Press
Skyros has been the subject of numerous features in the British and foreign press over the years. The very short extracts on this page represent only a tiny sample of the vast publicity given to an organisation, which does not even have a PR department.
"Billed as ‘a community and singles’ holiday, this fortnight's break in Koh Chang island, Thailand, bookended by a night at the luxurious Sofitel Silom in Bangkok, is for anyone: from Christmas-stressed wives who want to hit a luxurious spa, to holiday-makers with a yen to learn Thai massage or improve their singing, those who want to detox in colonial-style comfort and anyone with a personal issue to resolve (psychotherapist, author and Channel 4 presenter Malcolm Stern runs daily three-hour personal development sessions). The setting is exquisite with 639 square kilometres of virgin rainforest and white sandy beaches, and the spa is stunning, boasting smooth, glossy teak floors lit by tiny jewel-coloured candles and scented with orange oil. The Thai massage in a candlelit room teases out knots you didn’t know you had. There’s everything from aloe and lavender body wraps to facial and milk and floral baths. Anyone looking for a physical, mental or emotional clear-out will find the perfect crucible for just that."
"There is a magical quality about Atsitsa that is evident as soon as we approach the bay... There is a surprising selection of courses to choose from, encompassing physical and sports activities to mind-focusing and even soul-searching courses."
January 2009
"A friend had raved about Skyros' alternative, holistic holidays, with their courses run by top-notch tutors in a friendly community atmosphere. As some luxury and pampering were in order, too, I chose a holiday at a five-star hotel on the Thai island of Koh Chang. With a range of self-development, creative and holistic courses to choose from, I reckoned I'd rather learn Pilates in an open-air pavilion with sea views than down at my local grim gym."
January 2009
"Skyros, Greece. Before I went, people said to me 'Things happen on Skyros'. I felt that you couldn't go somewhere with that kind of expectation but, emotionally and spiritually, the impact of the holiday was enormous. It was inspiring. Surprising. More than I could have expected. Against the odds - namely my own cynicism, doubts and reserve - I gained an insight into myself and the way I want to live my life. Back in the real world, this sort of thing gets lost all too easily under everyday stresses and other people's expectations, but having had that clarity once, I knew I could have it again: I knew I had it in me. What you give to the holiday, you get out. It's as simple as that, so pour your heart into it."
December 2008
"The Grange, Isle of Wight. An elegant 19th-century country house, set down a quiet lane with sea views, it's a luxurious setting for a year-round offering of creative and personal development breaks... The 17 elegant bedrooms are decked out in calming shades with splashes of colour, good linens and contemporary art."
December 2008
"It felt brave, going on a salsa dancing holiday to Cuba on my own, but as soon as I checked into the iconic Habana Libre Hotel, once Fidel Castro's headquarters following the revolution in 1959, it felt thrilling too. When I met the rest of the group for mojitos in the 1950s-style hotel bar on the first evening, I was soon enjoying myself. By the end of the trip, no one wanted to leave. And, eight months on, we're all in touch, passionate about salsa and still going to classes in the UK."
November 2008
"By the end of the week, we're all firm friends and swap numbers, promising to keep in touch. One thing's for sure - dancing salsa will never be the same in England, and after the last of many mojitos on our final night, we all agree that the only thing to do is come back."
November 2008
"The courses I chose on Skyros were foot reflexology and Commedia dell'Arte acting. This might seem a peculiar combination but both were inspired choices. In particular, the reflexology course, which took place on a series of mornings in an outdoor clearing, surrounded by pine trees high above the bay of Atsitsa, was something I would not have missed for anything."
October 2008
"‘By 2004, I had been a TV producer for seven years, working on chat shows like Richard & Judy and Paul O’Grady. It was fun at first but, as I approached 30, I was getting increasingly disillusioned. .. That summer I went on a Skyros holiday in Greece... At Skyros, there’s a you-can-do-anything atmosphere. I sat looking at the sun, glinting off the sea, and it was the most beautiful place. I realised psychology was what I wanted to do. Within six months of the holiday, I’d quit my job and was starting clinical psychology training... I now realise that helping people is what I always wanted to do. I didn’t really know who I was until I went on that holiday. If I hadn’t gone I’d still be a TV producer’."
August 2008
"Fantastic Breaks... Suzy Bennett takes her pick of the best: the Skyros holistic retreat, on the Greek island of the same name, runs courses in yoga, meditation, writing and life-coaching as well as more active pursuits such as sailing, belly dancing and trapeze."
July 2008
"There’s a joke, as old as the hills, about two journalists who meet in a pub. One says: ‘I'm writing a novel.’ The other replies: ‘Neither am I.’ Recognising myself in this lame gag for more years than I care to remember, I booked a place on a writer's course on the small Greek island of Skyros. Reader, I had high hopes. These morphed into my wildest of dreams when I learned that our tutor was the Sri Lankan writer Romesh Gunesekera, author of several gorgeous novels, including the Booker-nominated Reef. I'm not saying I expected to come home with the makings of a top literary prize in my newly purchased stash of hardback notebooks. But I will confess to daydreaming, just a teeny bit, that the extra tuition under blue skies could elevate me to Enright-style acclaim..... [Roisín went to Skyros and] by the end of the week I had loosened up in the workshop and even produced a couple of pieces I could be proud of. Not so proud that I would rehash them here, you understand, but quietly pleased. Under Gunesekera's supportive eye we invented words, practised writing dialogue and listened in wonder to the stories that unfolded. I learned that you get can get a lot written in five- or even two-minute bursts and that my daily protestation ‘I just don't have enough time to write’ might not be strictly true. So am I writing a novel? The answer is still no. But after a week on Skyros, I may be inching ever closer to making a start."
June 2008