Atmosphere

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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (October 2026). They will be updated if East West Lodge submits its own information.

East West Lodge: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats in Indiana, Peru

East West Lodge is an ayahuasca guesthouse in the town of Indiana, Maynas province, Loreto, on the Amazon River downstream from Iquitos, reached by speedboat. Its only listings, on Tripadvisor and AyaAdvisors, are unclaimed and date from 2017 and 2018; they describe a six-day, five-night package with four ceremonies for $880, led by an unnamed “family of shaman.” No owner, manager, healer or legal entity is named anywhere. The only Tripadvisor review, from a solo woman who stayed in June 2018, calls the unnamed manager a “sexual predator” and says he harassed her at the lodge and by phone for two days after she left; there has been no response and no second account. No screening, medical staff or emergency plan is published, and the lodge’s website domain now redirects to an unrelated site indexed as an Indonesian gambling page. No activity after 2018 was found, and it is likely closed or dormant. We found no deaths or legal action.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Raymondi 451, Indiana, Loreto, by its unclaimed Tripadvisor listing, about 50 km from Iquitos airport. No GPS is published.
• Approach: Four ayahuasca ceremonies over six days, with floral baths, a jungle walk and a community visit, according to its AyaAdvisors listing; its former website carried page titles “Ayahuasca & Brain Activation” and “Ayahuasca & Self-Optimization.”
• Suitable For: Not recommended. Anyone considering it should first confirm it operates, who runs it and how guests are protected.
• Costs: $880 for six days with a private room, shared bathroom, meals and speedboat transfers, in a listing from about 2017; airport transfers cost extra. No current price or refund policy exists.
• Overall Assessment: An anonymous, apparently defunct operation with an unanswered sexual harassment allegation against its manager, no safety information and a lapsed website. Directory evaluation: F.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. The single AyaAdvisors review, from December 2017, describes an “incredible experience,” expert shamans and medicine, facilities that “look brand new,” a nice dining room and kitchen, and small but very clean rooms, and calls it safe for first-timers.

The negative feedback. The single Tripadvisor review, from July 2018, warns women not to travel there alone. The reviewer says the manager seemed friendly at first, then harassed her and kept calling her for two days after she left, including a sexually explicit remark. It is one anonymous account and is unverified.

Who is writing the reviews. Two reviews, both on unclaimed listings, are too few to judge. If you have stayed at East West Lodge, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and Spanish-language news for reports involving East West Lodge; no owner, manager or healer is named, which limits any search.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: A 2018 Tripadvisor review accuses the unnamed manager of sexual harassment of a solo female guest, in person and by phone. Unverified; no police report or second account was found.
• Theft and fraud: Our earlier profile cited a 2018 Tripadvisor review alleging that guests promised a lodge were moved to a substandard hostel, charged S/800 (about $240) extra and denied refunds. We found no current source for that review; it remains unverified.
• Legal action: No police action or lawsuits found. A US tourist died after an ayahuasca ceremony at an unrelated center in the Alto Nanay district in June 2025, as SWI swissinfo reported.

Our earlier profile also said the manager made disturbing comments about a previous female guest; the visible review describes remarks to the reviewer herself, and that detail remains unverified.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this lodge, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Anonymous operation. No owner, manager, healer, company or tax registration (RUC) is published anywhere, and both directory listings are unclaimed.

Likely closed. The latest dated evidence is a June 2018 stay. The former website, eastwestlodge.com, now redirects to an unrelated hotel site and is indexed under an Indonesian betting site’s title; content on that domain should not be treated as the lodge’s. Social media accounts under the same name exist but are not confirmed to be this lodge.

Peru’s legal picture. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru and its traditional use was declared national cultural heritage in 2008, but retreat centers are not licensed or regulated, according to ICEERS. Our earlier profile called its legal status ambiguous; the accurate point is that retreats are unregulated.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Indiana is in the lowland Amazon, not the mountains. The AyaAdvisors review came from one guest and says “incredible experience,” not “incredible journey.” Our earlier profile also named the Tripadvisor reviewer, which our privacy rules do not allow; this version does not.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

No medical questionnaire, contraindication policy, medical staff, integration support or emergency protocol was ever published. Full hospitals are in Iquitos, a speedboat ride away. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

The lodge never published its recipe or brewer. Ayahuasca usually combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with chacruna leaves, which supply the DMT, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A riverside Amazon town, with the lodge on an elevated wooden walkway.
• Rooms: Small private rooms with shared bathrooms, hammocks and the option to sleep in the ceremony maloca; Tripadvisor lists 18 rooms.
• Style: Shaman-led ceremonies with floral baths, marketed with self-improvement language.

Practical guidance: Indiana is reached by speedboat from Iquitos. Meals were included, with light meals on ceremony days.

Should You Book?

We do not recommend it. If it reappears, ask who owns and manages it, how the harassment allegation was addressed, who leads ceremonies, how guests are screened and what happens in an emergency, and get the answers in writing. Women travelling alone should take particular care. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

No staff are named. The AyaAdvisors listing says only that “the family of shaman” has decades of experience, and a 2017 guest received a free book before the retreat. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go anywhere: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

No working booking channel was found. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed October 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.