Workaway reviews, feedback and ratings - page 23

Paul and Annie were an absolute pleasure to host and I highly recommend them. From day one, they showed real integrity and trustworthiness, always thinking ahead and talking through the next steps. If something went wrong (like ducks getting out of the night cage becausea hole), they came straight to me and had a plan on how to fit it. They were humble, easygoing, and we shared plenty of laughs. Tasks were always seen through to the end. I am so grateful for their hard work. They were quick to learn new things, and fitted well into farm life. That gratitude showed in their attitude every single day — positive, respectful, and fully present. They were incredibly kind and patient, especially on days when I was tired from lack of sleep, and always gentle with the dogs and other animals. They were extremely generous with their time above the set hours, took responsibility seriously (including feeding dogs and animals morning and afternoon), and were completely reliable. Paul and Annie communicated well, worked equally well together or independently, and brought a lot of life experience and wisdom. They were open-minded, eager to learn, and spoke about their “day of firsts” — bringing sheep and cows into the yards, drenching, and tackling unfamiliar farm jobs. They asked thoughtful questions about the farm, Rotorua, and New Zealand, and clearly cared about the place, even taking on a full garden and greenhouse makeover. They adapted easily when plans changed and showed good judgment throughout. Above all, I am grateful and appreciated all their help. Their positive spirit made them an absolute joy to have around. I would happily welcome them back anytime. Best Workawayer I ever had. They are life savers

We had a great time at this Workaway! We lived with and looked after 7 dogs overall at the house we stayed at - 4 10 month old puppies, 2 adult dogs and 1 dog in a wheelchair. Sandrine was welcoming and had good communication, she always made sure we had the staple food in and checked in on us regularly. She took us to the Supermarket when she was going to Zihua and took us to see the dogs at the dog sanctuary there. The place was organised and the jobs were clear, with a white board of medication information about the dogs - if we were ever unsure Sandrine was prompt to reply to let us know. Most of our jobs consisted of basic cleaning of the house and cleaning up after the dogs and giving them medication. We would have loved more opportunity to do other things with dogs in the community however we were only there for 2 weeks. The house itself was basic but had everything we needed for cooking in the outdoor kitchen. We enjoyed living basic with using the local well to fill up the water tanks. It gets very dusty at the house in dry season because the garden is basically dry dirt, however there are sheets to cover the beds and there are boxes of old clothes that people have left for volunteers to use whilst there (don't expect to be clean for very long). Troncones itself is really beautiful, the people are friendly and it has the most amazing sunsets. Every evening at 5pm the local turtle sanctuary released turtles into the sea (you need the right time of year to see this), and there are good waves to body board. To get to Troncones is a little tricky from Zihua - you have to catch 2 combi buses (Sandrine is very helpful at telling you where to go) but we actually hitch hiked to a lot local places. We fell in love with all the dogs in such a short amount of time, and were inspired by the genuine love for dogs there, especially from Sandrine. Thank you! Carla and Lauren x

Meli stayed with us around a month, as a volunteering experience she is 10/10, she is super reliable, independant thinking (and in the best way possible), she is observant and pro active, she has helped us with many different tasks for the garden, the maintenance, cleaning and so on. As much as physical draining tasks, as artistics or quiet she was always focused and efficient. There is probably nothing she cannot get done. Appart from the very practicle part of her contribution Meli is a wonderful person, we feel blessed and grateful to have meet her, she brings joy and positive attitude in everything she does and wherever she goes! It was a privileged to host her and get to become part of each others lives for a little while. We sure hope our paths will meet again and we would recomend anyone and everyone to welcome her a volunteer as you'll be lucky to host Meli. We already miss her and our dogs as well.

Excellent experience! If you love horses, there are many great opportunities to ride them and take care of them. The work is light and flexible. I focused on house duties and spent a great time with Flora and Maju, my favorite part was sharing time with them, they are the cutest, I love them! and Victor is always ready for adventure, which makes this a complete cultural exchange.

It was a really cool experience to life at Jennifers Place with all the Animals (I miss osky) and the Wildlife there. We also were invited to the Christmas Party that was so lovely😊 Thanks for everything!

Marian is an experienced gardener and had her own catering business. She was very capable and took initiative to do tasks on her own. She is also very pleasant and fun to be around. We would welcome her back.

