Working Holidays

      Work and Volunteer In Exchange for Food & Accommodation

There is a growing trend in today's climate of economic uncertainty and as people have less money to spend on holidays towards working and volunteering holidays. You can basically get to visit another country and have free accommodation and food in return for work.

From a 'hosts' point of view they hopefully get someone or a couple who enjoy experiencing new adventures, new countries and cultures and are willing to do four or five hours of work a day in return for being given accommodation, be it a tent in the garden, a spare room in the host's house or put up in self catering accommodation. Work can range from gardening, landscaping, general maintenance and DIY work, painting, fencing, wall building, looking after animals, language tuition and more.

The best site I have come across so far is WorkAway

I am happy to offer free accommodation and food to anyone interested in visiting Bulgaria in return for working 4 or 5 hours a day doing jobs such as the following:

• Plot Clearance - strimming, bush cutting, cutting down a few small trees, clearing rubbish and debris

• Fencing - repairing several lengths of fencing

• Mud Brick Walling - repairing sections of mud brick wall

• Chain sawing - chopping various beams and logs up for winter wood supply

• Small landscaping jobs - paths, walls, rockeries, raised flower beds

• Cleaning - giving newly renovated houses a good overall clean

I can offer placements from 2 or 3 days to a couple of weeks as there is plenty of work. Accommodation can either be with me in my spare room for shorter stays, or 'camping' in a partly renovated villa with shower room and hot water and basic kitchen for longer stays or I can provide a tent. Food will be BBQs, meals round at my house and the odd meal out.

Whilst you will be expected to put in a few hours of hard work each day (unless staying for longer and then 5 days a week expected) there will be plenty of time for relaxing and enjoying the sites and attractions of the area. It can be extremely hot in the summer and so it is better to get up early and start work around 8am, work until around mid-day and then you would have the afternoons free - to go to the local mineral spa pool, head into the city, walking in the mountains, going to the lake, fishing, sunbathing or just relax in the garden with a book.

I will be working along side you most of the time and am happy to give you a lift to places or accompany you on trips, if I have nothing else planned or am heading in that general direction anyway.

The idea is a win-win situation. Volunteers get free food and board in a beautiful area and get to experience rural Bulgaria and I get help in the gardens.

If interested please contact me by email, Skype or MSN.

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