FAQ

Flying internationally to Guayaquil GYE. 

We can organize a private shuttle from the airport. The driver will wait with your name at the airport or can pick you up in your hotel. Please contact our receptionist to arrange the private shuttle.

There is also a direct bus with the CLP company in the main bus station in Guayaquil. The bus leaves almost every hour from 6am to 6pm.The company is located on the top floor of the central bus station.

For bigger groups we can also arrange private bus up to 20 people

Private transportation 120$ (max 2 people)

Public bus 8$

Private bus 600$ (up to 20 people)

Please check the official website of Ecuador for the latest on the rules about getting into the country or talk to your flight agent.

https://www.consuladovirtual.gob.ec/en/web/guest/visas

To secure your reservation we would need a 30% deposit. This deposit is nonrefundable.
The different transfer payment methods have extra fees that the client must consider:

 Zelle 0% fee: vikaralifestyle@gmail.com

PayPal 4% fee: roeyklein2@gmail.com 

Bank transfer 4% fee (Please ask reception)

Credit card 6%

When you arrive to Vikara you can pay your balance with cash or with credit card. 

Olón offers surfing all year round but the best time is from December to May, when waves are more consistent and there is zero wind.

In Ecuador the power plug sockets are of type A and B. The standard voltage is 120 V and the frequency is 60 Hz.

The present currency of Ecuador is the United States dollar.

It is preferable if you bring smaller bills up to 20$. Usually it is hard to get change in the small villages.

A part from your luggage and good vibe:)

we recommend the following things:

1. Journal to write down your process.
2. Mousquito repelents( natural if you can get one.)
3. Comfortable cloths for the night of the ceremonies. Mainly loose clothes with natrual fabrics. bring at least one sweat-shirt.
4. Music instruments if you can play them.
5. One or two bading suits.
6. Flipflops for the beach.
7. Sunscreen
8. Books that are great for self awarness and spirituality.

Fresh and healthy foods like vegetables and fruits, as well as grains, are the way to go about this diet. In terms of meat, if you are not a vegetarian, it is best to limit yourself to chicken, and fish, but keep it to a minimum. Do not use too many spices and limit the intake of salt and sugar. No Alcohol.

Some types of foods do not go well with ayahuasca, these are foods that contain the amino acid “tyramine”. Under normal circumstances this is not a problem, but when we have a MAO inhibitor active in our system, tyramine can be absorbed in the body. This causes a release of adrenaline, which can cause headaches, sweating, increased heart rate and blood pressure. 

Some medication, drugs and supplements are also prohibited with the use of ayahuasca and must be stopped 3 weeks before the ceremony. 

We do not allow participants to smoke cannabis/weed on our retreats, as we have a no drugs and no alcohol policy.

We believe in a careful preparation for receiving the sacred plant medicine in the purest way and part of this is to stop the usage of marijuana. Smoking cannabis occupies quite some mental space. Ayahuasca does as well. Combining the two can create a foggy experience, while we strongly believe that you can get most out of your ayahuasca experience, if “she” gets your full attention and you go in purified from marijuana. Besides that, commitment to work with ayahuasca is essentially committing to look at yourself and your patterns and habits honestly. Abstaining from marijuana usage for a period can make reflect on your smoking behavior more purely and clearly?

During your stay in Vikara weather you are on a retreat or just staying in the hotle we offer you a ray of extra activities and therapies from qualified and proffesional service givers. 

There is no need to book in advance. Just ask our reception to book them for you.

Energetic healing with hands on massage

Deep tissue massage

Acupancture 

cupping massage

horseback ridding

surf classes

sound healing journey

Temazcal

bicycle rentals

surfboard rentals 

breath and meditation workshops

private yoga classes

We work with various medicine people (shamans) who have trained by different tribes and lineages. There are many ways to work with the different plant medicines and different tribes have different settings or forms they work with the plants. At Vikara you will get to experience a few different forms at one retreat.

All of our medicine people have gone through years of trainings and have conducted countless of ceremonies before joining our center. They are very experienced and all of them have the blessings from the elders to share the different medicines we work with.

Apart from having the ancestral knowledge many of our facilitators also have a deep understanding in psychology and various therapy methods. This is very useful to help with the integration process before and after the ceremonies.

The combination of Ayahuasca (an MAOI ) and SSRIs is potentially life-threatening. Any medication which has an effect on the serotonin system, such as SSRIs can induce serotonin syndrome in conjunction with Ayahuasca.

Normally you will not be able to attend the ayahuasca ceremonies, if you haven't stopped taking the medicine three weeks prior to the retreat. 

That being said you are still able to attend the retreat and we will also discuss case by case with our medicine people. So do not hesitate to contact us.

The most important factor is that you are 100% honest with us and give us a full health & medical statement about yourself.

Without going into all the details, and also revealing all the mystery:

Basically, we start the ceremonies at night time and they go through all the night, usually ending and dawn or later.

Each individual has their own mattress with a blanket, a pillow and a bucket. 
During the ceremony each one is expected to stay at their own space and concentrate on themselves. 

There are moments of silence, singing, music and sharing. Everything is led by the main shaman and is for the benefit of all the participants.

During the night we may offer other types of medicines like tobacco in powder, coca leaves, different incense & medicinal plants for purification and cleansing.

The Maloka (ceremonial space) is located next to the beach side of the property. It is a closed structure but breathable with a chimney on top of the roof so that the smoke doesn't stay inside.