Botanical Gardens in Kericho
Chagaik Arboretum: Calming to the Senses
A great arboretum isn’t just a “tree museum” – it’s a living laboratory, a sanctuary for biodiversity, botanical exploration, and a place where people connect with nature. And the best ones balance science, beauty, and public access seamlessly. Established in 1940’s by settler farmer Tom Grumble within the Unilever Tea Estate as a sustainable project to break the expansive mono-culture of vast tea estates, forests and farms, Chagaik Arboretum is the most established community leisure foxhole in Kericho. It is calming to the senses! It includes native, exotic, rare, and endangered trees/shrubs, with clear identification; common & scientific names, origin, family. It is set up in a corner of the 87 km2 tea estate at the edge of the Mau Forest and conveniently close to the B1 Mau Summit-Kericho-Kisumu Road.
About 38 km from Mau Summit, or 8 km before Kericho, turn left and drive into the signposted road that takes appreciably close to the planned-with-all-details-considered picture-perfect tea farmlands through a staid gate that welcomes you to the picnic site. On arrival it is hard not to be impressed by the pretty lawns, unique floral interest bearing non-typical variations like bamboo, mature ancient trees, and past the picturesque Chagaik Dam. In every direction appears to a be perfect patch to rest and relax, in deep shade area, some of which are set under hundred year old trees. Even more gracious, is there are no charges. Among the highlights at Chagaik Arboretum include its plenitude of birds from the adjoining Mau Forest Reserve, its fine indigenous forest patch, and radiant botanic garden.
Around Kenya, there is a collection of beautiful botanical gardens, often a stunning and specialized area dedicated to the cultivation and display of indigenous and plant species from different parts of the world, highlighting their unique shapes, sizes, and colors. These gardens are designed to showcase the incredible diversity and beauty of unique plants, most known for their intricate and colorful flowers.
Index of Botanical Gardens in Kenya
Kakamega County - Shilahi Wellness Garden, Masinde Muliro University Botanical Garden, Kiambu County - The JKUAT Botanical Garden, Kericho County - Chelimo Arboretum, Chagaik Arboretum, Kiminket Gardens, Kilifi County - Hanging Gardens Malindi, Mazingira Park, Kitui County - Mutomo Hill Plant Sanctuary, Lamu County - The Gardens at Peponi Hotel Shela, Makueni County - The Wote Green Public Park, Mombasa County - The Kaya Cum Arboretum, Mazeras Gardens, Nairobi County - Nairobi Arboretum, Museums Botanical Gardens, Loresho Gardens, Langata Gardens, Resurrection Garden, Nandi County - Kapsimotwa Gardens, Tharaka Nithi County - Tredds Garden, Uasin Gishu County - Eldoret Arboretum, Moi University Botanical
outlook
Located in southwestern part of Kenya within the former Rift Valley Province, Kericho County, a healthful highland, has innumerable picture-postcard tea-farm vistas. Kericho County is famous for its vast tea plantations. It is all around a tea-riffic countryside clutching traditions and culture with one hand and a forward-looking yen on the other. It is home to large forests, historic sites and resorts, too.
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Explore Destinations Nearby Chagaik Arboretum
A Guide to Kericho County
A Summa Digest of Kericho
About Kericho Way Back When
35 Destinations in Kericho County, arranged as one would visit these - east, north, south then west - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
Mau Forest Reserve, Chereres Waterfalls, A.I.C Kericho, Chesumot Estate, Chagaik Arboretum, Chesumot Dam, Kimugu River Lodge, James Finlays Tea Factory, Dimbolil Dam, The Sacred Heart Cathedral, A.C.K Kericho, Kericho Golf Club, Gurdwara Sahib, Kericho Wagon Works, Kericho Tea Hotel, Chebown Sanctuary, Chelimo Arboretum, Tagabi Monkey Sanctuary, Changoi Tea Estate, Chebulu Conservancy, The Kiptui Falls, Kapkatet Kipsigis Cultural Museum, The Tulwap-Kipsigis Hill, Londiani-Koru-Awasi Route, Londiani Dam, Masaita Forest Station, KFC Hospitality Centre, Londiani Falls, Kimasian Railway Bridge, Kiminket Garden, Kipkelion Monastery, The Van Wicker's Cave, Fort Tenan Pre-Historic Site, Tinderet Mountain, Ole Soi Resort, Bagao Caves
Know More About Kericho County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including a distance chart, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
Generally speaking, Kericho County has favorable, temperate highland climate with moderate temperatures and reliable relief rainfall. The annual mean temperature ranges between 29oC and 10oC. The central part of the county, where tea is grown, receives the highest rainfall.
Kericho has an undulating topography, with the overall slope of the land being to the west – forming a hilly shelf between the Mau Hills and the lowlands of Kisumu.