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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BryanK
October 23, 2014 at 12:00 amCame back from an epic journey at the grand opening of the Ayahuasca Adventure Center about a month ago, changed my life. Dan, Tatyana, Victor, I couldn’t thank you more.
Facilities were great! Moloca felt so comfortable, all brand new with restrooms attached. A local villages’ jungle lodge was within walking distance, great place, awesome food, sweet hammock lounge with amazing views.
I left America as an open minded agnostic, this trip definitely changed all that. Drinking Ayahuasca, working with an authentic shaman, was the best decision I’ve made in a very long time… All the amazing people in our group came individually from all over the world; we all bonded extremely well, hated to say goodbye to each and every one of them. Loved being in nature, walking through the rainforest, riverside mud baths with an adjacent stream you could slide down. Absolutely amazing location to experience nature and Ayahuasca, keep up the good work Pulse Tours!!!
Jamie.R23
October 16, 2014 at 12:00 amAs a 21 year old about to venture out halfway across the world to undertake new and unfamiliar experiences with a group I did not previously know, the decision to attend a retreat with Pulse Tours was not one I took lightly.
Like many of you here I’m sure the decision to attend one of these retreats is accompanied by feelings of uncertainty, hesitation and caution. However having recently attended a 13 day retreat at the newly renovated Adventure Centre I can whole heartedly say that this need not be the case!
Dan and Tatyana are both fluent in Spanish and their knowledge of the area, people and customs are second to none. Victor the jungle guide is a true expert on the Amazon and is also an all round great guy.
The centre itself is situated on an open expanse alongside the river allowing for beautiful sunsets and daytime vistas and whilst the jungle is quite literally on you’re doorstep, the centre offers a comfortable and relaxing place to spend time in the hammocks, enjoying the excellent food or swimming with the dolphins (yes there really are pink dolphins regularly breaching the surface!).
On reflection an experience with Pulse offers a genuine and authentic Ayahuasca retreat along with the added benefits of daily jungle expeditions, night time Cayman hunting and lets not forget, mud baths on the banks of the river at the centre.
Overall my time with the Pulse team was unforgettable and having met such an amazing bunch of people I feel obliged to urge anyone who is unsure to simply go, don?t hesitate, and prepare for the journey of a lifetime!
Hammy D
October 16, 2014 at 12:00 amAt first glance I thought Pulse Tours was too good to be true, but after some encouraging conversations with Dan and Tatyana i finally decided to pull the trigger.
BEST. DECISION. EVER.
I had dreamed of going to the Amazon for years and was extremely intrigued by Ayahuasca and even though i knew zero Spanish and was a bit intimidated by traveling internationally my first time alone, Pulse Tours truly was able to make a dream come true with flying colors. I was made comfortable and was well informed every step of the way. Each member of Pulse tours has a unique skill set, wisdom, and personality that work in unison as a fine tuned vessel of experience.
Dan and Tatyana are so knowledgeable on the area and so good with people that there is never a single reason to be distracted by worry. Dan carries a very energizing presence while Tatyana exudes a calm nurturing. They are so genuinely amazing that I decided to return to Iquitos and the jungle a second time with them after my tour was originally scheduled to end in Cuzco.
The jungle guide, Victor brought to the table an unprecedented education on wildlife, medicinal plants, survival, and much more. He loves questions and he most likely will have a good answer for any that you present him with. He’s full of surprises and always keeps you on your toes, which is good when you’re in the jungle. Perhaps most impressive is his expertise on knowing how to have a good time.
Wiler the maestro was mostly quiet and kept to himself when we first met him but it was understandable considering the language barrier. However once the ceremonies commenced his presence expanded into an elegant powerhouse of beautiful music and healing .As the ceremonies progressed he communicated to the best of his ability more and more until he really felt like a good friend. The same could be said for Angela, who’s icaros in one ceremony seemed to move through me as a vibrating liquid and carry me away into the unknown.
As much as I tried not to have expectations for this adventure my mind ran wild in the weeks leading up to it. I’ll be honest and say that I have pretty lofty standards and that I had a lot of hope and emotion invested into this trip. I felt “pulled’ to Peru and something told me that if I went it would be one of the most important things that ever happened to me. That turned out to be true and it was even greater than I ever could have imagined. At three separate occasions during the tour I said “This is the greatest moment of my life.”
The Pulse Tours crew and everyone else that took the journey with me was just as important if not more important to the healing process as the medicines. Because of them I learned so incredibly much about trusting people with who you really are and that is what I needed most of all. So if you’re reading this I am eternally grateful beyond words. THANK YOU.
I could go on and on and on about the details but if you’re thinking about doing this you’ve probably done your research. What’s important is to know that these people are honest and they deliver much more than what they promise. They listen and they care and they do a wonderful job of getting you where you need to be,,,literally, as well mentally and emotionally.
JessoJames
September 30, 2014 at 12:00 amI didn’t know what to expect in Peru. This was my first set of ceremonies outside of Canada (where I had become jaded and distrusting of the religious community surrounding it here), and I was very pleased with what I was offered. Beyond just the ceremonies, which were well organized and executed (their curendero’s icaros are gorgeous), the atmosphere of the trip was welcoming and playful. I really enjoyed Dan, Tatyana and Victor (their awesome jungle guide!). They were approachable and supportive.
This felt like a great retreat for people wanting to explore ayahuasca while exploring the jungle, but aren’t interested in investing into the rampant superstitions around ayahuasca that proliferate so much of the tourism culture down there.
Highly recommend Pulse.
I_love_Fanny
September 25, 2014 at 12:00 amI just had the time of my life with pulse tours.
I joined them for the grand opening of their brand new Ayahuasca adventure center.
18 days of pure magic with Ayahuasca, San Pedro, Kambo , jungle hikes, Machu Picchu, great people and memories that will put a smile on my face for the rest of my life.
The second i opened my first e-mail from them after asking about tour dates and prices i knew these were the guys I wanted to travel with. Dan and Tatyana are two of the most caring people I have ever met, and the way they handled everything from start to finnish made me feel completely safe and relaxed about the fact that i was halfway across the world from where i live, on my own, experimenting with psychedelics. Something i had never done before.
Very professional and very Zen.
During the Ayahuasca ceremonies i tried to describe the shaman to myself and the shortest way i could put it was “Truly a great man”. A very gentle person with huge knowledge and power. I really hope they get to keep working with him for a long time. His Ikaros was the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard and his laugh made me smile every time.
Ayahuasca is probably the most important thing I’ve done so far. It opened me up to my true self and washed away all the negative crap that’s been building up inside me from living in a concrete box for 32 years.
I was reminded how great and exciting it actually is to be alive and i regained the ability to feel gratitude and love. It gave me exactly what i needed. For a start.
I’m definitely going to keep working with psychedelics and i hope I’ll be able to go back to Peru to do it with Pulse and the people i met there.
I couldn’t possibly have asked for more from this experience.
Worth every penny.
Worth every second of the ass numbing flight from Sweden to Peru.
Worth every knee killing step to the top of Huayna Picchu.
It was so great it’s even hard to be sad that it’s over.
Many thanks and much love to Dan, Tatyana, Victor, Wiler (spell check) and all of my beautiful new friends. Hope I’ll see you again soon! //Emil