When most people imagine a safari in Africa, they usually imagine being in the back of a 4x4 jeep, without having to worry about anything, while a specialized guide controls the whole ride. And then return to the luxury hotel to take the straw hat, sip a cocktail and remember the scenes seen during the day. For the more fearless travelers there is another alternative: being the tourist driving the jeep, cooking for himself and camping, spending about $ 100 a night at Kruger Park (South Africa). Prefer a bed? Book a tent and spend some more.

Formerly the word safari suggested hunting expeditions in the wild landscapes of Africa. It was a safari, when groups of hunters gathered and walked in the forests to hunt different animals and of great physical size for days and days.

With natural evolution the definitions have changed and today safari sets tours and organized expeditions, to see wild animals and different from the usual ones. These tours can be on foot, in a closed car or in the open air. As in all trips good preparation, good knowledge and good organization are fundamental to make everything go well. There is no doubt that Africa is the most suitable destination for this type of activity in which nature and fauna come together to produce an unforgettable experience for visitors. The most classic of all African parks is the Serengeti Park in Tanzania, with large open spaces full of wildlife.

It is a typical landscape of African savannah, where gnus, gazelles, antelopes and leopards in the Seronera Valley, birds, the largest crocodiles in the world on the Grumeti River and other native species in the kopjes, typical sand islands of this type of landscape. Travelers sleep in camps like Kirawira.

Okavango Park (Botswana) stands at the gateway to the great Kalahari Desert. The best accommodations in this park are Companhia do Espresso do Oriente and Sacred Retreats. Masai Mara (Kenya) is another classic safari, with annual migration of many species across the continent in a typical African savannah landscape.

There is a wide range of accommodation. Ngorongoro (Tanzania) is considered the East Eden. There are wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, antelopes, elephants, hippopotamuses and pitons in lakes and rainforests. There are exclusive accommodations with the best views and other accommodations at the entrance of the park.

O KrugerPark in South Africa was the first protected park on the continent, with two million hectares. There are dozens of places in spectacular landscapes, where rhinoceroses, leopards and wildebeest sleep. Safaris are organized in cars during the day. There are exclusive accommodations for all types of travelers. If you choose one of these parks, you will find the perfect travel option and enjoy an excellent safari in an authentic African landscape.

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Where to do it?

There are several places in Africa that do not disappoint the tourist who seeks to make their holidays unforgettable. Meet the most popular.

1-Kenya : there is an abundant wildlife, beautiful scenery, magnificent parks (Masai Mara and Amboseli), is a much sought-after, well-known and most popular destination worldwide. The tropical beaches that are nearby are a plus.

2-South Africa : is a tourist destination of safaris in enormous growth and with enormous potential. It has several places of interest and various tourist attractions (Kruger National Park, Sun City, Capetown and across South Africa).

3-Tanzania : it has a huge diversity of east African safaris and there is a varied tourist offer in this region. Campsites at Serengenti and Ngorongoro. In Tanzania the Serengeti park is the oldest and most popular because there are several species that habitually migrate throughout the year.

4- Botswana : Located to the north of South Africa, this is another classic destination for those who love to make safaris. One of its main attractions is the natural and preserved beauty of the Okavango Delta, whose unique landscapes can be visited through unforgettable rowboat safaris.

5- Namibia : The country reserves some of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet, such as the famous Kalahari desert. However, arid lands harbor an impressive diversity of wildlife, with almost half of the territory being made up of national parks and preservation reserves.

The coconut crab, Birgus latro is a ground crustacean. Also called terrestrial hermit crab or thief crab (because the crabs were attracted by bright objects and in more than one occasion he has been caught red-handed taking these objects from nearby houses).

It is the heaviest terrestrial arthropod that exists (the largest crab by length is the Macrocheira kaempferi). Its natural habitat is found in the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The largest population of these curious crabs is found on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

Its characteristic ability is to open coconuts to feed on them. Thanks to its strong pincers; it is able to penetrate the hard shell of the coconut, also being able to drag objects of up to 30 kilograms.

The coconut crab has developed a special technique to open them: if the coconut still has its outer covering, they will use their tongs to remove it in strips, starting at the point of germination, a group of three small circles in the place where the coconut is fixed to the palm.

Once these pores are visible, the crab hits one of them with its claws until they pierce it. Then they turn and use their small tweezers to extract the pulp from the coconut. Larger crab specimens can also use their larger claws to break the coconut into several pieces and feed more easily.

Coconut crab weighs between 5 to 9 kilograms and its main source of food are coconuts and figs. Although it also occasionally feeds on bird or turtle’s eggs, plants and other animal carcasses. It measures up to 40 cm long and can live for 60 years. The colors of its carapace range from purple and violet to various shades of brown.

Something really curious is that it is only aquatic during the first two months of his life, then becoming completely terrestrial to the point where they are able to drown in the water.

The molt of its shell lasts during the first 30 days, only the youngest specimens use the shells or shells of other animals and sometimes coconut shells to protect their body from the attack of the predators. Since the adult crabs harden his abdominal armor with deposits of calcium and keratin for this purpose, remaining hidden to protect himself.

Due to their poor vision, they detect their enemies by the vibrations of the ground. Young specimens are vulnerable to rats, pigs or ants such as zancona. The only depreters of adults are humans.

Giant coconut crab has an excellent sense of smell and can detect smells that draw his attention to great distances.

Many locals raise and use them as guardians of their coconut plantations. They are considered as a dish by the inhabitants of these areas. They are served and accompanied by coconut milk (curious reverse of the destination). There have been reports of intoxication due to consuming their meat, which may be due to the plants from where these crabs feed.