🏡 Renovation in Ibaraki Hotel by the Beach! 🌱 🇯🇵

México

5

I am very grateful to the host and his family for having welcomed me with open arms. I don't think the experiences I lived will be repeated. I saw incredible places, and amazing people and I truly felt like I was in a family environment. I also thank the other volunteers for having helped me adapt. Without a doubt, I left a family in Kitaibaraki, and I hope to return. I am not the same person who arrived as the one who left.

6 meses atrás

asami respondeu

Thank you so much, Akira, for your beautiful words. It truly means a lot to us that you felt part of our family here in Kitaibaraki. Watching you grow, adapt, and connect with everyone around you was a joy for all of us. We’re so grateful for the energy and kindness you brought into our home.

You’ll always have a place here—and we hope to see you again one day!

With warmest wishes,
Chris & Asami
Elm on the Beach

Espanha

5

Here I have found a second home, a family. I am happy to have spent more than a month in this house, living with a Japanese family. The children have been super nice and it has been a pleasure to go on excursions with family and friends. I have met incredible people and places thanks to this experience. It is located in a quiet place, with an incredible beach just 2 minutes walk from the house. The general task is to renovate an old Japanese house and also to clean the small guesthouse.

6 meses atrás

asami respondeu

Thank you so much, Aratz, for your kind words and for being such a wonderful part of our family here at Elm on the Beach. It was truly a pleasure having you with us, and we’re so happy to hear that you felt at home. Your positivity, hard work, and warm spirit made a big difference to everyone here—especially the kids!

We hope your journey continues to be filled with meaningful connections and beautiful places. You’re always welcome back anytime!

Warm wishes,
Chris & Asami
Elm on the Beach

Japão

5

It was such a great experience staying in Elm on the Beach. We are literally 50m from the beach. The host Chris brought me in like his own family and took care of me very well. All the other fellow volunteers are fantastic to hang out with. I really enjoy the vibe here. Most of our daily tasks involve renovating the resort. We did a lot of painting and sanding together. Even though I didnt have any reno experience, Chris taught me a lot and at the end I was able to finish the tasks. I would recommend Elm on the Beach to any volunteer who is looking for a Japanese countryside experience.

7 meses atrás

asami respondeu

Thank you for staying with us! Your words mean a lot to us. And you’re always welcome to come back!

México

5

Chris and his family are very committed and open-minded people. They will always make you feel at home, they will take care of you as if you were part of their family. Also, Kitaibaraki is located on the country side of Japan, so if you want to disconnect from the city, this place is perfect for you. The activities vary from day to day, but basically we are renovating an old Japanese house to continue promoting foreign tourism in the area, as Chris is an ambassador for this project. We also take care of the chickens and we attend to different type of social-culturally related events.

7 meses atrás

asami respondeu

Thank you Jeannette, you are one of the best volunteers we have ever had. We are so glad that we made your experience in Japan better. You are always welcome to come back!

Canadá

5

This was just the best volunterring experience I ever had. Chris brought me in and treated me like his own family. I enjoyed every single moment I stayed on Elm on the Beach. Currently, the main job duty is building a resort to attract tourists back to Ibaraki. Ibaraki is such a hidden gem in Japan. But sadly, all the locals are moving to big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, leaving a lot of abandomed houses in the region. Chris is working as an ambasstor for Ibaraki, so there are a lot of networking and social events with the people in Ibaraki.

7 meses atrás

asami respondeu

Thank you for your kind words, you are always welcome to come back. What a pleasure to have you stay with us.

Reino Unido

3

I had a decent volunteer experience at the farm on the Beach. The location was lovely, and the hours of work and meals were as agreed upon. The host's wife, Asami, is also a wonderful cook, and her meals were delicious. The host himself, Chris, had a tendency to play favourites and could sometimes struggle to communicate effectively what work needed to be done. However, the work itself was not too hard and was mainly outdoor work, as well as cleaning the hotel. I would advise that this experience is for volunteers who can take a challenge in their stride and enjoy a varied workday.

19 dias atrás

asami respondeu

Unfortunately, our experience with Faith was not positive. She often avoided work, leaving tasks for others, and created tension within the team. Instructions were frequently ignored or only partially followed, making collaboration difficult. While we aim to provide a supportive and enjoyable environment, her lack of effort and cooperation impacted both the work and the overall volunteer experience for others.

Alemanha

4

I had a good time at the farm. Everybody is very nice and the nature is amazing. I liked the work because I like building things. We where taken out to do sth together sometimes. Also there was mostly sth. to eat for breakfast and lunch and breakfast. Chris and his friends are very dedicated to help travelers on their journeys. There are just a few points that cost the fift star: We had to deal with a lotof animals: 4 dogs, 3 cats, 1 lizard and chicken. The dogs where a bit demanding and since we where on our own fr a while they slept in the dormitory. Due to that and no AC I didnt sleep a lot.

21 dias atrás

asami respondeu

Thank you for your feedback and for joining us at ELM. We’re glad you enjoyed the nature, activities, and hospitality. We only have two dogs, cared for by another volunteer, and guest assistance was handled by others. We encourage teamwork and positive motivation to keep ELM a welcoming space for all.
Next time try to please work better with the other volunteers as she was not as motivated as they were.
This is a volunteer volunteering project and we need people who are committed .

Chile

4

Is nice

4 meses atrás

asami respondeu

Thanks, Ivan! We’re glad you had a nice experience with us. Wishing you safe travels and you’re welcome back anytime!

Chris & Asami
Elm on the Beach

França

4

It was a nice experience, the whole family is really nice and welcoming. The place for volunteers is really convenient.

5 meses atrás

asami respondeu

Thank you for your comment. It was a shame you came and only stayed for 2 nights and left for your country because you was very ill!!

I hope you are better. I thought we took pretty good care of you.

Even tho you only stayed and did not Volenteer

Brasil

1

Unfortunately, it wasn't a good experience and i had to leave the volunteer early. The host, Chris, was not clear with his information, he changed the rules throughout the volunteer period and his behavior changed very quickly, which made me very uncomfortable staying there. The Worldpackers support team helped me a lot after i left the place early.

7 meses atrás

asami respondeu

What you and Thais did was not responsible at all. You left without even saying goodbye to them. The other volunteers were enjoying their time here (could be verified by their reviews). After you two left, they went out of their ways to cover your job duties. This is not fair for them and we didn't ask them to do it. After you broke into the house and threatened to leave, Chris even offered you to stay in the hotel for free, knowing that you might not have a place to stay for the night.

Aplique agora