Gibb's Farm

Gibbs farm is, as it suggests, a historic working farm renovated into a 21 bed luxury lodge. It has character with spectacular views over the farm. Rooms are spacious with a colonial feel. Whilst many have commented on the food, the largely buffet options were not however memorable.||A range of farm and other activities are offered every day with many included as part of your half / full Board package. In particular the sunset culture show by the local Iraqw tribe is well worth doing. ||However be clear on your expectations. If you are looking for somewhere to relax for several days and want a change from safaris as many reviewers here clearly are then Gibbs could be an option for you given its comfortable rooms, views, range of activities and full opportunity to use the facilities such as massage, pool all within a relaxed and tranquil setting. It is however priced accordingly as a luxury resort. ||However if your main reason to be in the area is to visit the Ngorongoro crater then this is probably not a good option in terms of either value or location. For a future trip to Ngorongoro I would certainly consider elsewhere. ||The main entrance for Ngorongoro is about 30/35 minutes away and the crater itself a further 20/30 minutes. If you do stay here then a very early start is recommended to beat queues and maximise the incredible Ngorongoro experience (given per day vehicle entrance fee $300, plus $70 per passenger)

One of the most beautiful hotels in the Ngorongoro area This was the first hotel in all of Tanzania in two years where our cars were greeted in the parking lot with juice, hot towels, and beaded ornaments. How nice it was to wipe my face with a warm, damp towel after a long drive on dusty roads! It immediately set the tone and showcased the high level of service. We spent one evening and one night at the hotel, and that was enough to appreciate the atmosphere of the historic coffee farm where Gibb's Farm began its story a hundred years ago. I stayed in a garden cottage overlooking the vegetable garden. Sitting on the veranda in the evening, listening to the night insects, was pure joy! I swam in a pool with a view of the coffee plantation, strolled through the garden and surrounding area, and relaxed in a lovely yard. The exteriors are stunning! The interiors of both the cottages and the main dining hall are just as beautiful. My cottage was incredibly cozy! I especially loved the antique chest and the small desk where I spent the evening working with my laptop, the gorgeous bathtub, the outdoor shower hidden in lush greenery, the fireplace, and the spacious, warm bed. In the evening, they lit a fire in my fireplace and placed a hot water bottle under the blanket. Nights at this altitude are cold, so it was wonderfully warm and comforting. Great food, a tastefully decorated dining area, charming gazebos in the courtyard—everything here was perfect! I only wish I had taken more photos.

Our two nights at Gibb's Farm was a lovely, relaxing experience after two weeks of safari. |Walking the grounds was like living in a botanical gardens, although much larger than the botanical gardens in any American city. A world unto itself, the Farm is totally self-sustaining, from produce, to poultry, to acres of coffee. Gibb's takes farm-to-table fresh to a whole new level. |The lead chef took time to discuss her background and fill us in on the Farm's food philosophy and practices. We were able to observe the bread making process, watch banquet tables become artfully stacked with beautiful, tasty selections. Lovely fruits and desserts served with every meal.|The lead gardener guided us through a tour of the beautifully laid out self-sustaining garden, core to the farm. Simply inspirational to even the most avid homesteader.|Our private cottage was large, but cozy and very comfortable. Wonderful private botanical and farm views from the many windows, and comfortable private deck. | A working double-sided fireplace faced both the sitting/bedroom area and the bathroom tub/shower area. A private outdoor shower felt so great, I took advantage of it both morning and evening.|Staff also provided us with a wonderful guided tour of the nearby town.

WOWWW!! What a truly unbelievable and beautiful place. Not only are the grounds gorgeous, but the staff are so kind and hard working. What makes it different from other lodges is that they have a farm on the property and 90% of the food you eat is grown on the premise and organic! They also have a bunch of activities going on during the day. I wish we could’ve stayed longer to do everything they had to offer (as we did games drives the majority of the time). We did get to explore the gardens, learn about the history of Gibbs and milk a cow though :) Now on to our tour guide… Baraka!! From the moment we landed at Lake Manyara airport he picked us up and treated us like family. He is one of the warmest, friendliest and passionate people we have ever met. The time we spent with him over two days had positively impacted our lives in a way that’s hard to explain. He is very experienced and knowledgeable about everything Tanzanian. Any question we had he was excited to answer. Our game drives started early and we were able to witness such amazing animal experiences. Baraka will hold a special place in our hearts and hopefully whoever is reading this can share this same experience !

Seems the standards have gone down hill since Nick and Sally have left. Myself and 2 friends went for dinner (didn’t stay at Gibbs this time). It should be a 5 course dinner (which I have had every time I have been and it was explained to me when booking the reservation) but we ended up getting the main, followed by the starter and then dessert. We were then told that we hadn’t explicitly asked for the other courses even though they were not options. Made no sense and was a bit dissapointing as I had made a big thing about the food to friends. Service was very rushed, taking plates away from the table etc before people had even finished. Still a beautiful place.

Gibb's Farm is simply charming. The rooms are eclectic and thoughtfully decorated, with a fireplace and a beautiful tub and indoor and outdoor showers. The food is quite literarily farm to table, and is plentiful and delicious. The staff go out of their way to include you in the life of the farm. We loved participating in these activities, including vegetable harvesting and cow milking. My massage at the spa was just what I needed after a day of game driving and the gift shop sold lovely handmade crafts for me to take home. This place is a must!

I had read about Gibb's Farm years back and always wanted to visit. The article I had read stated that it is one of Africa's best places to stay and they were not wrong.|It must be one of the most beautiful farms in East Africa.|The lush green garden with all the different colors and types of flowers is paradise on earth and the views of the coffee farm below and the trees beyond are just stunning.|Our room was also spacious, beautifully decorated, with comfortable beds and a little patio in the front.|Most vegetables and products used for the delicious meals are grown on the farm and are organic.|And the big pool, with a view, is amazing.|There are many activities to chose from - bird watching walks, farm tours, cow milking tour etc We wanted to be lazy and to just enjoy the magical scenery around us so we just relaxed.|It's not a cheap place to stay but it's definitely worth it if you can.| It's close to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater and we chose it as a night's stopover between Arusha and Ndutu Safari Lodge. |I would recommend a 2 night stay, at least, as it's such a lovely place and there is so much to do.

From check-in to check-out, the Gibb's Farm experience was nothing short of spectacular. The room itself was absolutely gorgeous with ample space, views of the verdant farm, double vanity and a beautiful outdoor shower set among all the tropical trees and plants. The food is truly out of this world, and the executive chef is talented beyond belief. Breakfast, lunch and dinner menus are updated daily, using all the fresh produce from the farm such as milk, eggs, dairy (pasteurized in house), coffee, and of course the wonderful fruits, veg and herbs and spices grown on the farm's grounds. To this day I am still dreaming of their butter! I live in NYC so I am not short of good food but I must say the Gibb's farm food is some of the best I've ever had. Delicious, fresh, interesting, and all farm-to-table. ||All the staff are very friendly and do their best to make your stay great. There is a daily happy hour at 530 which overlooks the magificent landscape and it is a nice chance to mingle with other guests and be social. Gibb's farm also offers a bumch of daily activities for you, from bird-watching, to cow-milking to farm tours. A huge shout out to Lazaro who gave us the best farm tour... we milked the cows, fed the goats, collected the eggs and explored all the plants that are grown on site. The team of horticulturalists and naturalists on site take immense pride in their work and you can see that live... the grounds are truly beautiful and manicured perfectly. ||I would go back to Gibb's Farm in a heartbeat. This was our first stop on our honeymoon and it got it off to a flying start! Thank you to all at Gibb's Farm for an unforgettable stay!