Solivagant

Member since December 2005

#None 0 0

I am now retired but have been "travelling" for a "hobby" since I was 15 (1957!) whilst pursuing otherwise normal mundane career and "home" things in UK - thus being limited by "annual leave" allowances. During that time I have visited 164 "independent countries" - defined by me as the 193 full UN members plus (somewhat illogically, but they are generally accepted as "sovereign") Taiwan and Holy See (but am not pursuing "193"!). Unfortunately quite a few relatively easily accessible current WHS got "missed" along the way. If only I had known they would get chosen - they are not all obvious choices! Despite the weaknesses in the list and the politics involved in the selection and voting mechanism they provide a quick means of grasping the highlights of many countries and sometimes lead down interesting knowledge and research "avenues" which would otherwise have remain unexplored. 
Proposal for a new WHS:- Roca Agostino Neto Cocoa Plantation Sao Tome.
There are just too many European WHS relative to the rest. Little Sao Tome became the world's greatest producer of cocoa under the Portuguese. So poor were the social conditions that Cadbury boycotted Cocoa from there in early 20C. At Roca Agostinho (and other crumbling colonial sites on Sao Tome) you might just get a feeling for the economic system which created it and "fed" Europe with a raw material so often taken for granted - a really atmospheric place. But it isn't even on the "Tentative list"!

My most impressive site: Machu Picchu. I would like to choose somewhere

My proposal for a new site: See under

Recent Visits
  • 11
    0
    July 28, 2024
    Beijing Central Axis, Funerary and memory sites of the First World War, Gedi , Hegmataneh, …
  • 0
    4
    Jan. 1, 2020
    City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Dunhuang Yardangs, The Lijiang River Scenic Zone …
  • 0
    5
    Jan. 1, 2020
    Ancient cities of Upper Myanmar, Bago, Inle Lake, Shwedagon Pagoda, Wooden Monasteries of Konbaung Period
>

About Solivagant

First name
Solivagant
Member since
December 2005
Country of Origin
None
Visits
Rank
#None
WHS
0
Tentative Sites
0
Website Participation
Reviews
442
Ratings

Ratings

World Heritage Sites
855 0
Photos
N/A
Locations
N/A
Zones
N/A

Reviews by Solivagant

Page 10 of 23
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier by Solivagant

The Architectural Work of Le … (Inscribed)

The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier

During the quest to visit our unvisited 8 German T List sites we gave the Weißenhofsiedlung 2hours as we passed through Stuttgart. We should have had longer but unfortunately it …

Corvey by Solivagant

Corvey (Inscribed)

Corvey

Given Germany’s run of success in gaining inscriptions and with Corvey up for consideration in 2014 it couldn’t really be missed whilst we were in the area! But does the …

Primeval Beech Forests by Solivagant

Primeval Beech Forests (Inscribed)

Primeval Beech Forests

When choosing which of the 5 German Beech forests to visit we looked for one which was reasonably close to our main route for other WHS and gave us the …

Prehistoric Pile Dwellings by Solivagant

Prehistoric Pile Dwellings (Inscribed)

Prehistoric Pile Dwellings

In the early days of the Forum on this Web site we had some discussions on what constituted “seeing” or “visiting” a WHS. Our trip to one of the Prehistoric …

Santiniketan by Solivagant

Santiniketan (Inscribed)

Santiniketan

Shantiniketan (a.k.a "Santiniketan") is another Indian site which is having problems getting inscribed (Nominated for 2011 but withdrawn). Its credentials as the location where the Bengali poet, artist, philosopher and …

River island of Majuli  by Solivagant

River island of Majuli (On tentative list)

River island of Majuli

Poor Majuli! Referred in 2006, deferred in 2008 and then, in 2012, not examined at all because the dossier was incomplete! Will it ever get that inscription? To try to …

Nalanda by Solivagant

Nalanda (Inscribed)

Nalanda

Nalanda epitomizes both what India has to offer in uninscribed sites and also its perennial inability to bring these forward to successful conclusion!! The Web is full of calls for …

Mahabodhi Temple Complex by Solivagant

Mahabodhi Temple Complex (Inscribed)

Mahabodhi Temple Complex

The Mahabodi Temple complex provided us with an interesting visit and, in conjunction with prior and subsequent study, a number of surprises regarding its historical and current status!

It …

Sundarbans National Park by Solivagant

Sundarbans National Park (Inscribed)

Sundarbans National Park

We had previously visited the Bangladesh Sundarbans back in 2006 and had enjoyed the experience so we decided to give the Indian WHS a try when we flew in/out of …

Kaziranga National Park by Solivagant

Kaziranga National Park (Inscribed)

Kaziranga National Park

Whilst it was perhaps unsurprising that Manas had not previously received a review on this Web site I am amazed that, to date, neither has Kaziranga! It can surely only …

Manas Wildlife Sanctuary by Solivagant

Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (Inscribed)

Manas Wildlife Sanctuary

So, at last Manas gets a review on this Web site - but the Fates tried very hard to prevent us from being able to do so! It is situated …

Timgad by Solivagant

Timgad (Inscribed)

Timgad

With 3 of Algeria’s 7 sites being “Roman ruins” it is perhaps too easy to slide into the “just another ruined city” syndrome if Timgad isn’t your first. Yet …

M'Zab Valley by Solivagant

M'Zab Valley (Inscribed)

M'Zab Valley

The 5 inscribed towns of the M’zab valley are, despite the lack of tourists currently visiting Algeria, one of its (relatively) “honey pot” sites and about the only place where …

Tipasa by Solivagant

Tipasa (Inscribed)

Tipasa

The North coast of Africa is well represented on the List with Roman ruins so, do those of Tipasa add anything? Well it has the normal range of buildings to …

Kasbah of Algiers by Solivagant

Kasbah of Algiers (Inscribed)

Kasbah of Algiers

I can’t think of any cultural WHS I have visited which has been in a worse condition than the Algiers Kasbah. Yet UNESCO seems remarkably indulgent towards it. Yes, the …

Bago by Solivagant

Bago (On tentative list)

Bago

Bago is a city in S Myanmar a few miles east of Yangon. Historically it was the capital of the Mon peoples. Across the centuries, shifts of power in the …

Ancient cities of Upper Myanmar by Solivagant

Ancient cities of Upper Myanm… (On tentative list)

Ancient cities of Upper Myanmar

Following the fall of Bagan in the 13th century through to complete take over by the British in 1885, numerous kingdoms came and went across the area of modern day …

Pombaline Lisbon by Solivagant

Pombaline Lisbon (On tentative list)

Pombaline Lisbon

On a previous visit to Lisbon we had of course seen the central Baixa district and noted its coherent design created after the 1755 earthquake, but it hadn’t really occurred …

Inle Lake by Solivagant

Inle Lake (On tentative list)

Inle Lake

Soon after our boat left Nyaungshwe, the main entry point for Inle Lake, I was somewhat surprised to see a board advertising the fact that Inle is already an ASEAN …

Wooden Monasteries of Konbaung Period  by Solivagant

Wooden Monasteries of Konbaun… (On tentative list)

Wooden Monasteries of Konbaung Period

The Schwekyaung monastery included as part of this site is presumably also included in the Mandalay part of the “Ancient Cities” site since it is the only surviving building of …

Page 10 of 23