Profile information
Travel information
We are currently
At home
Activities we are interested in:
We want to go skiing in Hokkaido. We are also looking for a multiple day treck to do somewhere in Japan.
We would love to learn some local cooking recipes and life-style.
Description
Hi, we are Ben and Naïla, almost 28 years old, a French couple !
We are currently getting ready for our working-holiday travel in Japan starting in January 2025. Naïla studied Japanese language and culture at university for three years before doing a 1 year exchange program in Nagoya in 2020. Ben visited her for 3 weeks during that time, but never came back to Japan since then. A few years later, we finally decided to do this working-holiday project together.
Thanks to her studies and international family, Naïla can speak French (native), English (advanced) and Japanese (intermediate ). Ben speaks French (native) and English (intermediate ). He doesn't speak Japanese yet, but wants to learn !
We want to discover new regions in Japan, such as Hokkaido, Okinawa, and other places we've never been. We would love to experience living together with Japanese people or family for a fully immersive experience. We believe it is the best way to learn about a country and its culture, language, and traditions ! We are used to living in community and believe we are able to respect common and personal space with others. We hope to be able to offer an interesting cultural exchange !
We are both experienced travelers, especially throughout Europe and Southeast Asia. Thanks to those experiences, we are autonomous and adapt quickly to our new environment.
Ben has a WOOFING experience in France where he took care of goats for 2 weeks. Naïla did a 5-week volunteer in Koh Mak Island, Thailand, at an animal clinic and shelter. She also did house-sitting for friends in France for a few weeks in an autonomous mountain house. Because Naïla loves animals and wants to become a dog and cat trainer and behaviorist in the future, she is currently a volunteer at her local animal shelter in France.
We both like outdoor activities and want to go skiing, snorkeling, surfing, trecking, and more depending on the regions we will visit !
We are looking forward to making new encounters and meeting you ! 🤗
Interests
Sustainability
Cooking & food
Art & design
Astronomy
Architecture
Carpentry
Winter sports
Sailing / Boating
DIY & crafts
Van life
Photography
Pets
Outdoor activities
Nature
Music
Mountain
Languages
Hiking
Culture
Books
Animals
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Japanese: IntermediateMore details about my language interests
Naïla loves languages, and likes to learn new ones as well as teach her own. She mainly wants to keep practicing her Japanese. Ben is in the process of learning Japanese and perfecting his English. We both want to practice speaking languages !
Skills and knowledge we'd like to share or learn
We're interested in:
Life at a Farmstay
Languages
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
Some knowledge of:
Animal Care
Babysitting and creative play
Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills
We are quick learners. Ben is very manual and crafty. He has knowledge in woodcraft, electronics, sewing, home repair, etc. He worked for 2 years as a cabinet maker. He loves learning new manual work.
Naïla is used to do various small jobs like taking care of handicapped people, being a waitress in a restaurant, cashier in a supermarket, and working in a horse club (cleaning stables, training horses, etc.). She adapts to every situation quickly. She loves any activity related to animals, she has done a 5 week voluntary in an animal clinic/shelter in Thailand, living with 19 dogs and caring for them daily ! Back in France, she is also a regular volunteer at the local animal shelter.
Both of us worked for 1.5 years in high school as education assistants, which includes helping and managing the students during their school life, monitoring the dormitories during night shifts, doing school paper work, doing activities with the students, working with a team, etc. We are also comfortable and confident with smaller children, as we regularly take care of Ben's niece from her birth to now (5 years old).
We both know how to cook and are actually interested in learning new kind of recipes !
Age
28 & 28
What else ...
We love outdoor activities. Ben likes skiing, paragliding, hiking, sea diving, and more. He also has a sailboat and likes going out on the ocean.
Naïla used to go skiing as a child, but didn't practice in a long time, she wants to try again in Hokkaido ! She likes hiking and rock climbing. She used to do horseback riding for 10 years. She also plays piano and likes reading many types of books (novel, manga, comic book).
We also play video games, and we love board games, let's play together !
Some more information
Smoker
Driver's licence
Allergies
Special dietary requirements
Feedback
Her stay was open ended, 5 weeks in total. 4 weeks were solo, just her and I (the manager). Naïla fostered with us, 9 baby dogs who were dumped into our care. She is a naturally nurturing person and… read more
I was pretty stressed at first, having no workaway experience, and learning that I would be the only volunteer past the first week. But Heather and the dogs made it easy for me to quickly adapt and never let me feel lonely. She is the most dedicated, self-sacrificing person I know,… read more
Photos
Friends
Feedback
Her stay was open ended, 5 weeks in total. 4 weeks were solo, just her and I (the manager). Naïla fostered with us, 9 baby dogs who were dumped into our care. She is a naturally nurturing person and… read more
I was pretty stressed at first, having no workaway experience, and learning that I would be the only volunteer past the first week. But Heather and the dogs made it easy for me to quickly adapt and never let me feel lonely. She is the most dedicated, self-sacrificing person I know,… read more
