Workaway reviews, feedback and ratings - page 7

This was my first WorkAway abroad and Romane and Phillippe were wonderful hosts. On this WorkAway I did some painting of wooden gates, some cleaning inside the castle, and some gardening. Romane is a wonderful cook and prepared the most amazing meals everyday at lunch and dinner. The conversations were lively and they made me feel at ease in their home. I wished my French was better, but we were able to communicate. It was exciting staying in such a historic and unique structure (the castle), and it gave me a new appreciation for French history. I would definitely recommend them as WorkAway hosts. The castle and grounds were lovely. This was an experience I will cherish for years. If (or when) I see them again, I plan for my French to be much improved.

Andrew and Dorte spent 5 weeks with us, during spring time between April and a little bit of May. They helped us with different tasks and we were very satisfied with everything they accomplished. Especially we appreciated their attitude, organization and independence. We spoke about the needs we had and showed them the jobs we planned to do during their staying and they quickly understood the target, so that everyday working went on very smoothly. It was nice and usefull have a periodical check together so that we could manage how to go on and if something was missing or needed an adjustment. We strongly appreciated their proactive attitude, so that they brought many suggestions of improuvment in different areas we needed to be arranged or reorganaized. Sharing occasionally meals together was also enriching as we could know eachothers better and share stories, point of views and experiences that opened our mind. Maddalena also got helped with her English studies, thanks to Dorte help while preparing school presentations and also while chatting altogether durign spare time. Dorte spoiled us with her exquisite cuisine, both savory and sweet: we miss her delicious cakes and we regret we didn’t have time to taste enough of her special homemade meals. After they left we missed Dorte positive energy and smiling talking, we missed Andrew calm and attentive talking. We will be very glad hosting them again in the future! Thank you very much for staying with us.

Rod was hard working, time conscious and easy to get along with. He completed each task assigned to him in a prompt and mindful way. Rod's travel experience and life choices make him an excellent conversationalist, he was open to exploring new ideas, friendly and interacted well with the community members.

I had a great time at Sebastián and Ceci place. It’s a great place to disconnect from society a little. Sebastian is a man of 1000 projects so there is a lot to do. Might not be for you if you need the comfort and luxury of the west, it might be a shock for you at first. But you will get used to it. Overall great experience, I would recommend if you want to put in the work and experience there vision/project. Thank you for everything!

Anna and Wael along with their two children Mia and Atlantis stayed with us for about two weeks. They helped us very much with the gardens. They did weeding, some transplanting, and some general tidy up. They carried out a lot of work and also helped us very much transform our "zone 1" around the house. We have a good word to say about each one of them. Anna is very knowledgeable and showed great interest to understand what is going on here and learn through observation and questions straight to the point. Apart from helping us she did what to our eyes seems the most challenging mission which was being the mother of the two year old Atlantis and also the cohesive force for the whole family. Wael is the quiet force. Calm, peaceful, kind, strong, and always willing to help in difficult and demanding tasks. He was also taking care of the children in a very affectionate way. Mia is extremely intelligent and was undertaking tasks that we could never imagined that are possible to be done so efficiently in her age. Mia was also playing with our daughter Demetra and even though they didn't speak the same language they seemed to have a lot of fun. Atlantis seemed to enjoy her stay here and with the help of her mother was almost all the time happy, relaxed, and smiling. She was remarkably independent for her age, with very good mobility and a big pallet of emotional faces. We couldn't get enough of watching her because she is so cute. During the co-habitation of the seven of us, even though we were having meals separately, there was some "fermentation". By this we mean that there were incidents that demanded from all of us good communication skills, empathy, compassion, time, rethinking skills, and generosity. At the end of the day we are happy that our relationship was real and not sterile or fake, and we managed successfully as adults to understand and respect each other's needs. We support very much their quest of living the way they do, and we salute them for giving a great example of simple meaningful life. We express our gratitude for the help and the contact, and we give them our best wishes for the future.

The host initially confirmed my stay and I began preparing for the trip, including paying for document translation for my visa process. Later, they changed their decision at the last minute and chose another volunteer for a longer stay. While I understand plans can change, the cancellation came after clear confirmation and after I had already invested time and money in preparation. This experience showed a lack of reliability in honoring commitments once they are agreed upon. I recommend future volunteers make sure all details are fully confirmed before making any financial arrangements.

