Vikara Lifestyle

Roey, the owner, and Simon, his business partner were extremely gracious, and very accommodating.

It was a week packed full of activities - yoga, surf lessons, bike riding...

Basically anything you wanted to do Roey was up for it.

The food was spectacular, everything was made from scratch; it was to die for. Especially for those of you familiar with typical coastal Ecuadorian food, you will definitely appreciate the meals.

Room was spacious, well appointed, and clean. He has A/C and wifi included, both of which were a necessity for me

I highly recommend this retreat if you are seeking a great guide, an introduction to Ecuadorian culture, and an activity based vacation

I came to Olon after months of a ton of stress, just needing some time in a new place with new people and new experiences, which is exactly what I got. With great food, great surf, and great yoga, I got a chance to just forget about everything else, and just have fun. I definitely recommend Vikaralifestyle for anyone that just needs a break and a reset. You'll meet some awesome and friendly people, and experience a beautiful small town.

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.

What a wonderfull stay I had in Roy s place, Vikaralifestyle! It was exactly what I was expecting, surf, yoga, good food, nice place, and nice talkings! Everything is there for reconnecting with yourself, with your body, your mind and of course nature. Roy is there for u 24/24 and will follow your flow, your rythme, will do whatever you want to be peace and enjoying the present like it always should be. I met a lot of wonderfull and beautifull people in olòn and made my departure even harder. There is an atmosphere there in olòn that u can t find somewhere else. I enjoyed every second, and one day I will come back for sure, but for this time way longer. I m so gratefull to Roy. I came whit an intention and he helped me to go throw it. Trust is the key for love, and love for trust, just embrace it. Roy has been a perfect host and real became a friend.

I recommend this retraet million times!!

I had done a bit of traveling internationally but rarely by myself, and I wanted to experience the challenge of embarking on a solo adventure while taking time to reflect where I was at in my life regarding personal and career goals. Being near the ocean was very important to me as well.

I loved that this retreat was offered as very customisable, where you chose how much or how little your days were structured. I wanted to do activities I love, like yoga and surfing, but also have time to relax by myself and just rest, meditate or think.

I found being on my own and having to make all of the decisions about what I felt like doing and where I wanted to go (without a travel partner to consider or compromise with) was very liberating. Roey, the host and owner of La Casa Rosa, was ready with suggestions, like mountain biking, guided meditation, surfing lessons, but made it clear each day's agenda was totally up to me and my whims. I worked on exercising my decision making abilities and listening to my inner voice and instincts.

I met a lot of wonderful people from all over the world during my short stay. There are lots of people who live in the village of Olon either permanently or for extended periods who are from other places (Canada, Australia, Sweden, the UK, the States) and who are friendly and speak English. They really made the trip special, just chatting with them over coffee or sharing a meal or going on a group surfing lesson. If you wish to spend more time alone, plenty of solitude can be found by escaping to the beach or exploring the small village. The private room and bathroom are very simple but comfortable. The host Roey gives you as much attention or space as you wish, and both he and the chef Augustine are incredibly skilled at preparing fresh, healthy food that looks and tastes fantastic. The beach is amazing and the overall atmosphere is relaxing and tranquil. I was only sorry that I booked a five day stay and not longer.

I have just returned home after spending a week in Ecuador in the Vikaralifestyle retreat at La Casa Rosa- Olon. If you're looking for some peaceful and quiet place far from the burden of everyday life, I strongly recommend that you indulge yourself in that pleasant location. The resort is run by Mr. Roey Klein, an outgoing, generous young man. You will find him as a good listener and you may even benefit from his insights about life. In addition, the meals are delicious! A mix of fine culinary art from around the world, cooked with fresh and local ingredients.

The yoga classes with Stephenie were profound and well taught. I had daily surf lessons with Roey and could surf even stand up on the board, which is a big achievement for me at my age (56). I enjoyed the tour to Isla de la Plata and alos the bike tour to the waterfalls. Met lots of interesting people in the Café and had much insightful conversation

I feel Vikarlifestyle takes you out of your norm and puts you for a while in a whole new world, which can help you see the world in a different perspective. It’s a combination of the environment, the people and the activities that have that effect on you. The whole experience leaves you with serenity and insights for a long time.

