Workaway reviews, feedback and ratings

we went to jennie's as our second Workaway experience in Nz and we were a bit scared, because the first one didn't go so well, but with her everything went smoothly. She is very organised and tells you straight what she needs. the farm is amazing and we were very lucky to be there when the pigs were pregnant and delivered their piglets. We loved to feed all the adorable animals every morning. Our tasks were usually feeding animals, weeding, cleaning buckets and horse poo and so on. There is a lot of food and she always asked us if we needed something in particular. So overall we really enjoyed to stay there and experience the farm life. thank you Jennie for everything ☺️ by Chiara and Stefi

This has been an amazing Workaway experience. Mila is a fantastic host; communicative, and on task, and she cares about the experience of the volunteers. The facilities are great and has been a comfortable stay. The volunteer work is rewarding and I had fun contributing to Keelung's NGO scene. I stayed for only 2 weeks and wish I could have stayed longer. Thanks for having me, and hopefully I will be back in the future.

Our very first Workawayers from Sweden, Hanna and Tilde are lovely girls, interesting and good company. Help with hedge trimming and cleaning windows were the main tasks asked of them, but they also planted daffodils, trimmed topiary and cooked. Among other things, we enjoyed toffees, rhubarb cordial, cookies and pesto. They work hard and are very thorough. Should any hosts receive a request from Hanna and Tilde, we definitely recommend you accept them and welcome these two great girls into your home.

I stayed at Michelle's horse ranch for about five weeks over Christmas and New Year's and I had a great time! Michelle and Packie are both very welcoming, open and lively. We shared dinners, played pool together, went out with them and their friends and celebrated Christmas and New Year's Eve together, which was so much fun! Because the ranch is not far away from town, I met many other nice people, Workaways and locals, who I enjoyed spending a lot of time with. Most of the work is in and around the barns and some maintanace work and regular household stuff - there is a mostly fixed schedule with about five (during the holiday season there were more busy days with maybe six) hours daily and a day off. And even though I only had very limited experience with horses before my stay, it wasn't hard to learn the routines and do the jobs required - and I learned so much more about horses. Despite never sitting on a horse before I learned some riding thanks to multiple workaways and even coaches from there. You will have an exciting time here even if you don't know much about the animals yet. A very convenient extra was that we could always use Michelle's car, not only to go to town but even to explore the area: going on hikes, visiting Kelowna and other nice places around Salmon Arm, making trips much more enjoyable. Altogether, just a very pleasant experience. I will miss all of the nice people, horses, dogs and the barn cat Tyrone!

I volunteered for a week at the dog shelter in Trincomalee. It’s truly incredible what Conny and the team have created there for the animals. It’s hard not to fall in love with the dogs – they are such soft souls who ask for love and attention and are simply lovely. The volunteer house gives you the chance to recharge and rest, you can schedule your work flexibly, and the team is so kind. You can feel that they help the animals with all their heart and soul. I would highly recommend it to every dog lover, and I will never forget my time there. 🐶♥️

Melissa (we called her Mel) was one of our sweetest and kindest volunteers. One of her jobs was to take care of our very large German Shepherd puppies, a job that involved light training and daily grooming. They loved her and she managed them very well. As a team player, Mel was just as great. She helped to sand and paint two of our rooms under renovation, cleaned debris and rubble from another room, and was helpful with wallpaper. She also contributed on a daily basis at meals, helping to set the table, clear up and do dishes. She in independent, motivated, has a very quiet personality and was a pleasure to host. We hope she will return at another time and are very grateful to her for joining us. (Thank you, Mel!)

I stayed one week with Grace and it was a wonderful experience. She is a very interesting person with whom you can have long, meaningful conversations. She is attentive, kind, and truly engaging. You feel really useful as you can help her with many tasks that she can’t easily do on her own. Grace cooks incredibly well, and the room is very comfortable. Her garden is beautiful, with ducks and chickens all around, which makes it very charming. There is also a lovely small lake less than a kilometer away, perfect for a walk or relaxing. The nearby town offers some fun little things to do as well. I highly recommend staying with Grace — it’s both rewarding and enjoyable!

