Selva Madre Ayahuasca Retreat

Selva Madre

Selva Madre is a family owned and operated center. Our goal is to offer you a unique Ayahuasca experience with the utmost professionalism and loving care. The family atmosphere provided at Selva Madre is unparalleled offering you the opportunity to benefit from a long standing generational lineage of healers in the Rimachi Family. With a loving heart and warm embrace we welcome our guests from all walks of life with varying spiritual and cultural backgrounds. We make every effort to make you feel at home as another member of our every growing family in a safe and peaceful environment.

Selva Madre welcomes guests from all over the world and is considered one of the best places in the world for healing therapy and an authentic Ayahuasca spiritual retreat. Don Luis Rimachi has been a practicing Shaman for over 40 years in local native communities. He is dedicated to healing and guides guests from all corners of the world to achieve positive transformation and begin a new path on their spiritual journey. The Ayahuasca is brewed on site and is made with no additives. We have a strict policy that ONLY experienced Curanderos following a strict Dieta brew our Ayahuasca in order to incorporate the purest and highest energies into the medicine.

Selva Madre 10 Day Ayahuasca Retreat

Our Retreat Includes:

  • 4 Ayahuasca ceremonies
  • Shamanic Dieta
  • Shamanic consultations
  • Integration discussions in the mornings after ceremonies
  • Fresh dietetic meals
  • Lodging in private rooms with double bed and shower/bathroom
  • Laundry service
  • Botanical tour
  • Jungle excursion
  • Spanish / English  Interpreter
  • Plant and floral baths
  • Transportation from Iquitos to Selva Madre

The Ayahuasca Ceremonies

The Ayahuasca experience is a permanently transformative process on all levels to include the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual parts of our being.  It helps reveal our higher self and facilitates deep healing.  Our safety protocols are important in order to offer the best experience possible. Unlike other centers that propose five ceremonies or more per week, we feel four ceremonies is the perfect amount per ten day retreat.  Ceremonies are held every other day with a day of rest, processing, and consultation in between. Ayahuasca demands 48 hours to be entirely processed by the body and for its teachings to be assimilated. Doing more ceremonies in a short time is definitely not recommended. We feel a 10 day retreat with 4 ceremonies is ideal for most people, but we offer a range of 2 days to multiple years (for apprenticeships).

Detoxing & Purging

Purging is a central element in Amazonian traditional medicine, the purge is provoked by Ayahuasca in order to release physical, emotional and non physical energies that you may have carried since the beginning of your life which have caused health issues, karmic blockages, and emotional disorders. By the end of your stay you will be cleansed from all toxins and energetic charges and have a final consultation with the Shaman.

Accommodation

You will be staying in a private traditional Amazonian jungle bungalow with cement foundation.  They are comfortable, spacious, and protected from mosquitoes by screens. Each room contains a double bed and private toilet and shower.

Food

The food is very important to us here at Selva Madre.  In order to have the best experience during your retreat we serve fresh and natural local food. The meals are healthy and balanced.  We accommodate individuals with specific dietary needs.

Transport

The transport is provided between Selva Madre and Iquitos Airport or your hotel. Selva Madre is located at the other side of the river Nanay from Iquitos, so the journey takes approximately 1 hour from Iquitos city center including taxi and boat.

Reviews (61)

4.9 out of 5
Overall 4.9
  • whitneyday
    whitneyday
    April 21, 2022 at 9:29 pm

    Amazing experience, loving shamans. Highly recommend! I went here for a 10 day retreat, Don Luco, Luis and Anderson were amazing shamans. I had so much healing and breakthroughs, felt very safe and supported throughout my journey. I had been researching where to go and decided to go with Selva Madre, so grateful I did!

    If you are planning an ayahuasca retreat I highly recommend doing 10 day retreat, there is 4 ceremonies with time for healing and integration in between ceremonies.

