Gibb's Farm

Gibb's Farm is one of Northern Tanzania's oldest guesthouses. Located half way between Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater, it's surrounded by tropical gardens and has great views over a coffee-plantation.

On arrival, guests are led from the reception area, through the gardens, to the original farmhouse. Here, there are couple of separate lounges furnished with sofas, armchairs and coffee tables. Some boast a wood-burning stove and open fires to create cosy areas to unwind after a busy day on safari.

The recently extended dining room is split over two levels and has green painted floors and high-beamed ceilings. Large windows make this area light and airy and offer fantastic views of the coffee plantations and hills beyond. Most of the fruit, vegetables and herbs provided at Gibbs Farm are freshly picked from their own ten acres of organic gardens.

The outside areas at Gibb's Farm are extensive. There are various well-tended gardens, including a herb garden, a cactus garden, a rose garden, a medicine garden and an enormous vegetable garden. Birdlife is abundant as a result and so expect to see (or hear) tropical boubous, African pygmy kingfishers and golden-winged sunbirds.

Stone pathways lead from the main house, through the gardens, to the 20 cottages. Although the rooms are fairly close together, careful planting ensures they're completely private. The cottages are spacious and bright and fitted with high-quality furniture. They have been designed to reflect the history of the farm, with polished eucalyptus-wood floors, tongue-and-groove boarding painted a pale green, beamed ceilings and stone walls.

Each cottage has an entrance lobby with a vase of freshly picked flowers, a lounge area with comfortable armchairs in front of a fireplace and two queen-size beds with blue-and-cream linen. French doors lead out onto a private balcony with views over the gardens. There is a central stone fireplace which is built into the wall separating the bathroom and the bedroom; this keeps the cottages really cosy.

The bathroom has green polished cement floors, a large indoor shower, a separate bath, double basins and an enclosed toilet. A huge carved stone bath sits in front of a large window with lush planting outside. Double doors lead from the bathroom to a private outdoor shower.

Gibb's Farm makes a great base from which to take part in various activities.

Location

Gibb's farm is located just outside of Karatu in northern Tanzania. This is on the main safari route from Arusha Tanangie National Park and Lake Manyara on the way north to the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti.

How to get there

By Air:
Regional air services operate daily scheduled flights to Lake Manyara Airstrip from the Serengeti, Arusha, Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam. The farm is 20 minutes from Lake Manyara airstrip.

By road:
Two and a half hours from Arusha airstrip to Gibb's farm. Gibb's farm can arrange these transfers (extra cost).

When to go

January to March
Temperatures are warm, rains are short and nights can be chilly. The Serengeti is green and, with the rains, the wildebeest and other plains game have migrated to the southern end of the National Park, near Ndutu.

April to May
This is the period of the long rains. Serengeti is not only green, it is also a profusion of flowers and at its most beautiful. However, roads and tracks may prove muddy and waterlogged. With the long rains temperatures may be cool during the day and cold at night.

June to October
The rains have ended and the wildebeest have left the short grass plains, heading west and north of the Serengeti. Temperatures are higher. It is a excellent time to visit Tarangire and the southern parks, such as Ruaha and the Selous.

November to December
First of the short rains begin and the migration moves back to the southern part of the Serengeti, usually reaching the plains by late December. Down in the south of Tanzania the rains start and that often means that the roads and tracks are impassable.

Important Information

Includes:
-Room
-All meals
-Wi-Fi
-Farm and local culture based activities

YES! Gibbs loves all children, at all ages.