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Pachacamac is an easy half-day trip out of Lima. I took one of the dozens of minibuses that leave all the time from Avenida Grau. It dropped me off right at the site's entrance. There's a little museum on site, displaying some pretty Wari ceramics and also textile that has survived the ages due to the extremely dry climate here.

Its location indeed is one of the most remarkable things about Pachacamac - it's out there in the desert, within sight from the sea. The site is totally covered in sand. Archeologists are only slowly making their way to the many temples and other features below. Most of it is off limits to visitors, though the Temple of the Sun can be climbed and other parts like the North-South Street have explanatory boards. You can do a full circuit walk of the large terrain in about an hour (if you have a car, you can also drive).

Pachacamac was a ceremonial and pilgrimage site between 200 and 1535. It was used by different civilizations: the Lima, the Wari, the Ichma and the Inca. For me it is difficult to say if it merits WH status. Its most distinguishing fact is that it predominantly is a Wari site, a culture which is not represented on the List yet. But it's not the best place to see Wari remains - Pachacamac never was a central site for them, and the Inca added and altered a lot.

(P.S.: it might become part of …

There is a real wow factor when approaching Mantua from road over ponte San Girgio, especially at night. The Castle and Palace were magnificently lit up as we crossed the lake that surrounds the city on 3 sides. We would have missed this entry had it not been for a strike on the Italian train system that led us to meet some very accommodating Mantovani's who offered to drive us from Verona, and take us on a special detour to see this great entrance to the city. So Grazie mille Mauro, Claudia and Daniel you made our introduction much more memorable.

The next morning we had a walk around the centre which is very pleasant. There are several cobbled squares and large churches to view. The Basilica of Sant'Andrea was an undoubted highlight and well worth some exploration, the interior is very impressive.

The main reason we decided to vist was to explore the sprawling Palazzo Ducale which takes up a whole quarter of the historic centre. It is mostly juts a standard rambling fortified palace with a few nice rooms, however it does contain a magnificent Bridal chapelpainted by Mantegna which was an undoubted highlight of this trip for me. It was in courts like this that the renaissance really started to grow and develop and this impressive room is a great testament to this period.

Mantua was a nice place to spend half a day in, and in many other countries would be an absolute highlight. It …

Recently went to Tu Lou sites in Yongding County and elsewhere in a more rural setting.

These buildings are certainly interesting, though to a certain extent it's a case of 'seen one, seen them all'. Only to a certain extent, however, and as long you choose buildings in different areas (rural v town edge, for example, or different styles (Hakka v Fujian), then they remain of interest.

For me, however, the big downside was the sale of cheap tourist souvenirs and other stuff everywhere. Every unit on the ground floors of most of the tulou we visited was flogging this stuff, and the internal courtyard was marred by large, brightly coloured umbrellas, there to keep the sun off the stallholders.

In addition, although tea is offered 'free' to drink, you are pushed to buy. That's fine, but there appears to be a lot of cheating going on via bait and switch. The tea you drink is nice, but the tea you buy is not. I found this particularly distasteful in a World Heritage Site.

I would suggest that consideration is given to ways of taking the sale of souvenirs out of the tulou in order to retain an element of their original feel and splendour. At present, they are marred.

I remember what we called the Portuguese fort from my childhood as my father was stationed in Bahrein in the late 1960s and the archeologist Geffrey Bibby and his Danish team were exploring sites in both Bahrein and on the mainland.As teenagers we would go out either to the fort or to the burial mounds and do what was called 'pottery picking' returning with jars of broken bangle, beads, pottery shards and 3 stone 'dilmun weights' which turned out to be portuguese cannon balls of a much later period.Also visited the Tree of Life on several occasions. The freedom to roam and pick up whatever you found in those days are long gone and the fort itself is unrecognisable now but my facination with the country remains.

This site was a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect much more than a tacky collection of souvenir shops - which is what I got, but travellers to this tiny republic will also enjoy great panoramic views over the surrounding mountains, 3 impressive medieval castles, and a scenic old town with a collection of nice buildings. It may not be the best WH site in the world, but I have seen far worse. Its historic features, combined with its traditions of democracy, republican government, and independence stretching back many centuries, make it in my opinion a worthwhile World Heritage Site.

Urbino is a pretty hill town in the Marches region, just a few kilometres inland from the Adriatic coast. It experienced a relatively short period of power in the 15th century, and has since been known as a treasure trove of the Renaissance. The main sight is the Ducal Palace, which today houses a museum of Renaissance art. This is a very nice attraction, but the rest of the town is not so different from many other Italian towns. I also saw the cathedral (rebuilt in the 19th century after an earthquake, and not really impressive from the inside) and tried to see Raphael's birthplace (closed for lunch break...).

