Indonesia's natural record-holders: Rafflesia and Lake Toba

When we think of nature’s biggest record-holders, Everest, the Amazon, or the Sahara usually come to mind. Yet there is a country that gets mentioned far less, even though it shelters giants every bit as astonishing: Indonesia. It’s hard to shake the sense that it has been hiding in plain sight on the map of natural superlatives.

Across this vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands live true champions of the wild. One is the world’s largest single flower; another is a colossal lake born from a volcanic eruption. None of it is ancient myth—it’s part of the present.

A flower that smells like a trash bin

On Indonesia’s islands grows an unusual plant—Rafflesia arnoldii, the largest single flower on Earth. It can reach a meter across and weigh about 11 kilograms—roughly the heft of a basket of watermelons.

It has no leaves, roots, or stem. All you see is the bloom, which emerges from another plant it parasitizes. To lure the flies that pollinate it, it reeks of decay, like rotting meat, and is often referred to as a corpse flower.

Such blooms are rare and last only a few days. In June 2025, scientists reported that Rafflesia was observed again on Sumatra—a rare occurrence closely watched by botanists.

There is a problem, though: these plants are becoming scarcer as forests are cut down. If the jungle disappears, so will Rafflesia.

A lake inside a giant volcano

On the same island, Sumatra, lies Lake Toba. It is strikingly beautiful, but more importantly, it formed inside the caldera of a volcano that exploded about 74,000 years ago. Scientists believe the eruption was powerful enough to affect the planet’s climate.

Today, Toba is the largest volcanic lake in the world, covering more than 1,100 square kilometers—larger than Moscow.

The Batak people live around its shores, with their own culture and traditions. The place is not only scenic; it also matters to science and history.

In 2025, UNESCO reaffirmed that Lake Toba is a special site that must be protected. There are worrying signs, though: water pollution and haphazard construction could cost Toba that status.

At the same time, the World Bank said tourism projects are helping local communities—creating jobs and improving infrastructure. The task now is to ensure growth does not harm nature.

Why do such records cluster in Indonesia?

Indonesia brings together volcanoes, dense forests, a humid climate, and thousands of islands—conditions that allow unusual plants and unique natural features to emerge.

Rafflesia and Lake Toba are no accidents; they reflect how nature operates under extremes. The country hosts more than 28,000 species of flowering plants, and new ones are discovered every year.

What does this mean for us?

These natural records aren’t just trivia. They show how rich—and how fragile—the planet is.

A flower that lasts only a few days, or a lake born of catastrophe, both carry the same message: even the mightiest natural forces require care.

We don’t have to travel to Indonesia to understand that. It’s enough to know that somewhere in the jungle the world’s largest flower is opening, and among the mountains lies a lake that changed the Earth’s story.

Sometimes a wonder is simply a fact hiding in plain sight.