FEW travelers visit this wild, sparsely populated, historic province, which extends for almost 350 kilometers down the spine of southwest Sumatras mighty Bukit Barisan range. The giant Rafflesia arnoldy, the worlds largest flower, is found in Bengkulus extensive forests. Of the provinces nearly 1 million people, 98 percent are Muslim. Large numbers of impoverished trans-migrant farmers have also settled the province.

Bengkulu has been overlooked b