Amazon Plant-Based Cooking & Yoga Retreat in Peru's Northern Jungle

Each morning starts slowly. You wake in your private wooden bungalow (called a tambo), grab the lemon water left on your porch, and listen to the birds. Around 8:30 a.m. you meet Johanne in the kitchen and start cooking breakfast together — maybe tropical fruit bowls, homemade granola, or savoury dishes using local ingredients. After eating what you made, you continue cooking through the morning, preparing lunch and learning techniques you can replicate at home without speciality equipment.

Meals are shared around the table with Johanne, so solo travellers get both solitude and company built into the day. Conversation tends to flow naturally when you've just spent three hours making food together.

Afternoons are unscheduled. The property has a natural spring-fed lagoon for swimming, hammocks scattered around, and a small herd of horses — Ayla, Knight and Sky — you can spend time with during a sunset walk. Late afternoon brings a yoga session: gentle Hatha, restorative poses, pranayama or yoga nidra, depending on what suits the day. Johanne has over 2,500 hours of teaching experience and adapts each practice to your level and energy.

One morning you'll go with Johanne to a local market in Tarapoto. It's a chance to see tropical fruits and regional ingredients you won't find at home, and to pick up a few things to cook back at the retreat. Dinners are prepared for you, so evenings are for resting, watching fireflies, or looking at stars if the sky is clear.

The property is a privately protected conservation area, home to a noticeable variety of birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Tambo Ilusión has received TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Award and multiple Certificates of Excellence, with 44 reviews averaging 4.98 out of 5.

What's included

- 4 nights accommodation in a private wooden bungalow - 3 vegetarian or vegan meals daily - 4 hands-on cooking workshops (approximately 4 hours each) - 4 yoga classes - Daily pranayama and meditation sessions - PDF copy of Johanne's 500-page cookbook - Morning cleansing lime tea delivered to your porch - Visit to Tarapoto local market - Swimming in spring-fed lagoon - Sunset walk to meet the horses - Round-trip airport transfer from Tarapoto airport - Welcome drink - Nutritional talks - Wi-Fi in common areas - Luggage storage - Pre and post retreat support - Water, tea and coffee throughout the day

What's not included

- International and domestic flights - Travel insurance - Visa fees - Personal expenses - Additional treatments - Gratuities - Activities not included in the itinerary