Even seven years after its inscription as a WHS, Thimlich Ohinga is still one of the 20 least visited by our members. Only three were there before me, and this low popularity was confirmed by looking at the visitors’ book, as it showed about 10 entries per month for 2025. The site just lies too far from the general Kenyan tourist itineraries, which focus on the East Coast beaches and the safari parks in the center. It is close to Lake Victoria, though, and has a fine rural setting.

I got there with a driver/guide from the hub of Kisumu (Kenya’s 4th largest city), which has daily flights to Nairobi and decent places to stay, eat and shop. It took us 3 h 20 min to reach the site. The distance is only 163 km, but the final 19 km is on an unpaved road - sand with some stones and holes, but doable with a 4x4. From that road, Thimlich is signposted as well. After about 12km, the road beyond on was flooded (this may not be the case when you arrive later in the dry season) – a passer-by showed us a detour, which was also clearly visible on maps.me.

While all of Kenya has gone digital, this site accepts cash payment only. The fee for foreigners is 500 KSh (3,50 EUR) at the moment. Later, I learned that the staff feels abandoned by the National Museums of Kenya and the Province; there’s no electricity or …

In the summer through fall of 2023, my family and I spent 6 months traveling by land from Armenia to eastern China retracing the Silk Road. Following the UNESCO tentative of sites through Central Asia proved very helpful in tracking down some relatively unknown sites that still hold value to the greater exchange of trade and religion that these ancient routes represented. One of these sites was the Early History of the Silk Roads in Kazakhstan.

While having a day to spare in Almaty, I set off to visit the Boralday Burial Mounds which lie not far from the center of the city. Several busses pass within less than 1 km from the entrance, but it still took longer than expected to reach due to the traffic which has become a problem in Almaty. Upon reaching the vast site, which appears simply a large and empty field at first, I noticed I was the only visitor save for a few police officers. They happily motioned me through the gate into the site, which has no entrance fee. Long before the height of the Silk Roads, the steppes of Kazakhstan were inhabited by Saka Nomads. As nomadic people, their cultural legacy left little remains besides circular burial mounds, known as kurgan. At the site lies 45 of these circular mounds dating from 2,500 years ago. The largest of these mounds is over 14 meters high and 100 meters wide, with well preserved objects excavated. 

I underestimated the size of …

We visited Trier during our week-long trip in June 2025 and used it as a convenient base for further exploration towards Völklingen and Luxembourg. Yet, the highlight was clearly Trier itself, with its abundance of Roman monuments and overall charming flair. We highly recommend planning at least two days in Trier if you want to see everything associated with the WHS (we missed out on the Igel column, as it was a bit further away). In the overview below, I aim to share some details and tips about the sites we visited.

Porta Nigra

By far the most famous and impressive of the Roman buildings, the Porta Nigra is a well-preserved city gate. Its name stems from the blackened sandstone, and it is unknown what the actual Roman name was. Serving as the northern city gate, it showcases semi-circular towers towards the outside and, with three accessible levels, is quite high compared to other known city gates. According to our tour guide, this was not just for defensive purposes, but also because Trier (or, as it was known to the Romans, Augusta Treverorum) served as one of the regional capitals of the Roman Empire during the late 3rd and early 4th centuries. So, of course, even the city gate of such an important city had to convey the power and awe associated with the Empire.

While the building is impressive from the outside alone, a trip inside is definitely recommended. Not only will you …

Tucked away in the far western corner of Kenya lies Thimlich Ohinga, hidden deep in the countryside. Although it’s been seven years since the site was inscribed on the World Heritage List, very few community members or tourists seem to make their way out here. A fun fact: Els visited just a week before us, and according to the visitor book, only seven people had been there in the meantime.

Unlike another reviewer, we approached the site from the Masai Mara via the Musiara Gate. After spending two nights in the park and enjoying a morning safari, we left the gate at 10 a.m. We had expected paved roads once we reached the main road — but we were far off the beaten track, and the road conditions were often very poor. The roads only began to improve after we entered Migori County. The final 14 kilometers to the site, coming from the south, were again on rough dirt roads — not in the best shape either. A high-clearance vehicle was definitely necessary. The 130-kilometer drive from Musiara Gate to the site took just over four hours. We arrived around 2:15 p.m. and were warmly welcomed at the entrance as the first visitors of the day.