Nice and friendly couple, was a pleasure have them here during olives harvesting period. They could match perfect with the rest of the group, they also like play, sing, boardgame and prepare delicious food...so a perfect mix of nice things ☺️

A wonderful 2 weeks of volunteering at Andriy & Ola's farm ! Andriy & Ola are both kind hearted human that treats me well during my time over there. I got served food with unlimited amount of tea at all time. I also fortunate enough to spend Christmas with them, in which Ola prepared special dinner with homemade dessert which is super tasty ! During the free time, they would bring me with them to the beach or the nearby town for a walk too. Showing me some places around the coast of Montenegro. The farm work was not particularly difficult or heavy despite me being the only volunteer at the farm during my stay, it has given me a good insight into farm life and the routine of it. I worked on the chicken shed, help moving materials around, tidy up the farm, clearing old vegetation, feed the chicken and repair the fence. It was an amazing experience for me to understand more about living remotely in a farm. Thank you again Andriy & Ola ! For allowing me to help around the farm and trusting me with the work allocated to me. I am grateful for the experience and wishes you both the best with everything !!

I had a lovely time staying with Nicki and Richard and Nicki's delightful mother Christine while she was visiting from the UK. I learned loads from Nicki and Richard both about NZ reforestation efforts, invasive species, trapping, gardening, sourdough bread baking and rural life in NZ. They've taken on a lot of responsibility with this conservation project, so there's always plenty of work to do. Nicki and Richard were extremely generous with me during my stay, and gracefully handled a difficult heath situation where I was potentially exposed to measles and needed to isolate for a few days. The working hours here are more than fair, and there is ample free time to explore the gorgeous area. Neaby Nape Nape beach is really gorgeous and practically deserted most times of year.

Anything we could possibly say about Aidan here would fall short. You truly need to meet him to understand. Aidan is more than a host. Aidan is a friend. A family member you haven’t met yet. So if you ever have this opportunity, embrace it, because you will certainly be privileged to experience it. He welcomed us in the best possible way, going out of his way to pick us up in a city far from the farm, with a smile on his face, a tight hug, and a hot cup of coffee on a cold, rainy day in Ireland. He has a huge heart, always concerned about how you’re feeling and whether you need anything. Just like Carmela — who, unfortunately, we could only see on weekends — but the moments we shared with her were always special. She is an incredibly sweet and kind person, and she always made sure we felt cared for, often showing up with food and warmth in the simplest, most genuine way. Aidan makes you feel like you belong to the place where he lives. He always includes you in his daily life, his routine, and therefore, his culture. The tasks you do never feel like work — they feel like something you’re doing with a friend, in a place where you’re living. He will teach you what you don’t know, and from that moment on, it’s up to you to do what needs to be done — because if it were up to him, he’d do everything himself hahaha. He’s tireless, you’ll see. But I hope you’re always one step ahead of him so he doesn’t do everything alone (except for driving the tractor, of course! The best tractor driver in Ireland, probably). With him, we experienced unique moments in places that looked like they came straight out of a movie. Whether on his beautiful farm, in a pub in some small village, in a field with horse riders hunting foxes, or on another piece of his land with sheep. Truly cinematic places. See you, my friend. We already miss you both. A big hug from us, Cami & Big Black

I spend 4 weeks with Scott, the horses and Susie and it was a really great and relaxing time! From the very beginning I felt very welcome and at home. Besides the daily tasks, there was plenty of free time to explore the surrounding area, visit Galway or simply enjoy doing things you love. I spent most of the time with Susie, she's absolutely lovely and one of the cutest dogs I know, you're going to love her! Scott is a very kind, easygoing and likeable person. We had some great conversations and lots of fun! Whenever you have questions or concerns you can always go to him and he's happy to help. I can truly recommend this Workaway experience to anyone who enjoys nature, spending time with animals, and a peaceful setting. I would definitely do it again and will always look back on this time with great memories! Thank you so much for the amazing time and this unforgettable experience!

