Aburi Botanical Gardens Cocoa Farm: Detailed Review & Guide

The Aburi Botanical Gardens, located, as it happens, in the hills just outside Accra, Ghana, is, in fact, a place just teeming with history and natural wonder. It’s, it seems, been a refuge, more or less, for both locals and visitors since its inception in 1890. What, I guess, a lot of people don’t realize is that, along with all the really impressive trees and flowering plants, Aburi Gardens has a bit of a secret, a genuinely compelling draw: its first cocoa farm. This review is to take you through just what you might find there and some ideas for just how to make your trip especially memorable.

A Quick Glimpse into History

Before we get into, more or less, the cocoa farm itself, it’s almost certainly a good idea to know some things of Aburi’s past. The gardens, truth be told, were originally set up by, of all people, the British, and their vision at the time was to just create a sanatorium, sort of a place to help officials, maybe, get better from illnesses. That location, too, turned out to be great because of the cooler temperatures and rich soil, meaning, actually, that other, different plants could thrive. Over time, very much, the gardens grew in, like your, importance, both for scientific work and just as an awesome leisure place.

In terms of, in fact, the cocoa farm? This is very much where things start getting particularly intriguing. Cocoa, something, too, it’s known as the crop behind chocolate, was actually brought into Ghana, arguably, at the end of the 19th century. Aburi Botanical Gardens then became this really major hub, in effect, for testing different varieties and helping farmers all over Ghana get started. This bit of the gardens is still standing as it always has, more or less, serving as this link to, well, Ghana’s really significant cocoa legacy.

Finding the Cocoa Farm

So, when you get to Aburi Gardens, just finding your way to the cocoa farm isn’t always, that, as clear as it should be. The gardens, it could be said, are sizable, you know, and there are a bunch of different routes you might follow. I guess, for what it is worth, a decent landmark to keep in mind is the main administration building. From there, it’s almost, more or less, a 15-minute walk. It is advisable, probably, to actually ask one of the garden guides for proper directions. These guys just really know their stuff, they tend to be super ready to lead you in the proper direction, and so, too it’s almost, give a bit of history.

As you are heading towards, in fact, the farm, pay attention to the different plant species around. The route tends to be shady and, well, quiet, that gives you the chance to soak up all the peace the gardens has to offer. The transition is very much palpable as the surrounding environment shifts from, you know, ornamental to this devoted area of agriculture.

A Closer Look at the Cocoa Farm

The cocoa farm is really like going, as a matter of fact, back in time, I think. You’ll quickly notice the rows of cocoa trees that are rather short, actually kept that way for ease of picking the pods. A good portion of the farm is very much untouched by, as I was saying, recent landscaping, which definitely gives a more realistic sense. These cocoa trees, so, too it’s almost, stand like silent keepers, well, guarding all the agricultural heritage of the nation.

Consider the ecosystem that just happens to exist here. You may, it could be said, notice other inter-crops, is that bananas, plantains, perhaps, too it’s almost. Those other species tend to, actually, give shade to the cocoa plants. This is, in effect, a totally sustainable farming model and really exemplifies just how agriculture was tackled, apparently, not so long ago. Take some time, that, to look carefully at the cocoa pods just as they sprout right out of the trunks and branches. These pods tend to change colors just as they ripen, from very much bright reds and yellows all the way to shades of green.

The Guided Tour Experience

To genuinely enjoy your time there, at least get on, that, one of the garden tours. This, honestly, tends to be money pretty well spent, it just deepens your insights and really helps make, too it’s almost, that day just better. The tour people tend to know all there is to cocoa, that means, apparently, that they tend to be pretty good at, alright, walking you through, actually, the whole growing cycle. These guys tend to really clearly demonstrate just how farmers plant, manage and harvest, maybe, cocoa in Ghana.

