Vikara Lifestyle

I recently returned to the states from my 1st retreat at Vikara. As a newbie to this type of excursion, I had few expectations but my time spent at Vikara was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I will continue to thank myself for taking the plunge and booking the trip and giving myself the most special gift I have ever received. From the moment the communication began with the team members at Vikara I felt comforted, excited, and hopeful. During my time at Vikara I had the opportunity to listen to my body during our yoga classes. I wasn’t bound to the clock, pressured by a room full of people, or judged in any way. In some ways I feel like my first session with Elba was my very first yoga class. She showed me the true celebration of the practice. She listened to my body and provided the confidence, experience, and guidance I needed. Our yoga classes were fun, exploratory, and informational. A spark was definitely ignited inside that can't wait to continue see what else I’m capable of!I really appreciated the variety of meals provided by Nali. Shutout to her for listening when I told her that pesto was my favorite and then packing me pesto/mozzarella sandwich while away on an all day trip. All other aspects; surfing, massage, rooming accommodations succeeded expectations. I truly felt right at home. I even stayed an extra day.The lessons I learned while at vikara will continue to inspire me always go for what I want and to listen to my heart.

Everything! Roey, Nali, Elba, and the rest of the staff were beyond wonderful. Each activity challenged both body and mind which made every moment worth the trip.

Roey is an amazing host! He is very personable, fun, and consistently checked in to make sure you were enjoying every moment. Roey is always there if you have any questions or needed a buddy to hang out with. He has great recommendations when it comes to free time outside of your scheduled activities.

Elba is a goddess of yoga! She really focuses on helping you reach your yoga goals/intentions as well as leads a fantastic yoga practice. The consistent thought I had after each practice was "wow, she put me into another spiritual dimension!"

Nali is a QUEEN in the kitchen and the sorority house mother I never had but wished I did. Her meals were delicious, healthy, AND instagram-able. Thanks to Nali, I not only tried new and healthy foods, but I also learned quite a lot about the foods she cooked with. Her energy and personality have inspired me to cook more.

The team at Vikara is truly a family and they welcome you as one of their own. I can not WAIT to go back and visit them!

Roey, Elba, and Nali provide an amazing foundation for this retreat. It was a perfect trip for me, and I enjoyed it immensely. Ecuador is full of amazing and wonderful people and experiences. I'm glad that I went with Vikara on my first journey to this magical place. The yoga was amazing, the surf was very good, the beach is great, and Olon is perfect for those of us who like a peaceful and not crowded destination.

Elba is a gift. Yoga with her is a perfect blend of the physical and spiritual. The lessons that I learned in poses, asanas, and breathing go beyond the yoga mat. I wish everyone who enjoys yoga has the opportunity to practice with her, it is transformational. I really cannot express just how beautiful of a human being she is. I wish that I could do yoga with her every day!

Nali does an amazing job of preparing fresh and tasty meals every day. I had some dietary restrictions that were completely accommodated. Not only that, meals were delicious! I especially miss breakfast. And Nali.

Roey does a great job of balancing the offered activities with what you want to do. I enjoyed the relaxed and flexible schedule, and it was a good mix of being busy and relaxing. He is also very fun and funny, and I enjoyed hanging out with him, Elba, Nali, and his local friends.

You'll get out of the trip what you put in. If you were like me and on the fence about whether you should do this trip or not... You should. You will have a unique experience that you will enjoy!

The only thing I loved was the food and the kindness of the people

EVERYTHING! We had such a great time at the Vikara Retreat. From the moment we arrived we were greeted with smiles and a delicious homemade breakfast by Nali, the chef. Nali's cooking was amazing throughout the entire week. We've never eaten so well on vacation! Yoga with Elba was enlightening and challenging and was a great way to start off the day. And Roey, the owner, is honestly looking to provide you with the best experience possible. He is very patient when teaching surfing and had us up on the boards by the very first lesson, even catching waves by ourselves by the end of the week. The schedule is flexible and you can do as much or as little as you want during the week (although we recommend doing everything because it was amazing!). Come with an open mind and you will make amazing discoveries and friendships. We'll be back. -Brianna&Sophie

Roey and Simon created a beautiful and inviting retreat designed specifically for my partner and I. The energy was flowing and positive. The food was amazing. The yoga was transformative. The instruction was tailored to our needs. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful landscape and nicer people. I would highly recommend Vikaralifestyle retreat to anyone seeking adventure, exploration, and restoration. My partner and I plan on returning to Olón and staying for a longer period of time so that we can continue our discovery into all that life has to offer there. Thank you Roey and Simon. You both have made this one of the most memorable trips we've ever had.

I had a great time staying at Vikara lifestyle. I had chosen Vikara lifestyle as I wanted to learn how to surf, had tried it a few time before. But this time I wanted to do it intense and really learn it and that's what I did. Right after I booked the retreat Roey, the owner, contacted me to hear my expectation and knew from the beginning that my focus was on surfing. I still did yoga everyday, but the focus was on surfing as that what was I wanted. It's a great retreat that everything gets tailored to your wishes, and if you don't want to surf or do yoga one day you do not have to. But at the same time Roey do try to push you to open up your mind. It was all what I expected surfing, yoga, great food, nice place and people.

Roey's place is the perfect little spot if you want to relax, but still be active and have fun.

