On this fouth visit to Borneo I was lucky to see the Rafflesia flower, the largest flower in the world. Perhaps, it has something to do with the fact that May is my birthday month. It can grow up to 1 metre in diameter, but the one I saw was only about 50 cm.
This one was already 4 days' old and decaying but surprisingly there was no odour. Flies were already buzzing around it.
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Being parasitic, the Rafflesia attaches itself to a vine.
The vine it attaches itself to leads up to the trees.
A Rafflesia bud.
A close-up of the inner recesses of the flower.
The Rafflesia is not only "exceedingly rare" but also highly endangered.
Gunung Gading, near the small town of Lundu in Sarawak, is home to the Rafflesia.
How to get there
First get to Pasar (market) in Kuching where there are buses/private vans that go to the Terminal (lost-distance bus terminal) for the three-hour bus ride to Lundu.(10 ringgit). Bus leaves 4 times daily with the first one at 8am. I missed the first one and had to wait for the next one at 11.
Once at Lundu, private "cabs" will take you to Gunung Gading for 5 ringgit each (15 minutes)
It's advisable to stay the night at Lundu. Tell you where Lundu "Hilton" is in my next post.