The visit itself lasted about 1 to 1.5 hours. We paid 500 KES per person, and the same man who greeted us at the gate also served as our guide. We explored all four enclosures that make up the inscribed heritage site. …

Recently, I made a short weekend trip to Oviedo (I live in Cantabria province, which borders Asturias). Visiting one of the World Heritage Sites close to home (and with not-so-many reviews) inspired me to write a review so here it is:

Visit to the WHS

1. Cámara Santa

First, we visited the town centre, walking along some of the streets. This way, we saw several buildings such as the Teatro Campoamor (where the Princess of Asturias Awards are given) and the cathedral, which is part of the "Routes of Santiago de Compostela" WHS. The cathedral itself is nice but not necessarily the most impressive cathedral in the north of Spain. However, it does house the Cámara Santa, one of the components of this WHS.

The main reason for its inclusion is that it houses several treasures form the Kingdom of Asturias. Most notable among these is the Victory Cross (Cruz de la Victoria), which today appears in Asturias' flag. It is said to be the cross carried by Pelayo when he and his forces defeated the Umayyads in the battle of Covadonga (722). This battle is the main reason the Umayyads didn't conquer the entirety of the Iberian Peninsula and marks the start of the Kingdom of Asturias. This battle is thus also regarded in Spain as the closest thing we have to a sort of "foundational myth", since the Kingdom of Asturias would eventually become the Kingdom of Castile; and the battle, while real, has probably adopted …

Having visited this site in June 2025, we wanted to share some insights from our visit that might help improve the experience for other visitors. Generally speaking, I am not the biggest fan of industrial sites, but my wife loves them for their unique charm and saw the Ironworks nearly on the same level as Zeche Zollverein (which I personally preferred). If you are interested in this period of history, Völklingen Ironworks is definitely a great experience, as it is in excellent condition, and a lot of work has been done to educate visitors about its active days.

Getting to Völklingen

We combined our stay in Trier with a day trip to Völklingen, but other bigger cities nearby include Saarbrücken and Kaiserslautern. If you have the "Deutschlandticket" (a monthly subscription ticket that allows you to use all regional transportation in Germany), travel on all regional express trains is included, making it easy to reach this site from major transportation hubs. Depending on your travel plans, it may actually be cheaper to purchase this ticket. Just remember to cancel the subscription before it auto-renews. The Ironworks are directly visible from Völklingen train station and can be easily reached on foot.

If you arrive by car, the Ironworks has a spacious parking lot free of charge.

Tips for the visit

• The entrance price is quite high at 17 EUR at the time of writing. If you plan to spend more than …

This Alberta provincial park WHS is still a sacred site for First Nations people, so, the site is carefully managed both to protect and interpret the 2,500 years of writing found here. Of course, plenty of tourists also come for camping, to explore along the river, and for hiking, but the rock art is the star. Be sure to take a guided tour, as the rangers are exceptional. Some of the art can be seen hiking by yourself, but the best examples are only visible by tours. I also needed help identifying and interpreting what I was viewing. Amateurs often ascribe fanciful stories to the art, so most visitors need someone who understands the culture deeply to bridge the 2,500 year gap and to help us imagine the scenes from long ago. Our group’s guide was able to tell engaging stories about the origins of the Blackfoot people, including how they got that name, and about the different tribes within the Blackfoot Confederacy. Viewing the art then becomes more of a cross-cultural learning experience.  

The hoodoo rock outcroppings on the bluff overlooking the Milk River below make for some exceptional hiking, with some fascinating labyrinth turns. And as I picked my way through the narrow path, I heard beautiful singing in the native tongue, a reminder that this is a living sacred site. That trail led me to the Battle Scene, likely 19th century, which is one of the best carvings on the Great Plains. I recommend doing some …

I wanted to visit this place years ago, 2015?, but the local bus line to get there was horrible. I ended up in the town of Ulsan which is easy enough, waiting for the local bus...well the display was digital (new and flashy back in the days) and the bus line wasn't shown. Eventually it did but the display was showing the time to arrive at this bus stop which is another hour...omg. Well, crazy as it is, a French guy and his Korean gf walked by so I asked about the bus and she checked her app to know it's another hour and gave me info on the return. Well, this wasn't good. TLDR don't go there with public transportation unless you have heaps of time or know the actual times ... best would be with Korean knowledge. Anyhow, I see most people taking a taxi there but I just went to Busan to cool off which Gamcheon Culture Village helping a lot there.

