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5-Day Vegetarian/Vegan Cooking
& Yoga Retreat
Nourish & Connect in the Peruvian Amazon
Reconnect with yourself through nourishing plant-based food, creative cooking, gentle yoga, and meaningful moments immersed in nature.
Skill level: Beginner & Intermediate
Optional variation: This retreat may also be booked as a cooking-only retreat without the afternoon yoga classes. With this option, afternoons remain open for rest, swimming, reflection, exploration, or simply enjoying unhurried time immersed in nature. Please inquire if this version better suits your needs.
What to Expect
Spend five nourishing days immersed in nature, where mornings are dedicated to hands-on plant-based cooking and afternoons invite you to slow down through gentle yoga, rest, reflection, and time outdoors.
More than a traditional cooking retreat or wellness retreat, this experience invites you into Johanne’s kitchen — a warm and creative space where nourishing meals are explored with curiosity, joy, simplicity, and care.
The inspiration for this retreat grew from Johanne’s years of traveling and backpacking, when she often found herself missing the simple pleasure of spending time in a kitchen preparing wholesome meals and sharing meaningful moments around food.
This retreat was created from that longing — offering guests the opportunity to reconnect with the grounding and deeply human experience of cooking, eating, and living more intentionally for a few days.
Each morning, you’ll join Johanne in the kitchen around 8:30 to prepare breakfast together, then sit down to enjoy what you’ve created. The cooking experience continues through late morning as you prepare lunch together, usually shared around 1:30–2:00 PM in a relaxed and nourishing atmosphere.
During these extended kitchen sessions, you’ll explore practical cooking techniques, flavor combinations, kitchen tips, and creative ways to make plant-based meals both deeply nourishing and satisfying.
Most of the recipes shared throughout the retreat come from Johanne’s personal cookbook collection developed over years of retreat cooking, international travel, and a deep love for nourishing food from around the world.
Throughout the retreat, you’ll also have the opportunity to explore creative vegetarian and vegan adaptations of some of Peru’s most beloved traditional dishes while discovering local flavors, ingredients, and culinary inspirations.
Afternoons unfold at a slower pace with yoga, meditation, hammock time, swimming in the spring-fed lagoon, or simply enjoying quiet moments surrounded by the sounds of nature.
Evenings are centered around nourishing suppers lovingly prepared by Yermed, meaningful conversation, stargazing, and deep rest.
This retreat is intentionally intimate, with space for only 1–2 participants, allowing for personalized guidance, meaningful connection, and a calm and deeply supportive atmosphere.
Whether you are newly exploring plant-based cooking or already comfortable in the kitchen, the retreat offers an opportunity to reconnect with food in a more joyful, creative, and nourishing way.
The Experience
Food has a unique way of bringing people together, awakening creativity, and reconnecting us with a more intentional and nourishing rhythm of living.
This retreat offers more than cooking classes — it is an opportunity to experience the pleasure of preparing wholesome meals, sharing meaningful moments in the kitchen and around the table, and reconnecting with yourself through nourishment, nature, simplicity, and presence.
Johanne shares her love of food and wellness in a grounded and accessible way, encouraging balance, enjoyment, curiosity, and freedom rather than perfection or rigid dietary rules.
Many guests leave not only with new recipes and practical kitchen skills, but also feeling more inspired, rested, connected, and confident, bringing greater mindfulness and nourishment into everyday life.
Retreats at Tambo Ilusión are intentionally kept small, personal, and deeply supportive. Rather than a large commercial retreat environment, guests are welcomed into a peaceful family-run space centered around meaningful connection, simplicity, nature, and genuine hospitality.
Typical Daily Flow
(Exact timings and activities may shift slightly)
(If you choose the cooking-only option, afternoons are free for rest, exploration, or personal time.)
Day 1
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Arrival, welcome drink & orientation
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Gentle yoga + meditation
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Peaceful sunset stroll to meet the horses and enjoy quiet moments in their calming presence
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Nourishing dinner & stargazing
Day 2
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Warm lime water
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Cooking workshop: prepare & enjoy breakfast
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Cooking workshop: prepare midday meal
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Nutritious lunch
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Free time (swim, hammock, journal)
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Gentle yoga + meditation
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Nourishing dinner prepared by Yermed
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Evening rest under the stars
Day 3
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Visit to a vibrant local market with Johanne
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Breakfast together
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Cooking workshop: prepare midday meal
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Nutritious lunch
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Free time to swim, hammock, or rest
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Gentle yoga + meditation
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Nourishing dinner
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Stargazing & reflection
Day 4
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Warm lime water
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Cooking workshop: prepare & enjoy breakfast
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Cooking workshop: prepare midday meal
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Nutritious lunch
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Free time
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Gentle yoga + meditation
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Nourishing dinner
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Evening rest
Day 5
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Warm lime water
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Cooking workshop: farewell breakfast
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Cooking workshop: final culinary session
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Lunch & reflection
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Program ends
What You’ll Learn
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Prepare nourishing breakfasts to energize your mornings
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Create wholesome soups, hearty legumes, satisfying grain dishes, and colorful plant-based meals
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Explore creative vegetarian and vegan adaptations of some of Peru’s most beloved traditional dishes while discovering local flavors, ingredients, and culinary inspirations
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Explore sprouting, fermenting, and dehydrating techniques
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Blend smoothies, juices, and nut or seed milks
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Prepare desserts and creative plant-based dishes
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Discover practical kitchen tips, flavor-balancing techniques, and meal-planning strategies
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Explore how nourishing meals and mindful eating habits can support overall well-being, energy, and balance
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Gain inspiration and confidence to bring greater creativity, nourishment, and enjoyment into everyday cooking and shared meals
What’s Included
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4 nights’ private accommodation in a cozy cabin with en-suite bathroom + screened porch & hammocks
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Extended daily hands-on cooking sessions with Johanne
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Gentle daily yoga & meditation (4 classes)
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Johanne’s beautifully photographed cookbook (PDF) featuring 150+ plant-based recipes, kitchen tips, meal-planning guidance, and inspiration gathered through years of retreat cooking and wellness work
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Nutrition coaching + Q&A during workshops
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3 delicious & nutritious vegetarian/vegan meals daily
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Market visit with Johanne to experience local food culture
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Access to secluded spring-fed lagoon for swimming
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Free time for rest, journaling, or hammock relaxation
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Transfer to/from Tarapoto airport by moto-taxi (20 min)
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Purified spring water throughout your stay
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Wi-Fi in the dining area
Rates
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Single traveler (private cabin): $1490 USD
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Couple/friends sharing a cabin: $2490 USD total
→ that’s $1245 USD per person
Booking & Availability
Retreats ideally begin on Mondays — contact us with your preferred start date, and we’ll confirm availability for you.
