Our ayahuasca is made fresh at the center exclusively from ayahuasca vine and chacruna leaves. We purchase ayahuasca vine from local growers in Llanchama and the surrounding area. We purchase chacruna leaves from Shipibo cultivators in Pucallpa, which are then sent by plane to Iquitos.

We work exclusively with Ayahuasca and Amazonian Master Plants regarding the Shipibo tradition. 

Our buffet food is prepared in the respect of the traditional plant Shipibo diet and also suits a vegan/vegetarian diet consisting of rice, potatoes, lentils, pasta, beans, plantains, eggs, some vegetables, fish, oatmeal, apples, bananas and tea. If you are vegetarian or vegan our kitchen staff will gladly help to provide you with the food you need.

The grounds of Nihue Rao is not a heavy mosquito area, however, if you want avoid mosquitos, we advise you to book a retreat in the hottest months of the year; late July through October. The rainy season usually begins in late December and goes through until the end of April. During this time the mosquito/bug population increases. We do our best to keep mosquito bites to a minimum by enclosing all of our structures with mosquito netting. Mosquitos are more prominent during dawn and dusk, during these times we recommend wearing long pants and socks, or using a natural mosquito repellent.

Our center is open 365 days a year and all our retreat programs start on Monday morning. We prefer that you arrive in Iquitos on Saturday as this is our intake day, but we also accept Sunday arrivals. You can check retreat availability when booking through our booking system here.

We do ask you to book a flight that will arrive in the morning at the Iquitos airport at least before noon, in order to be able to reach our center before nightfall. Also, the day of your departure we advise you to book a return flight which will leave Iquitos in the afternoon.

When necessary, we also accept Wednesday arrivals (as there is no ceremony that night). Please contact us if needed.

We are located in the jungle near the small village of Llanchama beside the Nanay river where you can enjoy small walks and a swim. We also have an art space, supplies are provided for painting, drawing and creativity. We have an on-site gym with weights and other exercise equipment, as well as yoga mats for your own personal practice. Twice weekly, massages are offered for a small additional fee. There are also hammocks for resting and a small book collection for reading.

We have three to four group meetings per week with our shamans to share our ceremony experiences and to learn about Ayahuasca and plant medicines. We often also hold sharing circles as well as movie and game nights.

Our staff can organize day tours to visit local jungle flora and fauna, river boat trips, or other activities with a local guide. These trips require an extra fee, please inquire if you are interested.

Note that if you are dieting a master plant during your stay, it is not recommend to leave the center while your diet is open. If you do plan to leave the center for any reason, please let our team know ahead of time so that Maestro Ricardo can protect you and your diet before you leave.

We do have Starlink WiFi available for 24/7 in our common lounge and dining room area. Our WiFi is fairly consistent, but because we are in a remote location it may be unavailable for short periods of time.

The grounds of Nihue Rao are spacious, beautiful and home to several breeds of loving dogs, cats, birds and monkeys. These animals are graciously cared for by the staff, and we welcome you to make a donation to our animal fund. If you have any allergies or heath constraints, please bring the appropriate medications to suit your needs (Benadryl, Claritin, Cortisone).

We are a small center with limited space for work-trade program. We generally prefer to invite volunteers that have previously spent time at our center for their healing. During your first process we are able to see if we are a good fit for each other and from that point we will consider a possible work trade in the future.

The standard program requires a minimum commitment of 3 months: 2 months of work (and drinking!) followed by 1 month of diet. If you feel called to this work, please contact us or apply here.