Aburi Botanical Gardens, my favorite place to visit in Ghana besides the restaurants because I like food a bit too much. The Gardens is located on the Akuapem hills. The air just changes when you arrive there, I can't explain it, you'll just have to be there to understand, the noise of the city just drops, there are palms also my favorite kind of tree, for obvious reasons, it's tall. The palm avenue is very famous in Ghana. People take a lot of shots there, not too much of a picture taker myself, almost always forget to take photos untill I'm reminded by my friends.
That's where a lot of people pretend they're influencers, that scene never gets old though, a beautiful place to be.
There are a number of corners in the garden. Large, ancient trees whose roots are like ropes. I see some students come around to just relax on the lawns or even take naps after school. Some benches, mostly called love bench, don't know if it's an official term or we just call it that, but lovers do chat there a lot so makes a little sense to just call it that. There's an old helicopter, strange looking and with strangler fig around it. That's one thing you will definitely want to get close to just to look at.
Not too good with making vlogs but this person makes it so well, it's enough to show you the most of the garden.
https://youtu.be/lN5MThk4q-c?si=zBKfchVlNyNcZ60T
The weather is much cooler on the hill than in Accra. Bring a light top, it blows sometimes. If you'll go there, at least pack water and snacks, particularly on Sundays when the garden is full of people, you'll need it, I always do. Expect hawkers of snacks and cold drinks. Some days, the seller has roasted plantain and spicy groundnuts, and the other days you get coconut water. Food fixes a dull afternoon, for me.
It's the kind of place where you just need to take your time and observe things in various locations but the vast majority of visitors comment on the large trees and the palms, it's more like the main event spot of the place.
The guides at the gate have all the stories about old trees and colonial days, and the year the garden opened. I try to Google to fact check when they say something but I realize Google doesn't know as much as I thought, some people know stuff you can't search online for.
It's a popular spot for those school outings. You see a lot of school groups showing up loud and looking curious because it's just kids who haven't seen awesome stuff like that before, naming leaves and asking questions. But just like me, the quiet people find benches, open a phone, stare at the sky, and talk our leave.
It's also a great spot for wedding photos and birthday pictures. Some just come around with their friends or loved ones, sit on the grass, enjoy a little of the garden breeze. The garden is not necessarily the most lively place, it's more like a place to relax and sometimes it's just the thing we need right?