Rafflesia

I heard about a Rafflesia in bloom while at Lake Maninjau in Sumatra. I got on the next bus and spent the whole day getting there, hiking to the flower and then taking the bus back. It was a long and tiring day but totally worth it to see another one of these rare blooms.
Some species of Rafflesia take up to a year from bud to flower. There has only been limited success in getting these parasites into cultivation. The best and only way to see them is in the wild.