We are grateful to write this feedback for Trixie. Our communication went smooth from the first message on, and we immediately felt trust on her the moment we connected. A wonderful and kind spirit who aligns with our values and she holds this precious, steady and positive energy. We (and I, Francisca) very much liked to talk and be with her. We were able to offer this place to sleep in, and aligned kitchen plus bathroom use with her friend Joschi, and another volunteer who came to help with this project. The volunteers cooked together most of the time with the food we would provide. It all worked out well this way. Trixie is able to cooperate very skilled along side the team with what we worked on. And she made bread for the crew, which was nice to learn from her. She is able to pick up all the tasks that we clarified in the WhatsApp group and each morning when we would meet to start the day. And she questions things with clarity and wisdom. We managed to make a shadow area on the land, paint outdoor walls, renew a veggie garden, collect beans, cut pragana seed heads and thistles, spent time on a caravan, improve the garden chairs and table and they cleaned at departure. Thank you so much Trixie, your help uplifted our spirits more then we can describe. You are so lovely! May you be well.

We are grateful to write this feedback for Esteban. The communication went very well from the first message on, and we immediately felt trust on him the moment we connected. A kind and gentle spirit who aligns with our values regarding ecological awareness, mindset and meditation. We were able to offer the yoga studio to sleep in, since we decided together that it could be better to invite another couple of friends in to help with this project. And it all worked out well this way. The volunteers cooked together most of the time with the food we would provide. Esteban is able to align along side the team with what we suggest to work on, and also made wonderful Canella rolls for the whole crew”) He was able to pick up the tasks that we clarified in the WhatsApp group and each morning when we would meet to start the day. We made a shadow area on the land, painted outdoor walls, renewed a vegetable garden, cut pragana seed heads and plants, saved fava seeds, improved a caravan, garden chairs and table. He kept the facilities clean, and used his free time well. Thank you so much Esteban, your help uplifted our spirits more then we can describe. You are such a gift. We wish you all the best!

I've spent three weeks with Deb and Mark and I couldn't be more grateful! The communication, flexibility and kindness were extraordinary. They helped me a lot and i truly recommend them and their lovely home full of cute animals. Im sure good people will find their way there and create beautiful moments and other things on the farm! Thank you :)

Rob was an excellent addition to our household and project work. He is a self -starter equally comfortable and productive in environments of conversational hubbub and quiet calm....or in the kitchen, the garden, the woods, or the open sea.... He helped us gather branches for, figure out how to construct, and concurrently build a wriggle fence (a Newfoundland fence that appears natural and relatively flimsy as it's just made of old tree branches ... ). He also single handedly crushed all accumulated glass to make sand, gently explored to expose a wonderful old painted wood ceiling under old acoustic tiles, helped with various moving of large items and small plants, and made bread and croissants (from scratch!) along the way! Extremely easy going and flexible. Excellent conversationalist and witty wordsmith in company; avid reader and French language learner in moments alone. Lovely to have around in general and always completes tasks he takes on. Might even end up staying in Canada and so we look forward to seeing him again...ideally often!

Ambre and Ben were the most wonderful helpers. Boy ! were they fit and keen to put in a great 4 hours work a day. We achieved so much whilst here for which I am truly grateful. They were very competent, skillful, creative, pleasant, good company and a very happy couple. Highly recommended special couple.

Thank you so much Fredi for staying with us these 3 days! It was a pleasure to meet you and to get to know you, as far as it is possible during 3 days. And thank you for gardening, planting and woodworking! Amazing! And to other workawayhost: It is a great pleasure to host Fredi, always in good mood and willing to help with whatever you ask for! And she make the best Flachswickel in the world and the nicest friendship bracelets you have ever seen!

Miguel is hands-down the most hospitable host I've ever had the pleasure of staying with. I spent three weeks at his home, and it's an experience I'll carry with me forever. The place itself is a bright, beautiful, peaceful haven full of vibrant artwork, fascinating books, and surrounded by nature. It's the kind of environment that immediately puts you at ease...laid-back and stress-free. It felt less like a workaway and more like a creative retreat. I enjoyed asking questions about each piece of art because nothing you see at Miguel's place is there by accident. And he's always excited to share the history and meaning behind every detail. He also took the time to share the history of his family, culture, the people, and the spirit of the village of Minas de Oro, which truly added a whole other layer to the experience that I didn't expect. Miguel and Alexis have an incredible ability to bring an empty canvas to life, and the progress they can make in just a short period of time is truly remarkable. I can only imagine what the place looks like now! I partially painted a madala mural and experimented with stained glass art. I didn't know I could draw before that project, but my little hummingbird came out cute! The animals were the highlight of every single day. Una and Ala are always full of energy and ready to play when they see you coming. There are also so many beautiful birds that stop by to visit throughtout the day. And there's so much to learn about the chickens' routines and their life cycle. We always saved leftover food and fruits for them, and in return we got to eat the freshest, most delicious eggs ever! Alexis and Delsi were always warm, welcoming, and a pleasure to be around. Delsi cooked a few meals we shared, and if you love plantains, this place is heaven because Miguel will never run out! If you're looking for a peaceful, creative, and genuinely enriching workaway experience, Miguel's home is it. I left feeling inspired, rested, and grateful. Miguel, thank you agaun for allowing me the opportunity to stay in your beautiful home. I truly appreciate you and your hospitality. And I admire your mind, your beautiful creations, and your ability to manifest greatness. Peace and love.

