All our reviews

There seems to be a shared frustration about Dzordzor in the group. I also did not get to see it during my visit. As previous reviewers have already tackled a great deal about St. Stephanos and St. Thaddeus monasteries, I'd like to focus on Chupan Chapel, which is conveniently located on the way to St. Stephanos from Jolfa, and Darrasham Chapel (AKA Church of the Holy Mother of God), both components of the St. Stephanos Monastic Ensemble. After visiting the monastery, the driver of the rented car took it upon himself to drive us further to check Darrasham Chapel, of which Solivagant was right when he said that it lies in the "no photography zone". Apparently locals can go near the structure and some, as suggested by a few rubbish, even use the area for picnics. Among the three components of the ensemble, this chapel boasts the best setting in my opinion: deep in the valley, directly along the river (where one literally stares at the border fence), and surrounded by flowers (in the right season). One can rightly liken it to be from an idyllic countryside painting. Darrasham Chapel is supposed to be a village chapel, but there is hardly any sign of habitation in sight. Lying around the chapel are rubble, and it is hard to tell if they were from any previous significant structures. There seems to be little information about them. The structure is not in the best condition, in fact one may call …

Most visitors likely visit the place after seeing the Taj Mahal. This might impact the overall impression after visiting such an incredible monument. Nevertheless, the Fort is quite impressive, this is a huge fortification with several gardens and palaces inside it. Some buildings have nice views of the Taj Mahal far away. I visited the fort at 9.30 in the morning on a Saturday, there were no queues and I enjoyed visiting most of the places empty of visitors. No "official" guides outside the gate to offer their services, so overall very enjoyble experience.

Göbekli Tepe, located on a hill east of Urfa, is considered one of the earliest sites of human worship and settlement. Excavations began in the 1960s and continue to this day with less than 10% excavated so far.

The initial assumption by the first archaeologist on site was that this was a temple for hunter-gatherers, not a permanent settlement. They would congregate in regular intervals here for worship and community. However, more recent excavations have uncovered evidence of permanent village life.

Like many prehistoric sites, Göbekli Tepe requires some imagination to fully appreciate. Personally, I found the site quite tangible given its age (>10.000 years). I also felt lucky to arrive on a foggy winter day as it added to the mythical aura of the place. Interestingly, it seems that the hill was considered sacred by locals till modern times.

The site’s facilities have been updated, with the main component now covered by a modern tent. They manage to strike a good balance between preserving the site’s holy spirit and protecting the remains from the elements. If a Maltese like Clyde compliments you on tents, you are doing something right; Malta with its Megalithic Temples being at the forefront of tents for world heritage sites.

While a shuttle bus is available to cover the 500m distance from the entrance to the site, I recommend walking. Following in our ancestors’ footsteps and taking in the views along the trail truly enhances the experience.

Getting There

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Mount Hamiguitan is difficult to reach by public transport as it involves several changes of buses/minibuses or jeepneys; but the good news is that nowadays it is possible to rent a car right at Davao airport, unlimited kilometers at a reasonable rate. Then, it is 3-4 hours drive to the visitors center which was closed for renovation, but it is possible to take the Heritage trail and see parts of the forest from viewpoints. This is not part of the core zone, and so is the nearby Hamiguitan Escape Resort with an amazing pool; it was also closed, but the pool was very welcome in this tropical climate. Uphill there is the Longhouse lodge with friendly owners. Here hikers stay overnight, it is the base camp for the Mount Hamiguitan climbers, the lucky ones with the permits. To have a short experience inside the core zone, ask around with the locals, Corner 17 is one of the entry points; Mount Hamiguitan was also declared an ASEAN Heritage park. 

Today I visited this location from Baku by busses and minibuses plus unexpected walks as the bus I needed (bus 134) does not seem to go at the moment. I visited the lake at the coordinates the other review mentions (40.467668, 49.801180). The approach is not the nicest as one has to walk through a garbage dump to reach the shore. The lake itself doesn't look like asphalt, but rather somewhat clean water. The large amount of vegetation and the clean (bar the rubbish) soil also makes me wonder whether there was any asphalt here in recent years. After a quick look and a few photos I went towards the lake hotel and then approached the Keyraki mud volcano from the back side, There are several paths up. I chose the first one and enjoyed looking at the crater and mud flows of the 2017 eruption. The wind at the top was very strong and I really had to pay attention to not fall into a crack in the surface of the vulcano. I really enjoyed the views from the top. The Mirzaladi and Masazir salt lakes were very clearly visible, as was Binagadi. Also didn't look like a tar pit from the top. However, past the lake hotel I was smelling a very strong asphalt smell. Maybe a lot of it had been pumped off? No idea. While it's not the most interesting location overall I really did enjoy this trip from Baku, and the mud volcano.

The visit to this WHS left me with mixed impressions and I was unsure how to rate this WHS. The Palmeral has an impressive size, with the core zone covering 144 hectares. It is unique in Europe and "a remarkable example of the transference of a characteristic landscape from one culture and continent to another" (quoted from the justification criterion ii). However, the original layout as an agricultural landscape is no longer visible in large parts of the inscribed area.