We really appreciated not only the flow of this retreat, but the town as well. First off, Olon is an amazing small beach town filled with wonderful people, a great beach to learn how to surf, and the perfect level of "sleepiness" for this trip. Quiet overall, but enough things around to do. When it comes to surfing, Roey is a great teacher. If you are a beginner like me (never been on a surfboard before this retreat, but grew up snowboarding) I was able to catch my second wave and was able to progress to taller waves and going further in than I ever expected before the trip. He was there by our sides helping us catch bigger and better waves and giving us tips and hints that really helped. The yoga part of the retreat was also great because we got to practice a few different styles of yoga which I enjoyed, as I had never done much ashtanga yoga in the USA. Roey really listens to you on this retreat, and provides a space where you get to choose how the pace of your retreat goes. The first few days we were feeling awesome - we were surfing two long sessions a day with a yoga class in the evening and Roey leading some ashtanga in the morning. I felt amazing and powerful and loved how much the yoga helped and complimented the surfing, even for someone as inflexible as I am. When after the first few days of really pushing it, we slowed the pace and got to relax by taking it a bit easier. We went on a great hike to natural swimming pools in Dos Mangas and explored a few other beaches with point breaks where we got to try our hand at different style of waves. All in all this trips is what you make of it with La Casa Rosa and Roey there to help facilitate it all smoothly.

thank you Nali, Elba, Roey, Matt and Gisela for making my retreat perfect! Nalis food is the best!! And Yoga with Elba was pure relaxation and so calming. They way she teaches is unique and touching, thank you for the best Yoga sessions I ever had! Thanks to everyone for making me feel home right away! Thank you Nali and Roey for helping me when my luggage didn’t arrive. Lots of love to all of you!! Hope to see you again, I’m definitely coming back to Olón!! Natalie

A very big THANKS to Vikara Lifestyle!We just finished our 8 days stay in this wonderful and peaceful retreat right in the heart of the charming village Olon. The room is we stayed in was simple but very comfortable with a good matraz and pillows, clean and a good shower.Thank you Roey and Maura for your daily boost of positive energy. You made us feel at home from the very first day. Thank you for sharing your experiences and the inspiring talks about life, to let us feel part of the village. The last day Roey invited us to a local BBQ at the village were we met some amazing people and enjoyed the delicious food. However, Roey surprised us with his delicious and healthy meals every single day.

We received daily a wonderful and joyful yoga class from Elba, an amazing and very experienced yoga teacher with a beautiful heart that made us really feel and connect with the spiritual part of yoga!The surf with Roey has been fun and he always was helpful and full of patience during the lessons.We really enjoyed the waves!! Actually with Roey everything is easy going and he totally adapts to your wishes but on the same time he is empowering you to keep the activities going :-) We really recommend the excursion to Isla de la Plata. The combination of Yoga & Surf is just perfect!

Vikara Lifestyle for us means;relax & peace 24 hours but most importantly we activated our BODY, MIND & SOUL in a magical environment from beginning to end! We cannot thank you guys enough!

Every person associated with this retreat has a gift and is willing to share it with the clients. Elba's yoga is steeped in spiritual awareness. Her 2 hour daily yoga and her 1 hour meditation provides a comfortable yoking of true self and our bodies resulting in a transformational experience in every class. Flexibility, balance, awareness and unconditional love express themselves through Elba. Unforgettable. Speaking of love, there is so much love in Nali's cooking that we can taste it. From home style Venezuelan meals to improvised creations using whatever is available and fresh and healthy, I looked forward to and was never disappointed by each of her beautiful meals. I'll never forget the black bean and Cacau brownies. Aime and Hewaneeta, exists as channels on this planet for spiritual healing the revelation of life paths. The Ancient Medicine Healing Ceremonies are undertaken with careful attention to ancient traditions establishing a safe, peaceful, and enlightening experience. A couple of these ceremonies start at night and continue until dawn. For the great majority of this time Time and/or Hawaneeta are expressing through ancient music, songs and prayers of the ancestors that ring out from the fire of the teepee to the lives of the participants, to nature, and wildlife within miles and miles , who each respond as a part of the unfolding natural spiritual symphony. Not something one gets much opportunity to experience these days. But its offered here.

Warm welcoming staff who felt like family from the start.

This retreat is extremely personalised, I was the only one staying (Roey has room for a couple or a single occupant) and there was no pressure to stick to a schedule...everything is as you need it to be. Elba the yoga is a wonderful human and very patient with my shaky and poor execution of the poses - she definitely seemed like she could cater for advanced students as well. Food was tasty and accomodation was clean and spacious with air con. The surfing again as a beginner was not too much, Roey was very patient and encouraging. I had a fabulous week, the opportunity to meet some of Roey’s friends was wonderful also, I was just surrounded by lovely people all week. Would highly recommend this to anyone.

We loved this retreat! Roey did a fantastic job designing the experience to cater to his guests' desires - we had wonderful yoga practices, great surf sessions (as a beginner surfer, I was already enjoying the waves by the first day!), and food so delicious and fresh that it blew us away. The accommodations were clean and comfortable, and Olon is the perfect village atmosphere that feels like home after just a few days. We would highly recommend this retreat to anyone looking to relax and rejuvenate!

This was an amazing experience that clearly surpassed my expectations. The location is perfect (quiet and peaceful Olón next to lovely Montañita), the beach beautiful, food excellent, but the best aspect is the Vikara community - people who are brought together by the aspiration to create a meaningful experience for the retreat participants. All activities were geared towards my needs, wishes and level of experience, very flexible schedules and a lot of space for my own agenda (e.g. Spanish classes). Roey is an amazing surf instructor (I was not aware of my passion for surfing before), Julie a great Yoga teacher and passionate massage therapist who taught me a lot about my body & stress management, and Elba a very experienced & deep Yoga instructor. Thanks everyone @ Vikara for this amazing time, it was more that only some kind of retreat, but a meaningful and fun experience that still resonates with me. I hope I will be able to come back and definitely will recommend this magic place!