Waiyaki Nemani
I started the guest house to promote bird watching and ecotourism. My goal is to help preserve the marine and rainforest biodiversity, while providing income for my community.
Sewa Bay has been home to my family for 300 years. I have spent my entire life in the village, learning the traditional ways of my people.
I love to share my knowledge about our land with visitors. I have helped tourists to see our stunning native birds, mammals, reptiles, and all manner of creatures. I am also called on by research teams from all over the world to assist in project involving scientific works on birds, frogs, snakes, and lizards.
I have also led tourists to learn about traditional herbs and their medicinal uses, our traditional calendar and seasons for harvest, planting, hunting, and fishing, and well as our handicrafts and cultural practices.
I have been a guide for the last 7 years, mostly through referrals from Napatana lodge in Alotau and other tour companies within the country and abroad. Now I am starting my own enterprise in my own community.
I became concerned about environmental issues when I noticed that people were straying from the traditional practices of respecting the land and the careful following of the traditional calendar. Whereas our ancestors were very careful to limit the use of our natural resources, more recently, people are more careless and expanding their gardening (family farming), fishing, and hunting, and now the rainforest is in danger. My goal is to reverse this trend by educating the people about the long-term effects of this behavior and promoting more sustainable economic inputs to our community through eco tourism. Not only within Sewa Bay, but throughout D’Entrecasteaux Islands and Milne Bay.
I love to share our village experiences with people from all over the world. Welcome to our village!
Waiyaki Nemani
Message me on Facebook: waiyaki.nemani Email: waiyaki.nemani@gmail.com
Sibonai Guest House 