Below are some reviews of El Roble we have obtained from the travel diaries of some previous guests. A more extensive description of the farm and some experiences in Paraguay can be found here in Eva’s Diary. If you have stayed with us before, please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the page.

Concepcion, The Place to See in Paraguay 
Email contact: jdml402 [at] hotmail.com
Travel Dates: Jan 30, 2008 – Feb. 16, 2008
Weather Conditions: Sunny and Hot, with a heavy rain once a week
Route & Terrain: Bus from Asunción to Concepción. 5 hour journey for G 60,000 (US$14)
Trip Essentials: Camera

The BEST PART of Paraguay is El Roble, a German owned farm about 15KM north of Concepción. Unbelievable Experience. Peter, the owner, has built a small paradise oasis on 40 Hectares of land in between Concepción and Belen. Beautiful accomodations with fan, AC, fridge, nice bathrooms with hot water. Camping also available. A natural spring fed pool. Nearby river beautiful and great for swimming. It includes 3 home cooked meals a day. If your burnt out on empanadas and steak this is the place to be. Fresh juice of all varieties, and the best food with tons of vegetables, and tons of flavor and spice if you like. Everything but the potatoes are grown on his farm.

He doesn´t get many tourist and you can tell he really enjoys having westerners around to talk to and show around. You´ll see the Real Paraguay side of life. We went to Agricultural schools, bread factories, local homes, trips on the river, saw beautiful architecutre in isolated rural towns. Incredible experience. He´s also an expert on local flora and fauna.

Price varies depending on the sleeping quarters you choose. But everything is included in the price, laundry, food, tours around town and to the nearby river. He really wants to show you a great time. It´s not touristy and great fun. Get there before he´s discovered by Lonely Planet. It´s awesome!

His house has boars, geese, caiman, turtles, frogs, lizards, fish ponds, all sorts of parrots. He rehabilitates abused birds to release back into the wild. Absolutely beautiful.
Check it out. It is a wonderful experience.

I came for a week and stayed for six months. After three years of teaching within the London school system El Roble proved an impossible place to leave. Brilliant food, endless stories late into the star filled night combined with cold Pilsin and potent cigars. A small moto on which I could live out my Steve McQueen fantasies bouncing along dirt roads without helmet or worries. Deep fast flowering rivers to dive into and cool down. Evenings spent playing volleyball and football within the local villages. Endless shade to read and listen to the humming birds and parrots that filled the trees all around, and the occasional adventure taking the cargo boats up to Bhia Negro: take a few books and a chess board, find a slither of space to sit, ask no questions about the large suspicious packages that get picked up from the estancias on route and settle in for the greatest sunsets, stars and random conversations you can imagine.
By the time I finally boarded the bus for Santa Cruz, with Peter singing the Hotel California lyrics ‘you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave,’ on the dusty road outside, double History with class 9BG on a Tuesday afternoon felt like a horror from a previous life.

Some comments from other guests:

(Oct 7, 2010) Grainne, the irish gal said:

Really enjoyed my stay with Peter and his family, even though i was unlucky enough to get cold and wet weather – the warmth of their welcome and yummy food more than made up for it. I hope to come back someday

(Nov 21, 2010) Mischa said:

ich war eine woche auf der farm von peter und andresa und es war ueberragend
wer eine weile zum abschalten von der zivilisation braucht ist dort genau richtig
nach 1,5 monaten in argentinien war ich leer von vitamien jetzt sind mein tanks wieder voll aufgeladen frisch gemachte saefte gute salate bestes fleisch alles homemade traumhaft sorry ich vergass frische kalte milch und guuutes brot fuer mich eins der wichtigsten dinge muchas gracias
wer will kann viel natur erleben oder einfach nur abschalten der perfekte mix
dazu sehr erschwingliche preise und eine super nette familie !!!
bis irgendwann

(Dec 1, 2010) Philomena said:

Hallo Peter,
es war total schön und entspannt. Besonders die Bootstoor war toll. Es war pure Entspannung auf dem Land, Sabeth und ich haben die ganze Zeit gespielt. Ich werde es weiter empfehlen wenn ich wieder in Deutschland bin. Ich hoffe wir kommen nochmal wieder ! Einen schönen weiteren Lebensweg wünscht

Philomena

(Jan 22, 2012) die ULISAs said:

Hallo Peter, Andresa, Nestor, Hannibal und Amelie (und natürlich alle Haustiere!!!). Wir hatten ein paar unvergessliche Tage bei Euch, weg von Handy, Internet, Zivilisation, umgeben von netten und unkomplizierten Menschen, wurden super gut versorgt, konnten viel sehen und erleben – DANKE! Wir hoffen, dass wir es bald wieder mal zu Euch schaffen, zum „Auftanken“ und abschalten.. und werden euch in der nächsten Zeit ein paar Besucher schicken, die schon furchtbar neugierig sind! Alles Liebe und Gute!!! Uli, Lisa, Nico, Louisa und Kike www.ulisa.info (falls Ihr euch doch mal in die Nähe der Hauptstadt verirrt: haben wir bestimmt ein Plätzchen für Euch!)

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