Gibb's Farm

Working historic coffee, dairy and vegetable farm • African Living Spa® • 1/2 hour from Ngorongoro Reserve and Manyara National Park • Walking safaris

GIBB’S FARM is a working Farm located on the forested slopes of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.  It comprises a warm and friendly community where the rhythm of Farm Life has calmed and restored the weary safari journeyer for over 40 years.

HISTORIC FARMHOUSE & COTTAGES
Set among extensive formal English gardens, the Farmhouse and 20 ensuite cottages, each around 90 sq meters, form the heart of a working farm. Built in 1929, the Farmhouse has hardly changed, retaining the charm of a well looked-after private house. Cozy living rooms and reading corners are just steps away from the dining room, bar and gift shop. Fireplaces fill the Farmhouse with warmth and historical charm. Just outside, a sprawling verandah and floral garden invite sweeping views of the valley below the Farm. Organic Coffee is grown, processed and roasted on the Farm, and a vast 10-acre organic fruit and vegetable garden provides 90% of the ingredients needed for fresh, home-cooked meals.

GIBB’S FARM is a respite for the rigors of safari. A base from which to enjoy the many activities available in the foothills of the Ngorongoro Forest, The Ngorongoro Crater and Manyara National Park.

A FARM LIFE
A diverse variety of experiences are possible.  “A Farm Life” activity program encourages cultural awareness, a historical interest, a connection to nature and a desire for adventure – and still leaves ample time for relaxing and enjoying the gentle rhythm of Farm Life.  The Naturalist and Guide team consisting of 20 offers an extensive array of driving and walking safaris, some in conjunction with the Living Spa. Guides share the working farm, private forest estate and surrounding villages.

AFRICAN LIVING SPA ®  “Be Healed within Nature, by Nature, Naturally”
The African Living Spa concept is rooted in the ancient healing traditions of the local Maasai peoples and nourished by art, beauty and the vibrant natural life embodied in the GIBB’S FARM community, land, agriculture and livestock.

Maasai Land includes the Ngorongoro Forest Reserve, the wilderness along Gibb’s Farm’s northern boarder. The African Living Spa is a bridge for the traveler to experience the Maasai culture – a people many encounter on East African safari.  Using indigenous knowledge to attain personal goals the encounters generates memories and in some cases life-changing experiences.

As sweeping vistas reveal themselves from each cottage and farm locale, the African landscape fills the eye: the deep, green mystery of Ngorongoro Forest, the lush, rolling expanses of coffee plantation and open grazing fields, the fragrant beauty of floral and culinary gardens.  Radiating outward in all directions, the GIBB’S FARM environment carries each guest into the very essence of the land itself.  And everywhere one looks, nature soothes and engages the senses. The working plantation farm is a bridge for the traveler to experience the Iraqw culture.

The African Living Spa experience is amplified by the various environments where guests may choose to receive their treatments.  These may be experienced in the blissful comfort of one’s private farm cottage - a true Sanctuary for the Senses - in experientially-designed indoor and outdoor spaces, in the earthen and thatch Engishon Supat (House of Life), in Namnyak Village where traditional methods and materials are employed, - or directly under the healing branches of the Oreteti Tree at the heart of the Ngorongoro Forest or even a multi-day journey deep into Maasai Land. Be healed within nature, by nature - naturally.

FARM COTTAGE: “A Sanctuary for the Senses”
The newly upgraded Farm Cottages echo the original style of GIBB’S FARM guest cottages, Building on A Tradition.  Over 40 years a number of improvements have been made in response to suggestions by loyal clients: more windows to bring the gardens and Ngorongoro Forest Reserve into view; larger bathrooms; greater privacy; and access to the surrounding flower gardens from private verandahs. Featuring rich wooden floors and classic interiors with wraparound windows.  En-suite garden bathrooms offer twin basins, luxurious bathtubs and indoor/ outdoor showers.  A wraparound fireplace warms the bathroom and living area.

The individual themes for each cottage are beautifully interpreted through beauty and art.  Each cottage embodies timeless life-enhancing lessons, in keeping with age-old principles for living well.  In the belief that our surroundings contribute significantly to our state of mind, the designers have placed great emphasis on creating spaces that are rooted in a profound sense of history and place, inspiring a natural curiosity and desire to explore the living worlds of both GIBB’S FARM and the indigenous cultures, such as the symbiotic relationship between beings and the environment such as in the Majani Grass House as a nod to the annual migration north in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro planes.

A RESPONSIBLE TOURISM MODEL
GIBB’S FARM today is a model of ecologically sustainable agriculture. Everything is grown organically using only natural fertilizer from the farm. The Farm Manager Petro has overseen the is area for over 20 years and uses plants with insect repellent properties instead of pesticides to ensure that no chemicals are added to the vegetables. Reclaimed water from cottage bathtubs and farm laundry and kitchens is used whenever possible. All buildings and furniture are built using local materials and local labor, at our on-site workshop. 90% of our hot water is heated using solar power. In short, every possible element of GIBB’S FARM is ecologically friendly and sustainable.

[ Contact us to plan your safari ]