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
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    July 28, 2024
    Beijing Central Axis, Funerary and memory sites of the First World War, Gedi , Hegmataneh, …
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    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
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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

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Churches of Moldavia by Solivagant

Churches of Moldavia (Inscribed)

Churches of Moldavia

Romania has inscribed 3 different “sets” of churches on its WHS list. Each set exists in a separate geographical area of the country and each is distinguished by a different …

Villages with Fortified Churches by Solivagant

Villages with Fortified Churc… (Inscribed)

Villages with Fortified Churches

This site is strictly described as “Villages with fortified Churches” rather than purely the churches themselves. In all honesty the Churches are the main attraction although some of the villages …

Danube Delta by Solivagant

Danube Delta (Inscribed)

Danube Delta

As no-one has yet reviewed the Danube Delta so I will provide a “partial” report! It is the largest river delta in Europe (assuming the Volga is not!) and has …

Cliff of Bandiagara by Solivagant

Cliff of Bandiagara (Inscribed)

Cliff of Bandiagara

The Dogon villages of the Bandiagara Falaise are undoubtedly one of the great sites of Africa. In Dec 2000 we did a 5 day trek among them and would love …

Engelsberg Ironworks by Solivagant

Engelsberg Ironworks (Inscribed)

Engelsberg Ironworks

Engelsberg Ironworks are a very early industrial monument – a WHS category of which there are in my opinion too few representatives. ”. Made primarily of wood they do not …

Muskauer Park by Solivagant

Muskauer Park (Inscribed)

Muskauer Park

On a trip to the area of “former GDR” a few years ago we were trying to cover all its Michelin 2 and 3 “*” sites (!) and, right on …

Reichenau by Solivagant

Reichenau (Inscribed)

Reichenau

On one of our long drives across Europe to get back to the UK at the end of a holiday we had slept in our car at a Rastplatz near …

Baalbek by Solivagant

Baalbek (Inscribed)

Baalbek

Baalbek is the great “must do” site if you are in Lebanon. It is situated not far off the road across the mountains to Damascus and could conveniently be taken …

Pitons Management Area by Solivagant

Pitons Management Area (Inscribed)

Pitons Management Area

It is unlikely, if you do go to St Lucia, that you would not go to see the Pitons (unless the beach is all you want!) – but equally they …

Aleppo by Solivagant

Aleppo (Inscribed)

Aleppo

(Visited March 1999 whilst self driving by rentacar around Syria - almost exactly 12 years before the start of the Syrian Civil War and around 13 before the Siege of …

Arequipa by Solivagant

Arequipa (Inscribed)

Arequipa

If you are journeying between Lima and the Altiplano at least 1 way by land (as you really should) then a stop over in Arequipa is certainly worthwhile both to …

Nasca Lines by Solivagant

Nasca Lines (Inscribed)

Nasca Lines

No visit to Peru would be complete without over-flying the Nazca lines – I won’t describe the Lines or provide a photo of them as there is so much on …

Byblos by Solivagant

Byblos (Inscribed)

Byblos

Byblos is apparently/claims to be the “oldest continuously inhabited town in the world”. The “idea” is however more impressive than the reality. It is a pleasant enough town with bustling …

Yungang Grottoes by Solivagant

Yungang Grottoes (Inscribed)

Yungang Grottoes

My 4th and final review of Buddhist caves/grottos on the UNESCO list in China has reached Yungang near Datong (ref reviews of Mogao, Longmen and Dazu).

This too was …

Dazu Rock Carvings by Solivagant

Dazu Rock Carvings (Inscribed)

Dazu Rock Carvings

A trip out to Dazu is a good way of filling a couple of days after you have booked your Yangtse Gorges boat ticket in Chongqing. The smallish town is …

Ajanta Caves by Els Slots

Ajanta Caves (Inscribed)

Ajanta Caves

It is perhaps slightly surprising to find that Ajanta hasn’t yet been reviewed although coverage of India’s WHS on this site is pretty high. It is well worth a visit …

Mtskheta by Solivagant

Mtskheta (Inscribed)

Mtskheta

Mtskheta is the ancient capital of Georgia and its Cathedral is the “capital” of the Georgian Church and the burial place of Georgian Kings. It only lies around 25kms outside …

Galapagos Islands by Solivagant

Galapagos Islands (Inscribed)

Galapagos Islands

The usual problem with taking “wild life” holidays is the uncertainty as to whether one will actually see the creatures one is traveling so far (and often paying so much!) …

Bukhara by Solivagant

Bukhara (Inscribed)

Bukhara

We have visited Bukhara twice, once in Soviet days (1983) and again in Oct 2004 – and what a difference! Free enterprise has turned a dour dusty “museum city” into …

Walled City of Baku by Solivagant

Walled City of Baku (Inscribed)

Walled City of Baku

Taken as a whole Baku is, in my opinion, “worth a journey”. However, the medieval part of it, which has been inscribed as a WHS site, is not particularly notable …

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