Aburi Botanical Gardens, Ghana

Aburi is a community in the mountains about 40 minutes outside of Accra the capital of Ghana, just to the North. This is a favorite place for people to visit and get out of the city because with the elevation change there is a great change in the climate, it is much cooler, rains frequently and malaria born mosquitoes are not around. As you rise out of the city on the windy road things get greener, more relaxed and cooler quickly.

One of the main things to do and visit in the area is Aburi Botanical Gardens. The history of the gardens goes back to the British Colonial Era. The gardens found their roots as a British Sanatorium established in 1875, it then turned into the botanical gardens in 1890. Today the gardens feature a rich landscape with a lot of biodiversity.

When you enter the gate the first thing you are greeted by is the above row over very tall palm trees lining the road side before you reach the main building and welcome center. You can hire a guide who will take you around and interpret the different plants, their uses, and the history of the gardens.

There are a few historic building left on the property I assume this one was part of the sanatorium. I am not sure of the present day use, a little restaurant occupies one corner of it.

This picture of this very large tree I took in 2014 I believe. I think i my most recent visit it has fallen over and uprooted.

This is another tree that had died over time and has been carved by local carvers I think it is a depiction of the rate race of society with everyone crawling over each other to get to the top.

There is a lot of wide open spaces for kids to play and run around freely. This was in the dry season so things are a bit brown but during the rainy season things are green and lush.

One of the center pieces of the park is an old helicopter that found its final resting place under the trees there.

When the flowers are in bloom the whole place can become very colorful.

This tree is called the sleeping palm tree the way that it winds itself along the ground. I particularly like this picture because of the man sleeping under the sleeping palm.

Another one of the old colonial buildings.

The roads and pathways through the garden are all lined with lush trees and plants.

I love being in natural areas, and even though this place gets a lot of visitors it can be quite peaceful and nice to visit. I have been there a hand full of times throughout the years. All pictures were taken by me with a Canon Rebel DSLR or a Canon M10 EOS.