New Holidays, New Discounts, New Skyros, New You

The new Skyros Holidays programme for 2014 is here. Choose, fly and discover.

Visit the opera in Venice. Explore Morocco. Go trekking in Nepal. Learn to salsa in Havana. Discover the hidden treasures of Cambodia. And write, play, sing, dance and learn new skills on Skyros island, Greece. A Skyros holiday will add oomph in your life.

 See www.skyros.com.

Visit our website for our selection of Skyros discounts, including the Early Bird offer and the Friends of Skyros (FoS) for returning guests. You could save yourself up to £175 per holiday!



For more info on our destinations view our online brochure, or scroll down for a sneak peak at our brand new programme for 2014 / 2015.

Exploration & Meditation in Cambodia
Mon 27 January – Wed 5 February 2014
 
Encounter the real Cambodia on this small-group tour. Explore the country’s hidden treasures and dramatic landscapes from Phnom Penh through to Siem Reap, home to the ancient temples of Angkor Wat. Capture your journey through photography and art. Connect with the landscape and also your own self through a mindful living course. Price from £1145.


A Journal Making & Cultural Exploration in Morocco
Sat 15 – Sat 22 March 2014 & Sat 15 – Sat 22 November 2014
Explore the vibrant souks of Marrakech and then relax and enjoy the spring and winter sunshine in the charming seaside town of Essaouria, described as ‘one of the friendliest and most laid-back resorts anywhere’. Max out your holiday experience with yoga, meditation and a Moroccan cooking class, and learn how to keep an artistic diary of your days with journal making & book-binding activities. Price from £695.


Celebrate Easter in Skyros island, Greece
Mon 14 – Mon 21 April 2014

Easter (Pascha) is, for the Greek people, the most sacrosant event of the year involving the entire community. This 2014 it coincides with the Roman Easter, and Skyros are offering the opportunity to experience this meaningful event on a fulfilling and cultural holiday. In addition to options for personal development, try your hand at Greek dancing, learn more about Skyros' traditions, customs & rituals, and explore the island's natural environment. Price from £595.


Wellbeing Holidays in Atsitsa Bay, Greece
Holidays available throughout June, July, August & September
Atsitsa Bay on Skyros island's pine-forested coast in Greece, offers the independent spirited traveller an unforgettable holiday. Open a door to the Skyros 'you-can-do-anything' world with a wealth of opportunity for abseiling, windsurfing, trapeze, yoga, music, singing, art, comedy improvisation, dance and much more. Atsitsa's vibrant community remains unparalleled, making it the perfect pick for solo travellers. Price from £645.


Life Coaching Holidays at The Skyros Centre, Greece
Holidays available throughout June, July, August & September
 
Want to uncover your passions, reach new insights or move towards positive change in your life? The Life Choices programme held in the charming Skyros Village, offers inspiration, encouragement and support to all who would like to make those first, second, third or later steps towards a happier, more fulfilled state of being, whether personal or professional. Price from £625.


Writing Holidays at The Skyros Centre, Greece
Holidays available throughout June, July, August & September
 
The Writers’ Lab is the place for any writer or dabbler wanting to learn directly from established writers and to share the joys and struggles of the creative process. Whether you're a novice with a secret passion for writing or a writer who already has a book under their belt, The Writer's Lab, described by The Guardian as 'number one of the world's best writing holidays', offers enlightening writing experience. Price from £625.

Art Holidays at The Skyros Centre, Greece
Holidays available throughout June, July, August & September
 
The Art Studio at The Skyros Centre provides a truly inspirational setting in which to put pencil to paper, paint to palette or lens to landscape under the expert guidance of the Studio's visiting artists. Drawing, painting, sketching, photography & more. Join any course with no experience or plenty. Price from £625.

Culture, Singing & Opera Holiday in Venice, Italy
Sat 25 October – Wed 29 October 2014
 
From morning strolls by the canal to sipping espresso in Piazza San Marco to acquiring a taste for Italian opera, this stylish holiday will ensure you bring back unforgettable memories from this seductive city of culture. This holiday includes 4 nights twin shared accommodation, breakfast, two evening meals, admission to galleries, an evening at the opera, singing classes, culture talks & wine tasting. Price from £595.

Salsa Dancing, Yoga & Culture Holiday in Cuba
Mon 19 January - Thu 29 January 2015

 
When the music plays it's time to dance! Learn to salsa in Cuba's mesmerizing capital, Havana, on this Skyros-with-a- Latin-vibe holiday. It's the perfect place to learn salsa – you'll enjoy the stunning vibrancy of Cuban music and dance with the charismatic Habaneros. Morning yoga, visits to historical sites and talks on Cuban culture and history are also included ... When the music stops, you'll be twirling with delight. Price from £1095.