    Don Luco has over 40 years of experience as a shaman and after trying ayahuasca without a shaman in the past (I do not recommend) this experience with Don Luco was incredible. Prior to becoming a shaman he was a psychologist, he is an expert in human psychology. I was safe, protected and this experience was so much better with a shaman who knows what he is doing and is working in the light. Where ever you choose to go make sure that its someone who is working in LOVE and TRUTH. Ultimately this is your journey, having guides and helpers there who can assist you is so important. The shamans are there with you helping clear and remove things with you during ceremony, you can feel this, it’s absolutely amazing. Don Luco, Luis and Anderson are like angels.
    Remember this is your journey and ultimately you are responsible for your outcomes and life, so show up, do the work and make sure you have some form of integration or daily spiritual practice afterwards be it mediation, yoga, prayer, whatever it is for you and hold yourself accountable. So often I see people come to retreats, have results but then don’t integrate and practice daily. You will do 5% of the work on the mat, and 95% when you go home, sometimes integration takes 6 month to a year. I trust the medicine 100%, she will give you what you need but not always what you want, trust her.

    You will be on a specific diet to help the medicine work in healing your body (some days no fruits, so ayahuasca can heal the blood). Follow their recommendations for diet beforehand as well. The food was amazing, so fresh.

    During my stay I felt at home and safe here. This was huge for me as I wanted somewhere I could feel safe and supported. Everyone was kind and supportive. If I needed anything there was always someone there to help (this went for ceremony too). Any questions I had about my journey Don Luco, Luis and Anderson helped me integrate and discuss. Each morning afterward had time to talk about the ceremony and integrate, had plenty of time as well to inward process.

    The location is in the jungle: peaceful, calm and beautiful.

    To book I wrote them on their website, the day before the retreat Luis picked me up in Iquitos at my hotel which made getting there super easy and they dropped me off at my hotel on the last day. They were flexible with me on my arrival dates and had opening for me.

    In conclusion if you are looking for a beautiful retreat to safely and supportively take ayahuasca I recommend Selva Madre!

  • ayaathena
    ayaathena
    August 7, 2021 at 1:46 am

    Selva Madre has one of the most beautiful retreat sites I’ve seen. Everyone has a comfortable, mosquito-free, cabin with private facilities and bed. The food is excellent and healthy and I felt safe the entire time I was there.

    Don Lucho is not only a master shaman with 40 years of experience, he is also a genuinely loving and compassionate person who gives you warm personal attention. He sat down with us at most meals, got to know us, and made sure that we were well cared for. His icaros are incredibly beautiful and his ceremonies are very powerful. He is highly educated, with a doctorate in psychology, so he has an added advantage of being able to explain shamanic concepts to western thinkers with remarkable clarity. I was so moved by my experience there, I plan to return for a whole month next time.

  • aquarius
    aquarius
    July 22, 2019 at 6:59 am

    I spent an unforgettable moment of my life at Selva Madre. The medicine was potent and led me to states of bliss and awareness. The Shaman Don Luis is someone I thank for the healing and care plus this feeling of trust he inspires.

    The center is located in a beautiful spot and the people I met were just beautiful. The care and attention I received made me feel at home,

    The Ayahuasca ceremonies were powerful and led me to that special place I always wanted to be, a place were you feel connected. I appreciated especially the care given by the Shaman the days after ceremonies to listen and give priceless advises.

    Do I recommend this place? 200% YES, that is the best Ayahuasca retreat I could have imagined to heal myself and be such an improved version of me after just a week spent there.

