Tanzania Accommodation?
 

In the process of finalizing properties in Tanzania and have narrowed it down to Gibbs Farm or The Highlands for Ngorongoro Crater. Does anyone have any advice on one versus the other? This is at the beginning of our safari which includes tented camps elsewhere at Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Masai Mara and Lewa.
Thanks!

We liked the Sopa Ngronongrono for its wonderful location and beautiful views.

Thanks for the tip Abram, but at this point, we had narrowed it down the other two properties.

Hi Siol,

You’re choosing between two great, albeit rather different options for your Ngorongoro Crater experience! I stayed at both properties in October 2016 and loved my time at each for different reasons. I’ve also visited the other regions that you mentioned – it sounds like you have an incredible trip lined up! You will get a wide variety of experiences in Tanzania and Kenya. I’m assuming that you will be staying at properties in the Serengeti and/or the Masai Mara near where the Great Migration will be occurring… this will be a fascinating experience in itself.

Back to your question - Gibb’s Farm is located in the town of Karatu. I enjoyed the unique activities that you can partake in here – they may vary, but some that were available when I was there included walks and bike rides, coffee roasting, viewing their beautiful garden, and more. The rooms are quite large and there is beautiful vegetation and flowers throughout the property. There are also some lovely views from the main area. Since you’re staying in Karatu, instead of at the Ngorongoro Crater itself, you will arrive to the Crater later than those staying closer. Depending on the time of year that you’re going, this can really affect your experience, as the road going down into the Crater can get extremely backed up in the busy season (July-September). I always recommend getting to the Crater bright and early in the morning so you don’t have to deal with this backlog of vehicles.

With that said, I recommend staying at The Highlands. I spent two nights here and loved the unique feel of this camp. While you don’t have views of the Crater from this property, it truly is worth staying here. Besides being close to the Crater, they also offer some great activities here for the remainder of your time at the property – you can stay rather active and hike Empakaai Crater to see the flamingos or you could partake in a community visit. The rooms are a really nice size here and have a fireplace to keep you warm at night, as it can get quite chilly at this elevation! I’m sure you’ve been checking out picture of the property – the dome-style tents are super unique so be prepared for a camp that doesn’t have the traditional, tented feel. It sounds like you’ve done your research though and would enjoy this property – I sure did.

You really can’t go wrong with either property, but between the two, I would lean towards The Highlands so you can get into the Crater shortly after the gate opens. Spend a good portion of your day exploring the Crater and then end your time with a hike or just relaxing at camp. Either way, you’ll definitely want a two-night stay.

Enjoy!

Katie Blackstone

Hi Katie,

Thanks so much for your reply - much appreciated! I have read a few of your posts online and you offer great advice!

As a matter of fact, I am presently putting together an extensive Safari/Egypt/Jordan trip with your colleagues Marsha and Rose! Marsha has basically said what you have regarding the two properties and also did recommend Highlands over Gibbs for the very reason you mentioned. It's been a 'tough' decision as both properties offer different opportunies. We ended up choosing Gibbs not only for the reasons you mentioned -access to different activities (if time allows!), - but also the fact that all our other properties along the way are tented camps and this was a chance to have a different setting.

I get the feeling that we will be happy with our experience no matter what!

Hi Siol,

Thanks for your kind comments.

That’s so great that you’re planning your trip with Marsha and Rose! I’ve worked closely with them for many years now – I started full time at the company out of college almost 5 years ago (although I had been working as an intern here throughout high school and college). Marsha and Rose have been in the industry for a long time and have been a great resource for any destination that I haven’t been to yet.

If you have time while you’re at Gibb’s, definitely explore the property and check out their garden. You can pick out your own vegetables for dinner, which is truly a great way to get extremely fresh food! Yum!

I know that you’re absolutely going to love your experience! You’re visiting some of my favorite spots in Africa.

Katie Blackstone

Thank you Katie!

Yes, it's great to be working with Marsha and Rose. Both have offered great advice, put together amazing itineraries, and have been so expedient both with planning and communicating.

Starting to get beyond excited! The hard part now is waiting until September!!
:-)