All started in my early teenage years, when I fall in love with South America. Since then my dream of traveling alone and living the pure adventure grew year by year. Finally the day came when I finished High School and I was free. All my friends knew already what to study at university or what job they want to have, but I just knew -I want to travel in South America by my own on a very low budget and realize my lifetime dream! I did a lot of research of volunteer opportunities but after weeks I got very frustrated because the majority of offers required to be paid. In my opinion that´s absolutely not correct, if you offer all your time and energy to volunteer and learn new things at the same time you should definitely not have to pay for it! During my trip to western Europe one of my Couch surfers recommended me to check out the worldwide volunteering group on the Couch surfing platform, where you can indeed find very good offers.

I remember very good when I saw Roey´s volunteer offer for his holistic program on the coast of Ecuador, because Ecuador was THE dream country of mine. So we made first contact and a day after he invited me to come. A few days after I was checking out the same page and I found a volunteer opportunity for sheep herding on the east coast of Brazil . Everything developed very fast and 3 weeks later I was sitting in the airplane and was on the way to South America ! During the 2 months sheep herding in the middle of nowhere I had time to disconnect and reconnect with myself -which is by far the best experience I´ve ever made so far. After tons of crazy party nights in Rio de Janeiro and gorgeous hikes at the Catartas de Iguazu , I was ready to come to Ecuador. My plan ended in Casa Rosa, after that I had nothing planned nor booked. I just went and see how everything is gonna be.´ Basically, I never make expectations when I go to a new place because everything will surprise me then. When Roey welcomed me very friendly and excited I felt immediately that I am on a good place! Before Casa Rosa I had barely experience with cooking. Within the first two months I learned how to work in a group, how to support each other , cook fresh and how to treat our clients. I fall in love with the concept and idea of Casa Rosa, with healthy eating, yoga and Acroyoga and surfing, enjoying a fresh coconut on the beach, listening to the waves, watching amazing sunsets with friends, enjoying a cold beer at a bonfire and be creative.

So after 3 months I decided to stay and extend my visa for 6 more months -which made me even happier, because I could stay longer in my dream country at my dream place with lots of good friends. The decision to stay was very easy for me, because I just felt so happy and was totally in peace with myself. I learned every day more about a vital lifestyle, cooking, taking care about myself, and explored many passions of mine. I am very grateful for all the lessons I learned, beautiful people that I met and who inspired me a lot on my way, for all the amazing moments at the weekly community dinners, for the trust that I received from Roey to take care about his restaurant and the compliments for my work. Being responsible for a restaurant is also hard work, lots of food to prepare and a lot of things that need to be managed. I learned fast and Roey and I came a better team day by day. He also became my bigger brother with whom I shared a lot of intense moments and experience together, such as volunteering in Canoa after the earthquake, helping on a permaculture farm in Vilcabamba, failed surf lessons, many shared sunsets on the beach, best pizza in Montanita, whale watching and hitchhiking. I grew a lot due to his support and honesty. One of the things that I totally loved about Casa Rosa is that it just feels like if you would sit in the garden of your best friend, where you enjoy a good Cappuchino, have a chat and leave with a huge smile on your face. In Casa Rosa I had my first yoga sessions and had various opportunities to practice different types of yoga, such as Asthanga, Hatha or Acroyoga. I got in the vibes of yoga, and I used it in a way of relaxation and meditation. I loved it to do it by my own after we close the restaurant or on the beach during sunsets -there are no words to describe how yoga feels on the beach when the sun is setting.

The whole concept of Casa Rosa is focused on a fully healthy lifestyle, with freshly prepared food, yoga, surfing and meditation. I loved the amount of travelers that came to Casa Rosa for yoga sessions and their excitement. The Yoga retreat was very satisfying and made me feel in balance and grounded. Furthermore, practicing and learning more about Yoga inspired me a lot for my Art. It is an amazing combination that Vikara Lifestyle offers and I am very grateful to had the change to transform myself. Furthermore, I loved about Casa Rosa, that various travelers came and I could ¨travel¨ even if I am not traveling, because I was having a lot of conversations with people from all over the world about different cultures, traditions, food etc. Olon was very special because it´s a small tranquil village (which feels like home for me) and I could share so many moments with my friends which I found there! It was hard for me to leave, because after almost 10 months in Ecuador I built so many beautiful friendships. They were a huge support and inspiration on my way and they will always be part of my family! (Muchas Gracias Amigos!!) During the months in Ecuador I realized that it´s not gonna be like a 9 months South America trip, no, it´s with an open end, because I prefer to live for real and have time in a country to get to know the REAL (for example) Ecuador. In my opinion that´s the best way to travel and have the real experience. Right now, I am living since November at the Caribbean coast in Colombia and I am enjoying the beautiful mixture of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and white sanded beaches. Who knows how long I am going to travel in South America, but I am very happy and still living my dream.