  • Marie
    Marie
    December 23, 2017 at 6:29 pm

    We just returned from our trip to Selva Madre and I hope that I will find the right words to give an impression about this life changing and magical place. When I have been there two years ago I returned as a so much better version of myself. I found inner peace, acceptance for myself and the energy to embrace and to love my life, including all the painful and negative experiences I made before. In 2015 I went with my boyfriend who already had an ayahuasca healing experience a few years before. His story convinced me to give it a try when I felt that I got more and more depressed and was about to lose myself in dark thoughts and an unease feeling which dominated my every day life more and more. I made this experience before in my life and I wanted to do anything before I end up with some serious mental issues and the need to get psychiatric treatment. So I found the Selva Madre retreat center after a long research and the fact that it is a family run business and not run by some north american or european owner convinced us to try it there. My partner and I were both convinced that we don’t want to make things more complicated in our lives and even if we were living together and felt in ease with our commitment as a couple, we didn’t want to built up walls for each other and especially the topic kids was clearly discussed, we didn’t want to be a family and we didn’t want to have children. We felt love for each other, but we needed to know that there are no obligations and that everyone can go on his own path whenever he wants. I didn’t feel strong enough for ever having the responsibility for a child and I couldn’t imagine that it can be the right decision to have children in this sick world. It was after the first ceremony that I told my partner that I understood that I need to have children in my life, with him or with sb else, and that it really doesn’t need to be soon, as I was shocked myself how ones attitude can change that dramatically in such a short time, but some day I knew that I need to have my own children. Three months after our return from Selva Madre I have been pregnant, without planning. And my daughter is the best thing that could ever happen. She is the baby of Selva Madre, and that’s why I decided really soon after I gave birth to her, that I need to go back with her. I felt exhausted by my thoughts and fears. I think that it is normal that certain fears are coming up as soon as one becomes a parent, but depending on former experiences in our lives those fears might take up too much space in our lives and convert into some kind of sickness and profound bad energy which starts to manifest in different, of course unpleasant ways in our day to day life. I knew that I want to be there for my daughter, I want to be a good example and teach her how to be happy, how to love and laugh and how to appreciate life, and not how to be full of fears, and sorrows and concerns and spreading a heavy vibe. It was so clear for me that we will go back to Selva Madre for the following reasons:

    The Retreat Center:

    The Center is located in a 30 minutes travel from Iquitos. It takes about 15 minutes with the boat to cross the Nanay river and about 15 minutes with the motorbike from Padre Cocha to the Retreat Center. So in the case that one needs to get into the city urgently, it is not much of a hassle to get to there. Everybody has his own private hut (traditional tambos) with a shower and a toilet inside and a big bed. The huts are protected against mosquitos and really comfortable even if they are really basic. Three out of four walls have a huge window, that guarantees that a fresh breeze is blowing through the tambos in the night and it is a pure pleasure to enjoy the fresh air and a good sleep after the hot days in the rainforest climate. There is a wonderful terrace with hammocks and some space to do some yoga or workout right in front of the maloka (the temple where the ceremonies take place). The kitchen is located in a spacious extra building which is opened day and night and even has electric light provided by solar panels. It is totally okay to hang around there outside the eating hours and to have a chat with the staff or the other participants. They have a corner with a number of books which are left over from former participants and will be probably growing with the time. If you are crossing the road which leads to the retreat center you will arrive to the other part of the land which belongs to Don Lucho. There Don Lucho was living before and the installations of the Retreat Center have been located before everything has been restructured and rebuilt about one year ago. So all installations are new and really smart organized. The whole area which is dedicated to the guests is kept clean and the gras is cut really short so that the chance to have uninvited visitors is minimized to the maximum. Only referring to the installations I can totally confirm that a big part of the money payed for the retreat is used in order to maintain the center and to improve the conditions for the participants.

    The Staff:

    You will be attended by Carmen and Nacho who are preparing the meals and taking care of everything else around the retreat center. They are cleaning the rooms nearly every day and on demand. There is no wish from a guest which stays ignored. Carmen and Nacho are the most nice and loving people that you can imagine. They are always smiling and doing their best in order to make all guests feeling comfortable and happy. Ronald is the translator and guide for the activities which take place during your stay. You will for example visit the Kukama tribe in padre cocha. There you will have the opportunity to buy beautiful handcraft for a very good price. Ronald is speaking excellent english and knows the whole region like his own pocket. He has a wide knowledge about the plants of the rainforest and nature, ancient traditions and about so much more. He is a very wise man and he will always give you good advise to all kind of questions. He has a lot of interesting stories to share and he is a really funny dude with a very big heart. Ronald is also attending the ceremonies without drinking ayahuasca and helping if somebody needs to leave the maloka or needs any help during and after the ceremony. All these people are really dedicated to their work and make the jungle literally convert into your comfort zone. I don’t think that there is a place on earth where I ever felt that safe and peaceful.

