Practical information Acem Meditation World Retreat 2021

Due to the corona crisis, the Acem Meditation World Retreat planned for July 2021 is postponed for at least one year.

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Welcome to attend the Acem Meditation World Retreat 2021! Please read the information below thoroughly.

Acem Meditation World Retreat 2021 Bulgaria

● Registration and payment ● Course language ● Course fees ● Arrival and departure 
● What to bring ● First day of the retreat ● The retreat centre ● Budget accommodation

This retreat has the course number V21515.

Registration and payment 
● The easiest way to pay is by clicking the "Add to basket" button on the course presentation page and use your own credit card or PayPal account. The online payment system is operated by PayPal, but you are free to pay with your own credit card and do not have to register for a PayPal account unless you wish to do so.
● You can also transmit the fee to Acem's bank account by international money transfer. Kindly write the course number V21515 in the payment information. You will receive a confirmation when your payment has been registered. Please show the payment receipt when you check in at the retreat. 
- Bank name: Nordea Bank Norge ASA
- Bank address: Pb 1166 Sentrum, NO-0107 Oslo, Norway
- Swift code/BIC: NDEANOKK
- Country code: NO
- IBAN (account) number: NO8060260497238 
● Personal information form (fill in as soon as you have registered)
● Transportation booking page (to book transportation from Sofia Airport to the retreat centre and back)

Course language
● The official course language is English.
● All evening seminars and some workshops will be simultaneously translated into Spanish, German and Mandarin Chinese.
● Guidance groups, basic yoga classes and Acem Meditation beginner's courses will be available in English, Spanish, German, Scandinavian and Mandarin Chinese.

Course fees
● The course fee includes full board and ensuite accommodation in a single room. 
● The early-bird course fee is only available before 1 February 2021.
● Student discount is only available to full-time students. Student ID must be shown upon arrival. If the retreat is fully booked, student discount may entail accommodation in a double room. 
● If a registration is cancelled before 1 July 2021, the course fee will be refunded minus an administration fee of EUR 60. If a reservation is cancelled after 1 July 2021, the course fee is not refundable. As a protection against unforeseen circumstances, you are strongly advised to obtain suitable travel insurance.

Arrival and departure
Shared transport from Sofia Airport Terminal 2 costs €60 both ways and €35 one way and must be booked and paid in advance. Free shuttle buses from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 leave every 15 minutes between 05:00 and 23:00 and take about 15 minutes. If your flight is delayed, the bus may have to leave without you. Later transportation may also be arranged, but at a higher cost, and arriving after the retreat programme has commenced. 
● The bus from Sofia Airport Terminal 2 to Pamporovo will leave on Sat 24 July at 2pm (estimated arrival time 6pm).
● Buses from Pamporovo to Sofia Airport will leave on Sat 31 July at 1:30pm and 2pm (estimated arrival time at the airport 5:30pm and 6pm).
● You can also book express transfers through Pamporovo Transfers or Pamporovo Express.
● There are regular bus connections between Sofia city centre and Pamporovo. See also Rozhen Express and, for train connections, Virail.

What to bring
● Indoor clothes and shoes/slippers
● Shoes and clothes for outdoor walks. The climate may vary from cool to hot, and from sunny to rainy. 
● Comfortable clothes for the basic yoga instruction arranged during the retreat
● A swimsuit for the swimming pools
● If you would like to do sports, bring your own equipment
● The book Practical Guide to Acem Retreats (also available in Spanish, GermanNorwegian and Chinese), which provides useful information for the practice of long meditations at retreats
● The book Meditative Yoga (also available in SpanishNorwegian and Chinese), which will be useful both for beginners and experienced yoga practitioners (during the retreat, daily practice of yoga is recommended)
● Both books are available online, or can be bought at the retreat centre
● The beginner's course fee includes one of the following books: 
   - Acem Meditation: An Introductory Companion (English)
   - 靜坐行旅 – 雅肯學習指引 (Chinese)
   - Mehr Möglichkeiten (German)
   - Comprendiendo más: Guía para practicantes de Meditación Acem (Spanish)
   - Mer å hente: Håndbok for brukere av Acem-meditasjon (Norwegian)
● Abstaining from coffee 2-3 days before the retreat may make the transition to the rhythm of the retreat easier.

First day of the retreat
● Check-in at the retreat centre starts at 2pm.
● Dinner is served at 7pm.
● Guidance and opening ceremony start at 8pm.

The retreat centre
● During the retreat, Perelik and Orlovetz hotels are non-smoking and alcohol-free areas, and so is the part of Orpheus hotel that is set aside for our use.
● All meals are lacto-vegetarian. Participants with lactose intolerance or coeliac disease can make a note of this on the form for personal information. We regret that we are unable to accommodate other dietary needs.
● Most rooms have hair-dryers.
● Free wi-fi will be available.
● Address: Hotel Perelik/Orlovetz/Orpheus, 4870 Pamporovo resort, Bulgaria.

Budget accommodation in Sofia
It is usually easy to find accommodation in various price classes through airbnb.com or websites such as booking.com.