Michael Turtle

Member since May 2015

#104 373 35 11
I'm a travel journalist and blogger who started counting World Heritage Sites in 2011. Often I try to visit the sites as part of other trips - although sometimes I will go to a country just with the mission to see as many as possible.

My most impressive site: Iguazu

My proposal for a new site: Bagan, Myanmar

Recent Visits
  • 5
    0
    July 4, 2025
    Gobustan Rock Art, Monastery of Geghard, Mtskheta, Sheki, Walled City of Baku
  • 7
    0
    March 20, 2025
    Agra Fort, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Hill Forts of Rajasthan, Humayun's Tomb, Jaipur City, Rajasthan ...
  • 2
    0
    Feb. 1, 2025
    Plain of Jars, Vat Phou
Top 10 Missing
  1. Galapagos Islands 4.60
  2. Yellowstone 4.49
  3. Rapa Nui 4.49
  4. Victoria Falls 4.48
  5. Grand Canyon 4.41
  6. Serengeti 4.41
  7. Granada 4.39
  8. Persepolis 4.37
  9. Ngorongoro 4.36
  10. Old City of Jerusalem 4.36
Completed Countries

About Michael Turtle

Member since
May 2015
Country of Origin
None
Visits
Rank
#104
WHS
373
Tentative Sites
35
Website Participation
Reviews
136
Ratings
23 0
Locations
0
Zones
0
Reserved for members.

Reviews by Michael Turtle

Page 5 of 7
Frontiers of the Roman Empire by Michael Turtle

Frontiers of the Roman Empire (Inscribed)

Frontiers of the Roman Empire

There are lots of ways to see this WHS - in two countries. I have been to the UK's Hadrian's Wall site, but for the German bit, I focused on …

Keep reading Michael T… 02/02/16
Stralsund and Wismar by Michael Turtle

Stralsund and Wismar (Inscribed)

Stralsund and Wismar

Hundreds of years after the Hanseatic League lost its influence, both Stralsund and Wismar became major administrative and defence centres when they were ruled by the Swedish kingdom in the …

Keep reading Michael T… 02/02/16
Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou by Michael Turtle

Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou (Inscribed)

Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou

A unique Moroccan WHS - there isn't really anything else like it in the country. It's interesting to observe as you approach it and see how the structures have been …

Keep reading Michael T… 30/01/16
Primeval Beech Forests by Michael Turtle

Primeval Beech Forests (Inscribed)

Primeval Beech Forests

All five of the protected areas in Germany offer a variety of experiences. From the white cliffs and coastal breeze of Jasmund National Park through to the inland mountain ranges …

Keep reading Michael T… 30/01/16
Medina of Marrakesh by Michael Turtle

Medina of Marrakesh (Inscribed)

Medina of Marrakesh

I love this city - although I can't decide whether I prefer Marrakech or Fez. Oh well, no reason why you can't just enjoy both for different reasons!

The constant …

Keep reading Michael T… 30/01/16
Hildesheim Cathedral and Church by Michael Turtle

Hildesheim Cathedral and Chur… (Inscribed)

Hildesheim Cathedral and Church

Both buildings are easy walking distance to each other. In fact, most of central Hildesheim is easy to navigate by foot. The church and the cathedral are open to visitors …

Keep reading Michael T… 30/01/16
Fagus Factory by Michael Turtle

Fagus Factory (Inscribed)

Fagus Factory

To appreciate the significant architectural details, it’s important to see the building from the outside and the inside. Even though the factory is operational, there are tours through all areas …

Keep reading Michael T… 30/01/16
Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust by Michael Turtle

Castles of Augustusburg and F… (Inscribed)

Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust

Although they’re not nearly the most famous castles in Germany, the style of the buildings and, more importantly, the interior designs were to influence the creation of other princely courts …

Keep reading Michael T… 30/01/16
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe by Michael Turtle

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe (Inscribed)

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe

The best way to see the park is by foot. It is possible to use a bicycle but there’s a lot of uphill which can be slightly unpleasant at times. …

Keep reading Michael T… 30/01/16
Medina of Essaouira by Michael Turtle

Medina of Essaouira (Inscribed)

Medina of Essaouira

Essaouira is a lovely little place and an easy side trip from busy Marrakech. Although it's the medina that is the main focus of the WHS, there are more things …

Keep reading Michael T… 30/01/16
Messel Pit by Michael Turtle

Messel Pit (Inscribed)

Messel Pit

Visiting the Messel Fossil Pit is a little bit tricky because, in some ways, there’s not a lot to see. Most of the important stuff – the fossils – has …

Keep reading Michael T… 30/01/16
Bryggen by Michael Turtle

Bryggen (Inscribed)

Bryggen

Very pretty old wharf but, yes, very touristy. It's a bit better out the back. If you just pretend everyone isn't there, though, you can still get good look at …

Keep reading Michael T… 26/01/16
Baroque Churches by Michael Turtle

Baroque Churches (Inscribed)

Baroque Churches

I visited just one of the churches listed, San Agustin in Manila. It is the oldest of the churches and I thought represented the site quite well.

There are two …

Keep reading Michael T… 26/01/16
Te Wahipounamu by Michael Turtle

Te Wahipounamu (Inscribed)

Te Wahipounamu

The hardest thing about this WHS is knowing where to start... and where to stop. It's not just enormous in terms of area, it has such an incredible amount of …

Keep reading Michael T… 26/01/16
Sigiriya by Michael Turtle

Sigiriya (Inscribed)

Sigiriya

I really love this site. It's such a unique place and the story behind it is fascinating (a king going into hiding after he kills his father and steals the …

Keep reading Michael T… 23/01/16
Kandy by Michael Turtle

Kandy (Inscribed)

Kandy

The highlight of Kandy is the Temple of the Tooth and I spent most of my time there. What I found most interesting was all the people there. Every generation …

Keep reading Michael T… 23/01/16
Old Town of Galle by Michael Turtle

Old Town of Galle (Inscribed)

Old Town of Galle

There's a really pleasant atmosphere in the streets of the old town of Galle. The architecture has that really interesting mix of European colonialism and South Asia. What I liked …

Keep reading Michael T… 23/01/16
Anuradhapura by Michael Turtle

Anuradhapura (Inscribed)

Anuradhapura

Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to see as much of Anuradhapura as I would've liked. I only had a few hours there as I was passing through and decided …

Keep reading Michael T… 23/01/16
Polonnaruva by Michael Turtle

Polonnaruva (Inscribed)

Polonnaruva

I couldn't help but compare the style and layout here to sites like Angkor. Interestingly, there are some links between the sites, in terms of architecture an diplomacy.

However, while …

Keep reading Michael T… 23/01/16
Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple by Michael Turtle

Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple (Inscribed)

Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple

This site was such a surprise - in a completely positive way. I didn't know too much about it beforehand and didn't expect the caves of statues to be so …

Keep reading Michael T… 23/01/16
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