Sattvaya

Amsterdam, Netherlands
Sattvaya
🚩🚩🚩 red flags
C-

 

Atmosphere

Features

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

Sattvaya: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Amsterdam, Netherlands

Sattvaya is a Dutch retreat team led by facilitator Ronald that runs weekend retreats with two ayahuasca ceremonies at a farmhouse it places about 15 minutes from central Amsterdam, for up to 12 guests at €645, per its Retreat Guru page. It requires a medical questionnaire, names SSRIs as incompatible, and its lead cites harm-reduction training. Against that, ayahuasca is illegal in the Netherlands and the listing says nothing about it, the team gives first names only with no address or legal entity, and no medical staff or emergency plan is published.

🎯 At a Glance

  • Locations: A farmhouse in the Dutch countryside, described as 15 minutes from central Amsterdam and 20 from Schiphol Airport; the address is sent after booking.
  • Approach: Two ayahuasca ceremonies with live music and sound healing, rapé, sharing circles and meditation; Jurema is also named, and a seven-day program adds Huachuma (San Pedro).
  • Suitable For: Experienced adults who understand the legal risk in the Netherlands and can screen themselves. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
  • Costs: €645 for a three-day weekend including shared lodging and vegetarian meals, per its December 2026 program page. The deposit is refundable until a day before and full payment until 30 days before; transfers are not included.
  • Overall Assessment: Affordable weekends with some screening near Amsterdam, offset by illegal medicine with no disclosure, an unidentifiable operator and no medical cover. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Retreat Guru shows 5.0 from one review, from September 2026, describing a beautiful and heartwarming experience. No reviews were found on BookRetreats, Trustpilot, Google or Tripadvisor, and none of 3 stars or lower. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and Dutch-language news for reports involving Sattvaya, Ronald, Yoka, Mariana, Arief and Roelof.

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

The team gives first names only, so this absence offers limited assurance.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Ronald says he trained as a process facilitator and ayahuasquero with Proceswerk in 2016, has led plant medicine workshops since 2017, took ICEERS harm-reduction training in 2023 and has worked as a DJ for about 35 years, per his teacher profile. Yoka is a somatic therapist and the contact person, and Mariana, from Brazil, began with Santo Daime in 2006, per her profile (all unverified). No surnames, company or Chamber of Commerce number appear.

Screening and medical support. A medical questionnaire is required after booking and an interview may follow, and SSRIs are named as incompatible, but no full contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol is published.

Listings. Amenity tags show a pool, spa and sauna for a farmhouse with three shared bedrooms, meal icons include meat while the text says vegetarian, and pages say “all inclusive” while noting that Retreat Guru payments exclude plant medicine.

Status. Operating, with a retreat listed for 18 to 20 December 2026; the earliest Sattvaya retreat found was in April 2026.

Legal context. DMT is on List I of the Dutch Opium Act, and in 2019 the Supreme Court upheld a conviction for importing ayahuasca even for church use, per Bijzonder Strafrecht. In 2025 a court convicted a man of preparing and supplying ayahuasca at paid retreats in Eersel, per Rechtspraak.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

The questionnaire is a start, but ask for the full list of conditions and medications they exclude. 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

Ayahuasca served by the facilitators, with Jurema also named; its source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

  • Setting: Flat, cool Dutch countryside near Amsterdam, with a large garden.
  • Rooms: Three shared bedrooms upstairs.
  • Style: Western-led ceremony with DJ-composed music, sound healing and somatic work.

Practical guidance: Fly to Amsterdam (AMS); guests arrange shared rides through a group chat.

Should You Book?

Only with caution, and only if you accept the legal risk. Ask in writing for the facilitators’ full names and training, the venue’s address, the full contraindication list, who on site is trained in first aid, the emergency plan, whether medicine costs extra, and the legal entity you are paying. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Sattvaya presents itself as a small, music-led team offering “the real brew” rather than truffles. 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. After you return: Use the aftercare offered and arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

ProsCons
Medical questionnaire and SSRI warningAyahuasca illegal in the Netherlands
Harm-reduction training claimedFirst names only, address withheld
Close to AmsterdamNo medical staff or emergency plan
No incidents foundOnly one review

Book Your Ceremony

Retreats are listed on Retreat Guru. 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.

Sign In

Register

Reset Password

Please enter your username or email address, you will receive a link to create a new password via email.