Once booked, the retreat is fully confirmed for your stay and intentionally kept small and personalized to preserve a calm and supportive atmosphere.
Group size: 1–2 participants
Check-in: 14:00 | Check-out: 17:00
You’re welcome to arrive earlier or leave later without extra charge. Extra meals outside the program are available upon request, or enjoy dining in the city.
Yoga is optional — if you’d prefer a cooking-only retreat, afternoons remain free for rest, swimming, exploring, or simply enjoying quiet time immersed in nature.
Prefer a private retreat? Let us know — we’ll be happy to tailor the experience to your needs.
Reconnect Through Food, Nature & Meaningful Living
Reconnect Through Food, Nature & Meaningful Living
Spend a few nourishing days immersed in creative cooking, gentle daily rhythms, meaningful connection, and the calming beauty of life surrounded by nature.
Return home feeling inspired, grounded, rested, and supported with practical tools, recipes, and renewed inspiration to continue nourishing yourself long after the retreat ends.
Guest Reflections
We feel deeply grateful for the experiences guests have shared with us over the years. Here are a few reflections from participants who joined us for this retreat.
“Tambo Ilusion was a birthday gift for my wife and it turned out to be exactly what we were looking for — a unique combination of vegetarian cooking, yoga, meditation, and meaningful time immersed in nature. We couldn’t find another retreat offering this experience anywhere in North America.
Johanne is an exceptional cook and a fountain of knowledge when it comes to healthy living, plant-based cooking, and yoga. The meals were incredibly flavorful, the smoothies delicious, and the daily cooking sessions filled with practical tips, inspiration, and enjoyable conversation. We left feeling confident that we could continue preparing many of the recipes at home using Johanne’s cookbook, which was included in the retreat.
The yoga and meditation sessions were excellent and thoughtfully adapted to our individual needs. Practicing in the beautiful open-air yoga space surrounded by forest sounds made each session deeply grounding and relaxing.
The cabins were cozy and comfortable, the lagoon refreshing, and the intimate atmosphere made the entire experience feel personal and deeply restorative.
Our stay at Tambo Ilusion exceeded expectations. Johanne and Armando are wonderful hosts, and we would highly recommend this retreat to anyone seeking a deeply nourishing cooking and yoga experience.”
— Dave D., Canada
“Kudos to Johanne for creating such a beautiful and meaningful experience.
Whether you are looking to disconnect from a hectic routine, reconnect with yourself, deepen your yoga practice, or explore vegetarian and vegan cooking, Tambo Ilusion offers something truly special.
From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed into a peaceful and lovingly cared-for environment. The property itself is stunning — a lush private conservation area filled with tropical beauty, birdsong, and a deep sense of calm.
What surprised me most was the cooking experience. I’m not vegetarian or vegan, yet I genuinely loved the meals. The mornings spent preparing and sharing breakfast and lunch with Johanne became one of the highlights of the retreat. The conversations, cooking tips, healthy teas, smoothies, and nutritional insights made the experience feel incredibly rich and personal.
Johanne’s cookbook is much more than a recipe collection — it’s an extensive guide to nourishing living filled with recipes, kitchen wisdom, superfoods, and practical inspiration. Receiving the personalized PDF after the retreat felt like bringing a piece of the experience back home with me.
The daily yoga sessions were equally memorable. Johanne teaches with warmth, experience, and authenticity, and the open-air yoga space immersed in nature created the perfect environment to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect.
I left feeling rested, inspired, and deeply grateful for the experience. If you are seeking a place to reset, learn, reconnect, and experience a more nourishing rhythm of living, I wholeheartedly recommend Tambo Ilusion.”
— Graham P., UK
“I wanted to disconnect from work, responsibilities, and daily life in order to reconnect with myself surrounded by nature. Tambo Ilusion gave me that opportunity and much more.
The conversations I shared with Johanne, along with her knowledge of vegetarian and vegan cooking, yoga, Reiki, and wellness, felt deeply nourishing and fulfilling.
I would wholeheartedly recommend Tambo Ilusion to anyone seeking meaningful connection, rest, and time to reconnect with themselves in nature.”
— Dalis C., USA