A preparatory cleansing on your first day – guided by experienced practitioners in the heart of the Amazon.
Kambo is the secretion of the Amazonian giant monkey frog (Phyllomedusa bicolor), used for generations by Indigenous groups such as the Matsés, Katukina, and Yawanawá of the western Amazon basin. Traditionally it is applied to small superficial burns made on the skin, usually the upper arm or leg, and is used in hunting preparation and ritual cleansing. Hunters have described it as sharpening senses and stamina. Physiologically, the secretion contains bioactive peptides (including phyllokinins, dermorphin, and deltorphin) that act on blood vessels, the gut, and opioid receptors. The usual acute response is a rapid heart rate, facial flushing and swelling, nausea, vomiting and purging within minutes, with a feeling of calm or heightened alertness afterward. The entire experience typically lasts 20-30 minutes, though some may feel mild effects for longer.
We offer kambo as a preparatory cleansing on the first day to help prepare the body for the effects of ayahuasca and further plant medicine treatments. After kambo, we encourage you to relax and not engaging with anything strenuous for the rest of the day. All kambo sessions are conducted by experienced practitioners under the watchful eye of our shaman, kambocero, and nurse Don Gardel.
We have also seen remarkable effects of applying kambo to joint or ligament issues, including treating knees, elbows, and neck pain. If you have specific or recurring physical injuries, aches, or weaknesses, let our team know and we can do our best to help.
We offer a 5-day immersive Kambo training course, led by Don Gardel. See Kambo Course for more information.
Kambo Course