A very colourful, artistic and historical town.Here one can enjoy culture and climate at the same time.I was there in Nov 2011 and the weather was fine. Enjoyed the market. A negative comment is that a bit of hygienne would be appreciated at the fish market a good clean public convenience is an assest.

Lima was my first impression of Peru, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. The city nowadays has a quite prosperous feel to it, and a fancy new bus system that works like a metro (El Metropolitano) makes travelling around safe and easy. Even the fog that famously covers Lima for most of the year was replaced by a bright blue sky when I visited.

The Plaza de Armas is probably the most “central” place in the historic centre. It’s a major crossroads too, so it’s not totally relaxed for pedestrians. The square is covered on all sides by historic buildings. It is here that I first noticed the elaborate wooden balconies which are common in Lima’s old colonial structures. The archbishop’s palace has one of the best of all.

Next door is the Cathedral. It does look pretty standard Latin American Baroque from the outside, but inside there are several gems. The first chapel holds the bones of Pizarro and some beautiful clear mosaics. The Chapel of Our Lady of the Evangelization (renamed so by Pope John Paul II, we should try to make a Connection out of him as he has left his mark all over the globe!) is a masterpiece in turquoise and gold colouring. Other chapels have finely sculptured wooden altars, and the main altar is not to be missed either.

The best sight in the centre still is the Convent of San Francisco. Before the WHS got extended to include the whole …

Fantastic trip to Province today. No problem at all not being able to speak fluent French - generally staff were fluent in English and audirecordings were offered in different languages. It was Easter Monday, a notoriously busy tourist season in Paris but Provins was calm and refreshingly uncrowded. Lovely scenery, restaurants, cafes, girft shops and typical French patisseries - alongside an astonishingly (coming from England) well presevered mix of architecture from the 12th century to the 19th. So glad I took the time to come here and will be coming back - particularly lovely for romance!

Fantastically beautiful church, add this to the castles of mad King Ludwig ( Neuschwanstein Castle and Schloss Linderhof) and you have a wonderful experience. And all this wrappped into the beauty and serenity of the Alps. This church though from the outside makes you wonder why you went out of your way but the moment you walk into it you are overwhelmed with how spacious and awe-inspiring it is indoors.

It's an increadible experience up the Sinai, but the guides sell you this a first level dificulty climb. This is not true. And the dry weather became freeze ou too much hot very fast. It's impossible climb the mountain and see the Monatery at the same time you go there. The Monastery is too interesting but the visit gets you about 15 or 20 minutes, because the monks don't let you stay looking at. There, you keep the line, see and farewell.

Ouro Preto is a fantastic city, where is possible to see a kind of live that is desapearing in Brazil, a small comunity united by religion, relatives and habits. And more, there are the Art. It's one of the best examples of colonial/ baroque art in Brazil

Magnificent!

This was the single highlight of my trip around the Veneto, and the finest site I have visited from the tentative list. It could easily make it onto the World Heritage list proper and I really hope it does.

The chapel is famous for its magnificent frescos painted by Giotto. There was something about the amazing misty colours of the interior that really grabbed my attention and held it. The 15 minutes or so we were in this small chapel enabled us to follow the story being depicted on the wall very closely, and gave plenty of time to really absorb the details of the art works, looking at the incredible emotion that Giotto was able to get into the depictions. This chapel is one of the key works of art from a major turning point in the western tradition; it shows the transition from gothic art to the more natural forms associated with the renaissance.

Entry to the chapel is restricted and you will have to book in advance (at least 3 days before but I would recommend booking as early as possible especially if you come in the high season). This limited entry means that a maximum of 25 people are allowed in the chapel at a time, which makes for an exceptionally rewarding way to see the paintings, allowing you time and space to really appreciate them (if only somewhere like the Sistine Chapel could give you the time and space to admire the artworks). Before …

When you do go to the Blue Mountains - be prepared!

the best thing to do is travel by car - as I recommend Blackheath - Evans Lookout as a good introduction - nice and easy walk.

It is important to note the flora along the way - which includes the waratahs (Telopea speciossima) - best to see in early October and very rare Christmas bells (Blandfordia cunninghamii)- which is a real treat to see around January.

Other great plants to note is the Persoonia chamaepitys - along the track and the Isopogon fletcheri.

Bird enthusiasts will also be well impressed - especially by the lyre bird, and Gang Gang Cockatoo, Falcons, cuckoo and owls.

There is always something to see, hear and explore!

I was stationed at MCAS Iwakuni from 1969-1971. Miyajima was always one of my favorite places to visit on weekends. A group of us would bicycle from Iwakuni, to Hiroshima, or just to Miyajimaguchi and catch the ferry. I don't know if it is still there, but at the time there was a "dragon" ferry that looked a lot like a viking ship. We would bicycle the length of the island. I have been fortunate to see the world thanks to the military. Miyajima and especially the Itsukushima shrine an torii will always hold a special place in my heart. I loved my tour in Japan. The Japanese were such gracious hosts. I virtually lived on Yakisoba, and still make it to this day.