    The food:

    The people of Selva Madre want their guests to have a good experience and to return with new energy into their life. Therefore they take care of a good diet for all participants. You will receive a variety of fruits and sweet breakfast on the ceremony days, as well as a tasty meal with a little salt. On the ceremony days you will skip the dinner as it is not recommended to go into the ceremony with a full belly due to the purging which is to expect. On non ceremony days you will get salt free meals which contain fresh vegetables, most likely steam cocked and still very tasty for the fact that they don’t contain any spices. Carmen and Nacho are very happy if they see you eating with good appetite and asking for more food.

    The Ceremonies:

    I had four ayahuasca ceremonies during my 10 days stay and not more than three ceremonies in one week. The ayahuasca is very strong, even if exclusively brewed from chacruna leaves and the ayahuasca vine. Depending on the program you might be invited to participate in the ayahuasca preparation. Don Lucho is personally preparing the brew on the other side of the property. There you will find a little creek with fresh water which comes from the virgin jungle. You will get a flower bath from one of the shamans and if the weather allows it a mud bath. These activities take place in the creek. The ayahuasca ceremonies take place in the maloka which is located on the retreat site, really close to the personal huts. The maloka is beautiful, in the middle they have a round space with medicinal plants growing. Everybody has his personal space, far enough from each other to feel comfortable and in ease in his own experience. You will get your own mattress with a bucket, a toilet paper roll, a pillow and a blanket. The ceremonies are always led by three shamans who are singing the most beautiful icaros that you can imagine. It is impossible to describe their work. I can just reassure that they totally know what they are doing, that they are doing it with love and for the only purpose to heal and to help and that they are succeeding. Ronald is present during the whole time and helps in case that somebody needs any assistance. After the ceremony you will be accompanied to your hut if you can’t walk yourself and Don Lucho himself is staying in one of the huts on the retreat site in order to help in case that somebody has a tough night. There is a security guard walking patrol the whole night to assure that everybody is safe.

    The Shamans:

    You will take advantage of the attention of three shamans during your stay. Don Lucho is working since more than 40 years with Ayahuasca. He is such a powerful man and his wisdom is terrific. Just to listen to his words when he is talking, is opening doors to a peaceful way of life. It’s hard to believe that there exist people with so much love for humankind in their heart, who just spread love and who dedicate their life to make the world a better place. Don Luis (Don Luchos son) and Anderson ( Don Luchos son in law) are the other two Shamans who are completing Don Luchos work with their support. They are all three great healers and making the biggest effort in order to heal and help the people who are searching for it. They are really genuine people and highly respectful towards their guests and towards the healing with the medicine. This retreat center has serious intentions and everybody is welcome and taken seriously for whichever reason one decided to get to Selva Madre.

    The Orphanage:

    40% of the money you pay for the retreat goes into the construction of an orphanage. You can see the project growing and becoming reality as it will be built up on the other side of Don Luchos land, where the creek is located. It is incredible that this family is always sharing with the people who need help without expecting anything in return. It is a huge project which is to honor and really deserves to be supported. I was highly impressed when I saw the constructions and when Don Lucho explained what he is doing.

    My experience with my Baby in the Jungle:

    I think that anybody who decides that Ayahuasca might help to combat serious issues deserves to get the chance to do it. Children are never a reason to disclaim beneficial and helpful things in our lives. In contrary, the more responsibility one has towards his children, the more one should consider to be a sane person and to do whatever it costs in order to create a healthy balance inside oneself, which also manifests in the outer appearance and in the end in the children’s surrounding. Everybody in the western world will tell you that it is wrong to take your child into the jungle and that it is a selfish decision. Follow your heart, you as a parent are the one in charge to create a safe home for your children. The jungles danger is the nature that we don’t know to handle. But you are not alone out there. The people know the jungle exactly and they won’t let you come to their home if they would put you in any bigger risk than everybody’s day to day life is taking anyway. My baby felt comfortable at any time at Selva Madre. She got a few mosquito bites, that’s all. She handled the heat, the darkness, the jungle sounds at night without any problems, and she got that much love from the people at Selva Madre, words can’t describe.

