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
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Zones
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Reviews by Solivagant

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Medina Azahara by Solivagant

Medina Azahara (Inscribed)

Medina Azahara

We visited this “about-to-be-inscribed” T List site in May 2018 and arrived at much the same conclusions about it as Zoe has since reported. Having viewed several recent TV programs …

The Castle of Bashtova by Solivagant

The Castle of Bashtova (On tentative list)

The Castle of Bashtova

Albania is a country which seems to “dribble” in additions to its T List, unlike others which have wholesale revisions every 10 years or so. In 2017 Bashotva Castle was …

Donana National Park by Solivagant

Donana National Park (Inscribed)

Donana National Park

A few extra points to those made by earlier reviewers about visiting the Donana WHS.

a. There are still unanswered “issues” regarding the inscribed boundaries of this WHS which …

Antequera Dolmens Site by Solivagant

Antequera Dolmens Site (Inscribed)

Antequera Dolmens Site

WH Travellers who have visited or are planning a visit to the Antequera Dolmen might be interested in a couple of “mysteries” concerning what they saw/will see which haven’t as …

The Wine in Iberia by Solivagant

The Wine in Iberia (On tentative list)

The Wine in Iberia

Whilst planning a trip to Andalusia in May 2018, with the primary objective of revisiting its WHS, we took the opportunity to dive into the further reaches of its T …

Gorham's Cave Complex by Solivagant

Gorham's Cave Complex (Inscribed)

Gorham's Cave Complex

As indicated in previous reviews, there is no really satisfactory answer as to how best to “visit” the Gorham’s Cave WHS. In May 18 we decided from the start NOT …

The Ancient City of Apollonia by Solivagant

The Ancient City of Apollonia (On tentative list)

The Ancient City of Apollonia

I will try not to repeat observations made by Stanislaw in his review but there are some additional aspects which, I think, are worth covering. In summary - the impression …

Les tombes de la Basse Selca by Solivagant

Les tombes de la Basse Selca (On tentative list)

Les tombes de la Basse Selca

We visited “Les Tombes de la Basse Selca” in April 2018 following our decision to try to “fill in” all of Albania’s current T List, as well as its inscribed, …

Zagori Cultural Landscape by Solivagant

Zagori Cultural Landscape (Inscribed)

Zagori Cultural Landscape

This Website currently suggests that Zagorochoria - North Pindos National Park (NP) will be nominated at the 2020 WHC. I can find no evidence for this, and the announcement in …

Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios by Solivagant

Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea… (Inscribed)

Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios

As indicated in previous reviews, for many years it has only been possible to make very limited visits to the Monastery of Daphni, situated in the Western suburbs of Athens, …

Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng by Solivagant

Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng (Inscribed)

Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng

The first problem regarding our intended visit to Thungyai - Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries (HKK) was where exactly to enter this very large site, most of which is remote …

Ban Chiang by Solivagant

Ban Chiang (Inscribed)

Ban Chiang

Oh, how I love WHS like Ban Chiang (BC) - It may not offer iconic monuments but it is relatively infrequently visited and uncrowded and covers a lesser known but …

Kaeng Krachan Forest by Solivagant

Kaeng Krachan Forest (Inscribed)

Kaeng Krachan Forest

Kaeng Kratchen Forest Compex (KKFC) consists of 5 contiguous parks and reserves (including Kaeng Kratchen NP) situated along Thailand’s border with Myanmar at the very top of the Malay Peninsula …

The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales by Solivagant

The Slate Landscape of Northw… (Inscribed)

The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales

I don’t normally review sites from UK but, having just returned from a visit to the “Slate Industry of N Wales” T List site, I was surprised to note that …

Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine by Solivagant

Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Z… (Inscribed)

Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine

Our original, already ambitious, objective was to “sweep up” all 18 of our unvisited WHS (plus selected T List and some “revisits”) in Pol/Cz/Sk/Hun in 15 days - and then …

Białowieża Forest by Solivagant

Białowieża Forest (Inscribed)

Białowieża Forest

In common with Nan, we felt that we were arriving at Bialowieza (Sept 17) without a clear picture of the best way to see this WHS, despite a fair bit …

Mountain-top Hotel and Television Transmitter Ješt by Solivagant

Mountain-top Hotel and Televi… (On tentative list)

Mountain-top Hotel and Television Transmitter Ješt

“20th C technology” and “post WWII architecture” are 2 under-represented inscribed themes. Czechia’s Jested TV Mast could help to fill both gaps, so we decided to take a look as …

Krzemionki prehistoric flint mines by Solivagant

Krzemionki prehistoric flint … (Inscribed)

Krzemionki prehistoric flint mines

Back in Aug 2015, our visit to Spiennes had been enhanced by a talk from a Polish academic who was assisting with the ongoing excavations there and just happened to …

W-Arly-Pendjari Complex by Solivagant

W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (Inscribed)

W-Arly-Pendjari Complex

We visited Pendjari NP back in Jan 2007 during a tour of Benin, Togo and B Faso. It was interesting to experience a West African “wildlife park” but our conclusions …

Gamzigrad-Romuliana by Solivagant

Gamzigrad-Romuliana (Inscribed)

Gamzigrad-Romuliana

None of the 4 previous reviews of this WHS has mentioned a visit to Magura - the hill situated 1km to the east of the Palace (but still within the …

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