Palupuh tourism activist, Joni Hartono, said in Lubuk Basung on Saturday, that this was the first time the rare flowers had bloomed in 2026, adding that one flower bloomed on the third day, and another bloomed on the fourth day.
"The distance between the rare flowers is not far, only about 100 meters, or one flowerbed," he said.
He said foreign tourist arrivals remain low, with only six visitors currently at the site, due to a disaster in late November 2025 disrupted traffic and hindered access to the area.
"Some tourists are visiting the flowers, but not many because the road is still unstable. Before the disaster, around 20 foreign tourists were visiting regularly to see the flowers," he said.
He added that the two Rafflesia flowers bloomed for the first time in the area in early 2026, and that the previous year, more than 30 individual Rafflesia flowers bloomed in the area.
There are 15 flower buds spread across the Batang Palupuh Nature Reserve and surrounding areas in Batang Palupuh, Palupuh Sub-district.
Meanwhile, Ade Putra, Head of the Maninjau Region Conservation Resort of the West Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), said that this is the first bloom in 2026 and that the two flowers bloomed simultaneously.
"This is very unique, these rare and protected flowers blooming together," he said.
He stated that the Batang Palupuh Nature Reserve, with an area of 3.4 hectares, is a conservation area mandated to be the habitat of rare and protected rafflesia flowers.
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Translator: Altas Maulana, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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