Art of Awareness

"The Arts of Awareness" on Naxos island

A recreational vacation plan based on Taiji Quan and Qi Gong

During our ten-day long vacation on Naxos island, we will have the chance to practice about 14 hours of Yang style Taiji Quan and 4 hours of basic Qi Gong.

We will not focus so much on the details of the external movement, trying to perfect it, but we will mainly deepen into ourselves, observing our breath, look, tensions, attitude, emotions, intention and thoughts while performing the soft and elegant moves of Taiji and Qi Gong.

Discreet hints on the Yin-Yang principle, the 5 Elements qualities and the "secret" practicing points of Yang style (as written in the Chinese Classics) will help you relax your body and breath, clear your intention, soften your attitude, strengthen your focus, enhance and subtle your observation while practicing.

For Taiji Quan students with minimum 1 up to 3 years of experience,

6-20 participants

31 May - 09 June 2010 or
06 - 15 September 2010

Days

Itinerary

of the 10 days long Taiji Quan and Qi Gong vacation plan on Naxos Island

1st day

Monday

31 May or

6 Sept.

Arrival day on Naxos, free of guided activities.

Just rest, get to know the new environment,

walk around on your own, swim, sunbathe and relax.

During dinner we will brief you in all the details

you might need during your vacation time on Naxos.

Hints on how you could maximize sustainability during your vacation.

2nd day

Tuesday

1 June or

7 Sept.

We will meet after breakfast for our first Taiji Quan session.

After that, you will have plenty of free time to explore further the area

on your own or simply enjoy our unique beach, the finest on the island.

Late afternoon we will meet again for our second Taiji Quan session.

After dinner we will get together for a Greek pronunciation lesson,

so that next day you may be able to read the shops' signs on your own!

(optional*)

3rd day

Wednesday

2 June or

8 Sept.

We will meet before breakfast for our third Taiji Quan & Qi Gong session.

After breakfast we will escort you to Chora, the capital city of the island,

where we will guide you inside the archaeological museum.

We will also walk you up to the Venetian castle,

where amongst others you may also choose to have a guided tour (optional*)

inside a very beautifully preserved old Venetian house,

being open today to the public as a museum.

Enough free time for swimming in the afternoon.

After dinner we will present to you the basic elements of the Greek

Mythology, History and Culture, focusing on the myths about

Naxos island and the Aegean sea, the modern history

and the contemporary culture.

4th day

Thursday

3 June or

9 Sept.

First excursion day: Cultural walking around Naxos island!

What a day this will be!

This day we have arranged for you a very interesting

mountain walking and cultural expedition.

We will walk through 4 traditional mountain villages of the island, visiting

a picturesque Byzantine church, a pottery workshop,

a traditional distillery, an authentic olive press and much more.

And guess what: we won’t even miss our Qi Gong exercises

or Greek language lesson, as we will practice them

under the shadow of very old Eucalyptus trees.

We will come back in time for you to enjoy a swim.

In the evening we will introduce you to the Greek circular dances,

where you will have the time of your life dancing and laughing! (optional*)

5th day

Friday

4 June or

10 Sept.

Today we will meet before breakfast for our fourth Taiji Quan & Qi Gong session.

Enough free time for swimming through out the day.

Late afternoon we will meet for our fifth Taiji Quan session.

For dinner we will escort you to Chora, guiding you around

and proposing to you the best places to eat and drink (optional*).

6th day

Saturday

5 June or

11 Sept.

Second excursion day: Boat trip to Delos & Mykonos islands

Today we will visit the famous Delos island.

The worldwide known antiquities of the sacred island will intrigue our imagination

and a local guide will illuminate for us the life, the culture

and the religious beliefs of the ancient Greeks.

And what a contrast: After Delos we will visit Mykonos island,

the number one travel destination in Greece, known for

its picturesque Chora, its wonderful sandy beaches,

its elegant market, but mostly known for its exquisite nightlife!

There will be time for swimming on Mykonos.
We won’t be able to stay that late to experience Mykonos by night,

but back in our Hotel a Greek movie will play later to entertain us.

7th day

Sunday

6 June or

12 Sept.

Today we will meet before breakfast for our sixth Taiji Quan & Qi Gong session.

Enough free time for swimming through out the day.

Late afternoon we will meet for our seventh Taiji Quan session.

And in the evening we will dance the Greek way again! (optional*)

8th day

Monday

7 June or

13 Sept.

Sunset trekking on Naxos island (optional*)

This day we have arranged for you another very interesting trekking tour.

In the afternoon we will visit the ancient temple of Demeter on the mountain.

Walking on beautiful paths and dirt roads we will come all the way down

to our Hotel at Plaka beach to enjoy a swim.

Boat excursion and bus touring on Santorini island (optional*)

Today we will sail to the unique volcano island of Santorini.

