The Peruvian Amazon is where Shipibo plant medicine originates. The plants worked with in the Sama grow here. Maestra Juana's lineage was shaped here. For many participants, coming to the jungle is the most direct encounter with the medicine possible — not because it is more powerful, but because it is in its original context.
Ute has worked at this jungle venue since 2018. She chose it deliberately — not for its facilities, but for the family who runs it.
The Venue
The retreat is located in a jungle area accessible only by boat, close to Lake Yarinacocha near Pucallpa, Ucayali. The property is run by a Shipibo host family Ute has known since 2017. The family's two elders are both vegetalistas — they prepare additional plant medicines to support participants' physical wellbeing throughout the retreat.
Accommodation is in ten single tambos, each with a private bathroom. The Maloka — the traditional round ceremony building — sits at the centre of the property, surrounded by forest. Huge Oje and Bobinzana trees border the grounds. The family cultivates many healing plants within the property itself.
A wooden walkway leads to a lagoon on one side of the property — a good place to rest, watch the sunrise, or write in a journal. There is a hammock area where participants often gather in silence or in small conversation between ceremonies. If the season is right and fortune is on your side, dolphins are visible in the lagoon.
Why This Venue?
I consciously chose this venue because it's run by this very kind shipibo family. For me this place is a very accomodating space to work with the plants, as well it has an authentic vibe.
For me, it plays an important role to support local shipibo people, also from the perspective of reciprocity.
There is a certain energy to work with the medicine in an authentic environment where we receive local food, and are hosted by a local family. This can give you a sense of their culture, and it can give a feeling of being home. This family place gives you a different "vibe" then staying in a bigger center.
For me there is always magic in its simplicity, and to leave our comfort zones always provides the opportunity to explore ourselves more.
An environment which is close to nature helps us to connect to the plants, to self, and to truth.
The jungle and its sound backdrop holds a wonderful container for our inner processes.
What to Expect — The Jungle Environment
The Amazon is the most physically demanding of the three True Journey settings. Worth knowing before you come:
-
The accommodation is simple and clean — tambos are basic but comfortable, each with a private bathroom
-
Heat and humidity are significant, especially in the first few days
-
Insects and mosquitoes are present — their intensity varies by season
-
The jungle is close in every direction; this is not a sanitised retreat centre environment
-
The host family's vegetalistas are on-site and can prepare plant remedies for physical symptoms that arise during your process
For participants who want a more comfortable environment, Ute can arrange alternative private group options — and the Sacred Valley venue offers a different kind of container entirely.
Food
Meals are provided according to the plant dieta (Sama) requirements throughout the retreat. Vegan, vegetarian, fish, and meat options are available. All food is dieta-friendly. During fasting periods around ceremony nights, coconuts are provided.
Arriving in Pucallpa
The nearest airport is Capitán FAP David Abensur Rengifo International Airport (PCL), Pucallpa. Direct flights from Lima take approximately one hour. From Pucallpa, transport to the retreat is arranged by Ute — the venue is accessible only by boat.
We recommend arriving at least one full day before the retreat begins to allow time to adjust to the heat and humidity. The exact meeting point and logistics are shared by email after registration.
Private Groups in the Jungle
The Amazon venue is available for private retreat groups. If you are travelling with family, a couple, or a small circle of people who want to experience plant medicine in an authentic Shipibo jungle setting, reach out to Ute to discuss options and dates.
For groups seeking more comfort than the jungle lodge provides, Ute can arrange suitable alternatives in the Ucayali area.