This is a very short document specifically addressing health conditions and medications that do not mix with ayahuasca. Read through it to see if any of it is specifically relevant to you! https://www.amakaya.org/safety-and-medical

Every person who comes to a retreat fills out this intake form, even if you have been here before. There is space to share about personal intentions and relevant background information, but the form also serves to make sure we are aware of any allergies, food restrictions, and other important details. https://www.amakaya.org/intakeform

To maximize the benefits of drinking ayahuasca, we want our body and mind to be as clean and clear as possible by the time we hold the cup of medicine in our hands. Clean and clear are subjective terms, but there are some tried and true principles that work well for everyone. We created this document to serve as a guide for preparing for your retreat. After you work through it, we will be happy to help you put together a specific schedule of preparation. https://www.amakaya.org/preparing-for-your-retreat

This questionnaire is completely optional. By filling it out before and after your retreat, you will be helping us to collect valuable data about how ayahuasca affects people over time -- and also monitoring your own results. Ideally, you will complete this questionnaire once before the retreat, and a few more times over the following year. We will send you reminders (at 3, 6, and 12 months after the retreat) and help you stay updated with your progress. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKiYdKta1ys4_Dik0hOzA4IUSrEf3JGCk8gvmU2IqoSqQwKA/viewform?usp=dialog

Packing for a retreat is pretty straightforward. Because of the climate, clothing layers are the trick. We’ve put together a one-sheet packing guide here. https://www.amakaya.org/packing-list The climate is a bit wild, but overall very comfortable. Tarapoto is inside of what is called the “high jungle” as opposed to the “low jungle”. This means that we are up in the mountains, just a bit, and things are a little cooler and more pleasant on average than the low jungle. In general, some days are torrential rain, some are baking hot sun, and some days (and certainly nights) you wish you had a light sweater on. So, as mentioned before, the key is layers and flexibility within your wardrobe options.

You are flying to Tarapoto, Peru. However, all international flights come first through Lima, Peru. We recommend shopping first for your round trip ticket to and from Lima. Then, you can shop for your round trip ticket from Lima to Tarapoto (approx. 1 hour shuttle flights). This method usually results in the best prices and, more importantly, the best options for layover times in Lima.

Since all international flights come to Lima first, everyone will have a layover before coming to Tarapoto. Unless you want to spend time in Lima as part of your trip, we recommend trying to buy tickets that result in a layover of no less than two hours and no more than five hours. Many times there are flight options available that arrive in Lima early in the morning, leaving many options for a smooth and comfortable transfer over to Tarapoto by early afternoon.

If by choice or necessity, you will be staying in Lima, we recommend reading on the internet about other people’s experiences and recommendations. After ten years here in Peru, we have only stayed in Lima for a couple of nights, so we can’t give you much advice on how to manage that part of your trip. There are quite a few hotels and Airbnb listings immediately adjacent to the airport. To travel from the airport to the historic downtown or Miraflores district can take around 45 minutes in a taxi.

We recommend arriving to Tarapoto the day before your retreat begins. For example, if your retreat has a start date of the 15th, you would arrive to Tarapoto on the 14th. This means you will be staying in a hotel for one night in the city before coming out to the retreat center with us. You can arrive more than one day in advance if you want to spend more time in the area. You can also arrive on the day that your retreat begins, but this can feel a bit rushed – which is why we recommend the extra night in a hotel. If you do arrive on the day that the retreat begins, you should still be ready for the 10 a.m. hotel pickup so that you don’t miss the Day 1 Orientation Meeting or Sweat Lodge. If you miss the hotel pickup we will arrange for a private taxi to pick you up and bring you directly to the center (for an additional cost).

Hotel pick-up is usually at 10 a.m. at one of the two hotels recommended below. From there, we will travel as a group for approximately one hour to the retreat center. We will discuss with you beforehand where we will pick you up and at precisely what hour.

We recommend staying in a hotel in Tarapoto for one night at the end of your retreat. For example if your retreat is a 9 day (8 night) retreat that runs from the 15th to the 23rd, this means that the night of the 23rd would be spent in a hotel in Tarapoto. This is for you. We can be in a surprisingly sensitive state after an ayahuasca retreat and it is best to take things slow. A night in a hotel acts as a stepping stone between the retreat center and the world of airports, logistics, and crowds. However, if you still decide you want to go ahead and fly from Tarapoto on the last day of the retreat, we will help make sure that you get to the airport on time.

For staying in Tarapoto, we recommend one of these two hotels: The Green House - Family run. Very comfortable, well-equipped rooms. No hot water in the showers (which is normal here at the equator). Approximately $30 to $35 per night per room (up to two people). Tucan Suites - A more luxurious stay. Extremely nice rooms and facilities, including a swimming pool and hot water showers. Approximately $80 to $100 per night per room.

