FAQ
Still not sure if we can be of help? Check through some frequently asked questions and then send us a message.
This retreat is intentionally created for families who are intending to, or are already traveling the world long-term with their families. It is also for families who are not sure whether they wish to travel long-term, but are sure that they would like to experience a much deeper connection with their own families and are open to considering traveling longer-term, as a potential option. We are also considering families who might not want to give up everything just yet, or families who will be based in one area semi-permanently, who love traveling from time-to-time as an option for their growth and development. Most importantly, we are considering families who are open of heart and mind, who want to explore the ways that they connect to each other and the world around them, its people, its places, its cultures and the living world. People who are open to the prospect that a life lived together as a family is a rich and transformational learning experience, waiting to be lived. An adventure that can only be enhanced by the learning opportunities that travel can present. This is the type of people we seek for whom we have created a programme of great value for. So if these are the types of values that you hold in your heart, even if you are not traveling now, we encourage you to fill in our pre-registration form by clicking here.
Our retreat is set in the heart of Transylvania’s Hargita County, in the little village of Zetelaka, settled by the ancestors of the present villagers, between the 11th and 12th Centuries. Carefully chosen for its energetic, natural beauty, it is a location that will provide us with the perfect environment and surrounds for us to learn, explore, discovery, contemplate, relax and really get to know each other. Surrounded by the Hargita Plateau, primordial forests and the ancient Küküllő River, everything is in its place for us to receive and give everything to this unique opportunity to grow, develop and transform.
We have aimed to make our event the greatest value retreat in terms of what we intend to deliver to your family. We are asking just 128€ or roughly $160 US per adult per day and 80€ per child 4-12 or roughly $99 per day, (children 0-4 free), for all accommodations, meals, excursions, activities, children’s programme and the entire courses of learning that we have planned and prepared, which in an of themselves, are valued at $25,000 per family. In most places where you would vacation, the investment we are asking, would perhaps cover the cost of your accommodation and meals. We are including everything, in this one all inclusive and comprehensive price. On average this will cost a family of two adults and two children approximately 8800€ or $10,900 USD.
As we have room for only 10 families this time around, we will only be asking those families who have confirmed places to make payments. This will result in an initial deposit of 20% of the total cost on selection, followed by a final payment on or before April 30th 2018.
No. We are not applying any tricksy gimmicks or pressure marketing tactics to get people to commit, or commit early. We feel that the right 10 families will see the deep value that is on offer from our event. This is a mindfully planned, well organised retreat, and we have strived to keep costs low, without compromising on the quality of what is on offer. We also feel this will be a unique opportunity for 10 families to come together to learn, grow and develop, in what we know to be a stunningly beautiful natural environment, steeped in culture and stories. We are similarly confident that the value we will offer in terms of the content and experiences created and delivered and what the 10 families who come will gain from these experiences and each other, will far outweigh the monetary investment value of our retreat.
We have set the retreat in a beautifully natural environment in the heart of Transylvania. It is therefore a little off the beaten-path, but nevertheless serviced by a good variety of traditional and discount airline options. The best way to get there is to fly directly into either Bucharest or Budapest and from there take either a cheap discount flight to Cluj Napoca airport, or a train to Miercurea Ciuc. We will organise bus transfer for you direct to the retreat from both locations on the 28th of June, as will we organise a bus for the return journey to either location on July 20th.
We are very happy to plan and arrange all your travel direct from you home to the retreat through the Travel Concierge planning service, Destinator Travel. This is a enterprising service created by Lalika Kaponay, the 16 year old son of the George & Bobi Kaponay, created with the intention of finding people the best, most convenient and cost-effective routes to their travel. Lalika provides the service on a what he has called a Pay-What-You-Feel-It’s-Worth basis, empowering the client to value the service provide, giving respect to the energies invested by Lalika. Lalika can find you a door-to-door solution for which he will provide you a Personal Travel Itinerary (PTI) that you can directly book yourself, saving you the energies, efforts, stress and worries of getting to the retreat.
This is a family retreat and we have designed what we trust will be a rich programme of events, activities, learning opportunities, excursions, and opportunities to grow together, that will include all members of the family. This is intended to include opportunities for complete family participation, as well as times when adults and children will be given the opportunity to participate in their own specifically designed activities and programmes. We have created what we feel confident will be a natural learning environment, one that will allow all members of the family to participate fully and grow from both the group and individual learning experiences and activities. Some activities will function best if smaller children are participating in the children’s programme, but we are well organised to facilitate an integrated approach to all our activities.
We are eventually aiming to have a place for every family who is interested in attending an At Home In The World Retreat. With our intention to facilitate a very personal and dedicated experience of transformational learning, in a truly unique location and cultural environment, we had to concede that to offer the most thorough value and to be able to facilitate it professionally, that our gathering had to be with a maximum of 10 families.
It is also our intention to bring together a mix of families that will complement each other in a way that would enhance the experience exponentially for everyone. In this respect, if your family was to miss out on this retreat, we wish to reiterate that this is not a personal reflection on your family, merely acknowledging our own capacity to provide the greatest value.
If for any reason your family cannot be selected this time around, we are aiming to provide this opportunity in the near future. We will inform you of our intentions and get in touch with you personally to share with you the details of our next event, so that we can start to plan your future participation together.
If you are offered a place at the retreat, we will require payment of a 20% deposit of the full amount of the retreat’s cost on your acceptance of our offer. We will offer a full-refund of your deposit right up until 30th of May 2018. If after this time, for whatever reason, you are unable to attend, we will need to fill your family’s spot in order to refund your deposit. If we are able to do so, we will give you a 100% refund of your deposit. No refunds will be given after any portion of the retreat commences.