Gibbs Farm - Gold

Gibbs Farm is located at the entrance to the highlands of northern Tanzania, midway between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater, five kilometers from the village of Karatu. Gibbs Farm is an oasis of green, calm and beauty, in a landscape that can often be parched, dry and dusty. The Gibb's Farm lodge offers 20 twin rooms with ensuite bathrooms set among the gardens. The main facilities, consisting of a sitting room, reading room, dining room (which serves fresh, home-cooked meals), bar and gift shop are situated in the old farmhouse. Coffee is grown, processed and roasted on Gibb's Farm, and a vast ten-acre fruit and organic vegetable garden provides nearly all the fruit and vegetables to the guests, who wake up to fresh coffee, a multitude of flowers and breathtaking views.
 
The old-colonial farmhouse, built by German settlers in the early 20th century, still has the character of a well-looked-after-private house with roaring fires and friendly service. The farm, neglected through the war years, was bought in 1948 by James Gibb, a British war veteran, who returned it to production. In 1959, he married Margaret, who was born in Tanzania to British parents. Soon, Margaret started a small vegetable and flower garden. In 1960 the Ngorongoro Conservation Area was established adjacent to and north of Gibb's Farm. In 1972, Gibb's Farm became an accommodation for travelers. James Gibb died in 1977 and the coffee estate, except for a small section for use in the lodge, was sold in 1978 to the Tanzanian Coffee Board. Gibbs Farm is still owned by Margaret Gibb and her husband Per Kullander.
 
Animals
There are over 200 different species of birds at Gibb's Farm. If you are an avid birder, we will schedule a personal bird walk with one of the lodge naturalists or you can simply spend the day on your own checking off your bird life list.
 
Activities
Waterfall Walk: The lodge guests can walk to the top of a nearby waterfall and see caves made by elephants. This guided walk takes about two or two and half hours, and winds its way in and out of the forest highlands with breathtaking vistas; you will often see wildlife and always a multitude of birds.
Coffee and Garden Tours.

Local community visit: The Iraqw is the local tribe that has inhabited the immediate Ngorongoro highlands near Gibb's Farm for over 200 years. Walk or drive the 4-kilometers to a traditional Iraqw home; the home is built entirely using traditional materials and methods of construction, just as it would have been 200 years ago. You will see many of the traditional tools and weapons used by the Iraqw. Try your hand at grinding maize using grinding stones and listen to a presentation and demonstration of traditional Iraqw skirt making.

A visit to the local primary school is easily arranged in advance to give visitors a glimpse of a rural Tanzania school system.