Francisco es una joya de persona y un manitas para cualquier tipo de mantenimiento. Capaz de improvisar con lo que hay y con mucha experiencia de vida. La convivencia muy fácil, divertida y un puntazo probar su bacalao a la portuguesa. Agradecido a su compañía y ayuda, siempre abiertos a repetir.

Mirjam is a friendly, kind, and helpful young woman. Although her stay with us was relatively short, she left a very positive impression thanks to her polite manner, respect for house rules, and considerate attitude. Communication was easy and pleasant throughout her stay, and we experienced no issues at all. Based on our experience, we would be happy to recommend her to other hosts and wish her all the best in her future travels and experiences.

Ider is an amazing host. He really is. I'm a vegetarian and he made sure that I was managing food well. He is flexible with the work too and is very very engaging with stories, games and just casual conversation too. I really had a great time here!

We had our Chia Chia stay with us for nearly three weeks, and the time absolutely flew by. She quickly became part of daily life here, and we were genuinely sad to see her leave. Her English is much better than she gives herself credit for in her profile. Communication was never an issue, and she was always thoughtful, funny, and easy to talk to. She is a great listener, shares openly about her experiences, and adapted so naturally to our family and routines. She was also an incredible help in the garden. We had some truly horrible weeds and invasive grasses to tackle, and she worked tirelessly on these tasks with such determination. While many Workawayers understandably prefer switching between different jobs, she was very happy to stick with a difficult task and see it through properly, which we appreciated enormously. She is highly motivated, hardworking, and dependable. On top of that, she is a fantastic cook and fitted in easily with whatever was happening day to day. She bonded beautifully with our daughter, and it was lovely seeing that relationship grow during her stay. Her departure day was unfortunately very stressful due to blocked roads and travel disruptions, so it did not feel like the goodbye any of us would have wanted. Still, she made it safely to Wellington, and we are very excited for her next adventures in South America, even if we are slightly jealous! We are certain that any future host family will be lucky to have her. She brings kindness, humour, resilience, and genuine care into a home. We will miss her very much and truly hope our paths cross again one day, whether here in New Zealand or perhaps even in Taiwan.

Aurel stayed with us for almost two weeks, and we really enjoyed having him here. He is hardworking, reliable, humble, and a pleasure to be around. We had many meaningful conversations, and he was always willing to help wherever needed. He helped repair our chicken fence, worked in the garden, supported us around the house, and was a great help with everyday tasks. He also cooked some excellent Hungarian meals, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Aurel is a great addition to any Workaway host, and we would happily welcome him back anytime. Thanks for everything, Aurel, and we hope to see you again

We invited Aileen and James to return to La Rogaia. Need we say more? They worked well with us and our other staff. Both were friendly, interested in our house and the work that needed to be done, capable, and more than willing to complete the tasks. Some jobs were even finished before we expected. So, all thumbs up, and we'd love to have them back again!

Suraj stayed with us and quickly became an important part of our team and daily life. He is a fun person to be around—always friendly, respectful, and easy to get along with. He brought positive energy wherever he went and made everyone feel comfortable. As a vegetarian, he was very independent and could cook his own meals, which made things easy for everyone. Professionally, he is a talented software engineer and helped me update and improve my website, which was greatly appreciated. What stood out most was his willingness to be involved with people and help wherever needed. He naturally brought people together and contributed far beyond his assigned tasks. He felt like the missing piece of a puzzle in our team, and after he left, it simply wasn't the same. His presence had a lasting impact on all of us. I would highly recommend Suraj to any host. He is responsible, skilled, kind, and genuinely enjoyable to have around. We would be happy to welcome him back anytime.