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Much has been written already about this highly rated WHS. It’s among the most iconic and well-known tourist destinations in the world. So I don’t think a general introduction is necessary, and I’ll limit this review to a few observations from my 1.5-day visit in October 2012:

• One of the best experiences I found was the hike up to the Monastery, and settling myself in a cave right in front of it (across the square and above the café which sells a very refreshing lime & mint juice). Despite the number of visitors, Petra has plenty of spaces where you can roam around on your own or sit quietly and take it all in.
• Like all very popular WHS, it attracts a mixed crowd of nationalities and types of visitors. Although one has to do a lot of walking in Petra, more than one woman arrived in impressively high heels. Busloads are shipped directly from the beach resorts at the Red Sea, lots of loud Russians too. I also encountered groups of South Asians, whom I thought to be migrant workers in Jordan or the Gulf (my visit coincided with the Eid holiday).
• The number of visitors is actually dwindling since it almost reached the 1 million mark in 2009. It has fallen back to the level of 2007 (about 600,000). It certainly did not feel overly crowded, maybe only the plaza in front of the Treasury is. Both times that I entered via the Siq, …

Against my own expectations and contrary to some bad reviews of the "experience" on the internet, I quite liked my visit to Bethany beyond the Jordan. I am not a religious person so I did not feel anything special about walking here in the footsteps of Jesus. Neither did the people who were part of my instant tour group (access is restricted to a guided tour because you're right at the border).

We were all a little bemused about the muddy creek that once was the mighty river Jordan. We looked down into the actual site where Jesus was baptized, a spot that hasn't held any water for ages (see photo). We kept our eyes on the various churches and monasteries that have been built here by different Christian groups. Some of them are very recent. It reminded me of Lumbini, where a simple place of memory (birthplace of Gautama Buddha) now is turned into a large complex of temples and monasteries of all Buddhist denominations.

The highlight without a doubt is the "confrontation" with the other side - at an about 3m wide stretch of the river, we ended up face to face with tourists and pilgrims that are doing the same trip, but then on the Israeli side of the border.

Um-er Rasas lies about 30km south of Jordan's mosaic capital, Madaba. It is signposted all the way. The only thing that you have to be careful about are Jordan's infamous speed bumps. The surrounding landscape is unbelievably dry and empty. No wonder it took so long to excavate this archeological site: only in 1986 work was started.

As other posters have already mentioned, there's a large visitor center and it has no less than two parking lots that also have spaces for numerous buses. However - the visitor center still seems to be closed, even on a Friday (the first day of the weekend for the Jordanians). A group of French tourists was just leaving when I arrived, and one family entered with me. We all did so without paying an entrance fee, as the ticket office was as closed as the restaurant, the souvenir shop, and the museum.

The main site is quite extensive, and without shade except for the covered building that houses the mosaics. I walked there as fast as I could under the radiating sun. The French that I encountered at the entrance all had very red heads, and that's anybody's fate here I guess.

After having seen several mosaics in Madaba this morning, I wondered about what Um-er Rasas had to add. Most organized tours only make a short stop at Madaba and skip Um-er Rasas altogether. Well, the design of the mosaics are quite similar, but these here seem to be …

I visited Wadi Rum on the last day of my trip around Jordan. I had chosen to do a full-day tour with Rum Stars, one of the more reputable local companies. The reviews on this website and trip reports elsewhere on the internet prepare you for the worst, for a tourist trap with touts all over the place. My experience was totally different, and Wadi Rum became one of the highlights of my stay Jordan.

I arrived at the visitor center at 9.30 a.m., driving down from Petra (1.5 hours). It is as if entering a National Park in the American Southwest. I paid the 5 JD entrance fee at the ticket office, and after inquiring with whom I had booked a tour, they sent me on to Rum village. I accidentally had arrived at the same moment as a South African woman, with whom I would share the tour.

After being welcomed in the “office” with sweet Bedouin tea, we got going with our guide Salem. He drove a 4WD pick-up with seats built in the rear, and a covering across against the sun. This is the most pleasant way to tour the desert I think, feeling the cool air, and getting close to the sand.

