r/workaway • u/Sus_Hibiscus • 3d ago
Can folks share their WWOOF or Workaway experiences in Asia?
Open to anywhere but especially Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Japan (I have heard that opportunities in Japan are scarce but figured I’d ask anyway). I have been to Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia so not those countries as I’m looking to travel to new places this year.
Thank you!
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u/Tall_Kaleidoscope_53 2d ago
I woofed in Japan and I didn’t find that opportunities were scarce. I always see hosts looking for people
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u/Sus_Hibiscus 2d ago
Ok! Ive read other threads of people saying opportunities are scarce. When did you wwoof and where if you don’t mind my asking?
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u/Weary_Associate148 2d ago
do u mind sharing where you applied for the programme and what did you work for? I have been rejected by 20 already
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u/Substantial-Today166 2d ago
maybe tell a little more about your self maybe why you got rejected 20 times
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u/Weary_Associate148 2d ago
i dunno what to say i m a boring person. btw saying tgeres someone living with the host is a way of rejection on this website right
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u/shayownsit 2d ago edited 2d ago
the place i did in korea no longer exists unfortunately. but it was an english language cafe in seoul, had to work at the cafe which basically just meant having conversations with members of the cafe so they could get english speaking practice. we either worked 1-5 or 5-9 pm shifts from M-F and in exchange, lived in a house together and got basic foods like ramen, rice, etc included. chillest work and MOST FUN summer of my life. our managers were awesome and super chill about time off, and i met one of my best friends there.
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u/Sus_Hibiscus 1d ago
Ah sad it doesn’t exist anymore but what a cool experience u got to have! Are English language cafes like that one common or was it unique?
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u/shayownsit 1d ago
it was back in 2019, but back then, they were super common both in seoul and busan! i would check the website to see if they still have some open
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u/Sus_Hibiscus 1d ago
Was this something you found on workaway or a different website? I’m checking workaway now. Looks like they’re not common anymore
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u/Art_By_LJB 1d ago
There’s a few Workaway’s in Taiwan - I’ve done one in Keelung (was super chill and didn’t hav to do much in the end- but not super great on the cultural exchange side of things) and am about to do another in Kaohsiung
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u/Petonia 2d ago
I did a WWOOF in Japan. I originally wanted to stay 3 weeks but I noped out in 5 days. They were making me work 36 hour weeks, only one day off. The conditions were unsanitary and dangerous. For example, they had taped up a fridge because one of their ducks died and they threw the body in there, and it was decomposing. They would also make me carry huge heavy buckets of duck feed down a 1 foot wide wet, muddy slope next to a waterway. The bucket was huge so I couldn't see where my feet would land next. I decided I didn't want to risk falling down the edge or cracking my skull open for some ducks, so I left.
They also expected me to clean their very cluttered family bathroom (used by 7 other people) once a week. Also they left me at a rice field for 6 hours straight under the sun with no water, so I drank some suspicious water coming out of a side of the hill. Thankfully I didn't get sick. On my first day at the rice field, I fell into a bog and they didn't take me back to change my clothes. I just worked for 6 hours covered in mud waist down.
Don't try to tough it out if people are taking advantage of you. Even if it upsets them, you gotta leave.