    I am forever grateful for this unique experience. I feel strong and healed, even if I am still kind of overwhelmed by the past events at Selva Madre, I am blessed and grateful for the chance to change my life and for the help that I received from Don Lucho and the Selva Madre Family. I can highly recommend to put the doubts aside, to trust your inner voice and to start your journey at Selva Madre

  • Mikki_Aya
    October 4, 2017 at 8:33 am

    Selva Madre

    It is not the easiest task to write a review for a 10 day retreat that did so much for and that is still working in me.
    I think the main reason why it is difficult relies in the fact that I am not finished yet with all that I was going through.
    For me it would be too less to simply say: „Great, beautiful place! Amazing staff! Very funny guide and translator! Delicious food! Awesome ceremonies!“

    Where to start?

    At the beginning.
    I was coming to the front of the beautiful situated „Dawn on the Amazon Cafe“ and immediately I was recognised with my backpack as an Ayahusca-traveller from Europe.
    Be prepared, if you are not looking like a local, there will be several people asking you if you are about to take Ayahuasca, the liane of the soul. The taxi driver, the hotel receptionist, the cafe owner, the pedestrian on the street who want to sell necklaces to you – everyone knows why you are in Iquitos.

    Ayahuasca! It was pumping in my veins, it was surrounding my head. In every thought was that word. I watched a store window, a museum, a plant, I took pictures, I ate, I drank, I lay down to sleep – and there was all the time the fact with me that I am about to go to a place where foreign unknown people will give me a drink, which will do something really heavy things with me. People who are living in the jungle. People whom I never met before.
    But to those people I am about to give my life. I have to trust them. I have to fully rely on them.
    I was very nervous before my first ceremony.
    I was concerned about my heart.
    I did read a lot about it before the trip. But never ever think that you know all about it.
    Do it with NO EXPECTATIONS. Let go.

    I did go. With a motocar and with the funny, absolutely sympathic jungle guide Ronald, with the junior shaman Luis Jr. and with the other souls who wanted to experience something new.

    Dont you dare to be afraid and never ever think on what could happen on such an old, stinky motorcar. No safety at all with such vehicles.
    But yeah … going by them through the traffic of Iquitos was my smallest fear.
    We survived and reached the harbour where we took a boat to Padre Cocha. A small village on the river Nanay.
    And again a ride with a motorcar … But the landscape was getting more interesting. More jungle like.

    And finally. There was my home for 10 days. Selva Madre.

    We got our huts, the new huts. I was expecting to have a hut in the middle of the forest. But unfortunately I got a new one.
    BUT: That was no problem at all. It fits. It is okay. They are spacious. A good bed. Own toilet (VERRRRY important) and own shower (cold water – amazing good to shower in the jungle heat).
    Outside of the hut I had a hammock. Also really nice to relax there.

    And then a huge shock.
    „First ayahuasca cermony will take place … tonight!“
    It was for nothing to answer „But I read and thought it will be tomorrow.“
    It is going to be tonight. In some hours.
    O hhhhh K aaaaaaaayyyyyyy!
    There was no chance to escape.
    But afterwards I have to say, that there is no need to be scared, afraid, nervous.
    Three shamans (curanderos) are in the ceremonies. Ronald, the jungle guide and translator, is taking care of the participants. He helps if someones has needs. He will guide you out to the rest rooms if you need to do so.