We drove a circuit connecting about 12 sights, varying from red sand dunes to rock art (lots of camel petroglyphs!), viewpoints, canyons and natural bridges. There were quite a number of other tour jeeps on the tracks, although they all …

The first time I went to alberobello was in 1975 & was fascinated by this place! Always wanted to visit it again & finally after 37 years I went together with my husband; we stayed in a trullo, such a lovely experience! Will certainly not wait another 37 years to visit this amazing place!

For some reasons, I appreciated Angkor Wat better in the afternoon - at sunset - than during the popular and obligatory sunrise visit where all tourists to Angkor are expected start their journeys with. In either case, it was such a delight to see that Angkor still receives a lot of visitors even during off peak seasons!

Of all the many temples and ensembles I have seen, I really cherished my experience at Bayon, the 'almost secret' ground alleys of the Terrace of the Leper King, and Prasat Kravan - the last two only receiving a handful of tourists. Prasat Kravan (which has a twin temple as well in Takeo province - the Prasat Neang Khmau) is probably one of the under-appreciated temples in Angkor, but I personally think that it is one of the most unique - the murals of the central tower was indeed a find, and it has a history much older than most.

Unfortunately, I never got to feel the amazement that people usually claim to have experienced at Sras Srang (the royal bath) as it was under renovation when I last visited. Aside from the enigmatic temples in the area, I find the water system - barays and the canals - to be just as interesting and intriguing.

I could only agree that Angkor is indeed one of the best cultural wonders (if not the best) and an incredible engineering feat the world has to offer. It's definitely a topnotcher.

TIP 1: I always find …

I just got back from Elvas on a day trip from Evora.

At the moment, there are buses between Evora and Elvas, though few. I took the 9 am bus to Elvas and the 4 pm one back. The bus is the one that goes between Evora and Badajoz everyday.

Everything seems to be closed today, or at least they only opened in the morning. It is a public holiday here. The streets were really quite empty but that suited me fine. There were also very few tourists.

I managed to walk around the city along the walls or the ditches. The walls were well-preserved. I also walked around the Fort of St Luzia and the tiny Fortalice of St Mamede. I could not enter both either. The former was supposed to house a military museum, but it was closed. The latter seemed to me to be a private dwelling now and when I got close the dog inside went mad.

The one thing I managed to get into was the tiny Church of the Dominicas. This used to be part of a monastery. The interior walls and covered with gorgeous azulejos.

The aqueduct was nice too and very well-preserved.

I think that Elvas can make a nice day trip from Evora. If only things were opened today. Better get there before it becomes another tourist hotspot!

When I found out that it was possible to visit the temple on a day trip from Siem Reap, I immediately grabbed the opportunity while the site is again peaceful and accessible for tourists to see (note that this place has some serious history of crossfires by Cambodia and Thailand sides earlier). Though it is about 3 - 4 hours away from Siem Reap via rented car, I felt that this trip was totally worth it. This site never failed my towering expectations!

Prasat Preah Vihear - in my opinion - rightly deserves to be on the same ranks as Angkor Wat and Bayon, if not even better. The incomparable beauty of this place stems from its (1) history (older than most in Angkor; dedicated to Siva and, according to some sources, is also one of a few that has a history of critical lingam worshiping), (2) location (situated right beside a cliff to a height of nearly 600 metres on top of the Dangrek mountains, which is within a Phra Vihan National Park of Thailand), (3) relevance (a major pilgrimage site for Khmer kings, as well as a rare key temple off-route the Angkorian Royal Road), (4) architecture (the extensive layout is very unique, the galleries surrounding the central sanctuary served as inspiration for the arrangement of Angkor Wat 300 years later, and the carvings offer a different style from that of those in Angkor - notice the style of their nagas), and (5) the struggles and controversies associated …

I really enjoyed this place a lot. After all, in general, Palawan as whole is truly a pristine paradise. Getting to the site is already an experience in itself as one would pass by the beautiful karst formations - both on land and sea - towards the underground river's opening.

