Reviewed 05 Nov 2012 by Niamh Collins
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Hard to pick one thing but if I have to it's the yoga. I wouldn't have described myself as a serious or regular 'yoga person' prior to going to Gozo, but Laila's overall approach (an amazing and inspirational teacher) and her different sessions (contrasting morning energizing sessions and evening restorative sessions) really showed me how good yoga can make you feel, and what a simple joy it can be. I really returned feeling refreshed, physically and emotionally, and feeling healthier (and that feeling has stayed with me having returned home a few weeks ago). I'm totally converted!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Go with an open mind and let the simple health of the place soak into your bones :) Don't expect luxury, part of the beauty of it is a bit of an escape from consumerism. Although, a cappuccino on the terrace beside the citadel in Victoria is recommended on a sunny day!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, we ate locally, local drivers, local boat tour company, local grocer shop (with free delivery of lots of heavy water bottles to our accommodation). Also the local bus service is user-friendly. A few of us also reduced our environmental impact (and increased the health impact of the holiday..) by cycling or walking around the island, which I highly recommend - stunning views on the bike!
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Wonderful holiday, so, so glad I went. Great yoga teacher, lovely group, great weather, variety of beaches to visit on the island, with lots of time for independent exploration - really enjoyed heading off on a bike to the different beaches and going for a swim in beautiful sea when we got there. Healthy and wholesome all round! Had read a few reviews before arrival which lead me to lower my expectations but I was really pleasantly surprised by an amazing holiday. Just what I needed :)
Reviewed 20 May 2012 by Kate Morrison-Lyons
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The most exciting part of the holiday was getting to know our teacher, exploring yoga from a different perspective and finding out how well I'd adjust. It was a wonderful feeling getting up every morning to be taught something new.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
If you want to really relax (and you're short of time) take advantage of their transport connections, they organize taxis to and from the airport and it really takes the pressure off. Start relaxing as soon as you land, that's my tip!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I think the holiday as whole attracts people who are respectful of their surroundings. As far as the location goes you can walk to anywhere you need (local shops, restaurants etc), there is a bus stop right outside the apartments which can take you to the bigger towns and if you want you can hire a bicycle very easily and cheaply. We were looked after by local people, we dined out in locally owned restaurants, which is all very easy because 97% of Gozo's population speaks English!
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
The perfect tonic to a hectic, stressful and overworked life! I had so much fun and grew so much in my yoga practice, I hope that this can be an annual retreat!
Reviewed 20 May 2012 by Bairbre Sharkey
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Yoga at the Azur Window.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Arrive a day early to have a rest day before the yoga begins.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes very supportive of local employment.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent. Laila Sell was a fantastic instinct instructor and location was perfect.
Reviewed 05 Nov 2012 by John Crowley
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
A great island with great natural features. A good gang of people. The standard of Yoga Teaching was very very good! Local staff were excellent.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Check out the accommodation options.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Everybody was conscious to support the local community and we are all green. It certainly did.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was very pleasant, but we had an issue with our accommodation and the standard compared to the rest of the travelers in our group. We were wrongly advised to go into a different hotel, which ended up being a much lower standard and caused a lot of hassle. We replied to an invite to review the trip form the company and explained our issue, but to day no answer, explanation or apology. Given it was our honeymoon, that was particularly disappointing
Reviewed 20 Oct 2009 by Jenny Halse
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The yoga instructor was lovely - she managed to tailor the classes to suit everybody’s varying abilities. She did everything possible to make everybody feel welcome and comfortable.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do it - It was a fantastic week.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Effort and attention was paid to the environment through out the week. The operator planted trees to off set carbon - It would have been a nicer gesture if they used this money on a local environmental project - plant trees on Gozo, litter collection, dry stone wall creation / repair.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent.
Reviewed 11 Dec 2008 by Ieva Saulite
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
All of it: excellent yoga, exploring the island, a great mix of people.. but meditation and the sunset yoga by the sea was the highlight of the holiday!
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Bring comfortable walking shoes to fully enjoy the amazing walks and hiking! Everything can be arranged on the spot. Our yoga instructor Michelle was fantastic and most accommodating in organising extra activities, and she spent lots of extra time with the group. Accommodation is set in a beautiful location; it has everything you need to have a comfortable stay with supermarkets within short walking distance.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Besides cycling, walking, using local supermarkets, restaurants and facilities, we were encouraged to recycle and think 'green' from day one of our arrival. We were also introduced and invited to join the Tree-Nation project!
