Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±

Tambunan Rafflesia Reserve

Sabah


Near the top of the Crocker Range, next to the main highway, 20km north of Tambunan, this park is devoted to the world's largest flower. The Rafflesia Rangers can guide you into the jungle reserve for the day for RM100. Keningau-bound buses will stop here if you ask, but getting back to Tambunan will require hitching on the highway. A round-trip taxi from Tambunan costs RM120, which includes waiting time. Call ahead to make sure the reserve is open.

The rafflesia is a parasitic plant that grows hidden within the stems of jungle vines until it bursts into bloom, at which point it eerily resembles the monster plant from Little Shop of Horrors. It emits a stench of rotting flesh, mimicking a newly dead animal, to attract carrion flies that help with pollination. The large bulbous flowers can be up to 1m in diameter. The 12-or-so species of rafflesia here are found only in Borneo and Sumatra; several species are unique to Sabah, but as they only bloom for a few days, it's hard to predict when you'll be able to see one. Check with rangers at what stage the blooms are, as by day four they tend to be blackening and wilting.


Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions

Nearby Sabah attractions

1. Mahua Waterfall

4.56 MILES

Around 26km northeast of Tambunan, this gorgeous 17m-high waterfall plunges into a deep pool below, perfect for a refreshing dip. There's a spartan hostel…

2. Sunsuron Guritom

5.08 MILES

Partially eroded by the elements, the stone skull topping this squat stone container, resembling a postbox, gives a clue as to its past use. Back in…

3. Dusun Museum

5.19 MILES

Well worth a peek, this museum showcasing traditional Dusun culture is located inside a traditional bamboo dwelling. Inside you'll find antique Chinese…

4. Mari Mari Cultural Village

16.75 MILES

With its three-hour tours, Mari Mari showcases various traditional homes of Sabahan ethnic communities – the Bajau, Lundayeh, Murut, Rungus and Dusun –…

5. Monsopiad Cultural Village

19.79 MILES

Monsopiad is named after a legendary warrior and headhunter. The highlight of this tacky but fun place is the House of Skulls, which supposedly contains…

6. Botanical Garden

21 MILES

Many of the plants found on Mt Kinabalu and in Kinabalu National Park are cultivated in the Botanical Garden, north of the visitors centre. Guided tours…

7. Kundasang War Memorial

21.44 MILES

At Kundasang, beside the KK–Ranau Hwy, 10km east of Kinabalu National Park headquarters, is this poignant memorial conceived in 1961. It commemorates the…

8. Puh Toh Tze Buddhist Temple

21.68 MILES

This impressive temple features a stone staircase-pavilion flanked by 10 Chinese deities leading up to a main temple complex dominated by Kwan Yin,…