Being one of the most travelled to destinations of Europe,

our guess is we will simply confirm the reasons for its fame.
On the island a guided bus tour will try to sum up all its highlights,

giving you free time to explore on your own and swim too.

9th day

Tuesday

8 June or

14 Sept.

For our eighth Taiji Quan & Qi Gong session we will meet on the beach very early

in the morning to experience the sunrise and the calmness of the environment.

Then we will continue with our ninth and last Taiji Quan session.

Enough free time for swimming through out the day.

Being sad to have to bring this vacation program to an end, we will have prepared

for you an unforgettable farewell dinner with many surprises.

10th day

Wednesday

9 June or

15 Sept.

We will escort you to the port or the island’s airport

for your departure to Piraeus - Athens

*not in price included

The above vacation program is subject to last minute minor changes without notice

DAILY SCHEDULE

(except on the excursion days)

07:15-08:45 Taiji Quan & Qi Gong workshop / Instructor: Yannis

08:45-10:00 Breakfast buffet

10:00-15:00 Free time; swimming and sunbathing

15:00-17:30 Taiji Quan & Qi Gong workshop / Instructor: Yannis

17:30-21:30 Free time for relaxation and dinner

21:30-23:00 Evening events, e.g. multimedia presentation/lecture about the "Mythology and Culture of the Aegean Sea and Greece", Greek movies, Greek dancing

There is a public bus connection between your Hotel and the city every hour, thus you can arrange your own tours around the island too. Car, motorbike or bike renting is available.

PRICES in JUNE :

Complete package's cost when staying as a single in a double room:
865 euros in Plaka Hotel's ground floor rooms
975 euros in Plaka Hotel's 1st floor rooms
1.055 euros in the rooms of the 4stars Aegean Palace Hotel

Complete package's cost p.p. when staying in a double room:
590 euros in Plaka Hotel's ground floor rooms
690 euros in Plaka Hotel's 1st floor rooms
810 euros in the rooms of the 4stars Aegean Palace Hotel

Complete package's cost p.p. when staying in a triple room:
550 euros in Plaka Hotel's ground floor rooms
640 euros in Plaka Hotel's 1st floor rooms
750 euros in the rooms of the 4stars Aegean Palace Hotel

Complete package's cost p.p. when staying in the camping:

450 euros

PRICES in SEPTEMBER :

Complete package's cost when staying as a single in a double room:
1.085 euros in Plaka Hotel's ground floor rooms
1.200 euros in Plaka Hotel's 1st floor rooms
1.315 euros in the rooms of the 4stars Aegean Palace Hotel

Complete package's cost p.p. when staying in a double room:
750 euros in Plaka Hotel's ground floor rooms
805 euros in Plaka Hotel's 1st floor rooms
1.030 euros in the rooms of the 4stars Aegean Palace Hotel

Complete package's cost p.p. when staying in a triple room:
675 euros in Plaka Hotel's ground floor rooms
715 euros in Plaka Hotel's 1st floor rooms
935 euros in the rooms of the 4stars Aegean Palace Hotel

Complete package's cost p.p. when staying in the camping:

450 euros

The above prices of the 10 days long Travel and Do vacation plan on Naxos include:

Transfer from/to the local port or airport of Naxos to/from our location

Accommodation for 9 nights with breakfast buffet in a hotel near the beach in a spacious double room with bathroom, WC, refrigerator, air conditioning, TV, safe, hair dryer, DSL Internet access outlet, balcony or veranda and sea-view (if you book early)

2 times a dinner

9 times = 18 hours of Taiji Quan and Qi Gong workshop ( 1,5h long sessions before breakfast and 2,5h long sessions during the rest of the day, the workshop is physically demanding)

1 time a Greek dance evening

1 time a Greek movie

1 time a lecture evening about the "History, Mythology and Culture of Greece"

1 time an one-day walking excursion on Naxos, including guided activities and all transfers

1 time an one-day boat excursion to Delos/Mykonos, including guided activities and all transfers

1 time escorted transfer to/from Hora, the capital city of the Island, and short guiding around the market, the museums, the castle, the antiquities and much more

The price does not include:

International air transfer to/from Greece

Other than mentioned meals

Travel/medical insurance

Additional optional services (which are to be booked and paid for on site):

Half pension: € 15,- per person per day

1 time a short course on everyday Greek expressions: € 10,-

1 time an one-day boat excursion to Santorini. Price per person per excursion: € 60,- including activities and all transfers

Different half day long activities, like: sea sports, horse riding, cycling, off-road driving, Greek cooking and much more

Greek dinner /music/ concert evenings: € 15,- to 25,-

Personal sessions with various kinds of treatments such as Chinese or Thai massage, starting from € 45,- per hour.

Travel and Do Network
Ilia Zervou 96
GR – 11144 Athens
Tel: +30 6944 555 696
Fax: +30 210 20 27 250
info@travelanddo.com
www.travelanddo.com