People are accusing this vegan YouTuber of ‘scamming’ fans out of thousands for a yoga retreat

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People are accusing this vegan YouTuber of ‘scamming’ fans out of thousands for a yoga retreat

Do you want to pay $5,000 for a week of yoga? Flights not included

A famous vegan YouTuber who thinks raw food is better than medicine is hosting a jaw-droppingly expensive retreat that some fans are calling a “scam” because of the price.

Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram, who boasts a million subscribers on her health channel called Fully Raw Kristina, is hawking a retreat in Bali that costs $5,500 for just a week. She grew her channel with videos playing up to dumb health conspiracies like The Anti-Cancer Green Juice and Does Medicine Really Make Us Feel Better? and now she’s trying to cash in on her unique brand of trash veganism by organizing an expensive vacation in Bali.

“This retreat is for you, a health and lifestyle lover, who loves adventure, delicious raw and vegan food, nature, education, yoga, and even meditation. It’s not just about food. This is a mind, body, and spirit journey,” Kristina said on her site.

“This is going to be an all-inclusive retreat, from the minute you walk off the plane till the minute you walk back on,” she added in her announcement video. But flights are not included in her all-inclusive package, so you’ll have to pay extra if you want to actually get there (New York to Bali tickets are currently going for around $1,000).

  • So what are you actually getting? Seven nights at Soulshine Bali, a luxury hotel, raw vegan meals, daily yoga and meditation, food classes, inspirational speakers (Kristina), a massage, and one coaching session that lasts an hour (also with Kristina). Kristina, it should be noted, said she was able to change her eye color by going vegan, so I’m sure there’s a lot to learn from a whole week of enduring her company.

    But fans have also noticed that the cost of a place on Kristina’s retreat is wildly more expensive than what the hotel normally charges. The best boutique suite at Soulshine Bali, which comes with its own private pool and garden, costs $1,600 for a week. That same suite will cost you $5,500 if you book it through Kristina.

    In her announcement video, Kristina said: “The reason why this retreat costs so much is for many reasons. The number one reason being this retreat is longer than most retreats – it’s seven nights and eight days. In addition to three raw vegan meals a day, plus food demos, one-on-one coaching, yoga, activities, excursions and more… I personally believe that this event is priceless.”

    That means she’s charging you an extra $4,000 for cooking tips (you can watch those for free on her YouTube channel) and activities (that are included in hotel packages if you book them directly through Soulshine Bali).

    Her audience have spotted the cost of her retreat and rightly called it “insane.” Members of a vegan Facebook group are piling in on her for charging so much:

    Kristina is hosting 30 people on her retreat – clearly there’s a lot of money in this game.

    Kristina contacted us after her retreat to say; “It is important for you to know that the retreat included more than just paying for rooms. It included three prepared meals per day, daily classes, speakers, transportation, and multiple excursions. In comparison to other influencers hosting retreats, mine is comparable or less in price.”

    If you’re going on this retreat, please contact [email protected].

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