We had a wonderful stay with Louisa and Ytai! They were very flexible with our workload and let us pursue projects that interested us, we learned a lot and gained many new skills! They were great hosts and helped us find nice things to do in the area as well. Thanks Louisa and Ytai!

I had an amazing stay with Don and Davina. I originally planned to stay for two weeks, but ended up staying a full month! They are very open-minded and easy to communicate with, and their family is also incredibly friendly — I really enjoyed spending time with them and exchanging stories. Their home is in a beautiful, peaceful spot at the base of the Hakarimata Range, with stunning views over the city. The tasks are varied, interesting, and not difficult, and I always had plenty of free time to explore the area or do activities I wanted. Don and Davina are very supportive and helpful — they even assisted me in finding a vehicle for my stay in New Zealand. I can highly recommend staying with them — it was a truly enriching and enjoyable experience!

Wonderful volunteer and works well with all. I highly recommend

I was truly surprised and touched to receive such a sincere and high-praise review. Thank you so much, Michelle. ​Although there are many hosts in Penang, Michelle was the only one who agreed to my volunteer dates, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been hosted by her. Since we are both ethnic Chinese, we communicated easily in Mandarin. I remember my first day when she took me to a local market, known as a 'Pasar' in Malaysia. Seeing Chinese characters on most stalls made me feel right at home immediately. ​Michelle is a person who values logical thinking. Before my arrival, she had already planned out my 10-day volunteering schedule. I did my best to follow the plan and help with her tasks, and her constant recognition of my work gave me a great sense of accomplishment and joy. ​During our work periods, Michelle would drive me to local restaurants to share her favorite foods. I tried so many dishes that left a deep impression on me—especially Indian and Malay cuisine. I also fell in love with local desserts (Tong Sui), Tau Fu Fa, Nasi Lemak, Hokkien Prawn Mee, and more. ​Even while juggling her university assignments during my time off, Michelle still made time to take me exploring. We visited a theme park, Bukit Mertajam, the Butterworth Art Walk, and Tow Boo Kong Temple. We even sketched a Catholic church together, which was so much fun! I was particularly impressed that Michelle sketched directly without using a ruler—it looked so cool! I hope she knows that art is subjective and spontaneous; it doesn't always have to be 'precise.' ​Michelle is so generous in sharing Malaysian culture and life. Despite calling herself an introvert (I-type), I found her very talkative and engaging. Her stories validated many things I had previously learned about Malaysia. We shared so many personal stories, and I’m so happy she was interested in my journey. ​I was touched that she noticed I did a quick clean-up of the room before I left; it shows how much she appreciates detail. Another thing that surprised me was her observation of my eating habits—she noticed I’m not a fan of sour food before I even realized it myself! It made me realize I prefer savory flavors. Michelle knows exactly what she likes—savory, spicy, sour, and soft textures—while avoiding sweet or hard foods. I think it’s time for me to start reflecting on my own preferences too. ​I feel incredibly honored and lucky that my first trip to Malaysia and Penang led me to such a wonderful host. We became friends who could talk about anything. She even told me several times that I’m always welcome back. ​I learned so much about life and work ethic from her. Michelle is truly amazing—she managed to buy her own car and house in Penang and built an independent life all on her own, all while working hard on her bachelor’s degree. For someone like me, who is approaching 31 and still feeling a bit lost about the future, her journey is deeply inspiring. Thank you again, Michelle. ​Even though I wrote something similar in your guestbook, I want to say it again here: I wish you happiness, health, and great success in both your career and studies. I believe our paths will cross again. Let’s stay in touch!

It was a beautiful experience, I still some times dream about the morning medidetions, I will never forget It. Everyone was so kind and welcoming, The monastery is truly a special place i do recomend you to visit! Thanks for every thing, and i hope to see you guys again in the future.

We had the greatest 2 weeks here at the farm. We worked a lot and also spoke so much about the world, we exchanged cultural nuisances and it was enlightening to us all. And food was the biggest connection, and we enjoyed cooking and eating and talking about it all the time. We really look forward to having you back here again.