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was definitely the best holiday I've ever been on! Guaranteed to have a great time whether travelling alone or with someone as you will meet like-minded people who you bond with instantly. Michelle is one of the best Yoga instructors I’ve ever had catering to all levels, she was professional, accessible, inspiring and fun at the same time! I returned home completely revitalised and inspired to practice more yoga. Perfect holiday in a perfect location! Thank you!
Reviewed 31 Mar 2008 by Jeanne Moore
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Sunset yoga in the wind facing the Azure Window. Magical. Also just cycling around the beautiful beaches and sites. The cliff walk was also fantastic! All of it really.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
In March, bring warm clothes!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Gozo doesn't seem recycle their rubbish so not sure how it benefited the environment but it didn't have much of an impact. The local people benefited definitely through our custom of their restaurants, shops and facilities. We did make locals smile through getting lost so often!
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
It was a wonderful experience. We had a fabulous group of both Irish and international women and men and bonded quickly. We laughed our way through the week. Mostly the success of the trip was down to Erinbell our yoga teacher and guide- she is a fantastic teacher and gives so much of herself to help us all get the most from the trip. It was perfectly organised. I can't fault it in any way. Just the wind that blew in making it chilly at times is my only negative comment, beyond their control! So the rooms were a bit cold at times, and the hot water not the best in our apartment. I feel great after so much yoga and exercise. Thanks guys for a great time.
Reviewed 26 Aug 2008 by Rosa Cembrowiczq
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Erin Bell the yoga teacher. She was truly inspirational and by far made the holiday worth it.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Watch out for the ta Sbejha self catering accommodation during peak season. I got the strong impression from the website that it would be occupied only by yoga people but there were several other families with teenagers and / or young children making lots of noise around the pool all day long. This was not in keeping with the tone of the website's blurb about the holiday nor with the general ethos of yoga itself. Beware the lack of air conditioning - the apartments were deathly hot at night and the fans too loud for some people to sleep with.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Very hard to tell who benefitted from the accommodation as there were clearly lots of parties with their finger in the pie – the operator and the accommodation owners. All the shops nearby were locally owned and the taxis and car hire companies recommended to us by our instructor were all locally owned too. The recycling bags and energy saving light bulbs were a nice touch. We thought perhaps an explanation of who benefits locally from the money we gave to the operator (an Irish company!) would make things clearer.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Very well thought out and structured programme, mixing optional group events and the yoga classes with plenty of time to yourself. The yoga instructor had excellent knowledge of the island and amenities, from car hire to excursions to the nearest pharmacy and made everyone feel at ease without being too pushy.
Read the operator's response here:
We appreciate the positive notes in this feedback but would like to add a few details. We clearly outline on our website that the accommodation is a holiday village which gets busier in the height of summer, (as does everywhere in Europe). We also clearly outline all our environmental policies and local projects which we go into in great detail. Besides our recycling and energy saving scheme on Gozo, we plant a tree for each guest in our forest and on top of this we also offset all the carbon emissions for return flights within Europe. We use only local companies and we spread our business around the island. All this and more is always available on our website. We also detail that the apartments are fan-cooled. In summer the temperatures can get high, but the traditional stone that is sourced on the island, helps to keep the rooms cool. Unfortunately there was a very strong heat wave last summer which affected the whole of the Mediterranean, but we have to put that down to nature. This is always a risk when travelling to these parts at that time of year but it does guarantee long hot sunny days.
Reviewed 03 Aug 2008 by Deborah Livingstone
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Yoga by the ocean on the final evening.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Not much as Erinbell provided lots of fantastic information and helped organise things such as hiring bikes without being intrusive. I didn't enjoy the trip to the Blue Lagoon - it's beautiful but the crowds put me off.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
Yes, Erinbell recommended local restaurants, supermarkets and taxi drivers.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Great, I'd recommend it to all my friends.
Reviewed 07 Mar 2008 by Kirstie Hampson
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
It would be difficult to pick one thing but the hike we did as a group was great and there were some lovely views.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be sure to pack warm clothes for February - we had some unseasonably cold weather at the start of the week and Gozo accommodation isn't really equipped very well for the cold! Luckily it warmed up after a couple of days. I would also recommend joining in the group activities (not just the yoga classes) as I think this added to my enjoyment.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?
I don't think we had too much impact on the environment particularly as my friend and I walked everywhere we could rather than taking transport (it is a small island). We certainly used local shops and restaurants, and the local spa!
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
I had a wonderfully relaxing holiday (despite the fact that I was still recovering from a cold when I arrived) and the yoga was great with a brilliant teacher. The only negative aspect was that we were only given one heater when we arrived and it wasn't until the second or third day that we got another and managed to warm up the apartment!
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