Geima Guesthouse
Geima - setting for the eco- guesthouse
Geima is a gem of a village. One of the smallest of Tiwai's eight communities, it is nestled by the banks of the Moa River, close to a sandy beach. It's a tropical climate, with a raining season between May and October.
People in Geima are farmers. Most of them grow cassava, rice and beans, some also grow eggplant, pumpkins and sweet potatoes. A few grow cocoa. It's subsistence farming, although some people sell enough to be able to send their children to school in a nearby town.
They decided to build the guesthouse to provide some income generation for the village through eco-tourism. Villagers provided much of the material. They made the mudbricks for the structure just like they do for their own homes, and they collected sand and stones. A donor provided help for the solar power installation and skilled craft workers.
People came from other villages in the rainforest to help people at Geima build the guesthouse, everyone fitting it in around the farming that is essential to their lives.
The same commitment that went into building this guesthouse is going into preparations for its opening in September 2026. Making sure that guests get a warm welcome and an insight into the traditional life of this forest community.
