Atmosphere

Features

Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if Luz Y Vida Amazon Lodge submits its own information.

Luz Y Vida Amazon Lodge: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Iquitos, Peru

Luz Y Vida Amazon Lodge is a small jungle lodge on the Yanayacu River, about 40 km from Iquitos, run by guide Oscar Manuyama and marketed as a “Disabled Veteran Owned Business” offering ayahuasca retreats for trauma and PTSD alongside jungle tours, according to its own website. Ceremonies are led by shamans named as Jaime Tapullima Arévalo and Zoily Isamani Romaina, for up to eight guests in four bungalows. It rates 5.0 on Tripadvisor from about 16 reviews praising Oscar’s hospitality, wildlife and food. Against that, no veteran owner, legal entity or medical staff is named, guests are told to pause psychiatric medicines only three days before ceremonies, no emergency plan is published, payments are non-refundable, three operator websites contradict each other, and Tripadvisor marks it “Temporarily closed” while showing stays into September 2026.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: On the Yanayacu River, a tributary of the Amazon, about 40 km from Iquitos, according to its website. No GPS is published, and Loreto has several rivers named Yanayacu.
• Approach: Ayahuasca ceremonies with two named shamans, plus San Pedro, kambo, plant and mud baths, sauna, breathwork and jungle excursions.
• Suitable For: Travelers wanting a very small, remote lodge, after getting medication rules and an emergency plan in writing. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: The only published retreat price is $2,200 plus a $55 fee for 12 days with seven ceremonies in 2023, per its event page; current plans list no prices. Jungle tours run $180 to $500. “Retreat payments are non-refundable,” though dates can be changed. Military, veterans and police get 10% off. Our earlier price of $2,400 is unverified.
• Overall Assessment: Warm reviews, very small groups and named shamans, offset by PTSD marketing to veterans with an unsafe medication rule and no medical staff, an unverifiable veteran-owned claim and entity, non-refundable payments and contradictory operator sites. Directory evaluation: C+.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers praise Oscar’s hospitality and guiding, birds, pink dolphins and other wildlife, family-style dinners, clean, simple rooms, a quiet remote setting, flexible itineraries, ceremonies with shaman Jaime and plant baths. Several reviews describe jungle tours rather than retreats.

The negative feedback. None found with text.

Who is writing the reviews. Testimonials on the operator’s site come from people who say they have known Oscar for years, one Tripadvisor guest booked through a friend, and reviews cluster in spring and summer 2026. Two Tripadvisor listings and two Facebook pages exist. If you have attended, 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 Luz Y Vida, Oscar Manuyama, Jaime Tapullima Arévalo and Zoily Isamani Romaina.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found involving this lodge.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found.

A US tourist died after an ayahuasca session at a different lodge in the Alto Nanay district in June 2025, as La República reported; that case does not involve this lodge. Our earlier profile found no incidents.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Medication rule. The FAQ excludes heart disease and asks guests to disclose conditions and medications, but tells them to avoid psychiatric medicines only “three days before and eight days after” ceremonies. Other centers publish antidepressant washouts of several weeks, and the lodge markets PTSD healing to veterans, a group often on such medication.

Medical support. “Trained professionals” are claimed without names, and first-aid kits are provided. No medical staff, emergency protocol or hospital is named; Iquitos is about 40 km away with a boat leg.

Who runs it. Reviews call Oscar the owner and say he built the lodge from 2019. The “Disabled Veteran Owned” label names no veteran, a testimonial mentions unnamed US partial owners, and no Peruvian tax number (RUC), US nonprofit or company was found despite a .org site with a donation form.

Websites. The three operator sites give different programs, team bios and experience figures, and the newest still carries template placeholder text and a placeholder New York address.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, where traditional use is national cultural heritage, but retreat centers are not licensed, according to ICEERS.

Corrections to our earlier profile. The named shamans have no stated lineage, so the Shipibo description is unverified. The facilitator’s experience is given variously as 31 years, over three decades and 40 years. The lodge has social media accounts, and reviews run through September 2026, though no public retreat dates have appeared since 2023. A PTSD testimonial on ayaluzyvida.org, Quora (2023) praise for the guidance, retreat-platform (2022) praise for the accommodations, PayPal-only payments, prior work for the Peruvian military and treatment centers, a team trained in ecotourism and supporters near Austin, Texas remain unverified. The Yanayacu location, Oscar’s leadership, private consultations, jungle expeditions, bungalows, all-inclusive pricing, Starlink internet and veteran discounts are confirmed.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Only a disclosure request and a short medication pause are published, with no medical staff or emergency plan. 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 brew’s preparation is not described; doses are set in person after the first ceremony. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains. San Pedro and kambo are also offered.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Remote lowland rainforest on a river reached by road and boat from Iquitos.
• Rooms: Three or four bungalows with private bathrooms, fans, solar power and Starlink.
• Style: Small, host-led jungle lodge mixing ceremonies with wildlife tours.

Practical guidance: Airport pickup and land and boat transfers are included. On ceremony days the last meal is at 3 pm.

Should You Book?

Only after confirming the lodge is open, who owns it, who serves the medicine and what medical and emergency support exists, and after planning any medication change with your own doctor. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Oscar Manuyama is described as a jungle guide with decades of experience. Jaime Tapullima Arévalo is listed as a master shaman with 30 years’ experience and Zoily Isamani Romaina as a shaman teacher with 20, with a female shaman available on request. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

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

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

No public retreat dates are listed; contact the lodge through its website. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

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