Mission Statement - Hedonisia Hawaii is a small Eco-hostel and Tropical Vacation Farm. We also develop and maintain socially progressive Websites. Some of our Volunteers return nearly every year making us a loosely based community of travelers and socially progressive individuals who are interested in eco-living in nature. The motto of Hedonisia is, "An ever-fluctuating community of independent individuals (and couples)!"

We are looking for hard working, tolerant and friendly people with a love for nature and ecological living in a small communal environment.This beautiful piece of Hawaii was once a junkyard owned by a mechanic with very little love or respect for Mother Nature. In repairing the damage that was done to the land we learned that it is not only necessary to preserve as much of the remaining wilderness areas as we can on this planet but also to restore and rehabilitate land that has already been damaged by the activities of Man.

There are TWO Volunteer Options:

• A) One Night Guest; 6 Nights Volunteer: Pay for the first three (3) nights and then Volunteer up to three (3) weeks in exchange for accommodation. To stay longer you pay for one (1) night per additional week of stay as a Volunteer. Our Fair-Trade Volunteer Program is offered on a week-to-week basis up to 3 months. However, special hardworking Volunteers who end up becoming Friends of Hedonisia can stay longer!

  B) 50/50 Guest/Volunteer: Pay 1/2 price and do 1/2 Volunteer time up to 3 months (working 3 hrs per day for 3 days each week with Sundays off). Option B is usually what people prefer if they want to get a part-time job outside of Hedonisia or to have more time to see many of the beautiful natural wonders of Hawaii!

Volunteers who choose either Option A and B must still adhere to the Terms of the Fair-Trade Volunteer Program.

Available Volunteer Positions

Volunteer Terms of Acceptance - Features & Benefits - General Rules & Info - Termination of Stay - Detailed Project List

How to Apply:

1. Please visit our Volunteer Positions Available page.
2. Email us with your Work & Education Resume and let us know which jobs you would like to work on.
3. Read this page carefully to make sure that you understand all the Terms and Conditions of our Fair-Trade Volunteer Program.
4. If you are accepted at this point then proceed to step 5. Otherwise, please call us to have an interview by telephone. (Our Tel. 808-430-2545 or 808-269-2825). Be sure to call during the hours of 9am to 7pm Hawaii Time. We accept Volunteers on the basis of availability, skills, sociability, ease to work with, and how well they perform their Volunteer duties. We require either a telephone interview or an email description of what benefits based on your abilities you feel you could bring to Hedonisia Hawaii
5. If accepted at this point, you may then confirm your registration. In order to confirm your reservation, all Volunteers must book and pay for at least 3 nights accommodation as a Guest in advance. You may also book your Volunteer Dates by telephone at 808-269-2825 0r 808-430-2545

Terms of Acceptance:

1) 3-Day Minimum as Guest - In order to confirm your reservation, all Volunteers must book at least 3 nights accommodation as a Guest. This is so the Volunteer can adjust to jungle life, overcome jet lag, and relax before starting work. One night accommodation starts from $22.25 a night including tax.

2) Trial Period - For all Volunteers we have an Adjustment Phase of about 1 week which begins after the 3-day Guest Period. This means that after your initial stay you have one week to see if you like living and volunteering at Hedonisia Hawaii. It also gives us a time period to assess your abilities and aptitude for the types of work we offer before we offer you a longer stay after the 7-day period.

3) Maximum Stay - We do not automatically guarantee a long stay; all Volunteers stay on a week to week basis. However, if your work is acceptable you are able to adapt to Hedonisia community living then you are invited to stay for longer. Any volunteer who takes pride in their work and puts in a little extra effort with the projects they are doing will also receive other benefits like free lifts to town. As well, they will always be welcome to return to Hedonisia when they visit in the future. We do have a limit on stay of 1 - 3 months. But our main limitation is the volunteer's charactar. If the volunteer fulfills their work above and beyond what is required, gets along fantastic with the other volunteers and guests and has a wonderful personality then we can extend the stay.

