The TEA guesthouses are designed to give both tourists and villagers personal privacy while allowing a respectful cultural exchange. The location of the guesthouses vary in each village - some are in the center, while others are on the outskirts. Accommodations are simple and clean, built of local wood and covered with a traditional thatch roof. Eight bunkbeds with mattresses and mosquito netting, along with blankets and towels are provided. Primitive, private outdoor showers (usually a bucket and cup) and latrines are provided. Be prepared to rough it.

The objective of the T. E. A. is to share the benefits of tourism as widely as possible throughout each participating village. Guides, food providers, and entertainers are rotated among seven to nine families in each village.

The Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary are elected for each T.E.A. village every two years. In addition, members vote on a board which oversees the running of the program, ensuring guesthouses maintain certain standards and that tourism is distributed as fairly as possible among the villages. Click on the links below for further information on each village.

Ten different villages participate in the Toledo Ecotourism Association program:

Direct contact information: