Workaway reviews, feedback and ratings - page 3

All I can say after staying at this monastery is that I feel immense gratitude. Living at a monastery is an experience that most lay people will never have. I was so lucky to find a Workaway where the hosts were so hospitable, I could learn so much, and do good work. I could not have asked for more from the hosts. They provided a dorm to sleep in and food (and then some). In addition to this, they gave us a guided tour of their museum and led classes like calligraphy. I want to give a public thank you to the monastery for providing us with these experiences. One of the aspects about staying here that I enjoyed the most was learning about this monastery’s ideals and practices. Before coming here, I did not know what the Western Pure Land was, who Amitabha Buddha was, or this monastery’s approach to Humanistic Buddhism. They have a library next to where volunteers stay where you can check out books and talk to the librarian about Buddhism. They also allowed me to attend their morning chantings, eat in their formal dining hall, and do their Chinese New Year Eve pilgrimage. I feel that what I have learned here has brought me greater clarity in my life. Even the work they assign helps one to develop a deeper understanding of Chan ideals. The key is to put your full attention on the task at hand, regardless of how frivolous it may seem, and to do your very best to complete it. I also feel very grateful I was here during Chinese New Year because it allowed me to interact more with the public (Chinese New Year here is another experience unto itself!). This allowed me to practice my Chinese while also helping the monastery’s many visitors. My last piece of advice is to be proactive. I think it might be easy for some to come to the monastery, do the minimum, and leave without gaining much. But if you're proactive, try your best at your work, and seek out opportunities to learn, I think you will learn something. Even if what you learn is not what you expect! Thank you to the countless people who made my stay possible!

Un immense merci à Lautaro pour son accueil à Puerto Minilla, un lieu tout simplement magique où il a choisi de s’installer. On s’est toujours sentis bien, utiles et motivés. La vue magnifique sur le volcan Volcán Puntiagudo chaque matin était un privilège incroyable. Et ce lac au pied de la maison… absolument magique. Pouvoir y faire du kayak et profiter des termes naturelles resteront de magnifiques souvenirs. L’endroit est assez isolé, et c’est justement ce qui en fait une vraie aventure. On a beaucoup d’admiration pour son ambition et tous ses projets. Les abeilles, les plantes, tout ce qu’il construit ici est inspirant. Merci aussi pour sa patience, ses apprentissages et pour nos belles discussions. Et un souvenir spécial pour les moments passés à ramasser les fruits pour préparer de délicieuses confitures. Une expérience authentique, enrichissante et inoubliable. - "Suuuuuuper compost" yeaaah Merci infiniment Lautaro

Well ! i'm writing this feedback but i'm still in Markus place and i thinking about to stay a couple of months more 😅 How to describe this place called "paradise"...it's all in the name..a place who were made to share..music...food...culture..everything and we try to evolve it everyday by little ideas and efforts we put into it. It's beetween Moutain and sea the view is awesome in any place you go.... I'm here since end of September...the time past so fast here but the view has changed a lot. Katia and Markus are very kind and welcoming , they always try their best to make you confortable. We are doing some activities together oftentimes...like for exemple we took a bath in a natural source in the Montain of the Pyrénées and that was incredible...i never done this before...we also used to go in a SPA next to the place for relaxing if we did hardworking. If you love peoples and need some human contact that place is made for you...

Ho trascorso due settimane con Alessandra e davvero non so come ringraziarla. Ale si é presa cura di me, perché la sua é una realtà completamente diversa a quella a cui sono abituato, ragazzo di città. Lei é una persona che é in armonia col mondo, e la sua influenza é solo che positiva e costruttiva. Mi ha invitato con gentilezza a fare le piú disparate attività, dal preparare fermentati, a seguirla nell'estrazione di estratti da piante aromatiche, a lavorare la terra. Abbiamo interagito moltissimo con altre persone che come lei hanno deciso di intraprendere uno stile di vita attento e rispettoso nei confronti della natura. Mi sono sentito parte integrante di questo gruppo, con il quale abbiamo collaborato sia nei campi che a tavola. In entrambe le situazioni ho avuto molto da imparare. Con Alessandra abbiamo trascorso molto tempo a parlare, a confrontarci e a raccontarci. Dopo queste due settimane mi sento come se avessi preso una deviazione dal mio percorso quotidiano, una deviazione che mi fa vedere una realtà alternativa a quella che sono abituato. Devo solo che ringraziare Alessandra. Non potevo desiderare di meglio. Ti auguro il meglio Ale.