Tours going to the site are almost offered everywhere in Puerto Princesa City, but I would suggest that you take the service of Jas at tenchisande@yahoo.com - he is a freelancing licensed tour guide and he knows how to maximize the trip well.

In hindsight, It has to be known that the underground river was also nominated earlier in 1993 but was eventually abandoned by the nominating party. Eventually, however, it got inscribed in 1999 (together with Vigan). Just this year, furthermore, the park was listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature via popular voting (I still think that the WHS title is still a more important achievement as it is based on - at least in theory - merits). The national park consists of 8 known forest formations, containing rich collections of flora and fauna. It is normal to see monitor lizards roaming around, as well as local monkeys and frequent migratory and endemic birds. The tour inside the underground river takes around 45 minutes to cover the first 1.5 kilometers inward -- the deeper parts of the cave are only reserved for scientific studies and are, therefore, inaccessible for tourists. Nevertheless, the trip inside is …

I visited Ilulissat in August 2012 & was blown away by natures stunning beauty here.

Over the 4 days spent here, I was very lucky with the weather, not a cloud in the sky for that period.

Sunset sailing in the sea was magnificent, it’s not just the sheer size of these icebergs that have calved from the glacier that is breath-taking, but the colours emitted/reflected during the sunset period. Depending on the wind direction, the harbour in Ilulissat can be frozen or clear, but using the boat as an icebreaker to get out into the sea is also quite an experience. Some people may say that one iceberg resembles another & once you have seen one, you have seen them all. Far from the truth. Each is different!

Around the mouth of the icefjord in Ilulissat is a great place to spend a day hiking. The volcanic mountains themselves are very impressive with the summer fauna in full colour, but again it’s hard to take you eyes off the huge icebergs floating in the water right beside you!

Another day was spent travelling to the Eqi glacier, further up Disko bay. Again this is a very special place, due to the tranquillity of the place & the noise emitted from the calving process along with the displacement of water as these huge chunks of ice cascade from the top of the glacier face into the crystal clear water below. Some of the avalanches are massive & even though the …

Well worth the visit. I visited the site in September 2012. All of the villa now accessible after the removal of the awful plastic glass structure which caused so much damage and has been replaced with wood and copper roof open on all sides to allow air flow around and through the site Damage caused to the mosaics has and still is being replaced using the original methods. Well worth the visit, I do not know about entry costs as over 65 get entry free. More archaeological digs are planned for the future as apparently there might well be more undiscovered building in the village close by the Villa.

Until Bikini Atoll's inscription in 2010, Genbaku Dome is the only World Heritage Site relating to nuclear technology which many people consider a new page of human history making this site to be one of the most unique on the list of UNESCO. My review will focus only for its physical appearance and try not to mention the WWII matters. Genbaku Dome is a ruined building in the centre of the city of Hiroshima and is a part of the much bigger Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. The building is designed by a Czech architect, Jan Letzel, whose works mainly located in Japan and tragically most of them destroyed by earthquake and war, as a commercial exhibition hall, despite the destruction; many Art Nouveau and classical motifs of the building are still visible. Its iconic ruined dome and building have steel frame supporting to prevent the possible collapse.

It is a common misunderstanding that Genbaku Dome is the single building that survived the atomic bombs as many website claimed. In fact many concrete buildings in the town center are survived the bomb, and actually the small tourist center which located next to the bridge inside the Peace Memorial Park is one of them but no one seem to pay attention! Most of those buildings have been renovated after WWII, only the Genbaku Dome that has been preserved in its ruined state as the memorial. Another misunderstanding is that the dome is the hypocenter; the actual hypocenter is the nearby hospital or …

Contrary to what I read from other reviews, I must say I really enjoyed visiting the Royal Exhibition Hall. This was not in the least due to the fact that when I was visiting Melbourne, the exhibition hall was opened and in use for an annual art expo, so count me a very lucky man. The majestic grandeur of the building and colorful interior were emphasized by the tumult and spirit that the exposition brought along. The interior is beautifully restored to match the original schemes set in 1901 and a must see for anyone slightly interested in design and architecture. I stroled around for almost two hours, enjoying the feeling and awe that 19th century visitors of the Melbourne International Exhibitions must have shared with me. So if you're in the neighborhood, definitely check the calendar for opening times/exhibitions of the Royal Exhibition Building.