Make good use of your tour to really, as a matter of fact, ask any questions. You should, too it’s almost, inquire about, in short, sustainable cocoa practices or all the major problems that, by the way, cocoa farmers must often deal with. Maybe your tour will, very much, include a pod-opening session just so everyone can see the cocoa beans inside. If you have the option to taste the fresh cocoa pulp, that, in my opinion, is very much a really interesting and uncommon treat. Your tour is, as a matter of fact, like having this personally curated crash-course, arguably, in cocoa cultivation set within a botanical location.

Other Things To See And Do In Aburi Gardens

Yep, the cocoa farm is, perhaps, something you must definitely not miss, yet, that wouldn’t be all Aburi Botanical Gardens is there for, more or less, I guess. Once you’re finished looking at the cocoa section, I think you might just get interested in having a wander a bit.

1. The Arboretum: Take an awesome relaxed stroll beneath a massive assortment of tree types coming from everywhere, very much, the world over. Many of these were, after all, put in as long as a century or so before.
2. The Rock Garden: That is a place that is just lovely, I guess, more or less, and makes a great pic location.
3. The Palm Avenue: Get a picture that really, really captures the avenue in action, so it will turn out to be, to say the least, worth it.
4. The Craft Market: Why don’t you make, in effect, your own tour full? There tend to be some arts and souvenir goods here, so it means there is, more or less, something for just everyone.

Tips To Making Your Visit Better

• Plan It Out: Give yourself many, so, too it’s almost, hours, you should spend that whole experience very relaxed and be very casual for yourself. At all, remember this trip from start to beginning tends to require that, almost, a whole day from start to finish.
• Wear Great Walking Shoes: As a matter of fact, comfy footwear for walking tends to be totally necessary to have, and because walking this park means, arguably, you should make one for yourself too, alright, don’t you think?
• Hydrate And Snack Right: That is, anyway, more or less, critical in this weather to stay adequately hydrated, after you did what to remember about being right there. And don’t just be, right, at hydrating but don’t miss, right, and bring, actually, light food in there so as, still, your trip does happen you aren’t with some kind of sudden empty of any life within from food.
• Bring Insect Repellant: This really just helps, basically, keep those mosquitoes all at bay.
• Go By Guidelines And Policies: Ensure all plants have only a, after all, look from the visual spectrum, just to, right, let mother, maybe, nature show its whole process without interruption. Be cool, so you, to this world when getting on there it stays the most beautiful world and nothing’s lost to there; by keeping every natural aspect completely unharmed within your, as a matter of fact, stay, please adhere with rules that guides do inform every tourist like you.

Basically, be considerate and kind and help make Aburi stays like just an unforgettable gem where anyone gets some amazing moments while staying mindful for environment so they could maintain for another ages with what’s naturally existing right.

Is It Worth It?

You do know, don’t you, I could only, actually, say a yes really full for anyone very interesting inside things, really, very interesting and great about Ghanean legacy along farming as done just as centuries earlier, alright. If somebody likes so much these fields of gardening very wonderful there it definitely becomes all worth, really. When a moment can bring one of some other thing entirely and not really so familiar maybe that can give any tourist type great experiences while so, in other words, inside an, kind of, very rich Ghanean legacy. Maybe that can also enrich much with understanding along environmental friendly along cultivation so that one’s staying like that so you keep everything from it is well, anyway, cared.

Definitely any moment taken and there from Ghanean’s, obviously, soil, like that from past with nature gets back all more amazing, honest. I want to take the best recommendation out of any other that can make an exciting thing to go and view that is what so it would seem as any tourist attraction spot or area within Ghana will remain as just one amazing memory on there because every journey that goes there just brings one along history very long time previously.

Basically, it’s good enough just to travel for Ghanean’s heart of tourism from then because this one only will enrich mind because any of great travelings may well happen just staying more interesting, great, memorable.

So come upon now! That way we find so this stays something amazing or more with memorable by which that we become as really one within many great Ghanean travelers where that we, after all, found so within Ghanean history can remain at there inside many, just, different, perspectives by any perspective given inside great Ghanean.