Rafflesia blooms
Rafflesia has the distinction of being the world's largest flower. The genus Rafflesia gets it name from Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of the British colony of Singapore.
The flowers smell like rotting meat, hence its local names which translate to "corpse flower" or "meat flower". The vile smell that the flower gives off can sometimes attract flies. It is parasitic on vines in the genus Tetrastigma (Vitaceae), spreading its roots inside the vine. The fruit is eaten by tree shrews and other forest mammals. Rafflesia is an official state flower of Sabah in Malaysia, as well as for the Surat Thani Province, Thailand.
Trek the jungle paths to view the Rafflesia in its natural habitat.
Rafflesia Destinations
| Gunung Gading National Park is located near the town of Lundu, Sarawak. Lundu is about 2 hour drive from Kuching. Visitors need to call the National Park Booking Office or Forest Department for permits and to check if the Rafflesia is in bloom. | |
| This education center for the rafflesia is located in Tambunan, about 65KM from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Also known as Tambunan Rafflesia Reserve. | |
| Conserved on private land owned by Mr Kundong. | |
| The Raya Pasi mountain is located in the Singkawang regency. |
Conservation Organizations in Borneo that are responsible for the survival of Rafflesia:
See Rafflesia Brief Reference