A few years later I drove around Korea by myself and voila I made it to Ulsan. I obviously went to the stream and the first thing you want to do is visit the museum. It was quite busy with school children on that day so my impressions are a bit mixed. It's definitely a must-see though. I then drove further out (it's walkable) and parked just in front of the stream. It's not really official parking and only a few will park but …

Summer 2023 while driving on the highway from Busan to Gyeongju, I decided to take a meaningful detour. Along the way lie two important sites, the famous Tongdosa Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the lesser-known Bangudae Petroglyphs, at that time on UNESCO’s Tentative List. Curious to explore something more off the beaten path, I headed toward Bangudae. The road leading from the highway to the Bangudae Petroglyph Museum was freshly paved and well-kept, likely part of a beautification effort as the site prepares for potential World Heritage status. Instead of stopping at the museum immediately, I continued on to a small alley where a walking trail to Bangudae begins. The path runs alongside a peaceful river, offering a gentle immersion into the Korean countryside. I passed a lively riverside restaurant where a group of Korean hikers were enjoying cold beers after a long walk. Further along, I encountered two local tombs and even a site of dinosaur footprints, a reminder of the deep time embedded in this region.

At the end of the trail, I finally reached the Bangudae Petroglyphs, carved into a cliff across the river. But from that viewing point, the carvings were difficult to make out. The famous images of whales and ancient hunting scenes were nearly invisible to the naked eye. Honestly, it was a bit underwhelming. Returning to the museum, however, changed everything. Inside, I found a detailed replica of the Bangudae Petroglyphs, and as I studied it, a wave of …

I loved the Taos Pueblo! We went on a day trip from Santa Fe in July 2024. It was a very hot day but we still enjoyed walking around. It was bigger than I thought - I had seen pictures of the main building but didn't realize it was a whole village. Beautiful architecture. It's a picturesque spot with lovely mountains in the background. You can't go everywhere, but can still see a lot. Our tour guide was a young woman from the Taos Pueblo who was in college but came back in the summers, and had some interesting perspectives on both historic and modern life in the pueblo. There weren't too many people there, but we also enjoyed talking with a few of the shopkeepers. A really unique experience! We saw interesting abandoned pueblo ruins in New Mexico at Bandolier National Monument (which I highly recommend) and also Pecos National Historic Site, but at Taos it's amazing because the pueblo has not been abandoned, it's been kept up for 1000 years using the same techniques. A must see if you're interesting in Native American history and life.

I have visited this site three times in the past two years (including the day I am writing this review). Armenia is a country rich with ancient monasteries, with all three of their WHS as monasteries. With that in mind, does the list have room for one more? Tatev Monastery, which is found further south, is planned for 2028, perhaps leaving Noravank left on the tentative list for many more years. I hope that is not the case!

Getting to Noravank involves a beautiful drive through the Gnishik Canyon, past several caves and towering red cliffs. The monastery itself is a true work of art created by Momik, who was also credited with the nearby Areni church and the old 13th century bridge that spans the Arpa River nearby. I appreciate how the monastery seems to blend in with the surroundings, creating one of the most atmospheric sites in all of Armenia. 

As a mixed site, the surrounding landscape has several well established hiking trails with Bezoar goats and even bears roaming around. Several caves are found there as well, including the world famous Areni-1 cave located just 6 km from the monastery. The oldest shoe as well as evidence of the oldest wine-making process in the world was found in this cave (over 6,000 years old)! If the entire nomination encompasses this whole 6-km long canyon, starting from the cave and ending in Noravank, I believe it would be a very worthwhile addition to the World Heritage …

I can only comment of the one Romanesque church of Andorra that I have been to, the Church of Sant Esteve, in Andorra la Vella.In 2016 I was staying in Barcelona with my Spanish wife, herself a Catalan native of Barcelona and I suggested we took a trip up to Andorra. Why? She asked, it's just a huge tax free shopping centre full of French and Spanish looking for a bargain and filling their cars with cheap petrol. Not to be put off, I persisted and one evening at a meal with several of my wife's Catalan friends I repeated my desire to go to Andorra. Almost in unison they said, why? it's just a huge shopping centre........Anyway, a few days later we found ourselves driving through the snow capped mountains of the Pyrenees heading for Andorra and me thinking, this is beautiful, what are they talking about?We finally joined the queue of traffic on the approach to the tiny capital of Andorra la Vella, where the roads were lined with endless petrol stations and supermarkets and signs advertising tax free products and I began to realise, my wife and her friends may be right after all.Aside from all the retail opportunities to buy discounted goods, I found Andorra la Vella to be a rather pleasant town, with a few interesting historic buildings and some pleasant streets lined with bars and restaurants, charming would be pushing it, but pleasant it certainly was.On the way back to the underground car park …

Situated just 300 meter to the Thai border, this was a disputed area, until the international court of justice intervened on request of the Cambodian government, handing it to Cambodia, in 2008. Subsequently, it was declared a WHS site in the same year. From the top, one can actually see the Thai military outpost, boasting their national flag.

