So we left the elephant of Tarangire and headed towards Gibb’s Farm, nestled in the sweet highland air at the edge of the
Ngorongoro forest with views for miles over coffee fields and wild, lush forest all the way to hazy mountains in the
distance. A three hour drive with a stop in the fruit market of Mto Wa Mbu took us winding up the Western Wall of the
Great Rift Valley and beyond the town of Karatu to Gibb’s Farm, a charming old-world haven for travelers. Winding stone
pathways weave amongst luscious gardens leading to adorable cottages with fireplaces, outdoor showers and private
verandahs.
Our stay here was filled with activities: cow-milking, coffee-grinding, forest hike to elephant caves and waterfall, bush-
baby feeding, mountain-biking to the village, visit to traditional home, egg-collecting and a lot of racing around the
gardens blowing off steam from a few days in the vehicle.
Personally my very favorite part of Gibb’s farm returning to the cottage after dinner to find a fire burning in the grate
which opens both to sitting area and bathroom and enjoying a hot bath by firelight before slipping into crisp white
sheets to find a hot water bottle nestled at my feet …. Aaaaahhh.