If a prospective Volunteer wants a certain amount of security in fixing the time of their stay then we have a Guaranteed Volunteer Program. Pre-pay for 50% of your planned stay and you may perform volunteer work to pay for the remaining portion of the stay. This allows you to bypass the Trial Period as well as the insecurity of working on a week-to-week basis. However, serious infringements of our Termination of Stay Terms can still cause you to be asked to leave with a 50% refund on your pro-rated refund.

3) Minimum Volunteer Period - If accepted or if spaces are available, a Volunteer may stay for as little as one week. The rule is one paid day as a Guest for one week or less volunteering.

4) Personal Responsibility - Guests and Volunteers are responsible for their own health and safety whilst on the property of Hedonisia Hawaii. This applies to all aspects of living and working on the land. Hedonisia Hawaii is a beautiful wild piece of land but it can also be dangerous. We would especially like to point out that there is a volcanic crater on the property. While it is attractive to explore and we also do work in it, we would like to point out that this is a real natural crater and as such it is potentially dangerous. Always, be careful when working near the crater or exploring it.

Hedonisia Hawaii bears no responsibility for any injuries that result from living or working on this land nor is Hedonisia Hawaii responsible for activities by guests or workers that cause injury. You are responsible for your personal health and safety so always be aware of your capabilities. If you feel uncomfortable contributing to any project at Hedonisia Hawaii or if you feel a job is too dangerous for you, please let us know. We can usually find another task that is less daunting!!

5) Do you accept Single Mother/Father or Couple Volunteers? With a child or children we offer Volunteer possibilities on a case-by-case basis depending on the parent's skills in some of the work projects we have at Hedonisia. We do try to be flexible with work timing as we know that children have their own timetable and needs! However for parents we generally require that the child stay as a Paid Guest at a cost of $5 per child per day. All parents are completely responsible for the care of their children as well as any detrimental effects they may have on guests, volunteers and on the property itself. Please be aware that we have a 60' deep volcanic crater on the property so it is absolutely essential that a child obeys does not enter or play in this crater unless accompanied by an adult.

6) Volunteer Pet Policy? Hedonisia Hawaii is pet friendly. However, a pet can't work so we would have to charge an extra cost of $5 per day or 1 hour extra work. All pet owners are completely responsible for the care of their animals as well as cleaning up any mess that they make. This is especially important with regards to any detrimental effects they may have on guests, volunteers and on the property itself. There is a $100 DAMAGE DEPOSIT that is required for pets. This deposit is refundable if owner and pet leave without any incident.

Features & Benefits:

1) 3 hours Volunteer; Rest of Day FREE! - As a Volunteer Apprentice you are expected to contribute 2.5 - 3 hours per day of Volunteer activity for one night's lodging. We have many different kinds of Volunteer positions available in Hawaii. In return for your Volunteer activities, you receive free accommodation and the opportunity to participate in the building of an eco-friendly hostel and community in Hawaii. At 3 hours you have the rest of the day free to hang out on the property or to enjoy sight seeing on the island or even to have a second job! Once your shift is over you will not be asked to for help again that day unless there is a special project to complete.

2) Second job/Earning Income - Because our volunteer requirement is only 3 hours a day, this leaves enough time to work at a second job. Indeed many volunteers have worked at second jobs. We even allow volunteers to do small scale private business activities on the property as long as permission is sought beforehand and the hostel operations are not effected adversely. There are a number of farmers and Individuals who occasionally hire Hedonisians to do landscaping, gardening, or light construction work. Sometimes they give us a call to see if there are any Hedonisian Volunteers available. Otherwise you can look on the notice boards of the Health Food shops in the area for work possibilities.

For those who are interested, we also offer the possiblity of 3-months renewable contracts to be a Manager offer a number of options for a Volunteer to become a Manager at Hedonisia Hawaii and earn income. But first a person must be trained. Training is two to four weeks to be a Manager. Training is under the Hedonisia Volunteer Program of 3 hours per day. However, once fully trained, profit sharing will then be available based on competence and work effort. For further information on our various Management Options please check our Hedonisia Volunteer Management Information page.