Tadeo stayed with us for 2 weeks in February 2026. We were still very active on the cottage restoration project and he had an opportunity to try his hand at many different tasks. While he was with us, we relocated 2 rain water tanks creating a gravity fed system to supply the cottage, thus reducing the power requirements of pumping. This involved leveling an area for the new tank, temporary plumbing to salvage the water in the existing tank, trenching and pipe laying and general fitting off poly pipes. At the same time we installed a dam water system for fire fighting and garden irrigation. In the cottage we fitted the balustrades on the veranda using hardwood planks previously milled onsite, restored and hung internal doors, as well as fitted door locks, involving use of many power and hand tools. We also spent a few days landscaping and ground leveling including construction of a sandstone bolder retaining wall. He took it all in his stride, was keen to be involved, and learned the how to get the jobs done safely. We cleaned up the site, emptied the carport which involved relocation of a lot of heavy excess timber and making racks to store the timbers required to finish. When I take the time to describe all that was achieved during his stay, it actually was a significant amount of work in a short time. With all that going on we still made time to go to the Gold Coast for some sight seeing and a swim, visit Springbrook for some rain forest walks to a water fall, and walk to the "Best Lookout" on the border ranges. Another outing let him explore a small zoo featuring Australian animals and get up close to some grey kangaroos. Two pairs of previous workawayers returned and spent some time with us during his stay, providing an opportunity to to visit Stradbroke island with the English girls, and challenge the American couple at board games. Good fun around the diner table was had by all. Lesley took Tadeo to Sunday lunch at her mothers, which introduced him to Lesley's German sister in-law who happens to live in the same street in Koln Germany as Tadeo's Uncle. (Small world) . Tadeo is a solid young man who is easy to get along with, hard working and welcome back at our place any time he is in the area. (PS, he has already booked a return visit once he completes his next two engagements.

We spent 3 incredible weeks. Met some many good people, guests and locals, even stayed in touch with them after the program. Went to a lot of interesting parties, hang out until late, had a lot of fun time with everyone. Aakash - who was taking care of our staying is amazing guy, always helping and always there if you need anything. The job itself was demanding , but fulfilling, and we learned a lot. Rooms are cozy, and the food is great. Hope we will see each other again

Milena and Paula are lovely people. They are enthusiastic, caring and trust worthy. They listened and followed instructions well which is very important on an animal sanctuary and they looked after all the animals really well whilst I was away for a few days. They have volunteered in different places around the world and although young show maturity and a want to immerse themselves in the experience. I Definitely recommend them and wish them well on their life journeys.

Holton joined us as a last minute volunteer, he made it so easy to host him, got on with the job, was attentive and helpful in and outside the house, A lovely young man.

Lisa and James Workaway was an incredible experience. Wow, I worked mainly in the garden with simple tasks. They are both practitioners of different modalities such as yoga and qi gong and they were so generous to invite me in to their practice each morning and also along to different social activities they attended throughout the week. The bed in the bus was so comfortable and allowed me alone time to wind down. The land they live on was abundant with beautiful flora and fauna and pool that I was able to swim in every day was just glorious. The food James cooked each night was so tasty and nutritious. I loved chatting with them and learning from them. 10/10 recommend.

Peter and Suzanne came through our town in their camper van and we were lucky enough to meet them. They told us all about Ireland and their travels. They shared stories from their trips to Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Vietnam. The students had a great time with them , they made the classes really fun and enjoyable! 😊

Blaque became an amazing sister and dear person to me. She is a very present, grounded, and soulful in what she is doing with a big expanding heart. She fluently became part of the family and her presence was essential for this phase of the project and a beautiful friend that am very grateful arrived to have the chance to meet. All the love.

First volunteering experience for me and i'm absolutely not disappointed about my choice. Costa is the best host to start this type of adventure because he show us a lot of events and placed to see in greece and around Thessaloniki and invite us many times to share some moments together. Even if we do some mistakes, he never complain about it, he explain how to repair it and that's it. He gave to me a good place to learn and to express myself. I really recommand you to meet this beautiful person. 😉

I had a great time with Fransisco! He had an absolutely beautiful place, and always had an interesting project to work on with a gorgeous view. It's impressive the amount of work he has done on tha land. I mostly helped him construct an upper level on his house. It was very fun. Fransisco is an easygoing guy. He likes to hang out and talk. I got lots of Spanish practice here. He has some friendly cats and a dog, and they like to hang out too, especially Bluma and Isis. The accomodation was very comfortable and private, he has a seperate little house with a kitchenette. He is also a good cook, and cooks a nice lunch every day. I would absolutely reccomend Fransisco.

