We’re honored to be part of so many inspiring stories! From volunteers and program participants to visitors and collaborators, every experience shared helps us grow. Take a look at what others have said about their time with Farm Narava—heartfelt moments, meaningful connections, and a shared passion for community are at the core of it all.
Have your own story to share? We’d love to hear it!
My family and I spent 10 days with Jack and his wonderful family at Farm Narava this August. Jack was an amazing host, going above and beyond what was expected. His meals, both local delicacies and international favorites, were delicious and the cultural experiences he curated we're educational and fun. And the work exchange part was valuable too. My wife and I learned how to dig and level a plateau as well as other skills. All in all a very rewarding and memorable experience.
Dan Jahns, United States
I have spent the last few weeks in Slovenia with Jack and his wonderful family. This experience has been enriching, meaningful, and all made special from the efforts of jack. He really goes above and beyond what would be expected, and his food is delicious and well prepared every time. I got to know his children well, and they are very social and intelligent. Jack showed me around the local areas a lot, taking me to the local bars and nature sites. He has a lot of great information and knowledge to share about the area and its culture. The room I stayed in was a great size, with a comfortable bed and a nice view of the river. The workload was very doable and rewarding. As a young solo female traveler I never had any worries about safety here and was accepted like family. I really can’t say enough about this special place with these special people.
Reagan Guthrie, United States
I had a lot of fun on Jack's farm. I learned new things, saw beautiful places and ate delicious food. I can only recommend every traveler to stop by Jack and take a look at the farm life and the beautiful surroundings. Thanks for the cool time👍🏼
Joost Whohler, Germany
The stay with Jack and his family was simply wonderful. I spent 1.5 weeks here reading about culture exchange and was shown so much. The beautiful nature of the country, Slovenian life, day trips and, above all, the food! Jack is an excellent cook, every day there was really good and delicious food. Cooking together was also a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to coming back as soon as it's warm, when nature awakens and the camp/hostel starts.
Looking forward to the next time. Best regards from Germany!
Natascha Liepe, Germany
I came to visit with my family, and we had the best pizza right of the oven. We live in Italy, but Jack's pizza was out of this world. I will drive there just to get his pizza. He also showed us amazing hidden jewels in the area that have become our favorite places to hike and practice yoga when we come to Soca Valley.
Katherine Armstrong, Italy
I really had a great experience with Jack. He is extremely generous and always ready to help you out. Besides food and housing, he will provide you with anything you might need, and more.
His farm is well organised, and situated in a beautiful nature area, with many rivers and moutains to discover.
In short, I recommend Jack and his farm for the food, the location, the food, the mood and also the food maybe.
P.S: if you ever get to celebrate your birthday in Jack's farm, you can be sure he'll do his best to make this day memorable to you :))
Charly Bugeau, France3
We would like to thank community/foundation Narava,for excellent cooperation in the field of agriculture and exchanging program for voulnters and we are looking forward for more cooperation.
Ahmed Ashour, Slovenia
Immediately upon arrival, a place where you feel welcome and safe, especially due to the warm welcome from Jack and the children. The food is fantastic. All in all a little paradise in the making.
Nathalie Andreiese, Netherlands
Within a social support project with free use of a tent location with a beautiful view together with my two daughters aged 4 and 13; I ended up in beautiful Slovenia through the Narava Foundation. Upon arrival we were warmly welcomed by Jack and his children. In fact, Jack took this into account right from the start. The food with the delicious fresh grill dishes, the burgers were great and nothing was too much when we weren't feeling so happy due to all the events in our lives lately. We felt so supported, surrounded by warmth and my children were lovingly involved in activities.
Within my work I have worked a lot with people and organizations in healthcare and I would like to encourage people to participate in these supportive social exchange opportunities in which we have been able to relax and see and do wonderful things. We are especially grateful to the foundation and the loving family.
Jack, you not only touched us deeply, but you clearly have a heart of gold; be careful with it. Personally, I would like to return with Joline and Debby in the future. The smile has returned to our faces.
Linda, Joline and Debby Verbruggen, Netherlands
We spent a week in August in the summer of 2021. Together with our son and two dogs. Super beautiful area, not yet discovered by mass tourism. Jack is always there for you and can cook very well. We made nice trips, enjoyed swimming in the river, canoeing and walking. In short, highly recommended!
NB. When we were there, the farm was still being worked hard. It must be nicer now.
Steffie Snijdelaar, Netherlands
Thank you so much for the welcome from Jack and his family. Their times and their open minds. It was refreshing. A magical place cradled by sharing and good times spent together!
Edith Tressol, France
Jack can prepare delicious dishes from cold spreads to hot dishes... delicious homemade herb butter, tapenades... sambal, etc.. you can also grill or score a pizza with him... partly because of his hospitality, we enjoyed it here. enjoy...Highly recommended!
John Kruijer, Netherlands
We had a wonderful week with Jack. The place was super nice with the view of the mountain and the river next to the campsite, so Jack cooked us lots of delicious local specialties. I advise!
Esteban Boutahar, France
Whether with pizzas or burritos, Jack knows how to use a spatula and it shows! This outstanding chef took us on a journey through his excellent and very local cuisine. The absence of dinner seemed disturbing at first but ended up making us appreciate more his twilight preparations, which were as dazzling as they were tasty.
The chicken soup made us see all the colors as its smell was so delectable. Although a little repetitive, his meals were a pure culinary treat for all of us. This animation genius knew how to combine eating and having fun like no one else has done.
I can no longer count the laughs and tears we had in his company, he who always knew how to find the right words, even when drunk. Good old Jack, always unpacking his most vicious and absurd ideas to make the gallery laugh! His jokes, always coming out at the most incongruous moments, added that spice that we all needed.
But far from being just a common clown, Jack has it in him and doesn't hold back from showing it to us! Its brilliant culture is reflected, among other things, in its music. We had the chance to listen to his array of pieces handpicked for our ignorant ears. His sumptuous tastes and his careful choreography have made more than one person dance.
On top of that, Jack exudes order and conviction. Straight in his ideas, he always gets to the end of things and sticks to scrupulously respecting his intelligently developed schedule. It is in the clarity of his methods and his liveliness of mind that we truly recognize the former soldier in him. This complex spirit will have fascinated us as much as it intrigued us during this stay.
As for logistics, the layout of the tents, although a little doubtful at the start, had no impact on the quality of our sleep and was able to brave the rain. We were very happy to have Jack's tent when we were assailed by the merciless storms of Slovenia. It's very simple, nothing was left to chance, the locations of the tents were planned in advance, the tables had the exact number of seats needed and the portions per person were ingeniously thought out. In short, we were bathed in luxury.
In exchange for his accommodation and his wonderful cuisine, we only had to provide him with a few manual services that were far from capricious. The work basically consisted of digging dirt and setting up races, not much when you see everything he did for us. When we arrived, we had to dig up the earth to create space for a tent. It might seem a bit difficult, but the job was completed in just a few days. Furthermore, having managed to draw this location not only strengthened our group bonds but also gave us the satisfaction of its beneficiary.
In conclusion, this stay was exquisite for us. The place is magnificent as is its host full of good intentions who will make you have the best possible stay. Experience to try!
Simon Vanhaegenborgh, France