I volunteered there for a month in September, this was my first volunteering experience and so far my best. It really is a big family, I felt so valued, loved and respected by them. The work was so easy and chill, everybody was so lovely and the place is just so nice! It really felt like home to me and I can't recommend it enough.

I had such an amazing experience! I was meant to stay 2 weeks and ended up staying a month and just not wanting to leave. This is such a calm,laid back and lovely hostel surrended by lovely people. The work is very fair and easy, you get plenty of time to rest and explore (Hanna is so helpful with buses and indications) and the amount of food you get to cook is really nice! I felt so welcomed and valued as a volunteer, would definitely recommend! Thanks to Hanna and Mario for trusting me so much, and big love to Sylvi and Sala for making me feel part of the family also.

We were immediately welcomed by Mauro and Yose's family; all the instructions and the organization of the help were always very clear and shared. We helped out in the garden, keeping the interiors clean, and assisting with kitchen tasks. There are some precautions to take in the daily use of the spaces and in helping in the kitchen, but it's easy to learn. Although our Spanish was limited, it was always very easy to communicate. The tea house, the garden, the orchard are beautiful and it's a pleasure to spend time in this little place. Every day we had supplies and the opportunity to prepare meals according to each person's needs, and we often had dinner together. We asked Yose and Mauro for advice on how to best experience the place, and by the end, we almost felt like locals. The volunteers live in a small house/outbuilding and Mauro was very clear in introducing it to us when we first texted. It's worth taking advantage of this clarity and carefully considering whether you're willing to stay for a period of time in a small space with other volunteers: the conditions of the spaces can be very delicate, often leading to queues to use the bathroom or the kitchen or having to reschedule laundry because there's only a small drying rack outside, only one window that can be opened in the house, and other small compromises to make. Take initiative to keep them clean: Mauro and Yose are always available to provide whatever is needed

Gracias Laura!! Fue un placer tenerte en casa. Siempre proactiva y dispuesta a ayudar en lo que se necesite, nos gustó mucho tu iniciativa y responsabilidad con las tareas del dia a dia. Gracias por compartir con la comunidad de casa :) quien te reciba en cualquier proyecto sin duda tendra una gran ayuda contigo! Muchas bendiciones para tu camino 🌸🌸

Kathleen and James were incredibly sweet and attentive with Lila and Luna. They asked thoughtful questions and were very proactive, even about things I had forgotten to mention, like the plants. They kept me updated with photos where it was clear the cats were comfortable and well cared for. Although we didn’t meet in person, our video calls and constant communication were very important to me and helped a lot. I truly appreciate the care they gave and would gladly recommend them to any host.

Dear Robin & Grant, Thank you so much for two amazing weeks in your beautiful home and for making me feel like part of your Aussie family from the very first moment. I truly felt welcome immediately!☺️❤️ At first, I stayed alone in a lovely room, which, coming from hostel life, was an absolute dream. There were three other lovely Workawayers staying with me, and we shared a really great time both during work and our free time together. The work tasks Robin gave us were always fair and never too hard. Most of the time we did gardening or other jobs around the house, such as cooking and baking, which I really enjoyed. We baked lots of shortbread and Vanillekipferl :) or i decortated the christamas tree which was another cool experience diffrently to back home. The work was usually around four hours per day. In the evenings, we all ate together and enjoyed delicious food with a stunning view of nature from the terrace. Robin and Grant shared many funny stories and life experiences and also told us about their travels around Australia and the world. There was always a relaxed, warm, and joyful atmosphere. During my free time and days off, Robin and Grant were always happy to drop me off so I could explore Coffs or Bellingen, or to take us to really cool events like ~> their son’s little concert in Woolgoolga, Christmas Bingo Night, the neighbourhood Christmas party, the Dorrigo Markets, and the community markets in Bellingen. I also met Jackie, their other son, as well as other family members and friends. They were really lovely, and we had such a fun time and chat together. And of course, I must not forget their wonderful pets: Ponchi, Plumy, Blacky, and Ginger. From the very first moment, they stole my heart, especially Blacky, who absolutely loves cuddles! Robin and Grant are truly special, kind-hearted people, and I’m incredibly grateful to have met you both on my work and travel journey! Wishing you all the very best! xx Katharina 🫶