Right besides the
pool of water was a
huge red flower, over
a meter in width,
splayed open in all its
majesty. The rotting
odour is a mechanism
of Rafflesia (also
known as a Corpse
flower due to its
stench) to attract
flies for pollination.
The bloom only lasts
for 4-5 days.
after which a soggy narrow path winds towards
the hilltop, where I would be picked up. In this
microenvironment, the presence of constant
clouds provides enough moisture for the moss
to grow everywhere. As I walked deeper into the
forest, the temperature drop was palpable. Curled
buds and splayed fern leaves covered the forest
floor like a lush carpet. Tree trunks were draped
under a thick layer of moss. Entangled, contorted
tree branches created a woody web, from which
dangled tiny orchids, carnivorous pitcher plants
and other epiphytes in this hauntingly silent
labyrinth. I negotiated my way to the other end
and was driven back to Tanah Rata, where I
spent the night.
The next day, I decided to see the Rafflesia
flower bloom in the wild. It is a highly
endangered parasitic plant found only in the rain
forests in Southeast Asia and has the single largest
bloom of any flower. One has to take a tour guide
to do this hiking trip. These guides liaise with the
indigenous natives or Orang Asli, as they scout
for the next blooming flower in the jungle. The
location of the flower is a fiercely guarded secret
and the territories are clearly demarcated between
the natives. We drove for over an hour on the
tarmac road from the highlands towards Gua
Musang and a further half an hour on a bumpy
dirt road, meandering into tropical forests, to
reach an Orang Asli village. We were greeted
by young native boys, who then led us into the
48 Travel Secrets September-October 2015
forest. The trail usually varies depending upon
the location of the flower. Today, I was warned
that it would be a two-hour round trip. Some
sections of the trail were steep and arduous. The
hot humidity of the tropical forest added to
the exhaustion. After an uneventful clambering
through the bamboo thickets, we reached
a small rivulet, where the stench of natural
decomposition was overbearing. Right beside the
pool of water was a huge red flower, over a metre
in width, splayed open in all its majesty. The
rotting odour is a mechanism of Rafflesia(also
known as the Corpse flower due to its stench) to
attract flies for pollination. The bloom only lasts
for 4-5 days. On the way back, the Orang Asli
boys demonstrated how they use blowpipes and
poisonous darts to hunt. The accuracy and speed
left me amazed. By mid-evening I was back in
Tanah Rata, ready to catch my overnight sleeper
bus to Georgetown, Penang.
There is a good reason why Georgetown was
chosen to be a UNESCO world heritage site.
The old trading port has plenty to offer besides
stately buildings, a fort, seaside promenades and
its rich colonial past. The inner city has some of
the most exquisite Chinese temples, clan houses,
Peranakan and Nyonya terraces.One can find
mosques in Chinatown and Chinese temples in
Indian neighbourhoods. If composite culture is
the heart of Georgetown, urban street art is its
soul. The town reveals itself in layers at every turn