Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews — Helping You Stay Safe with 5,000+ Independent Reviews
Our Program
At Arkana, we create the space for you to get in touch with your truth, opening your path for deeper meaning and greater fulfillment in your life. We work with ancestral medicines such as Ayahuasca, San Pedro, Bufo Alvarius, Rapé , using the traditional practices of the indigenous cultures of the Peruvian Amazon. We currently operate two centers in Peru, one in the Peruvian Amazon and a second one in the Sacred Valley (close to Machu Picchu), and one in Mexico, the choice is yours.
With great respect for the plants and the knowledge and healing that comes with them, our lineage of Shipibo shamans set the stage for truly deep and profound healing. Awaken your inner power through their sacred and powerful icaros (healing songs), and discover your connection to all things by exploring some of the 2.2 million hectare Pacaya Samiria National Reserve which is our backyard. Nourish your body and soul with fresh, clean, delicious meals that promote your Ayahuasca experience, and integrate healthy habits into your routine with our yoga classes and extensive selection of gym equipment for all levels. We believe the health of physical body sets the foundation for the health of the energetic body – Often ignored in this type of spiritual work, we find this to be an important part of the healing process, so you can begin implementing the healthy habits that will carry this work with you into your life back home. Finally, relax your mind and spirit with sound baths, meditations, breathwave sessions, and OM circles, or simply enjoy the tranquil views of both sunrise and sunset from our front porch on the banks of the Ucayali River, surrounded by lush biodiversity and the mesmerizing sounds of the jungle.
Arkana’s exceptional team of highly-trained Shipibo Master Shamans represent an unbroken lineage of plant medicine work. With a combined history of over 70 years of experience working closely with Ayahuasca and other master plant teachers of the jungle, our compassionate healers lovingly share their teachings, healing songs (icaros), capabilities, and knowledge with integrity and honor. We strive to maintain the traditional practices passed down through thousands of years of indigenous Amazonian culture, in order to continue to promote the true purpose and nature of plant medicine work.
Experiencing the medicines with us is a transformative personal journey, and so much more. We also work closely with our local community, the Amazonian village of Libertad, to ensure that our Center can benefit and give back to the people who have so generously let us into their homes and hearts. We create employment opportunities, teach free English classes, provide a space for the ladies to sell their handmade crafts, and assist in construction projects, among other things. Our latest endeavor is outfitting the entire village with free solar panels, so every house can have light and electricity. When you join us, you are helping the rainforest and the Amazon communities that live here.
Guests that come to our Center often say they feel like “part of the family” with us – that’s no coincidence, as we are one big family at Arkana! The people that are with you throughout your experience can simply facilitate your own healing journey or become an integral part of it. Our experienced, loving, and professional team of caregivers welcomes you to join our tribe, where we strive to make you feel at home and at ease, supported and cared for with all the love and compassion that is at the core of the plant medicines and people we work with.
Ayahuasca is a powerful medicine that offers us the opportunity to understand our true nature, by shining a light onto our darkness, and holding a mirror up to our fears, negative thought patterns, and self-limiting beliefs. We provide the environment and expertise of a team of highly skilled, warm, compassionate Shamans and facilitators to guide you through the process of awakening, of choosing differently, healing, and expanding. It is a slow but steady path towards freedom – from fear, from illusion, from self-constructed boundaries – resulting in a lighter, brighter, more authentic self, and the full experience of love. It is our honor to help you on this most fulfilling of all journeys: the journey back home.
We look forward to having you with us!
Lots of Love,
The Team
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tianadaphne
October 10, 2016 at 12:55 pmI came for a week in October with my partner and a close friend for my first experience with Mama Ayahuasca here – and it was perfect in every way! Having done some homework beforehand, I will admit that I was nervous about about the intense experiences and unethical centres and shamans I’d read about.
However, it quickly became clear that everyone at the Ayahuasca Adventure Center knew what they were doing and were passionate about it. We were very well taken care of from start to finish and assured that we would be with experienced shipibo shamans who make their own brews to ensure quality control. I can’t even begin to put into words my experience of the ceremonies. Insightful and transcendental, I felt like my entire being had been turned inside out and cleansed by the shamans’ heartfelt icaros. I looked long and hard into the mirror to reconnect with my Self, and saw all the experiences that have shaped me for what they are. Now I understand why some people say that it is 10 years of psychotherapy in a session.
