VOLUNTEER for one month in a small surfing town in Oaxaca!

Netherlands

5

I had the absolute pleasure of working at this hostel for a month, and I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences I've had while traveling. From day one, the manager and owners were incredibly welcoming, kind, and supportive. The hours and work expectations were exactly what we agreed to, which made it easy to balance responsibilities with exploring the area and connecting with other travelers. The hostel itself is well-maintained, social without being overwhelming, and in a fantastic location. This was my first world packers experience and I would love to do it all over again.

4 months ago

Maria replied

Floor! Thank you so much for being such a kind, responsible and happy volunteer. We really enjoyed having you and I am very glad to see that you had a great experience as well.

United States

5

Such a great place to volunteer! The island is beautiful and lively. The owners are so kind and friendly. The community at the hostel is very welcoming can fun. The work isn't too hard. Perfect place to relax and chill. Keep in mind that you can't really swim or surf at the hostel, you'll have to go in town. However I didn't find that too much of a problem.

4 months ago

Maria replied

Alicia! It was such a pleasure to meet you and spend time with you. Thank you so much for being part of the team and being such a joy to be around. You are welcome to come back anytime!

Germany

5

Lovely place with lovely people! I really enjoyed my stay at the hostel paradise and highly recommend it to other volunteers! The owner Maria and her managers were always aware of how I feel and which tasks are realistic to do by the time of the day because during the afternoon it became way to hot for working, so we spent a lot of time with hanging around under the palapa, cooking together or napping in the beautiful little Tipi where I stayed :) Everything's super clean, well equipped and they really care about sustainability. I learned a lot and definitely would love to come back <3

over 1 year ago

Maria replied

Anika! We loved having you around! You are welcome back at Pora anytime!

Germany

5

The place is a little paradise directly living at the beach, I lived an absolutely amazing month here✨ We had a super nice vibe as a team! Even though the heat during the day was sometimes challenging, I felt the work was really fair (some shifts are shorter, some longer) and also really fun! You should know that it's a little remote, which I really liked. To the village Chacahua it's ~30-40 minutes walking, there's also a collectivo every hour. You'll have enough time and opportunities to explore the surroundings and other activities - also there's yoga every day next door.

over 1 year ago

Canada

5

Had the best time at the hostel!! Amazing group of volunteers + owners and managers are incredible and lovely people. Chacahua is a beautiful, magical place and volunteering at the hostel was an amazing way to experience the island. Work can be a little tough sometimes (I.e., it's Mexico, so it can get hot) but I always had enough time and energy to surf before or after my shift, so it's nothing crazy. 10/10 would recommend the hostel for anyone looking for a beautiful location, fun people and great vibes:)

over 1 year ago

Mexico

3

We met Maria in a video call before getting there, she seams really nice and opened minded, but as soon as we noticed that the exchange was not what we thought and we told Maria that we where staying less than we already said, she just stopped answering WhatsApp (she was not in the place) and the manager started to be rude towards us, we continued working as we had to, but I was not having a good time at the place, the manager was always complaining about my work event though he didn't told me how to do it and I had to manage it my self. I won't recommend more than 2 weeks

over 1 year ago

Maria replied

Hi Francisco, I am so sorry you had such a bad experience with us. We were pretty bumped out about your Whatsapp message saying that you guys were leaving because you couldn't stand being in a place with no activities for you guys. When I interviewed you, I was very clear that it was a slow month and that we were pretty remote. Your partner wrote, "There is nothing to do here." Most people really enjoy that.

I did not answer your ONE message because I was traveling and asked my manager to take care of it. He is an incredible human being, we have over 100 good reviews about him and 99% of the time, volunteers end up building a friendship with him.

It was particularly hard for him to manage in April because he felt like you guys were not putting an effort into your part of the job. He had to be constantly telling you guys how to do it correctly and constantly having to go back and fix it. Here is an example: Your partner had the morning shift and open the kitchen at 8am. She woke up late and opened the kitchen until 9am after guests started asking about coffee. This happened multiple times.

We are all hardworking people, and we take a huge pride in what we do. You can read all of our reviews on Booking and Google. We are nice and kind people, but we do take our jobs as hosts very seriously. It's a big bummer when we get young volunteers who expect us to take care of every single aspect of their experience. We wish you well and hope you keep enjoying your travels.

Mexico

5

Honestamente fue una experiencia diferente en muchas formas. Pude expresar que me fue difícil sentirme identificada y todos fueron 100% empáticos, amables y después de eso me sentí parte de una familia. El lugar es maravilloso y mágico. Como todo lugar siempre tiene detalles que uno puede percibir, pero en definitiva se nota que hacen lo mayor posible por escuchar y mejorar. En definitiva 1000% recomendado.

over 1 year ago

Argentina

2

Es una experiencia para si sos europeo encontrar a otros europeos y practicar inglés. Las horas de trabajo son un poco fantasma y si estas por ahí cerca te toca hacer una check-in aunque no sea tu hora de trabajo. El hostal se mantiene gracias a que no se le paga un sueldo a nadie y todo el trabajo es por voluntariado. El desayuno podría mejorar ya que avena mojada en leche sola no lo veo como algo de lo que estar orgulloso. Si es necesario cobrar una fianza para que la gente se quede debe ser por algo. El lugar es hermoso para estar solo y disfrutar del mar.

over 1 year ago

Spain

2

Esta experiència no fue para mí. Nos quedamos la mitad del tiempo pactado porque no nos acabamos de sentir agusto, dado que las personas voluntarias tienen demasiadas responsabilidades, sentiamos que estábamos trabajando y no haciendo un voluntariado, lo que obteníamos acambio no nos compensaba, el hospedaje está ok, pero el desayuno muy pobre y repetitivo. Si tienes un nivel básico de inglés como yo este lugar no es para ti, las personas que coordinan el lugar diariamente no saben apenas español por lo tanto se dificulta mucho la comunicación. Entorno hermoso y conocí a gente interesante.

over 1 year ago

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