Flavours Holidays Pilates Retreat Center

AVOID FLAVOURS HOLIDAYS AT ALL COST I was to be part of a group going to Sicily this September. Due to C-19 some of my friends were not comfortable so asked if it could be pushed back a year, with the deposit used for 2021. When we booked Flavours could not have been nicer and more helpful. However they have now become a corporate monster hiding behind what they must do legally, without any regard for exceptional circumstances. There are so many cooking holidays around, do NOT go with Flavours!

A wonderful seven days in beautiful Tuscany. Everything ran like clockwork from the especially arranged pick up from Florence Airport to the drop off (again, just arranged for me) at Downtown Florence to pick up my hire car. The watercolour painting classes with Hugh Tuckerman were inspirational, the accommodation was superb and Stefano our chef provided delicious fare every day. Hugh was very clever in knowing just when to advise and when to leave one to just get on. He also shared his vast knowledge freely and gave tips and hints that just made sense. We all had loads of fun, relaxed and enjoyed well thought out outings to absorb the essence of Tuscany. I have met some wonderful people and made special friends. My first time travelling solo, Flavours have now whetted my appetite for more!

I am a well seasoned traveler with Flavours Holidays mostly cookery, one cannot say enough on the experience from the word go, booking made so easy by really friendly office staff ready and willing to help. The venues are truly amazing picked for the beauty of the building and the surroundings the staff at the venues are very kind and helpful, the chef will teach you so much about local food and wine how to prepare and cook it and how to eat it, you always have a very good host or hostess who are very knowledgeable and ready to go that extra mile to make your holiday experience the best. It is value for money, and a wonderful holiday well done Flavours

I have now been on three Flavours Italian holidays, waiting to go on my fourth in a few months. Nothing is too much trouble for the Flavours team, from arriving at the airport to departure and all the booking process beforehand. The venues have all been superb, in beautiful locations and the hosts have looked after us with the utmost care and made the holidays truly special. Trips out are also included, which have all been really enjoyable and of course the food (and wine and limoncello) are out of this world!! Here's to Venice ...

I'd never been on a villa holiday before and thought I might be bored as the villa was deep in the countryside but I had one of the best holidays ever. It was a perfect combination of being spoilt by our host, learning Italian, great food and wine, socialising with some lovely, interesting people and sun-bathing by the pool. That was spiced up by visits to nearby towns, meals at authentic (not touristy) Italian restaurants and a wine tasting at a nearby vineyard. I haven't laughed so much in a long time. I really recommend it and I've already booked my next holiday with Flavours in June.

I've been on two Pilates holidays with Flavours - once to Sicily and once to Puglia and I will certainly book another holiday with them. The locations are fabulous with lots of interesting trips as well as plenty of time to relax by the pool, the food (and wine!) is great and you will make lots of new friends. Highly recommended.

I absolutely loved my week-long Flavours Holidays cooking vacation in Puglia, Italy. Not only did I learn how to make many regional dishes with the help of Chef Antonio, I came away with a feeling of having seen the real Puglia, as our holiday included visits to four of the towns in the area.

Superb week away in Sicily. Of course, being with a nice group helps, but the Flavours staff could't have been more helpful, and the week was a nice mix of downtime, tours, and cooking. I particularly liked that most of the dishes we learned were local specialities that you're not going to find in an Italian restaurant in the UK so anything I produce for friends will be something different. It was also great to be able to learn how to make pasta with supervision - it's a fairly tactile skill and not something you'd learn easily from a book. My only note of caution is that unless you've expressed a dietary preference in advance, the meals are pretty much 'you get what you're given', so if you're a fussy eater who will only eat a limited range of flavours then you might struggle to make the most of the week.

I went on a 7day Italian Cookery holiday in Puglia. I cannot recommend the whole experience highly enough. It was my first holiday of this type and the staff in the Edinburgh office patiently and, it turned out, accurately, answered every question I had so I was properly prepared for the trip. Once I was actually in Puglia the lovely Livia, the Flavours Hostess, ensured that we gelled as a group (all of us were solo travellers) and that the holiday was meeting our expectations by responding to our requests throughout the week. The cookery lessons were well paced and I was able to learn new skills through very hands on teaching - some of the dishes I cooked that week have become regulars at dinner parties back at home and guests are always highly complimentary. I also thoroughly enjoyed the cultural trips and felt that I had seen the real Italy, not a tourist destination. Although on first glance it seems like these holidays might be on the expensive side, they are incredibly good value for money as everything except any souveniers you might want is covered in the cost. If you are thinking of trying a cookery holiday , Flavours won't disappoint you, give them a call.