3) Flexible Work Hours - A Volunteer can work 6 hours in a day for two night's stay, or 9 hours in a day for three night's stay? As long as permission is sought beforehand, volunteers may work in advance and "bank" their hours so they can enjoy free days without work. However, this is at the Manager's discretion as some volunteer activities require a daily commitment.

4) Food - Some fruits and vegetables are growing on the land and are free for Volunteers to use. As well, we have a Communal Food Area where foodstuffs that are donated or left behind by previous guests are available for Volunteers to use. But please do not rely on this. Guests and Volunteers are responsible for their own food. Be sure to have enough funds to by food. If we are picking you up from the airport then we will stop by the grocery store so you can stock up! Otherwise there are a number of supermarkets and health food stores in the area.

5) Vacation Guests can Become Volunteers and vice versa! - Hedonisia Hawaii is a work in progress. We are offering great prices for accommodations on a big, beautiful jungle property but guests should always be aware that there is work going on here during their stay. So there might be some minor inconveniences but you will have a great opportunity to enjoy a land rehabilation and restoration project in progress! This is also why we offer such great prices for visitors! However, guests can also become Volunteer Interns and join in on the fun! And then you can stay at Hedonisia Hawaii for free or at a greatly reduced price.

General Rules & Info:

1) Volunteer Trade is usually done on a day-to-day basis. Basically, you volunteer for your accommodation that night. If we are doing a special project then you may have the opportunity to work extra hours on that day to have the next day or days off. For certain guests or skilled workers we offer the possibility to work intensively on a project and then enjoy an extended vacation with no work. Volunteers are NOT allowed to owe hours. Basically you are working in advance for your lodging. Each Volunteer must complete their hours each day in order to stay for the following night. However, a Volunteer may work in advance to "bank hours" so they can leave the property for mini-holidays with their space reserved for their return.

2) Volunteer Trade is NOT a job for cash - If for any reason a Volunteer leaves early with hours owing to them then they will be paid a maximum of $20 in cash. Thus we recommend that you not work too many hours in advance. We will only require advance work on special projects. Otherwise you can work your 3 hours on a day-to-day basis.

3) Volunteers must do Clean up Duty at least once a week - On your Clean-Up Day you are expected to stay on the property for most of the day and be responsible for kitchen, barn, toilet and shower clean-up. A Cleaning Day is the equivalent of 3 hours of work spread out throughout the day so that the cleaning does not pile up. This is why you get Sundays off! Volunteers can work on Sunday if they want to catch up on hours or to bank some holiday hours. If there are less than 5 volunteers then everyone is expected to do 45 minutes of cleaning per day. Cleaning Day can also mean another day off! Because a Volunteer is expected to be around the property on their cleaning day they can also complete a 3 hour shift between cleanings. Thus they can have another day off!

4) How many people are living/working at Hedonisia Hawaii? Our population varies. Hedonisia Hawaii is a small hostel with only 10 bed spaces. We do not want to have a crowded hostel because we enjoy having space in our peaceful jungle setting. Our ideal population is between 8 and 15 people on 3.72 acres. Call in advance for information concerning large groups of volunteers wanting to stay together. Large groups will be assesed on a case by case basis.

5) What kind of Organic Farming Apprenticeships do you offer? Hedonisia Hawaii is an Ecological Budget Vacation Rental Hostel located on a large beautiful piece of property which we are restoring to a lush environmentally friendly resort. Please note that we do organic gardening. You can learn on the job, but we are not an educational facility so we do not offer any Farming Apprenticeships.

6) Volunteer Exchange Plan for Massage Therapists & other Professionals? Normally, every Volunteer at Hedonisia Hawaii works for a minimum of 3 hours for one night's accommodation. However, Massage Therapists Body Workers and other Professionals such as certified Electricians or Plumbers, Paralegals, PHP MySQL Database Progammers, Web Designers, etc. can do a 1-2 hour session per day as part of their trade up to a maximum of 4 days a week. Please note that this is at the complete discretion of the Manager. If there are other priority work projects then they will take precedence. Usually Body Work sessions are performed on selected Volunteers, Managers or Guests. Under our Massage Volunteer Exchange, you usually do massage for one or two days a week. For the remaining days you do other Volunteer activities. At present we do NOT have a massage table. Nor do we supply oils. This is the Massage Therapists responsibility. We do have private spaces on the property where a massage can be performed and we supply sheets. If you have a profession, please see our list of available positions and then write to us with details of your experience.