Thank you for this incredible time. The host family was one of my best experiences ever. They were incredibly open, kind, empathetic, and dedicated. They took the time to go on a long weekend trip together to explore the area. We tried our hand at classic Italian dishes together and were always open to my ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed my time and would wish everyone could have such an experience. 🫶🌸

At first, I didn’t plan to stay in Sydney for that long. I wanted to stay just a week and then continue my journey to another city. I’m so glad Naomi said that one month was the minimum. Somehow, deep down, I felt I wanted to change my plans — that this would be a beautiful and important time for me. And I was right.🫶 From the very first hours, I felt like a member of the family. My needs were always considered and respected. Whenever I had a problem or was simply feeling a bit down, I could count on their support. After all… Hakuna Matata, right? ♥️♥️ Naomi and Anton are true masters in the kitchen. Our shared meals — especially the Mexican dinner — are something I will carry with me forever. The kindness, warmth, openness, and genuine curiosity about other people in this home are truly special. Anton was always happy to give advice and help me plan trips around the area. One of our conversations about personal growth will stay in my mind for a long time. The same goes for my conversation with Naomi about business — incredibly inspiring.🥹 They are a deeply motivating family, with two wonderful boys who are like fire and water — both beautiful souls, open to welcoming “new family members” into their world.🙏 Do I regret buying a ticket to another country too early? Did I cry on the plane? Yes. I think that says everything about how good I felt in this home. I had a large, comfortable room to myself. The responsibilities were simple and pressure-free — it truly felt like mutual cooperation, not just work. I can’t wait to come back to you. You are like a second family to me. Thank you — you may not even realize how much value you have brought into my life.

Thank you Laxmi and Krishna for having me! I enjoyed my time with you and your beautiful bit of land. I stayed one week which I think is a good amount of time to visit, and I was very happy to meet another volunteer to spend time with. I loved to play cards, pass the pigs, relax in the day, chop turmeric and listen to Laxmi's stories. February/ March is the perfect time to visit!

Just arrived, I felt in my place by naturally building a connection with the volunteers and adorable animals present in the house. I had different missions entrusted to me by Amir, a long-term volunteer and responsible for supporting us in the progress of the place’s projects. In this way, I was able to organize the workshop, insulate the attic from the wind and learn how to weld, for which I am enormously grateful to him. He left me autonomy and trust on each task to do; he constantly took the time to ensure that everything is secure and understandable. Life in community was great, we found our way quickly to share and ensure taking care of essentials, being to keep clean and tidy, maintain the fire in the stove to heat the house. We cooked together and shared our recipes, ideas with enthusiasm in the heart of the house which was for us the kitchen. The smell of the bread that Elham regularly prepared filled the place with its fragrance, and there was always an opportunity to learn and experiment ! Gregory, at the origin of the project, is a writer and English teacher. He is delighted to discuss his book's ideas and help to improve our english language. Thank you for these hikes, laughter, discussions, music and cultural exchange. I leave with friends and a memorable memory of a warm winter surrounded by the magnificent Armenian mountains far from busy cities.

Dear Chele and Woz, Thank you so much for such a relaxing and beautiful experience during our two-week stay. You made us feel incredibly welcome and comfortable from the very beginning, always ensuring we had everything we needed. We truly enjoyed working for you, especially the fact that we often worked alongside you, which we appreciated deeply. A special thank you to Chele for speaking so highly of May’s cooking to your friends. You created wonderful opportunities for her, the highlight of which was being hired to cater for your friend's party. It clearly demonstrated how much you care about nurturing talent and supporting those around you. We are grateful for your hospitality and kindness, and hope to visit you again in the future! All the best ❤️

I am very thankful to have stayed with Desiree and her family during my last days in Sri Lanka. This was the perfect ending to my almost two-year trip. I actually hadn't planned on doing another Workaway, but I am so happy she found and messaged me. Even though it was only seven days, I learned a lot while staying with them—especially about autism, as well as the secrets of Sri Lankan cuisine. Desiree told me a lot about autism and I learned so much by spending time with her and Timmy. I loved learning more about the culture and sharing our daily coffee and conversations during mealtimes.  If you are interested in learning more about autism, this is a beautiful environment to do so. Desiree always made sure that I felt comfortable and at home from day one.  And of course, I really enjoyed having those wonderful dogs around me!  Thanks again for finding me ❤️

Our time with Charlotta was wonderful. She is simply adorable and we really enjoyed hosting her. It was like she was a real member of our family right away. She immediately got along with Francesco (how can we forget the new olimpic sport "hit the wheel"?). Charlotta is very mature for her age and also, extremely tidy and respectful. I would truly recommend her as she is such a great person and the kind of girl that everyone would love to host. Thank you Charlotta for the time we spent together, for the good conversations, for the cinnamons rolls and the "german dinner". We hope to have you again at our home!