You're brought to the ticket office and transferred to a 4x4 vehicle. As the site is located at 620 masl, the temperatures are slightly more agreeable. when I visited there was no one else on the site. It's basically a giant causeway climbing 100 with 5 buildings/temples, in different states of deterioration/restauration, dating from the 9th to the 12th century. The name means holy pagoda, but is not the original name of the site.

Although big parts of the temples have collapsed and show different levels of deterioration, still, some amazingly hindu and buddha art can be appreciated carved into the locally quarried sandstone, including but not limited to shiva, vishnu, brahma. The views from the top are amazing, too. 

Three countries are actively working on restoration of the site: China, India, USA, but, according to my guide they only communicate indirectly through UNESCO and the local restoration organisation.

Getting there

As of 2025, daily tours can be booked from Siem Reap, visiting both Preah Vihear and Koh Ker in one day for 100 USD.

I visited this WHS in spring 2025 staying overnight after visiting the inscribed rice terraces. I agree that Vigan is a highlight in a country with not so many historic cities as well as probably the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia so it surely deserves its place on the WH list. However, it lacks the attention and the restoration efforts other Spanish colonial WHS were given in other continents and it suffers quite a lot from internal and continental overtourism.

That said, with some extra effort to visit early morning before all the souvenir shops open and before all the town comes bustling to life, I managed to enjoy the several historic buildings and its urban planning (including the usually crowded Calle Crisologo), keeping my eyes peeled for the Chinese/Ilocano influences such as the sliding windows/shutters as well as the Chinese statues on the Metropolitan cathedral or the Benedictine monastery facades. Some historic buildings worth visiting also for their interior are the Syquia Mansion Museum, the Crisologo Museum, and the Padre Jose Burgos House and National Museum. In each building or just outside there are metal UNESCO WHS inscription plaques, apart from the WHS Monument and plaque in Burgos street.

In the evening, it was fun to watch the Holy Week Procession with small statues after having experienced the much more pompous procession in Antigua Guatemala last year, while after trying different delicious delicacies which were sold at the several stalls around town. …

Since most of the components have already been described in details by others, I will focus on probably the most inaccessible of them, Hashino Iron Mining and Smelting Site. I visited Hashino on the way from Hiraizumi to Shirakami-Sanchi, and the place is located only 1.5 hours from the former. The end of the road to Hashimo is around 20 km on serpentines on a completely empty but even road. I was afraid that we would arrive and see nothing, but unnecessarily - there is a decent visitor center here, with a film and brochures in English. Everything is free of charge, open daily from 9:30 to 16:30, closed from December 8 to April 1.

Hashino is associated with Takato Oshima, the father of the Japanese iron industry (also involved in the development of gold mines on Sado Island), who initiated the construction of blast furnaces in Hashino in 1858, at the end of the Edo period. The location was not accidental; ore was mined in the surrounding mountains and transported only a few kilometers to Hashino. Iron smelting did not last long; the site was closed after 36 years, already in the 19th century, although ore extraction continued for many more years. There are few permanent remains here - stone ruins of several furnaces, warehouses, workers' housing and the remains of a quarry. All of this is covered by a short educational trail, which takes about 30 minutes to complete. You can learn more about the site in …

Don't do what I did: come here in winter! It gets snowy in the area. The area is still open though. The main attraction and definitely ONE of Iran's main attraction to see is Falak ol-Aflak aka Shapur Khast Castle which is based on the town of Khorramabad. It makes me wish I had a drone to cover it better, similar to Palmanova. The pictures you can find online are better and definitely something that will inspire you to go. So maybe Iran isn't quite on the "green" list of places to go with their political drama but if you DO make it to Iran then don't just visit Tehran and ensure you visit the castle.

The location of the valley encompasses the entire area. In fact I don't think it REALLY wants to cover the castle as well. It is more about the caves that are not all visitable as far as I understand. Let's first finish off the castle though. Inside, which is mainly nice for the shape, you also gets a museum. It covers the entire valley stuff too so while it isn't going to be major insight into life 40,000 years ago you will learn more about the area and it's surely a must-see.