7) Volunteers must fill in their Volunteer Sheet Daily. We have developed a Volunteer Program based on Fairness and Transparency. Every Volunteer records all their work activities for every Hedonisia related job they do. This ensures that every Volunteer has their work recorded. The Hedonisia Fair-Trade Volunteer Program has been popular with Volunteers because it is results based but without a heavy managerial hand. You do not have a manager watching you work. Nor do you work on a punch clock. The system is transparent in that every Volunteer can look at the worksheet of another volunteer so they can synchronize their activities.

We operate on a Trust but Verify basis. All volunteers must login to our online Volunteer Hours Spreadsheet where they log the time they took to complete each job they did that day. This allows us to monitor results and also ensures that every job that constitutes a Volunteer's contribution to Hedonisia, no matter how small, is acknowledged and accounted for. To see a sample of our Fair-Trade Volunteer Spreadsheet click here.

Prepayment- Each person wishing to participate in the Hedonisia Volunteer program must prepay for the first 3 nights. We offer 2 options for making your Reservation Payment:

A) You can Book Online

B) You can email us or telephone us at 808-430-2545 or 808-269-2825 with your CREDIT CARD details

Release and Hold Harmless Agreement:

By becoming a Volunteer at Hedonisia Hawaii, I agree to abide by the Hedonisia Hawaii Volunteer & Guest Guidelines and recognize that I am a Volunteer at Hedonisia Hawaii and therefore provide a Volunteer service. I recognize and understand that there are certain risks of property damage, personal injury, and/or death with respect to this program and its activities; and I understand and agree that I am participating in this program at my own risk. I also understand and agree that I am a volunteer, not an employee. I recognize that I will not be receiving financial compensation or any other compensation of any kind nor do I qualify for nor will I receive workman’s compensation, unemployment insurance, or medical benefits.

For myself, my heirs, personal representative, successors, and assigns: I hereby release and hold harmless Hedonisia Hawaii, owners, and managers any and all claims, demands, and actions on account of damage to personal property, personal injury, and/or death which may result from my participation in this program. I will be fully responsible for my own care due to injury or loss in every circumstance.

My signature stands as an agreement to afore mentioned Hedonisia Hawaii will not be responsible for onsite, or off site accidents or injury, or for loss of money, jewelry, or other valuables by myself, family or associates.

Termination of Stay:

Hedonisia Hawaii reserves the right to terminate the stay of a Paying Guest or Volunteer with a one-day notice based on that person(s) breaking any of the following rules:

1. Loud or socially disruptive behaviour that is detrimental to the smooth functioning of the community. This is especially true for the Barn as this is a communal space.
2. Incomplete fulfillment of Volunteer obligations.
3. Failure to follow good kitchen hygiene for shared kitchen, bathroom and shower spaces. i.e. "Clean up as you go".
4. Inconsiderate use of DVD Player or Computer or any other entertainment device especially in the Barn.
5. ALCOHOL USE - The Hedonisia definition of drunkenness is: "Any behaviour whilst under the influence of alcohol that causes another Guest or Volunteer to feel uncomfortable". We allow the drinking of alcohol but not drunkenness. Yes there is a difference! If you really like to drink then our hostel is NOT for you. Nor is it allowed for you to drive to or from the property while intoxicated especially with a Guest or Volunteer from Hedonisia.
6. We have no problem with people meeting and dating on the property (hence the name Hedonisia!). In fact, many romances have started here in our little lush jungle Paradise! However, we do not allow any behaviours or comments that cause any woman (or man) to feel uncomfortable. Sexual Harrasment is NOT allowed.