    It is dark. Really dark. You need flashlights to find the way to the temple.
    Of course nervousness rises when you are sitting in the temple on your mattress in front of your bucket.
    But as soon as the master shaman Don Lucho comes in with his white ceremony clothes on, followed by his son Luis Jr. and his son in law Anderson, there is a special feeling coming up in the temple.
    Always when Don Lucho strolled in, he reminded me on a cozy, peaceful panda bear. He toddles to all the participants and touches their heads or shakes their hands. Always with a friendly, kind-hearted smile for everyone. Just like Po from Kung-Fu Panda.
    Don Lucho radiates a special aura. You can feel it immediately. And then the nervousness goes down. – At least that was my way of feeling.
    An Ayahusca ceremony is different for every single human. There is no written script how people react on the liane of the death.
    In fact one can feel the strongest effects, flying in the universe, having amazing visions – and the other dont feel anything at all. Despite vomiting and diarrhea. That seems to hit everyone sooner or later.
    Also in our group it was like that.
    So … it is important not to have any expectations. And dont be nervous.
    In Selva Madre you are save. You can trust the experienced staff.

    The days (and nights) after the ceremonies were really hard for me. Amazing tiredness hitted me. I was vomiting. I had diarrhea. After the first ceremony I was simply feeling rubbish. Couldnt eat anything for hours.

    An ayahuasca retreat is not for everyone.

    But the staff is always taking care for their guests. Coming to look after you and trying to help as much as they can. You get natural drugs from the jungle as help for you bad feeling.

    After every ceremony you should rest. And avoid any electronic devices or contact to other people outside of the camp.

    After the resting day there is time to recapitulate and discuss your experiences with the shamans. Very important. Then you also decide the dose of the next ceremony.

    I will not write too detailed about the ceremony itself. Because this is personal. And everyone reacts differently.
    The ayahuasca brew itself … It tastes … well awful is not the right word. It is … in fact hard to describe. Imagine a wasp trap filled with beer and vinegar. Standing outside for days. And into that trap some smokers have thrown their cigarettes. The trap was standing in the sun. Heated up very day that it can ferment. It has a dark brown colour. Maybe add some oily taste and consistence.
    Maybe that describes somehow the flavor of the brew.
    They use only the vine and chakruna leaves. Nothing else.
    But eventough … the taste is really something you will never forget but really want to forget. You can drink some water after you hopefully managed to get it down.
    I have big respect in that case with one of the guys who were with me. Because he took so amazingly much of the brew. I still can hear his swallow noises … In fact those noises of this special fellow were hunting me during days and nights afterwards.
    No one without that experience of drinking ayahuasca ever can understand it, what the taste in the mouth, after it is down, means. The taste stays on your lips. No matter how often you try to clean them. I tried not to swallow after taking it down. But it is impossible not to swallow, because you want the taste go down. Go away.
    Luckily soon after the terrifying drinking there comes a wonderful noise. I never ever before have heard a human whistling so beautifully than Don Lucho.
    I loved it to slide away slowly with the first whistling. And so did also my bad feeling of the drink slide away. When the shamans then start their beautiful icaros, you are ready to travel whereever la medicina wants you to travel to.
    After the ceremony I felt always very dizzy. Especially the first one. It was hard to stand or walk. I saw lighting effects for a long time. Light rays moving from left and right into my sight. Making it difficult to see anything.
    I did more vomit after the ceremonies than during. And diahrrhea was a daily companion.
    All of that is part of the purging. Part of the healing. It is totally okay if you accept it. I tried not to think about it.
    One more experience and lesson I took with me from Peru: You can sit with total strangers from all over the planet and talk with them about your past visits to the toilet. You can totally share all the details of such a personal action. You can sit for breakfast or better call it lunch (I was not able to eat in the morning after a ceremony) and tell the people that you had looong sessions on the toilet last night and the people will tell you that they heard it. They will tell you that all the noises went out to the other huts. Noises of sitting and let it go backwards changed rapidly to the noises of standing up, putting the toilet seat up for vomitting,. You can try to be silent. But everybody hears your pain.
    But you know what? That doesnt mind! It is totally okay. It is ok to talk about those late night toilet activities. It is even ok that those noises go out to all the others who maybe try to sleep.
    And if you have a person in your group who is not having so many effects and then suddenly this person tells the group that he finally had to vomit so heavily the last night, that he had so bad diarrhea – you wanna know what then happens? This person gets answers like: „I am soooo happy for you!“ „Sooooo glad to hear that you also had to make such terrible experiences.“

    I also think, at least in my occasion it was like that, that in between a group which is making such a time together, is raising a special feeling of solidarity. We had a lot of fun together. We shared a lot of thoughts. And for me it was very helpful to talk about the different experiences we had during the ceremonies. I enjoyed to sit together with those so different souls from all over the world.

