Sun Lotus

You will experience the beautiful Westcoast Canadian lifestyle, meet plenty of new people, visit the amazing local Cowichan river and mountains, use our bikes, learn some cooking/garden processing or discover new tastes, do some island camping (weather/time permitting) Visit Victoria, Duncan & Lake Cowichan; learn some resourceful building techniques, meet an amazing array of adorable pets, and learn some sustainable veggie gardening. Enjoy bonfires, music and the starry night sky of BC and You will help create a beautiful self-sufficient sanctuary space for a small community to inhabit long into the future.

My name is Anita, I am a single mother to a teen. I own a beautiful 2 acre property in the warm Cowichan Valley of Vancouver Isle. Currently, On our property resides at least 2 other individuals, numerous dogs and cats (sometimes chickens or ducks--things change...) We have been living and developing this property for over 20 years and have hosted many work-exchanges long before there were websites for such things! Our mission here is to live in a sustainable community atmosphere building a site that nourishes both body & soul and it set up for community living long into the future. We aim to grow as much food as possible, and continue to create a beautiful environment that brings us peace, comfort & security. We have access to one of the most lovely (warm-ish) rivers in Canada just a few kms down the road, its fun for tubing, swimming or just escaping the heat on its banks. To relax at home, we have a lovely sanctuary garden with a small pond, swing, bathtub and abundant flowering plants and shrubs. Personally, I have a food based business, making specialty food products and selling them, along with hot meals from my food truck at markets & festivals on the weekends. Some might even say, eating my meals will be one of the perks of staying with us. I will also be happy to share some of my recipes & easy cooking techniques. In the summer, we also like to go on picnic trips during the week & we would be happy to bring you along to see a few awesome nearby sites. You will also have access to local hiking trails with spectacular views, bikes, or public busses to tour locally, or you can hitch a ride with me down to the gorgeous city of Victoria on Saturdays while I sell at market. In the evenings, you can enjoy a drink or a toke by our campfire, great conversations and the magic of the West-coast BC evenings!


Reviews

5.0
(21 reviews)21

Staff & Host

5.0

Hours & Tasks

4.5

Hostel

5.0

Learning & Fun

5.0

Germany

5

From the moment I arrived, I felt truly welcome. The people living there are kind, and Anita herself is an easy going, open, and patient person. Most of the tasks involved watering plants, weeding, or picking cherries. Besides the work, Anita showed me some beautiful spots around Duncan, and we often went swimming at the river.
Anita was very supportive when I struggled to find the right English words. She’s also an amazing cook. Every day there was something fresh and delicious to eat. As my very first Worldpackers experience, I couldn't have asked for a better place.

17 days ago


ANITA replied

Good Luck with your new career and making grape leaves! It was great meeting and you know you are welcome back anytime!

Canada

5

Anita is super friendly. Super good with communication. Her food is super healthy and I love her passion for healing cuisine and gardening. She made me feel at home. I enjoyed all the insightful conversation. She is super flexible with work hours as long as it has been discussed and communicated ~ 5hrs/day. I mostly did gardening work, weeding, planting, watering and sometimes helping Anita in the kitchen. Met some amazing people in her community. She has the most beautiful garden and love the ambience. I miss Anita, Willow and all the humming birds :) But I plan to stay in touch:)

about 2 months ago


ANITA replied

Heya Thanks Amrutha! You rock, and are welcome back anytime you wish...best of luck on your new adventures in Victoria

United Kingdom

5

Sunlotus was my first worldpackers experience and it was great! Anita has a lovely property, the cabin I stayed in was very cosy and the food she made was AMAZING. There was a nice range of simple tasks and it was enjoyable to work outdoors. I only wish that I could stay longer to see all the garden change and flourish. There are lots of cute cats and dogs on the farm too. I learnt more gardening skills and I enjoyed exploring the island. One thing that others applying may want to know is that there is a bus strike in Cowichan since Feb and it’s hard to get around with no car.
Thanks Anita!

3 months ago


ANITA replied

Thanks Ellie, it was a pleasure having you stay with us...see you again sometime!! best of luck with school.

Ireland

5

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at sun lotus farm. Anita, the host, was more than welcoming and made incredible food every day. I socialised with the other people staying on the farm easily due to Anita going the extra mile to help facilitate day trips to local areas that were breathtaking. I enjoyed the work and no job was too difficult. I would highly recommend Sun Lotus to any Worldpacker looking for an authentic Vancouver Island experience.

3 months ago


ANITA replied

Thanks Tiarnan, no job will be too difficult from now on...you did all the hard stuff!! thanks again your help is well appreciated and I look forward to meeting you again someday!

Germany

5

Anita was a very welcoming and open minded host. It felt like I could talk to her about everything without being judged. The property is lovely and all the other people living there are contributing to an easy going and nice atmosphere. The food Anita makes is great aswell. The only downside during my stay was that I didn't have wifi in the RV I slept. As far as I understood that is only a temporary problem tho:)

11 months ago


ANITA replied

We are trying to get wifi to the RV, but at least there is wifi outside... Thanks for all your help Kevin!


Perfect for you if you're looking for

Contact with nature

Vegetarian / Vegan

Rural

Contact with animals

Spiritual

Family