Gurabunga is a traditional village high on the western flank of Gunung Kiematubu, and the usual departure point for climbs to the summit. The village sits at around 700 metres altitude, in country that is cool and damp by Tidore standards, with views back down to the coast and across to Maitara island. The houses are mostly wooden, raised on stilts, with steeply pitched palm-thatch roofs — a building style now rare on the rest of the island.
Gurabunga is the seat of one of the four ancient soa, or clan houses, that traditionally formed the Tidore sultanate. The clan house in the village still functions as a meeting place for ceremonies. Visitors are welcome to walk through the village and ask politely for permission to look inside the soa; bring small gifts (tobacco, sugar, biscuits) for the elders if you do. Guides for Kiematubu can be arranged here at short notice.