    I also enjoyed every time I met Don Lucho or Luis Jr. or Anderson. All of them are very friendly peaceful people who give away a lot of power and strength to their guests.

    Also to mention is the outstanding food. Ruby and Nacho are such a great team and are making delicous healthy food. Taking also care of all the wishes of the people.
    Yucca frita … And this delicious paiche … Mhmmm ….

    Ronald, the guide and translator always enjoys a chat. He always have his special funny stories to tell. „Baaaauuuuhhhh – and I had the anaconda.“
    He is laughing all the time. And he picks up the electronic devices to charge them up.

    Yeah there is no electricity to do so itself. But they help you with everything.
    And to be honest – you are not coming to an Aya retreat to use 24/7 your Laptop, TV, smartphone, etc.
    The time there is to find yourself. To work with spiritualism. To feel the power of madre ayahuasca.

    But not only Ayahuasca is given to the guests. I also received different other plant medicine. Like the dead ant drink for my leg veins. An ant goes up a tree to die. It sits then on a branch and after it dies there grows some kind of fungus. And from that fungus grows a liane. With that liane they brew a tea.
    Also very delicious lemon grass tea we got.
    And so much more you can get if you have some other diseases. Just ask.

    The activities – thanks again to Ronald – were great. We even went to fish for piranha.
    He tells as much stories of the creatures of the amazonian rain forest as a fairy tale book can have. In fact he is a wandering fairy tale book. When there are stories told of huge water monsters that are waiting in the river nanay to come out – then from his mouth they sound believable. You really can see the goblins and monsters (like for example an underwater puma …).
    He knows also a lot about the life in the forests. Walking with him in the jungle and getting informations about every thing that grows or crawls is really a fascinating thing to do.
    Great to have such a guide.

    Magic.
    For me, Selva madre was a magical place. Even time is running slower there. I live in Europe. Time is different in Europe. In Selva Madre it is amazing how much more you can do in half an hour of time. There is no rush.
    We were meeting for dinner. Eating a long time. The staff was leaving the place already. We stayed in the hammocks and kept on talking for hours. But … in fact. That havent been so many hours. It was always fascinating to see how less time has passed. True magic.
    And in a lot of other situations I felt the power and the aura of the jungle.
    There is a great place next to a small creek. Every single day I went there to sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings, the plants, the nature, butterflies, kolibris – trying to relax, practise some meditation and find some refreshment from the water.

    Ayahuasca is not about taking drugs. Its not about getting high.
    Madre Aya does what she wants to do. She is healing if you need healing. She guides if you need guidance. She shows you your path if you need to find that path. If she wants you to have visions – you will have that visions.
    As said before – dont expect anything. Just let her and the curanderos do the job.
    Enjoy the beautiful setting there.
    Immerse into the life of the peruvian amazon with communicating to the workers of the retreat.
    Respect their culture.
    Try to understand their way of beeing.
    And go home with a lot of new experiences. With more joy. With more happiness.

    Selva madre is a spiritual place for people who want to be spiritual.

    Selva madre is an oasis of silence and peace in the so hectic, aggressive world in which we live in.

    I can simply recommend everything there. Your money is perfectly invested and you get a lot for what you pay.

    Muchas gracias to the whole team of Selva Madre!

    I hope to return in some day!

    It was truly sooooooouuuuu opossum!!!!

