THE WRITING HOLIDAY
Skyros, Greece
Ideal for… People with a passion for writing or those with a book under their belt.
The aim: To discover new ideas and emerge with pieces of writing to be proud of.
Where? For courses in June and September, students stay in a stone villa or in bamboo huts within lush gardens in the beautiful village of Atsitsa on Skyros. During other months, you stay in rooms close to the centre of Skyros. Breakfast and lunch (based on the villagers' traditional diet of grains, cheese and vegetables) is served on the centre's terrace overlooking the sea.
What? These writing-focused programmes are held in the well-renowned Writers' Lab on Skyros Island, where distinguished writers and thinkers (Margaret Drabble, Hanif Kureishi and Sue Townsend have held courses here) deliver writing-based workshops and share the joys and struggles of the creative process. In June, the Sketch Writing course will cover joke structure, monologue and scriptwork, while in August, The First Novel course will provide practical advice for writers on characterisation, plot and setting to get their novel kick-started. Writing workshops take place daily from 10.30am-1.30pm. This year, playwright and director Steven Berkoff and author of Diana: Her True Story, Andrew Morton, will also be visiting. Former Writers' Lab guests - think Emma Darwin and Grace Wynne-Jones - have gone on to publish books or stage plays that they started or completed in Skyros.
Extras: You get a morning yoga session, and in the afternoons, there are lots of other courses and activities available, such as windsurfing, sailing, photography, painting, comedy improvisation, art and music. There is also plenty of countryside for walks, a local museum to visit and, for evening meals, find traditional tavernas and modern Greek restaurants in the village. One-to-one massage sessions are also bookable.
We love… That every guest is encouraged to get involved in light community work, such as vegetable chopping and plant watering.
Details: Skyros offers nine-to-eleven day courses, starting from £795 (Dh4,600) half-board, but excluding flights. Visit www.skyros.com.
Also try…
TLC Literary Adventures (www.literaryadventures.co.uk) will be offering a week-long creative writing course in Spain in October 2012, from £695 (Dh4,000) per week. Or, try the French House Party Creative Writing Course (http://frenchhouseparty.co.uk) for five days in July £765 (Dh4,400), which includes daily three-hour group sessions and writing one-to-ones, all set in a 200-year-old stone barn in a rural area on the outskirts of the World Heritage site of Carcassonne. Here, you'll find a pool, alfresco dining, tennis courts,a petanque pitch, games room and bikes.
"At the well-renowned Writers' Lab on Skyros Island in Greece, authors and playwrights will share with you the joys and struggles of the creative process."
THE PAINTING HOLIDAY
Marrakech, Morocco
Ideal for… aspiring artists.
The aim: For novice artists who want to learn how to paint and develop their own artistic voice.
Where? This bustling North African city boasts a labyrinthine souq, medieval medinas and crumbling mountaintop kasbahs. You stay in the Riad Dar Zemrane, a traditional Moroccan hotel with a courtyard and roof terrace, located in Marrakech's Old Medina - walking distance from the ancient souq and city's main square.
What? Over five days, expert tutors will, according to company Frui (www.frui.co.uk), "improve your drawing and painting skills, to help you see through more artistic eyes." You will experiment with acrylic, watercolour, ink, pencil and charcoal, and learn to understand both basic compositional skills and basic colour theory. On various trips in and around this exotic city, from The Yves Saint Laurent Gardens and Koutoubia Mosque, to the El Badi Palace and the ancient souq you will have the opportunity to capture stunning scenes and traditional Moroccan style through your paintings. A visit to a cloth dyers will also introduce you to experimenting with natural vivid dyes.
Extras: Led by an attentive guide, you will visit lots of interesting sites and enjoy exotic experiences, from being pummelled duringa hammam, to watching a local apothecary mix his remedies. Evenings are spent on informal exhibitions of work done that day over drinks on Riad's roof terrace, or with dinner with other artists in the chic French Quarter.
We love… That you get your very own personal guide for the duration of your stay, helping you make the most of your time in this city.
Details: A five-day painting course costs £900 (Dh5,200) exclusive of flights but inclusive of accommodation and two meals. Next courses are June 14 and October 11. Visit www.frui.co.uk
Also try…
Mitch Waite's painting courses in the South of France offer one-week workshops (there are six in 2012) for both beginners and the more experienced. All-inclusive packages, excluding flights cost ¤1,760 (Dh8,500). Visit www.mitchwaitepaintingholidays.com.
THE DANCE HOLIDAY
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Ideal for… Energetic types who love to party.
The aim: To learn how to tango in the place where it was born, as well as soak up the culture.
Where? The cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires with its faded elegance - think tree-lined streets and buzzing plazas - is full of energy and excitement. You can choose to stay in either the modern hostel in the trendy neighbourhood of Palermo, or with a host family for a more cultural and language-based experience.
What? At the beginning of the holiday, you get to experience a live tango show in a local theatre, and learn more about the history of tango. You'll have three dance lessons a week (each 90 minutes long) with a private tango teacher, who will tailor the programme to your level of expertise, as well as one group class each week. You'll experience a milonga - an open tango party - where everyone dances together and you continually change couples. Lunch and evening meals are included in the package, provided through an allowance, which you can spend in many of the restaurants and cafés, experimenting with the local cuisine.
Extras: With plenty of free sight-seeing time, you'll receive guidance on the best hotspots for tangoing in the chic quarter, plus there's the opportunity to take a Spanish language course or a salsa course for an extra fee.
We love… As part of a responsible travel package, your holiday here does ‘makea difference': you are encouraged to make the most of local opportunities, from shopping at local markets to eating in local restaurants, while the hostel employs all local staff. The company also makes regular donations to the building of classrooms and funding of school trips.
Details: It costs £925 (Dh5,300) for two weeks, excluding flights. You can also book for eight weeks. Visit www.responsibletravel.com.
Also try…
A Cuba Dance Holiday based in Santiago de Cuba, where you'll have dance lessons with the professional dancers of the Ballet Folklórico Cutumba, as well as visits to local live music events. A 14-day trip costs £1,395 (Dh8,000), excluding flights. www.responsibletravel.com
Find a learning holiday
>> Creative Escapes (www.creative-escapes.co.uk) offersa selection of photography and gourmet holidays.
>> Responsible Travel (www.responsibletravel.com) features a huge range of holidays - from traditional crafts and yoga, to painting, dancing, horse riding and learning languages - that fuse sightseeing with developing knowledge or skills.
>> Go Learn To (www.golearnto.com) offersa variety of inspirational holidays, where, according to the website, you're guaranteed to return "not only bronzed but brainier." Choose from a wide selection, including bellydancing in Turkey, jewellery-making in France, cookery in Thailand or surfing in Portugal.
>> Frui (www.frui.co.uk) offers creative learning holidays with a focus on food, wine and art, from photography holidays in Vietnam to cooking holidays in Morocco.