As for caves, I suggest Kogan Cave. It's a bit south of Khorramabad. It took me an hour to reach the places to park but wait, you still have to hike up to the actual cave! It takes a good …

I love Zhangye! However, to include them would be like missing out on better non-inscribed places like Vinicunca (much better than here!), Painted Hills and Hornocal. I probably missed something but these are big examples of the colorful rocks in the ground turned sideways and thus showing up at the surface.

It's been almost 10 years since my visit. I remember flying into Zhangye, grabbing a taxi, then stopping at the colorful hills. The ticket price includes the mandatory shuttle bus because it's just too far to walk from the main entrance. There are also a few stops so you get on and off to get around. Finally, you also drive past some old filming locations which may be gone or abandoned by now.

When you get to a stop you can hike up the small path and view the colorful rocks higher up. With good sunlight it makes for marvelous views. You finish up and see another sight. Overall it will take 2-3 hours due to the long transfers involved. Totally worth it though.

The only problem is: it's better in Peru... it's...the same? It's also not the only place in the world that has this. Either make a worldwide entry for these kind of sites or don't bother with your single entry. It's a shame because the site is a must view but not world heritage on its own.

Visit date(s): May 1999, October 10, 11, 15, 2024

Nearby sites on trip: Ancient Nara (1999)

Overnight location: Kyoto 

Location(s):  

• Ginkaku ji (1999)
• Ryoan-ji (1999)
• Nijo-jo (1999, gotta love that floor)
• Hongan-ji (nishi-) (October 10) (photo)
• Enryaku-ji (October 11)
• Kamigamo Shrine (October 15)
• Shimogamo Shrine (October 15)

Travel method(s): Foot, train, funicular, cable car, taxi, subway, bus

Travel duration: Minutes, to over an hour for each

Visit duration: 1-3 hours / location

OUV: This is a large collection of exceptionally preserved buildings. In comparison to Hiraizumi, there are many more buildings, but both have very beautiful gardens. Remarkably, these buildings are still used for their original purposes, hundreds of years later. We will continue to visit.

Best of:

Much to our delight, Hongan-ji has a nightingale floor, like Nijo-jo. With the technology changes over the last 25 years, we now have a recording of this gentle chirping. It was one of my most vivid memories after the first visit.

We also really enjoyed the round trip to Enryaku-ji. This involved a train, a walk, a funicular, a walk to and around the temple and across the mountain ridge, a ropeway, a cable car, a taxi, another walk and a subway train. This was a very varied and pleasant way to spend a day.

Shimigamo and Kamigamo shrines are connected by the Kamo river and the walking route between them is …

I must confess, that I did not step on Nosy Lonjo in person. I only viewed it from the mainland shore near the city of Diego Suarez. Visiting it is mostly forbidden. It's an island with a peculiar conical shape that makes it sort of a logo for Diego Suarez. Other than the unique shape, there isn't really much to recommend it. It's supposed to be a sacred island, and from what I was told and have been able to read, there are tombs on the island, and sacrificial rituals have been (are?) performed there. But I don't really see any Outstanding Universal Value at all.

Visit date(s): May 8 & 9, 2025

Nearby sites on trip: Over 2 weeks: Frontiers of the Roman Empire, German Limes; Bamberg; Potsdam; Primeval Beech Forests, Serrahn; Stralsund and Wismar; Green Belt (T), Schaalsee; Schwerin Residence Ensemble; Berlin Modernism Housing Estates, Wohnstadt Carl Legien; Museumsinsel.

Overnight location: in the old city area, but not within a core zone

Location(s): Walked around each section of the core zone, entered some of the churches.

Zone 1: Burgtor (photo), Burgkloster, Schiffergesellschaft, Jacobikirche, Heiligen Geist Hospital, Füchtingshof, Katharinenkirche

Zone 2: Holstentor, Salzspeicher, Petrikirche, Dom

Zone 3: Marienkirche, Rathaus, Marktplatz

Travel method(s): car, foot within core zone 

Travel duration: Over an hour from Neuklostersee and to Schwerin

Visit duration: 1.5 days

OUV: There is certainly a wide variety of buildings from the Hanseatic period that have been well preserved. The old area is a similar size to those of Stralsund and Wismar, despite the war losses. The feel is a little grander than the other two, with the Holstentor and city planning. Overall, it is a worthy site.

Interestingly, there is a 19th century synagogue next to the Museumsquartier St. Annen, that survived the war (although damaged) and is now in use again.

Best of: Holstentor and the Marienkirche, Rathaus and Markt area were the most impressive (as long as one faces the right direction).

Worst of: The location of the modern shopping centre entrance makes it almost impossible to get a …