Experience the Goat Festival in Greece
Sat 17 - Sat 24 February 2015
 
For a cultural experience with a strong community vibe join The Skyrian Goat Festival in Greece, possibly one of the most unique Greek celebrations involving the entire local community. In addition to spontaneous and often outrageous festivities, you'll visit woodcarvers and local museums, learn Greek, enjoy talks on customs, myths and rituals, and get a taste for this fascinating celebration that is devoid of commerciality. Price from £595.


An Exciting Trekking Adventure in Nepal
Sat 21 February - Sat 7 March 2015

Join Skyros' first ever adventure to the top of the world! Under the guidance of your tour leader, Pete Webb, you'll experience this country of spectacular and diverse scenery. Explore Kathmandu and trek through the stunning Langtang Valley. Meet the local people who understand the value of a warm welcome. Traditional Skyros community structures will ensure you feel instantly at home in a foreign landscape filled with adventure. Price from £1295.


Weekend Courses on the Isle of Wight 
February to June 2014, & September 2014 to January 2015

 
Situated in Shanklin's Old Village on the Isle of Wight, Skyros offshoot The Grange offers a fantastic programme of weekend courses. We have award-winning authors to sharpen your writing skills, local landscape artists, leading life coaches and exceptional singers and yoga teachers. It's the ideal place to start a new hobby, learn a new skill and make new friends. Price from £90.

Contact us . . .
If you would like more information we would love to talk you through the details and answer any questions:



Phone: +44 (0)1983 86 55 66
Email: office@skyros.com 
Website: www.skyros.com

Photo left to right: Christine, Michelle, Laura & Gemma

Congratulations to Skyros facilitator Kate Daniels on her new album release ...

We would like to say a huge congratulations to Skyros facilitator, Kate Daniels, who is back on the British jazz scene with her new album!

Kate started life as an actress and playwright but has been a registered psychotherapist for over 30 years, a profession she runs in parallel with her love for music and theatre. She has taught at Skyros Holidays for many years, combining life coaching experience with her passion for pursuing a creative life, helping to inspire others from all over the world.

Her new album, titled Atmospherics, is a collection of freshly arranged jazz standards that capture the late night ambience and melancholic seduction of a style Daniels describes as 'Jazz Noir.' Simultaneously invoking the bright-lights glamour of the 50s icons and the rich darkness of after hours cellar bars, it presents the wide range of Daniels’ vocals from sultry ‘effortless swing’ to ‘haunting and ethereal’ (Just Jazz )

As the daughter of a Hebridean father and an Armenian mother, Kate was intoxicated by contrasting musical influences early on and developed a love of mysterious melodic story-telling; a characteristic inherent within her vocal style and the arrangements on Atmospherics. 

Listen out as Kate has been receiving airtime on various radio shows. The CD is to be launched in March 2014. For more information, news, or details of forthcoming gigs, visit www.katedanielsjazz.co.uk

Congratulations on your well earned achievements, Kate! 

Don't forget, you can join Kate Daniels at The Skyros Centre in Greece this Summer for her life coaching course Creative Confidence: 5 – 18 July 2014. If you want to re-focus your life or your relationships and you want to have fun and a creative time doing so in the wonderful setting of Skyros, this is the course for you. Find out more here >> 

For the Jazz enthusiasts, you can also join Kate for a musical weekend of Jazz, Blues & Beyond on the beautiful Isle of Wight: 24 – 26 October 2014. Stay at The Grange, a country guesthouse, for the ultimate Skyros experience. Find out more here >>

A story of success from the Skyros Writers' Lab in Greece…

We are always delighted to hear a success story from our Writers' Lab participants. And this week we are delighted to introduce author of the Emily Windsnap series, Liz Kessler, on our blog. Emily joined Skyros at the beginning of her writing adventure and has since gone on to publish a New York Times best-selling series. Her books have been translated into over twenty five languages. Read on to find out more about the journey she took … 

I’ve always wanted to be a writer.

OK, hold on a sec, let me put that slightly more accurately. When I was eight, I wrote a few poems. One of these, Jinx’s Shop, appeared in my local newspaper and I decided on the spot that I was going to become a writer when I grew up.

What I did in fact become was a journalist and then a teacher. Approximately twenty-five years after my first creative success with that early poem, I finally remembered what I wanted to do with my life.

I was in my early thirties. I had recently made a huge decision to leave a full time job and pick up some freelance work whilst pursuing the dream I had suddenly remembered I’d always had.

I was halfway through an MA in Novel Writing when a few lines of a poem popped into my head. It began like this…
 
Mary Penelope lived on a boat,
Which was all very well, but it didn’t quite float.
It wavered and wobbled and fell on its side
Whenever she tried to go out for a ride.

As is often the way when deadlines are looming, the poem felt much more interesting than my coursework. I worked on it for three weeks. Then I sent it to a writer friend who showed it to her editor. He suggested I try writing it as a book rather than as a poem. So off I went to do just that.

Only trouble was, by the time I’d told the story of the poem, I realised I’d only written an opening chapter. Now what was I to do?

Well, what I was to do, it turned out, was to go to Skyros on a life-changing holiday.
 