I have the utmost respect, love and gratitude for Wiler, Anjalita and Ernesto who allowed us to have a taste of their world and the power of the plant medicine. Special thanks to our facilitators Dolan and Tamara, who just always *knew* whenever anyone was having a hard time, and was immediately our their sides supporting, guiding and helping.
The Center itself is a tropical paradise, quaint wooden malokas and huts with thatched roofs connected by gangways. I found it to be well-equipped and designed to cater to my every need (There’s a gym, dining hall where meals are prepared for us, sufficient shared bathrooms and shower facilities). Built on raised stilts by the river in the middle of dense jungle undergrowth, you are as close to nature as you get. But it was always clean, and we were well protected from the mosquitoes by the series of nets set up everywhere. On a clear night, the milky way is visible. Even when it isn’t, we had an abundance of fireflies to enjoy. While it does get hot and humid in the day, the nights are cool and fresh, with the sounds of crickets, frogs and other critters to sing you to sleep.
I also love that the Center also supports the nearby village of Libertad, which is only a short walk away. We were able to interact with the locals and catch a glimpse into their lives, arts, and culture. Our local guides Falcon and Pecho took us on numerous excursions over the week, sharing their knowledge of the land, plants and animals with us. Pecho can spot a baby sloth high up in the trees while driving the boat!
All in all, I highly recommend Pulse Tours’ Ayahuasca Adventure Center. Based on my own observation, it was safe, respectiful and ethical. My gratitude to Melissa, Tatyana, Dan and all the other souls I crossed paths with at the Center for making my first experience such a magical, life-changing, soul-nourishing one. I’m going to bring my family here next time!
gvincent87
October 8, 2016 at 4:56 pmWe had an incredible and life-changing week with Dan, Tatyana and their amazing crew.
The shamans worked pure magic with their icaros, and the brew was transformation in a cup, and the amazing facilitators will be friends for life. The retreat centre is beautiful, the jungle is tranquil, and the nearby village of Libertad is filled with kind-hearted souls.
If you’re going to put yourself in the hands of Mother Ayahuasca, I recommend putting yourself in the hands of these guys.
Petert11
October 4, 2016 at 7:54 amI just returned from a 2 week tour with Pulse, the first week in the jungle
with 4 ayahauasca ceremonies, and the second week in the Peruvian highlands
including a trip to Machu Picchu. All in all it was an amazing experience. At
60, I am considerably older than most of the people that will take this trip,
but age really doesn’t matter. The people in the group were mostly
intelligent, open minded, adventurous people, and we had great conversations
throughout. The time in the jungle was relaxing, and the ceremonies were
profound.The facilitators at the center were all dedicated to what they do,
and committed to making this a great experience for each person. I can
honestly say that this was a life changing experience, and I found a new sense
of direction there. Now, back home, I am trying to implement this vision into
my everyday life.
The second half of our trip, Dan, the owner served as our guide. Dan doesn’t
usually lead tours, but I am thankful that he led ours. He is not only a great
guy, but a focused leader with a real vision for where he wants to go, and how
he wants to make an impact on the world. He really believes in what he does. I
fell in love with the Highlands, and I know I will be back. This portion of
the trip was much more active, and I can’t imagine going to Peru and not
making time for Machu Picchu, it was truly magical, and this whole week
cemented my vision of where I need to be, and what I need to change in my
life. If you are curious and considering ayahuasca, do yourself a favor and go
with Pulse Tours.
StarDancer
September 25, 2016 at 8:33 pmI have just returned from a 7 Day Ayahuasca Retreat in Peru outside of Iquitos run by Pulse Adventure Tours. This was my 10th time in Peru and my first time drinking the medicine with Pulse who use authentic Shipibo brew consisting of only the Ayahuasca Vine and the Chacruna bush with no dangerous admixture plants (Toe’ Mapacho etc..) The y have 3 Shamans with one of them being a woman to help maximize the female energy of the plant for the guests benefit. All 3 singing together were really something special. It helped the Icaros become more powerful to help us guests get most out of our ceremonies. It was truly magical in every way.