Tarapoto is a vibrant and interesting jungle city in a developing nation. This means that you have some tourist infrastructure (ATMs, fine dining, and tour guide operators) juxtaposed with the rough and raw reality of poverty, motorcycle-filled streets, and a primarily agricultural economy. If you want to spend extra days here or take an afternoon trip to a waterfall or a viewpoint, do your research first, plan ahead for transportation or tour guide operators (especially if you don’t speak any Spanish), and be prepared for surprises. One of the best things about this place is that it is incredibly safe and the people are wonderfully friendly. If you can use your phone to communicate and google maps to navigate and have some basic traveler’s wit about you, this place is an absolute gem with much to see and learn for that extra day or two. Anything longer than a few days and we recommend finding a place outside of the city with a nice, quiet hammock. Here is a short list and guide to some of our favorite things to do and see in the area. https://www.amakaya.org/to-do-in-tarapoto

A frequently asked question is whether or not travelling to Cusco and/or Machu Picchu is a good idea of something to pair with your ayahuasca retreat. The truth is, it can be a great idea or a terrible idea, depending on how you approach it. Cusco is amazing and so is Machu Picchu. We lived outside of Cusco for many years. So, are they worth visiting? Yes, the history is fascinating, the architecture is shocking, and the Andean people and culture will steal your heart. As for pairing it with your retreat, simply check in with yourself and ask if this is going to be a special time to relax and be introspective and make good choices about what you put into your body and mind. If so, go for it! If you feel it might be all about logistics, the stress of traveling in a foreign place, and/or a gauntlet of temptations, you might decide to save it for some other time. It is our opinion that Cusco and some of the less popular ruins in the immediate area can make for an even better, simpler trip than going all the way to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is amazing, but so are Inti Huatana (Pisac Ruins) and Saqsaywaman (Cusco) and they are much easier to get to and much less crowded. Cusco itself is worth walking and exploring for days, with its layers of Incan, Spanish, and modern architecture all around you -- in cafes, museums, restaurants, hotels, and down every street in the historic center.

Most hotels and restaurants take cards these days. Most souvenir vendors, street food vendors, and market stalls only accept cash. The Shipibo market at the retreat is also a cash only event. So, we recommend having at least some cash available for small things such as drinking a coconut or bottle of water on the street or buying a brick of cacao to take home with you. Below is a note about currency exchange methods.

Peruvian currency is called the “sol” (pronounced soul). So, you have one sol or two soles (SO lays). The Lima airport "exchange booths" can be handy so that you have soles in your pocket when you land. However, the rate you will receive is quite low, so you may not want to exchange large sums. Below are options for better exchange rates. However, first, please understand that you MUST bring not torn, unmarked, unfolded bills to exchange here. This is very important! Ask your bank for some clean, crisp 50's and 100's and then put them in an envelope without folding. For exchange rates better than the airport, you have a few options: Option 1: Withdraw soles from an ATM in town. This is better than the airport, and quite convenient, but usually comes with a fee from the bank (or multiple fees). Option 2: Ask us in advance to have a certain amount of soles ready to exchange with you at the retreat (only beautiful bills can be accepted!). Option 3: Go to the main plaza of Tarapoto with your dollars/euros (beautiful bills only!). Look for the church at one corner of the plaza. Walk to that corner, look for guys with calculators and money in their hands. The guys are very friendly and the process is extremely safe. Use the internet to find the rate of exchange that day and expect to receive a few pennies less than that rate. The guys will show you their rate on their calculator. Use your phone calculator to do your own math and agree to the totals to be exchanged before handing over any bills and you’ll be done in minutes. This can be accomplished with almost no Spanish (or a little phone translation).

The Shipibo market is something we do on the second to last day of the retreat. Richard lays out embroidered fabrics from his family and extended family and offers them for sale. This embroidery is a fascinating part of the Shipibo tradition, showing just how inseparable their history and culture are with both the jungle and ayahuasca. The proceeds from the market go directly to the people (usually women) who do the embroidering and can represent a very important form of income for these families. The smallest pieces can take 6 - 8 hours to embroider. Large pieces can take 3 or 4 months! The small embroidered fabrics can run as low as $10 and the large tapestries can run as high as $425. For these, you can use dollars, euros, or soles (however, dollars and euros must be not torn, unmarked, and unfolded!)

You will need a valid passport. Peru sometimes enforces a requirement that your passport be valid for at least six months beyond your date of entry or departure. We’ve heard of this knocking one person out of a retreat, so check your expiration date. The visa is nothing that requires planning ahead – they just stamp it into your passport at the airport.

As we understand it, you do not need any special new shots or boosters to come here. Dengue is the one thing that pops up here sometimes and Dengue is not commonly vaccinated against for international travellers. The exception seems to be if you have had Dengue before in the past (if so, tell us and also research for yourself Dengue vaccinations). For everyone else, bring a little insect repellent!

Rather often, we are asked if nutritional supplements, electrolytes, or something of the sort is okay to have before or during the retreat. We tell everyone the same thing. There is no danger in having these things. There is no need to give them up as part of your pre-retreat diet. However, you may benefit from giving them up for this period of time to allow the body to reset and allow for a reevaluation of which supplements you really want to continue taking and why. For the retreat, we will ask you to not consume any of these things. This is not about safety. It is about leaving behind your routine and your attachments and allowing for the body to subsist off of fruit, vegetables, natural electrolytes, good water, good rest, and a little fasting…and then being surprised at just how amazing you feel by the end of it all. If you want to ask for a specific exception to this rule, just tell us. We won’t say no. We will repeat the logic above and let you make your own decision.