Première expérience avec Workaway, et le résumé est qu’elle a été exceptionnelle. Olivier et Colette ont été des hôtes parfaits. Avant notre arrivée, la communication a été impeccable. À notre arrivée, ils sont venus nous chercher au port et nous ont aidés pour la récupération de la voiture de location. Sur leur propriété, il y a deux bungalows offrant une parfaite intimité. La première semaine, nous avons partagé notre séjour avec Maurizio, un jeune Italien. Le travail a été très simple et toujours bien encadré par Olivier, qui veillait constamment à notre sécurité, car nous utilisions des outils de menuiserie. Nous avons réalisé la fermeture de l’atelier de bricolage d’Olivier et construit une table de travail. Olivier était toujours très attentif à ne pas dépasser les trois heures de travail. Les horaires nous permettaient de nous adapter à la météo ou aux activités que nous avions prévues. Nous avons également aidé Olivier à installer des équipements audio dans sa maison ainsi qu’un téléviseur. Olivier a un grand sens de l’humour, très sarcastique, et c’est un excellent interlocuteur. Les petits-déjeuners étaient fantastiques, nous y passions toujours un très bon moment à discuter. Colette est très attachante et attentive à notre confort. Ils nous ont inclus dans tous leurs plans avec leurs amis : dîners, pique-nique sur la plage… Ils se sont très bien adaptés à notre français basique — pour ne pas dire quasi inexistant — et nous ont beaucoup aidés, surtout Colette. Une expérience inoubliable durant laquelle, en plus d’améliorer notre français, nous avons appris beaucoup de choses : culture, travaux de menuiserie, et une manière de vivre et de profiter des choses simples. Cela m’a aussi permis de recordar que la vie sans stress existe… et qu’elle est merveilleuse. Un grand merci à Colette et Olivier pour ces deux semaines. Et n’oubliez pas que vous nous devez une visite en Espagne ! Nous vous attendons avec la tortilla de patatas et le salmorejo que vous avez tant aimés.

Me and my girlfriend Meg had the most amazing time staying at the Casa! The family are all wonderful and so are the animals. We had our own room and bathroom which was lovely and cool to relax in away from the heat of outside when needed. The animals at the house are all delightful and it was fun helping feed and clean them etc. The work was varied and involved sorting and feeding the animals alongside other odd jobs such as helping create a water filtration system or weeding the garden. We always felt part of the family and it was so lovely to share meal times with them, the food was INCREDIBLE, so healthy and plenty to go around. We had plenty of time off in the afternoons to relax around the pool or go out to the nearby market. We will always have the Casa in our hearts and hope to come back again one day! Love Sam and Meg

Me and my girlfriend stayed at the finca with Elke for 10 days and we had the loveliest time, we wish we could have stayed longer. Elke was so welcoming and made sure we had everything we needed and more. Javier who works at the farm helped us with our jobs on a daily basis and we enjoyed looking after the horses and other animals. The work was varied and always done in the morning so we could rest when it was warmer in the afternoon. The finca is so beautiful with lovely grounds which we enjoyed exploring and looking for nature. On our days off we went into Tarija to explore and have some lovely meals and do a wonderful wine tour which I recommend to anyone that stays here. We had our own little house to stay in which was fully equipped and Elke kindly provided some essentials for us. An all round beautiful stay which felt like staying with family. We hope to come back again one day! Love Sam and Meg

Tom and Marie left this morning and we are already missing them! We had a great time together, both of them were always ready to give us a hand with absolutely anything. They are very responsible, reliable, handy and took great care of our farm while we were away. If you are looking for fun, hardworking, lovely people- there you have them <3

Very peaceful & powerful place to connect to self! It was very opening to have a connection with Mila and rueben and meeting all the people that I did on this trip! The work was simple and understandable with guidance if needed! Mila and rubeben will help you through anything with talking ! Very nice & enjoyable stay!

Unfortunately the worsening of my condition didn't give me much oportunity to be and talk with Brian wich was a pity because on the few oportunities we had I could understand his deep desire for information and knowledge. What was lacked in quantity nevertheless was great in quality. From José with whom he interacted more I know that he was willing to lusten, learn and perform to his apreciation, which not always the case. He is a gentle man with a great smile anda a very positive energy that we can always thank and wish him all possibilities to be allowed to express.

I think that if I had to describe my entire experience at Parque Rutero, it would take pages and pages of writing. The place is simply magnificent, as are the owner Miguel, his dog Chaufa, and all the people I had the opportunity to meet at the hostel. During my stay, I was able to immerse myself in the local culture of the fantastic village of Pisac and, why not, share a little of my knowledge for example by cooking for the hostel guests and participating in group activities. The work shifts are not difficult at all, and Miguel is always willing to accommodate your needs. I left a piece of my heart in this place, and I hope to return in the future ❤️