Artist - Painter / Sculptor (Nature theme)

Italy

5

This was truly the best experience of my life, especially because of all the amazing people I met during my adventure. It's such a great opportunity for artists to experiment with creative projects of all kinds. I had complete freedom to make an art installation between the trees. Being in the middle of a the lodge will definitely inspire you and you can detach from your daily life. Nobody's counting the hours of work which could be good or bad but I had the best time! Goodbye Pillapalu, and all the friends I made, I'll always carry you in my heart :)

almost 3 years ago

Robin replied

Gald you enjoyed yourslf. We have to specify a amout of working hours /days off true but reality is that we leave it volunteers to set their own schedules. we don't control the time. some work less, some work more. I guess it depends how much they enjoy it. we just hope people give the amount of work they think is fair swap.

Estonia

5

Had a great experience at Pillapalu. The host and his family are super nice people. I was surprised about how many other volunteers there were, which only made the experience even more interesting. It was also good to work together with several other artists, other wise I probably would have felted lonely while working. At meal times the hole family and volunteers got together. There was plenty of food for everyone and thanks to the host and volunteers cooking skills, each meal time was served a different dich and delicious one. The house, sauna and nature are very beautiful also.

almost 3 years ago

Robin replied

Very kind, thanks. We are not always so busy and when there less volunteers around we spend more time with them :) You will see if/when you come back :)

Italy

5

AMAZING trip. Perfect place where have some chill and relax. It was literally in the middle of the woods. the house was big, comfortable and clean. you don't find every where hosts like Robin and his wife Birgit, kind and avaliable every time. I learned how to chop wood and improve my handmade skills. I walked the dogs; help whit the deliveries preparation for their Chaga production and built a subs floor in front of the garden. During the day I could go by bike at the lake, the swamp or by walk through the lodge and one day we had a lesson about Chaga; their history, function and production.

about 3 years ago

Robin replied

Glad you found it fun and useful...come again one day. You rock!

Poland

5

The lodge is a great place to volunteer at! There's always tasks to do, many different and fun ones, so that we're not bored: we planted raspberries in garden, picked blueberries in the lodge, build a shed, chopped wood, made birch whips, cooked together and many other things! You usually have community of people around and that makes the experience a special and unforgettable one :)

about 3 years ago

Robin replied

Thanks for all your help and sure, come again when you are in Estonia next :) I'm sure we will need more German help!

United Kingdom

5

Pillapalu was a great volunteer experience. You will be submerged in the Estonian the lodge so if you are looking for some peace and quiet then this is the place for you. The tasks were varied and never too demanding, you are encouraged to be self motivated. There are lakes and hikes nearby if you like to explore in your free time. Birgit, Robin and the kids are all wonderful and they have a great life story to tell. I really enjoyed cooking for the group and having family dinners, movie nights and a few visits to the lakes for cold water swim. Thanks for the opportunity guys I loved it!!!!

about 3 years ago

Robin replied

Awesome. Thanks again for all your help. Definitely more vegan food will be served here now thanks to your inspiration!

Spain

5

Really good experience. We have spent here 10 days and it was awesome. We learn lots of things, we eat and cook whatever we want, the tasks are so easy but interesting. The house is big and clean and Robin and Birgit are awesome. We wait you in La Rioja to taste the real calderete and tortilla ;-)

about 3 years ago

Robin replied

You are a (super friendly) machine! So productive. Thank you thankyou thankyou from everyone at Pillapalu

Switzerland

5

This was my first experience with worldpackers and it was great! Birgit and Robin are welcoming and friendly. The dogs are the sweetest:)). You can enjoy a sauna and great food, cooked by Robin. There were four other volunteers at the same time and we really connected and learned a lot from eachother. 🦋 I got the chance to draw a painting on a wall, so i really recommend this place, if you like to do art. 🎨 The other tasks were mostly painting, cleaning, walking the dogs, cooking, or helping with other tasks. I had a wonderful time and can just recommend to stay there!🤍

over 3 years ago

Robin replied

Cookie and Poppy will miss their aftrnoon walkies for sure. And we will be your lovely attitude and hard work too!

Belgium

5

I stayed 8 days with the family and the two dogs. It was honestly an amazing experience! Not only was it really interesting but they made sure there were always fun things to do. I got invited to a saunaparty, went hiking, was able to sledge around the area, got creatively inspired and got to learn more about Chaga. Pillapalu is a place where you can relax, think, enjoy, laugh and get lost for hours. Before the stay I wasn't able to create new things because I saw them as a burden. Right now, my mind is much richer and I'm immensely inspired. Thank you so much! (Also for the cheese)

over 3 years ago

Robin replied

Thanks Sarah, you are not the first person to leave Pillpalu feeling refreshed and inspired but...you inspired us too :)
You are welcome back anytime you need a recharge!

United Kingdom

3

The place is lovely, far out in nature so there's plenty of time spent outdoors. The work could be challenging but rewarding and overall it was great meeting new people and staying at Pillapalu. However I felt communication on tasks was lacking and not often clear. Feedback wasn't generally provided and an incident involving another volunteer kind of killed the vibe at the end of our trip. Great new experiences, nice location but some issues.

almost 3 years ago

Robin replied

Thanks for all your hard work in Pillapalu, well appreciated! It's true we were much busier than usual so we did not have the time to "feedback" or "micro manage" as much as you maybe needed. Some more experienced volunteers can handle this and work independently in a positive and self motivated way. If tasks were unclear then it's always advisable to ask for clarification :) I am glad you enjoyed yourself overall and its just a shame that the incident with another volunteer (which you did not witness) affected your attitude in a negative way.

Malta

4

Pillapalu is a really nice place to stay at, with a lovely the lodge right next to the house and cool places to explore by bike too. I did enjoy my stay there as I made very good friends with the group of volunteers staying there at the time, but I feel that it would have been a lacking experience in comparison had I not managed to get along with them! The work was as agreed for me, however you must really strive to motivate yourself and do your own thing. Sometimes it's difficult to keep motivated I would say because feedback can be lacking at times. 3.5 stars

almost 3 years ago

Robin replied

Thx Francesca. Happy you had a good time. It was very busy time for us with various events and our first big chaga order for Japan so we did not have as much time as we would usually like for giving feedback. So yes in these cases self motivtion is important. More experienced volunteers are aware this can sometimes be the case. After all, we invite volunteers to help us with hard work because we need help.. because of lack of our time - Pillapalu Forest Retreat is not a holiday camp ;)

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