Here are some things I remember from my time in this magical place…
• Talking to my œkos group about how I wanted to call myself a writer but didn’t feel that I could until I was published – and being given the confidence to define myself in terms of my passion and not my salary.

• Sneaking off into quiet spaces on my own to write the chapter that would become the foundation for my first novel.

• Sitting on a rock looking out at the sea. Watching the way the sunlight danced on the water, and feeling so inspired by this that the description went into my book.

• Writing a letter to myself in which I promised that I would become a published author if I worked hard and kept believing I could do it.

And it wasn’t just these moments. The whole atmosphere of the holiday planted such strength and desire in me that by the time I came home, I had a feeling my life was set on a new and exciting course.
And so it was. I finished the book the following year. Another year later, The Tail of Emily Windsnap was born. Four books followed in this series and went on to be published all around the world.
Since then, I have written ten novels in total and two early reader books. I am just finishing two more and have a contract for another three. My books have been translated into over twenty five languages and sold over three million copies. This is so far beyond what I had ever dreamed of that, even now, I can’t help stopping myself and asking if this has really happened to me.

Would it have happened without Skyros? I’d like to think it might. When I went on the holiday, I was already setting out on a new path and I knew where I wanted to get to. But Skyros gave me the belief that I had it in me to get there and that it wasn’t childish or silly of me to dream of a life where my passion and my job were the same thing. It also gave me an incredible group of friends who would go on to support me and cheer me on every step of the way. (My œkos group still meets once a year.)
 
The way I see it is that I put myself in front of Skyros and agreed to open up to what was being offered. In return, Skyros shone a torch on my life, showed me the cracks and the dark corners I’d been hiding from, held my hand while I looked round, and then turned its light on a door I hadn’t noticed and invited me to open it.
 
Over a decade later, I’m so glad I stepped through that door. The journey on the other side has been incredible. And I’m grateful to have been invited to write this blog so I can say something to Skyros that I’ve been wanting to say for the last twelve years.

Thank you.

The Skyros Writer's Lab in Skyros island, Greece, offers an escape in which to enjoy the joys and struggles of the writing process in a beautiful location with first-class tutoring, delicious food and great company. 

The 2014 Writers' Lab programme is due to be released shortly. If you would like to register your interest, drop a line to holidays@skyros.com with your address and we will send you a copy of the brand new brochure as soon as it is released.

For more information about Liz Kessler and her books, visit her website at  www.lizkessler.co.uk
 
Or you can find her on her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/lizkesslerchildrensauthor
 
Or follow her on twitter at www.twitter.com/lizkesslerbooks

A rustic hut near the warm Aegean sea, delicious healthy food, yoga, and other inspiring activities:

Join Skyros, the pioneer of course-based holidays, in Greece this summer, and you'll wake in the mornings to the soothing sound of the sea, stretch out in a yoga class, enjoy three sumptuous buffets each day, try new activities and meet new friends in Skyros' magical setting: Atsitsa Bay. It's ideal for solo travellers! Feel alive – see this years remaining holidays below. And if the dates don't suit you, give us a call and see if we can tailor a trip to your needs!    

31st August – 13th September in Atsitsa Bay ... 

Choose this two-week long holiday for Life Choices with Skyros co-founder Dina Glouberman, Stand up Comedy with Logan Murray, Hatha Yoga with Marina Sossi, Windsurfing with Mark Gunston, Music & Singing with Susie Self, Performance with Kym Suttle, Mosaics with Roz Waites and Sex & Sexuality with Carol-Martin Sperry. Book an extra night at the end of your holiday and you can return home with the Saturday domestic flight to Athens, 14th September. Or stay for just one week of two. Find out more >>

14th September – 21st September In Atsitsa Bay ...

Choose this one-week holiday for Massage with Virginia Evangelou, Performance with Kym Suttle, Mindful Living with Michael Eales, Hatha Yoga with Marina Sossi, Seductive Speaking with Tiana Harper, Windsurfing with Mark Gunston, Music & Singing with Susie Self, and Mosaics with Roz Wates. At just £645 including twin shared accommodation, all courses and meals, it's a steal! Don't miss out: Find out more >>

Contact us ...
We always have time for you. Get in touch by:
 
phone: +44 (0)1983 86 55 66  
email: office@skyros.com
chatting online: www.skyros.com
 
Photo left to right: Christine, Michelle, Laura & Gemma

Weekend Courses at The Grange by The Sea this Autumn ...

Weekend courses at the Grange by the Sea start this September on the Isle of Wight! Join us at our charming Skyros offshoot for a warm welcome in a beautiful setting. It's the ideal place for reconnecting with your Skyros friends. Courses include Starting a Novel, Digital Photography, Passionate Living and more. If you've not discovered the Isle of Wight before, take the opportunity to discover this wonderful retreat so close to home!

For more information visit www.thegrangebythesea.com, or call +44 (0)1983 867644. We'd love to talk you through the details.

The best wishes,
The Skyros Team
www.skyros.com