We did Ha Long Bay as a one night cruise.

The shear natural beauty of the place is bordering on indescribable, and when coupled with a comfortable junk and excellent seafood, this beomes one of the worlds most romantic places. Loved it znd would go back in an instant.

Surprisingly for many people, the holiday and party island of Ibiza has a wide range of historic and natural attractions that were somewhat randomly put together in one WH site. The major sight is Alta Vila, the historic centre of Ibiza Town. It sits on a high hill similar to the Acropolis and offers great views over the sea and the island. It is surrounded by a well-preserved city wall, and features several historic buildings, including the cathedral. Unfortunately, the archaeological museum next to it has been closed for budget reasons since January 2010. A short walk away, the Punic site of Puig des Molins has been closed for similar reasons since October 2010, although you can see quite a bit through the fences. The small archaeological site of Sa Caleta, on the coast near the airport, is also included, but there is really not much to see (only a small enclosed area with a few walls and stones). The natural component is the Ses Salines Nature Reserve, which covers the southern part of Ibiza, the northern part of Formentera, and the small rocks and seas between them. Taking the ferry between the islands gives you a good overview, and I also visited the Ses Salines beach on the southern tip of Ibiza, which includes walkways through pine forests and paths along the salines. I'm not sure if I saw any of the famous Posidonia sea grass, although it is entirely possible (hard to tell from normal algae). I arrived …

I visited this WHS in April 2010. The mosaics are still in very good conditions considering that they date back from between the 1st century and the 8th century AD. Unfortunately, the ruins aren't as aesthetically beautiful as others in Jerash.

I visited the site yesterday 18/9/12 and I found it quite interesting as I was able to compare the past traditions to the current one in the province.We had a tour guide and the place is being developed to include a cultural centre this will make it more exciting am yet to visit Lwimbo rocks to round up my visit as it is a few kilometers away.

Amazing place. My husband and I visited this year in May (2012). It was included in a tour of Sal and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Swimming it was fantastic, some parts of the lake were really warm and other parts were really cold. Goes without saying you could not swim but really only float although doing that on your back was difficult. I would highly reccomend the lake and the spa.

Somehow I can't quite agree with the positive reviews below. I do not deny the historic and architectural merits of the Silk Exchange, nor its WH value. It's quite an interesting building with some nice features (the columns in the main hall, the ceiling on the upper floor, the courtyard), and it certainly has its place in the history of business and economics. The problem is just that the organization and presentation are really terrible. The guided tours and the movie are only in Spanish (I do understand it reasonably well, but still, Valencia is full of international tourists, and the nearby cathedral, famous for its "Holy Grail", has audioguides and brochures in a whole bunch of languages) and there is nothing in the way of explaining what you can see (there are no signs or brochures whatsoever). So after walking around the building for about 15 minutes, there is nothing more to do and you have ticked off another WH site without having increased your knowledge of it at all. The upside is that the fee is only 2 Euros (as of 2012), and of course Valencia has a lot of other attractions, especially the impressive City of Arts and Sciences.

This is a really interesting and unique site to visit - a true oasis in a very desert-like landscape in southeastern Spain. The moment you step out of Elche's train station, you are surrounded by palms of all kinds, shapes and sizes. The Municipal Park between the station and the tourist office features a large variety, but the most important and famous sight of Elche is the Huerto del Cura, a very nice botanic garden with ponds, statues, etc. The nearby San Placido garden includes a small, but interesting museum about the history and biology of the palm trees. Elche is quite a pleasant city with several interesting sights in the Old Town. If you have been to Granada and the Alhambra already, you have seen the major testament to the Arabs' centuries-long occupation of the Iberian peninsula. The Palmeral is probably the second-most important Arab monument in Europe, and definitely worth a visit.