8-Day Deep Amazon Ayahuasca Retreat – Healing & Transformation in the Tahuayo–Tamshiyacu Reserve

I had a great experience with Hector on one of his expeditions to the Amazon Jungle last year, and I was really happy when he invited me personally to participate in a retreat held at a remote, hidden jungle lodge. It was a good time for me due to less workload during this period at my work, so I took a flight to Peru, and that's how it began. Saying it was awesome is an understatement. I won’t describe all the details because ceremonies and plant medicines deep inside the jungle are something unforgettable. Ayahuasca prepared by Demetrio and the kambo ritual that some of us participated in with Armando, one of the elders of the Matses indigenous people,
were so authentic and powerful. The experience and post-experience healing followed me after the retreat. If I were to give a short description, the first thing I would say is that it disconnects. Then the ceremonies immerse you in the world of the jungle, with ayahuasca, chacruna, and other plants as part of it. Personally I am a fan of plants. I love my garden at home in Burlington, and I was fascinated to learn about Amazonian fauna in my previous expedition with Hector. And now I got in contact with plant medicine thanks to Sergio, Demetrio, and Armando. They keep a treasure of jungle knowledge. I also spent some time with Vratislav, a member of the Amazon Jungle retreat team. He has his garden in the neighboring community, Jerusalen. He grows many interesting plants there, e.g., aji de charapita and some others to try in my terrarium. Everything was great: the lodge, the food, and the people. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely come back.

Selva Wild Lodge appeared to be a really unique place. I was told by my friend that it was located much farther than all the lodges located around Iquitos, and I needed to consider one day for the total travel time to get there. It appeared to be absolutely worth it since it was sitting on the limits of the Tamshiyacu reserve with immense biodiverse wildlife, which was long a subject of biological study. We met a group of scientists during our 2-day trip and camping in the reserve. They showed us videos taken by trail cameras they put in across the wide range, filming various animals and, at one point, a jaguar, which is really rare and unique. Thanks to our great guides, Sergio and Hector, we could spend time in the heart of the jungle as part of the whole retreat. They told us the Amazon Jungle Retreat philosophy is to feel the power of plant medicines during ceremonies by immersing in the life of the jungle. When we had the second ceremony with Shaman Demetrio after returning from camping, it felt much different. Ayahuasca had a much greater effect. We shared our experience the next day, sitting in the circle. I want to say Shaman Demetrio is a real master. I had the sessions with him one on one where he opened to me a jungle world of harmony in which every plant and every tree play and how they accept and cure us when we become fluent to them. It was all spectacular. Pure nature, ceremonies, and the people around me gave me so much that I will bring with me to my personal world.

I arrived looking for something farther out than the centers near Iquitos. Amazon Jungle Retreat sits near the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve and works with the Achuar community of Jerusalen. The boat ride in takes about five hours. We arrived to the reserve area and stayed in Jerusalen for relax and lunch in the family house of Sergio. His wife and older daughter prepared delicious local dishes. After lunch we continued a short distance to the lodge. The bungalows are simple and face the river. Hector, the organizer of the retreat, keeps the groups small so we could better disconnect from everyday life and leave our routines and worries behind. I don’t think it was difficult, as the whole environment around us contributed to this. On the second day, after fasting the whole day, we were ready for the first ayahuasca ceremony. We set in a circle with Shaman Demetrio was led the ayahuasca work. That night the group was small and the space stayed quiet. The medicine came on steadily. I had tried ayahuasca before, but this time the experience felt clearer and less scattered. Under Demetrio’s icaros and pure tobacco smoke, the emotions moved through and then settled. It was an amazing experience. I felt like I was alone in the middle of the jungle, yet very comfortable. The later ceremonies followed the same rhythm. Between them Sergio took two boats deeper into the reserve and we camped. There we had an amazing kambo experience with Armando from the Matses people, who for generations had used kambo in preparation for long hunt trips. What stayed with me most was the time outside the ceremonies. Demetrio sat with me one-on-one, spoke about plants he used in preparation, about my feelings, about me and many other things. By the end of the week the ceremonies had left a noticeable lightness. I left clearer than I arrived. Hector and the team took good care of us throughout. I hope to return one day.

Amazing Experience!. Selva Wild Lodge is located a bit far from Iquitos, which is a kind of isolated city in Amazonas reacheable only by airplane or by boat on the Amazon River. But it was all worth taking the long boat trip to the lodge. Sitting in the boat, we could enjoy beutiful views of the forming Amazon river where the Ucayali meets the Maranon river and then entering tributaries, seeing big crowds of egrets. The Lodge is small ans create a feelings of privacy and relaxation, especially at nigth, sitting on the balcony watching the river and listening to the sounds of wildlife around. Need to say all bungalows have balconies facing the river. On top of the locvation just on the limits of the large natural reserve and delicious local food, the lodge has wonderful guides. With them, we took a boat trip inside the reserve, camping there 2 nigths. Very interesting people shared many stories of selva and knowledge of wildlife. WE could apot around 15 foot anacondas like they saying thanks to low water in that season. In one phrase, incredible trip!

I would like to share my best experince with Amazon Jungle Retreat. First, the retreat is located very remotely in the jungle, far from Iquitos and civilization. The trip to the lodge takes some time by boat, but this becomes one of the most charming parts of the experience. The boat starts on the Amazon River and then continues through its tributaries, with the fresh breeze, the sounds of birds, and the beautiful scenery all around you. When we entered the Tahuayo River, we saw a large group of monkeys jumping from tree to tree. It was an amazing first impression of the jungle. The lodge is located not far from a small local community, where some of the retreat leaders live. Our retreat was guided by Sergio and Hector, who are both amazing people and very knowledgeable about the jungle, wildlife, and plant medicine. Shaman Demetrio led the ayahuasca ceremonies with our small group. After the second ceremony, I felt a very strong sense of healing, lightness, and relief. We also participated in a Kambo ceremony with Armando, who is from the Matses Indigenous tribe. One of the moments that really impressed me was watching him find a frog at night, in complete darkness, on a tree where a normal person could barely recognize anything. Throughout our stay, the food was always fresh, tasty, and very well prepared. We are truly grateful to everyone who took care of us during our time there. They took care of us all the time. I arrived at the lodge carrying a lot of personal worries and problems, and I left feeling lighter, relieved, and much more optimistic. Thank you my new friends and we will definitely meet again!