The 11 Convict Sites are mostly concentrated around Sydney and Tasmania. While staying in Hobart, I visited the Port Arthur Historic Site. I did so on a day tour with a Grayline Bus, but in retrospect, I would rather have hired a car so I could have visited some of the other Tasman convict sites too that are in the same area.

One of the reviewers below calls Port Arthur “another Disneyland to entertain the mindless hordes”. I would not go that far, but it was a disappointing visit. The worst thing indeed is the crowds (a few hundred people were there on the same day as me), and the way they are herded through the site. There’s a “guided walk” included in your ticket, where you will not walk at all but only get to hear the basic story about Port Arthur standing in the wet grass with about 80 other people.

I had paid extra for a tour of the Isle of the Dead. It’s in the bay in front of the historic buildings. Every entrance ticket will get you on the “cruise” through the bay where you can see a glimpse of Point Puer (where the young convicts were held) and the Isle of the Dead. The lucky visitors with the extra ticket could get off on the island for about 20 minutes, also on a tour presented by 2 very Australian guides (casual, going through the motions).

What I did like at the …

The Tasmanian Wilderness WHS occupies a large part of Tasmania. For a day trip from the Tasman capital of Hobart, Lake St. Clair (part of the Cradle Mountain/Lake St. Clair National Park) is the most accessible option. I rented a car and drove out there in 2.5 hours. It's a fine drive through the island's hilly landscape, with plenty of sheep along the road as well as signboards to watch out for kangaroos, wombats or Tasmanian devils.

I arrived at the visitor center at about 11 a.m. There's a 24 AUS dollar entrance fee (per car) that you have to pay there. And you can take your pick among the many walking tracks in the area. I was looking for a hike of about 3 to 4 hours. The one to Shadow Lake fitted nicely, so it seemed. So after having a quick look at the vast Lake St. Claire, I got going. The track is signposted very well. I did not encounter any other travellers, though there were about 10 cars in the car park. You can do hikes that vary in length from half an hour to 5 days, so it will not get crowded easily on a track.

After walking for about 45 minutes on a small path through the forest, I suddenly realized that I was not enjoying it. There were trees, trees and more trees around me. Most of them are Eucalyptus, common in Australia. No colourful birds, no birds at all except …

I am sorry to the people of Melbourne, but this really is one of the least interesting WHS among the 401 that I have visited. In retrospect, back at my hotel room after a site visit of about 15 minutes, I think the worst thing is that no real effort is made to highlight the building or the gardens. All attention goes to the adjacent Melbourne Museum, currently the venue of a popular Tutanchamun exhibition.

• The gardens are pitiful. The AB evaluation notes that they are at least of "considerable botanical significance for their collections of trees". It looked like a regular small city park to me, one you can see in every city around the world.
• The complex isn't authentic. ICOMOS already had a lot of doubts about that and suggested deferral of the nomination. The building of the main Industry Hall is probably the only original feature left. The northern gardens have been turned into a kid's playground, and several outbuildings have been demolished. And of course, there's the Melbourne Museum, a 2000 addition right in the core zone. ICOMOS doubted it would have allowed its construction if the Exhibition Building already had been a WHS at that time.
• It is unclear how and when to visit the interior. According to the official website, guided visits can be booked from the Melbourne Museum. I enquired at the ticket office, but no visit was scheduled for the day I was there. The reaction I got …

Site visited in March, 2011. Easy accessibile (close to a metro station), the whole area due to its university status looks pretty safe (at least during the daytime), security was the main concern while visiting Venezuela. At first it looks a little bit dissappointingly - all the buildings are made of concrete, they are modern (in terms of architecture style) but after a while you can spot that it is really an entire complex of different buildings but designed in the same manner. Architecture is simple but practical, some solutions are spectacular (those passages allowing students to walk in shadow during sunny days). So for me the place is interesting although I know that some people may be dissapointed.

I did enjoy my trip out to the palace and it was a rewarding visit. It didn't feel quite as cripplingly oppressive as Versailles and was a more manageable place to get a grasp on. The level of decoration was also impressive throughout, especially the two grand corridors that we visited on the tour. Also the associations with Napoleon are pretty strong here which helped ties in some of the parts of French history that I had a decent grasp of. I also enjoyed strolling around the grounds to get a bit of fresh air.

On the whole it was a worthwhile side trip from Paris, and it was good to spend some time exploring with my friends. It was also pretty easy to get to, but I must admit Palaces very rarely capture me.

[Site 5: Experience 4]