    (this running gag had to be … the ones who have been there with me will understand)

  • Malika
    Malika
    August 18, 2017 at 8:58 am

    It’s about 3 weeks since I left Selva Madre.
    I spent 6 weeks in Peru, the first 10 days with Selva Madre, and I have returned again to do another 10 days before I left the country.
    I won’t describe my personal experience but I can tell you it was amazing and beautiful.
    I have searched a while before choosing Selva Madre. I wanted to be in the hands of a well experienced, native shaman. First of all, for me, an authentic shaman has to be a native as I believe natives have a better knowledge, connection and understanding with the Medicina. Don Lucho has been practicing with Ayahuasca for over 40 years, so this already gave me the confidence to join his retreat. As well as being one of the most respected Shamans in Iquitos, he’s also a healer.
    Don Lucho’s son, Luis Jr, and Anderson(a family relative) hold the ceremonies together, Don Lucho being the Master Shaman. I still miss their Icaros, their voices.
    If your Spanish is not up to scratch or even inexistant, Ronald will translate everything. In fact Ronald is much more than a translator: he organises activities like visiting the local tribes, he takes care of the guests during the ceremonies(yes, you will probably need his help to walk back to your hut!) and he’s a fantastic story teller! I have learnt so much about the Amazonie, its people, the traditions etc.
    Selva Madre has been renovated lately: new individual huts have been built, each of them with their own private shower and toilet which is a luxury in the jungle! You will have your own privacy.
    Tthe food was amazing: Ruby, the cook, prepared every meal with local fresh ingredients, and I could not thank her enough for providing vegan food specially for me!
    Selva Madre is a sanctuary of peace and quietness, isolated from the busy noise of western life. As a woman who travels alone, I felt very comfortable and safe. Don Lucho and his family members made me feel at home from the first day I arrived and I was very sad & emotional the day I left. Their kindness and genuine caring will always stay in my heart!

    I will certainly return again when the time is right!

    Malika.

  • justin07
    justin07
    April 16, 2017 at 8:56 am

    Selva Madré is very beautiful and special place. The location in the forest provides a heaven to safely explore the inner being.
    The staff are so gentle and helpful, catering to every client in a gracious and polite manner.
    The Ceremonies were just perfect, with a blend of reality and spirituality that suited everyone. We all felt that our individual journeys were supported all the way.
    I can’t wait to return and rekindle the relationships formed there.

  • Jormy
    Jormy
    March 25, 2017 at 2:45 pm

    Selva Madre is without a doubt one of the best ayahuasca centers in Iquitos. The people involved in running the place are good at what they do. But more importantly, they are genuinely decent people. They look after the guests well within a safe environment.

    The scenery is beautiful and the facilities are good. I also very much enjoyed the food on offer. The shaman is very knowledgeable, which is hugely important. Having been there once, I will be going again at some point. I highly recommend the place.

  • sirmas7
    sirmas7
    February 1, 2017 at 8:54 am

    Selva Madre is truly a remarkable place. From the moment you arrive, you are welcomed straight into the family. It is the most loving, caring, and protected place I have had the fortune of visiting. There is an abundance of beautiful food, the facilities are clean, and the staff and family members are full of love.

    The Ayahuasca experience itself is sensational. Don Luis truly guides and mentors you through the entire process. The ceremonies are beautiful, and help you awaken your inner being.

    There are also jungle tours, that are conducted by Ronald. These offer you an insight into the power of the jungle, and are highly educational.

    This is the best thing I have ever done in my life, and would highly recommend this centre to anyone interested in exploring the true essence of Ayahuasca. I will definitely be coming back.

  • wooo6
    wooo6
    January 23, 2017 at 11:13 am

    Couldn’t wish for more! The retreat was amazing thanks to the care of the family and staff. It was an unforgettable experience, everything was very well organised. Ceremonies were fantastic (great music and atmosphere). Nice activities in between the ceremonies and happy that we got the chance to see what the family is doing with part of the income from these retreats, they’re investing it in an orphanage and school. Looking forward seeing it being build in the next year(s). I could go on and on about the amazing time I had, but I think this review has been clear enough ;). I just want to recommend this retreat to everyone. Thanks again family and staff for a great time and hope to see you again in the future!

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