ergent all the best and am thankful for getting to know them a bit during that busy week.