ALICE FISHER

“Working on Biloba farm was a very rewarding experience. I felt truly immersed in Nepali culture, and the hosts were very welcoming and informative! The farm is in a beautiful location, and the work was very fulfilling. We learnt how to make Nepali food and tea as well as practicing the language!! I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and would recommend it to anyone who loves permaculture and immersing yourselves with local communities.”

LINNET & PABLO

“We had an amazing two weeks on the farm. In this short time, we developed a close relationship with Deepa, Beemal, Ramesh, and Dinesh. They are wonderful people that really want to make your stay the best as possible.

The work is a bit hard on the back because of the squat position, but after a few days, you get used to it. The days go by quickly, with enough rest time as you have to work 3 hours in the morning, then take a 2 hours lunch break, and work again for 2 more hours. They try to make you do different things to learn more about how they farm.

The work was mainly cutting grass or planting hibiscus. We also turned compost, carried grass to the compost, and one afternoon we were invited to the neighbours’ farm to plant rice.

We will come back to Nepal and to the farm. Looking forward to seeing pictures of all the hibiscus we planted flowering in a few months.”

LEONARDO

Coming to the farm was a turning point in my experience in Nepal.
There I had the opportunity of being in real contact with Nepalese countryside life.
The place is in the middle of nature, just outside of the jungle; you can often spot monkeys on the terraces trying to pick fruits, although, of course, their presence is not welcomed!
Deepa is taking care of every aspect of your stay, and she prepares delicious meals, mostly Daal Bhat, but always different and with organic vegetables harvested there. Usually, she also provides a big snack in the afternoon after work and tasty Hibiscus tea. Lack of food was never an issue.
The work was from 9 to 12 and from 14 to 16, flexible and not hard.
Actually, I discovered grass cutting can really free your mind; it’s physical work but can be enjoyable, especially with some good music in the background.
I also sorted coffee beans, picked up coffee fruit, and ground some chili plants.
Was very nice to know Beemal, Ramesh and Dinesh, they all work there, after some days I was feeling just like with good friends. Also, they’re interested in your culture, and although it wasn’t always easy to communicate, I had a really good time with them. I would have liked to know more about the farming procedures for coffee and vegetables, I was just unlucky because when I was there, Thomas traveled to Norway.
In addition, I met some other very interesting volunteers, and we had a good time together.
Summing up, I strongly recommend the farm for a workaway experience.
Hope one day to be back there and see huge trees!

INÈS MAYA

I spent 3 weeks in the lovely farm of Thomas and Deepa, and I really could have stayed months with the two of you and Ramesh, Dinesh and Tara!

The place is really quiet and peaceful, which is really appreciated after spending some days in the very crowded city of Kathmandu. Singing of birds, cool weather, AMAZING sunsets, all the farm is surrounded by the jungle… It’s really like a little paradise. You can have beautiful walks going to Nawalpur or around the farm, and if you love hiking, I clearly recommend you to take one day to go to the other farm, located in Kattike: the view is really mesmerizing!

Working at the farm is very pleasant. Depending on the season you come, you can experience a lot of different activities. I mainly helped with tree care, cut grass, helped to maintain the road, and harvested hibiscus (and also ate a lot of ambas !). I really loved working with Tara, Ramesh, and Dinesh; they were so benevolent and patient, teaching me the name of trees or how to use some gardening tools, always smiling, joking, and listening to good music (Nepali, Indi, and even French). Deepa is very caring and always makes sure you’re doing well and have enough breaks and snacks. Thomas knows so much about agriculture, he can answer every question you have about it! I learned so many things about processing coffee and hibiscus and globally about farming in Nepal. They experiment a lot on the farm, so it’s very interesting to be a part of it!

Outside work hours, we had really really great time all together. We shared all the delicious meals and snacks prepared by Deepa, which is an amazing cooker (and so many other things), helped by all of us around: dahl bat in all its form, noodles, momo, black/hibiscus/milk tea… The linguistic exchange with all of you was so enriching. I learned many Nepali words and improved my English (still have my french pronunciation, though, haha). I loved all the great conversations we had. I discovered so much about Nepali culture, the history of the country, the lives of all of you… I also had the chance to share Dashain’s celebration with Deepa, Dinesh, Tara, and Ramesh. I felt so honored and lucky to be included in it. When Thomas came back from Norway, we had a lot of fantastic discussions on so many subjects, it was so inspiring!

It was fantastic to share all this time with all of you. You are all so beautiful people, with really big hearts. I received so much love. I feel very lucky and grateful that our paths crossed in this life. I left with my heart gripped because I’m going to miss you all very much, but also with my heart full because it was for sure one of the best experiences in my life. You have given me so much, you have no idea!

For sure, it’s not a « Goodbye,» just a « See you soon,» take care of all of you, experiment a lot, enjoy together and with other future volunteers and Suryatra, with much much much of love.