If you make the drive back from the southeast coast of Upolu to Apia, you'll come across a section of Samoa covered in massive Banyan trees or Aoa in Samoan.

They look so out of place here. They look alien. You'd expect to see them on the plains of Africa. Not here. This is probably why they are so damn cool.

The Aoa is a member of the fig family. It's a killer tree. If you've ever seen pictures of Ankor Wat in Cambodia with the tree roots strangling the massive stone blocks, you have a good idea of what I'm getting at.

Banyans actually grow down from seeds planted in the top of "host" trees by birds. The Banyan anchors its roots in the dead leaves at the heights of the tree and then slowly makes it way down to te ground. By then the fate of the host tree is set as the Banyan takes over and strangles its host to death, leaving this incredbile looking conglomeration of branches, roots and leaves.

Want to learn more about Samoa's Banyan trees? Check out the Natural History Guide To American Samoa