Gibb’s Farm

Gibb’s Farm lies on a coffee plantation near Karatu, between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater, overlooking the Rift Valley and the Ngorongoro forest. Built in 1929, it is still a working farm: organic coffee is grown, processed and roasted on site, and a large fruit and vegetable garden supplies the kitchen.

Rooms

The farmhouse and 17 individually styled guest cottages sit in the gardens, each with two queen-size beds, a fireplace, a private veranda and a bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers.

Why we like it

• Character and history on a working farm.
• Superb farm-to-table food.
• Walks to waterfalls, coffee fields and villages, and a Maasai medicine walk.

Who it suits

Couples and families who want character between crater days.

Getting there

Karatu is about two and a half to three hours’ drive from Arusha on a paved road, passing Mto wa Mbu and Lake Manyara.

Things to do nearby

• Ngorongoro Crater game drives.
• Coffee farm walks and village visits.
• Lake Manyara National Park, about 30 minutes away.
• Forest walks to waterfalls in the highlands.

About Karatu

Karatu is a green farming town in the highlands between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater, surrounded by coffee estates, wheat fields and forest. Its lodges are about 20–30 minutes from the Ngorongoro gate, making it a comfortable base for a crater day, with milder nights than on the rim. See the Ngorongoro Crater guide.

Walks through coffee farms and villages, local markets and visits to the Iraqw community make good afternoon activities after a game drive. Read a day on the Ngorongoro Crater floor.

Planning your stay

Tanzania’s parks are linked by good roads and short flights, so we usually combine two or three areas in one journey. See our 5-day Tanzania safari and 7-day Tanzania northern circuit safari, or ask for tailor-made pricing.