My detox program experience at Tambo Ilusión was fascinating. Unexpectedly fascinating. I describe my experience in order to encourage others to book that same retreat, because it could - as it has been for me - be a life changing experience.

There are several factors contributing to such results in only a week and it certainly also depends on your very own contribution, the situation in your life and your efforts or interest in turning this into a spiritual experiment, as well, but even if it was just for the physical experience, it surely is intense and liberating.

Being in the jungle, enjoying the purity of nature, living "back to basics" for that week, listening to the sounds of nature, being "detoxed" from toxic food but also from technology and electricity and from company (when doing a detox, Tambo Ilusión accepts maximum 2 guests, incl. you!), eating such healthy food and learning about its benefits, having private yoga and meditation lessons, Reiki sessions, swimming in the gorgeous lagoon, receiving advice from Johanne and Armando (both being adventurers with a lot of courage and wisdom), and having them both focus 100% on your well-being and realizing they are selecting information, articles, stories, videos, music, meals, exercises, advice JUST for you! All of that teaches you valuable lessons and will make a difference in your life.

As I have been in a "time of change" at this point in my life so I was very receptive for the program and its side effects. I am not including my spiritual enlightenments here, nor my thoughts and lessons on how to change my life; as in how to direct my career, have confidence, control my thoughts, be positive, be healthy, accept the past, or find my purpose in life. But for anybody who also happens to be in a crisis, I highly recommend a retreat such as this one. The Chinese character for crisis is composed of 2 sub-characters, by the way: One that spells danger and another that spells opportunity. :-) Make the most of this opportunity!

Tambo Ilusión is not a 5-star "SPA" retreat. It's the opposite because it is so back to basic. Pure. But it's still luxury. It's luxury because it's 100% personal and it's a spot that's priceless with its secluded fresh water lagoon... And it's very, very reasonable for what you get (just think about all those daily personal trainings of yoga and meditation, the 2 Reiki sessions and herbal baths, and THEN all the food including superfoods and what you get out of it as a long-term result.

Getting there is easy: A 1 hour 20 minutes flight from Lima and a 20 minutes drive from Tarapoto airport.

The accommodation: Any guest will quickly witness and see how Armando has been a leader in the conversation and restoration movement of the Peruvian jungle. ;-) His dedication is amazing. It's hard to imagine how he has built EVERYTHING from scratch. What Armando and Johanne have established since they decided to turn this into a retreat center only a few years ago, is more than impressive. They work so hard on making their dream come true, they don't make compromises in the quality of the simplicity that they provide. Thus, the cabins (called "tambos") with roofs made of palm trees are simple, but clean, safe and waterproof, and the beds or rather the mattresses are well chosen. The tambos have no electricity or glass windows (the windows have screens). This way you hear the jungle's concerts all day and night. You sleep under a mosquito net. Every cabin has its own hammock (being my very favorite place to spend hours and hours in :-). AND there is even a tambo JUST with hammocks called the "reading room".

The property is safe. I felt safe even walking to the washroom (separate from the tambos) in the middle of the night.

There is electricity in the main house (which includes the kitchen and general dining area, and also the hosts' bedroom and bathroom) for charging a device such as a Kindle or laptop, and the main house has a welcoming spirit to it, so you always feel okay joining Johanne and Armando there, talking to them or simply sitting down to read or watch for monkeys. Be aware there is no wi-fi, and hardly any mobile reception!

Program: My program got started right away as I arrived in the afternoon. Instead of starting with the formalities, we started with an enema 10 minutes after I got there :-) This simply describes Johanne and Armando's flexibility, but also their hands-on mentality and determination. Whatever happens: their focus is to make you feel comfortable. So don't worry. They (take) care!

Meals: You have 3 balanced and tasty meals a day and usually one activity in the morning and one in the afternoon. There is still enough time for privacy and hanging out, in the hammock or at the lagoon, for reading and sleeping, for drawing mandalas or simply letting thoughts wander around.

Even though you are on a detox diet, you never feel starved. But you never feel full either. Of course, there are parts that require commitment, discipline and sometimes getting out of your comfort zone (for the enema, for example) or over your barrier of disgust (of drinking salt water or olive oil on the last day of the detox for example), but it's all very doable and never feels like torture. The positive experience always dominates (95%:5%, I'd say). I didn't even miss my morning coffee while I was there. So not everything you expect to be tough on you will be.

The goal of the program is to detox your liver, thus getting rid of all the bad stuff in there. You will literarily see the bad stuff you eliminate at the end of the program, the liver's so called gall stones. It's a pretty crazy and impressive experience or rather accomplishment. It's liberating and uplifting, too, with guaranteed positive side effects on your mood, as well.

Number of guests: There is a capacity for only 10 guests on the property in order to conserve the nature and wildlife. When Johanne and Armando have guests for a detox program, they even limit their number of guests to a maximum of 2, so others will never distract you or confront you with food or meals you may not have during your detox program. And you will have your privacy for "bathroom" moments or emotional mood swings.

Hosts / Privacy: When spending time with the hosts, I guess it's always up to you, how intense you want this time to be. I am sure they would respect it if somebody was not a big talker. But they sure are interested and interesting people to share stories with. And they always make sure you feel comfortable. You are always asked how you feel and I highly advise always to tell the truth and the details, because this way, they can integrate "help", if necessary, into their program, may it be a yoga position, may it be natural healing agent, may it be an advice. Johanne is very generous in sharing her knowledge that she had gained about raw food, healthy cooking and superfoods over the years.

Schedule: Every day, you can sleep as long as I want. No alarm clock. Let nature and your own biorhythm lead you. I loved that part.

Yoga and Reiki: Johanne is a certified yoga instructor and Reiki master. For her yoga classes, held in such a beautiful room, she adapts the level of "difficulty" to her students. In my case, she really started from scratch. She provides information about yoga in terms of historical, spiritual and physical "important-to-know" information, and she is very precise about the exercises, making sure every part of the body is where it is supposed to be and that you are breathing the abdominal breathing. She starts every session with an Om and with a meditation, she provides meditation techniques / "tools", and sometimes she even reads out a story, which is always selected with care and individually for you and your situation - as you will notice. Our yoga routine included mainly twists and stretches, gentle low- intensity practices to compress, relax and create space in the body for a deep detoxing experience. The right intensity for when doing a detox treatment. In the Reiki-sessions, Johanne transfers the energy of the universe through her hands to you, empowering you to self-heal and find balance.

Literature: I was provided with great books that were a great support for my "therapeutical" approach of this program as it was some great inspirational literature.

All in all: I highly recommend going to Tambo Ilusión if you are a person not caring for "Spa / wellness" in the modern sense. Go there if you care for nature and minimalism and purity, if you don't mind some alone time , if you don't mind basic lifestyle, if you care for real food and health, if you can stand the heat and the humidity, if you need to "get out", if you are in a crisis, if you have traveled Peru and need one last destination to calm down and relax, if you want to work on a creative project like writing a book, if you have taken medication and need to get those toxins out of your body, if you are interested in finding out more about yourself, and finally if you are ready for that detox experiment, living without the so-called luxuries in life but focusing (and recognizing!) the true luxury in the quality of food, also mental food, and the service Johanne and Armando provide, because it's so personalized.

I will be forever grateful. And I am sure I will remember that week for the rest of my life.