The people at Pulse looked after me and helped me reach my full potential with the medicine to actually cure my lifelong depression as opposed to another place in Iquitos that is “Accredited By The Peruvian Government” where I was given a band aid type of dose and also wasn’t given the Shamans true interpretation of what I needed to do in my work. This is of vital importance while doing this work. People who use this medicine strictly to make money aren’t being true to their guests and there are A LOT OF THEM IN IQUITOS. Pulse was honest with me about what the Shaman said about my visionary process and what I needed to do to get the most out of my retreat. I know only a few words in spanish but I know for a fact I was being told the truth when my interpreter was relaying the Shamans message to me. This my friends, is WHY WE SEEK THIS MEDICINE. This is also why I will never go ANYWHERE ELSE. Honesty is the only policy with this work.
The people from Pulse are also open to other medicines that help gain consciousness like the sacred Mushroom as they are all important for human transformation. The Shaman at Pulse told me it was a very good thing that I work with the mushroom at home and to take my time at the retreat to unite the 2 medicines together to really ascend with this work. The guy from Spiritquest lied to me and other people about this several times in the past to try to control his guests so that they had to come back to most expense place in Peru if they needed healing. Pulse actually offers this medicine (Mushrooms) on their New Years Retreat and are positive about folks like me who do ceremony work with it at home. They in fact may be offering more of this in the future on Aya rest days during retreats as they recognize the benefits of this as well.
I was able to take part in a Kambo ceremony with a Kambo Shaman which has taken my chronic back pain and put it into remission for the 1st time in many years! Having Kambo has now helped me focus on my continued path of enlightenment not my back pain. I give Pulse Tours and their retreat 5 Stars all the way. They kept me busy with jungle walks, swimming, Piranha fishing, Caymen Hunting, and even took us to a locals home where we got to hold a sloth and take pictures for free.There is an adjacent local village with a NO PRESSURE craft market unlike the 2 tribes that Spirituest takes you to who are relentless to get you to overpay for crafts that are very low quality. The Shipibo market inside the Pulse Center has some high quality dynamite tapestries as well as Paintings by real artists of the highest quality. The center has all locals from the neighboring village working there so your money is also benefiting the locals not just a greedy gringo who has no family working at his center though he’s married to a peruvian who has 10 brothers and sisters.
The food was very good (at least as good as an Ayahuasca diet will allow), none of us were ever hungry and a real nice touch was a big fruit platter brought into the ceremonial Moloka immediately after ceremonies to help us guests put electrolytes back into our body afer “LaPurga” but only if we wanted to, again no pressure.
In closing I will definitely be back and bringing as many friends and family as possible to the work as Pulse will never let their guests hang out to dry like with what Spiritquest did when I took my 17 year old daughter who BEGGED for help and didn’t as so much get a conversation the next morning much less help during the ceremony (We were right next to the owner and the Shaman) which left her wounded. She is still battling from this and hopefully someday will come back to the medicine now that I have found a place that cares about their guests from start to finish, ensuring that quality healing takes place within each individual that goes there. Viva la Pulse Tours! Bravo for having a higher consciousness and integrity working with the medicine. The Pachamama needs you 🙂
The Star Dancer
Joe O
September 12, 2016 at 5:14 pmI found Pulse thru this site and I am extremely thankful that I did. I have been on a personal journey of self-discovery and improvement for many years. Haphazardly disappearing into the jungle of a foreign country by myself to meet strangers from around the world to do “drugs” on a whim is far from normal behavior for me……….though it is essentially what I did here, haha. However, I can now say with confidence that “medicine” is a far more appropriate description for Aya than “drug”. As someone wisely told me, you don’t find Aya, she finds you.
For me, there were a lot of nerves involved upon departure from Iquitos, however the center, the setting and the facilitators quickly put you at ease upon arrival. Pulse takes guest safety and the healing process very seriously. After spending a few days at the center you start to get a true appreciation for just how thought thru and planned all aspects of the experience are. The medicine is in no way all “joy ride” all the time. Sometimes the medicine has to kick your ass to bring about the healing you need. However, that part of the experience does pass and is so very rewarding afterwards. The facilitators at Pulse go out of their way to help you thru any challenging experience you may encounter during ceremony. The amazing thing about the Aya experience for me is the love for and beauty you see in people who you just met and can seemingly have very little in common with. Regardless of your other personal healing, I think everyone takes that home with them.
By the end of your week(s) at Pulse, if you are sincere and transparent in the process I am confident you will have a powerful and positive life experience. As for Pulse, based on my personal experience, I can attest the overwhelming positive reviews on this site appear to be very accurate. Good luck with your journey, I hope you find whatever it is you are looking for!