The palm groves (huertos) were planted in the 10th century when the region, named Al-Andalus, was under Muslim rule. The Palmeral saw its greatest extension at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. Since then, the economic importance of date cultivation has declined, industrialisation and increasing urban sprawl have severely affected the agricultural landscape. New roads and railway lines have dissected the formerly contiguous area. Hotels, residential buildings, schools and other public facilities have been built in some of the abandoned huertos. Even a railway station with its large car park is part of the core zone. As a result, the original alignment of the palm trees in a grid-pattern along the irrigation canals has often been destroyed. The intention was to preserve the palm trees, not the agrosystem of the huertos. This can best be seen in the Municipal Park. A beautiful park with all the usual facilities and of course full of palm trees, but that is the only …

The Brâncuși monuments at Târgu Jiu are up for nomination this year. Romania profits from the lifting of the moratorium on sites associated with memories of Recent Conflicts, so it can propose two sites in 2024. Finding the Brâncuși monuments in the ‘Sites of Memory’-group is a bit odd, as they are not mentioned in the two papers ICOMOS wrote on the subject. The sculptures were made to commemorate the locals that fell here during World War I, but whether they are actual sites of mourning connected to “negative memories” is doubtful. The information panels on site also do not attest to this and focus on them being works of art.

The proposal was discussed already in 2015 and got a “Reject” from ICOMOS, after which Romania withdrew the proposal. The Romanians regretted sending in “a superficial file full of spelling mistakes”. ICOMOS was critical about the selection of the monuments included in the series and saw only a possibility for the Endless Column as it is regarded as a notable example of 20th-century public sculpture. Splitting them up however would be odd in my opinion, as the group of sculptures is considered an Ensemble by all Art History sources that I found online.

For a visitor, it is important to realize that the monuments effectively are spread across two locations. The Endless Column stands in a residential neighborhood, while the Gate of the Kiss, Alley of the Chairs and the Table of Silence are smack in …

In his review, Jay highlights the high quality of the Turkish tentative list, being surprised that Ephesos, one of the most iconic Greco-Roman archaeological sites, was only inscribed in 2015. I have to agree with him, and it speaks volumes to the quality of Turkey's tentative list. Ephesos highlights are the library, the agora, and the mosaics. It also includes the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the world, and documents a long period of settlement from the Neolithic to Medieval times:

• The Cukurici Mound, located a bit south of the town, covers the Neolithic origins of the site.
• The ruins of the Temple of Artemis represent a high point of the classical and Hellenistic period.
• The main archaeological site is primarily Roman, with the Odeon, the Library, and the Terrace Houses with their mosaics being the prime structures.
• The Chapel of St Mary, from late antiquity, signifies Ephesus’s prominent role in early Christianity.
• The castle and the church are Byzantine. While these may feel underwhelming when compared to the archaeological site, these components round up the overall historic picture of the site and should at least warrant a short visit.

The area was settled for a long time due to the harbour, which made it a principal trading port and a rich agricultural hinterland. However, in the later Roman period, it silted up, leading to the city’s long decline. Today, Selcuk is a small provincial …

A road trip from Holland to Berlin was already planned last weekend and that was a good opportunity to make a stop to view the Schöningen spears, as they just became a TWHS. We didn't go down into the open pit mine, but the spears are on excellent display in a very informative and enjoyable museum right on the edge of the quarry. The mine itself is not producing anymore and is only used for archaeology and other research, if I understood correctly. Because I'm not supposed to share photos of the exhibitions in public, the picture shows the pit mine as seen from inside the museum.

The exhibition provides much information about geology and life through time, about how the ice ages came and went and shaped the landscape, and includes remains of the animals that were hunted in the prehistoric days. It's called a 'research museum' and it also gives impressions of how the spears were found and researched. There is even a visitor's lab, to give you (and/or your kids) a taste of the work. Explanatory texts to the museum's permanent exhibition are both in German and in English. The building is already beautiful by itself. 

I'm no expert, but I suppose that the importance of the find will give it enough value to be considered as world heritage. But besides that, they've done a great job in adding story and context in a refreshing manner to a number of long pieces of wood that …

We visited Aldabra for two days at the end of February with a ship going from Tanzania (Zanzibar) to the Seychelles, making several stops along the way (the other way around is also possible, we crossed our ship’s sister ship near Assumption island). Aldabra is the world's second largest coral atoll (after Kwajalein, part of the Marshall Islands we were told) and the largest raised atoll.

There doesn’t seem to be a standard plan or schedule to land on Aldabra since the expedition team had to negotiate with the Seychelles Islands Foundation (or SIF, which manages a.o. Aldabra) before we could set foot on the atoll. The SIF also visited our ship first and did a ‘bio security check’ whereby all items which would be brought on land (shoes, backpacks, …) were checked for e.g. seeds. In addition, also the weather should be ok to be able to make a visit (calm sea, …). But we were lucky and all worked out well.

The actual visit consisted of two parts: on day one our ship anchored before Picard island (one of the four main islands which form the atoll) and from here we could make a 1.5 hour zodiac tour in the lagoon by entering through the west channels. The timing depends on the tide since the lagoon is emptied in six hours turning most of the lagoon into dry land and consequently not suitable for a zodiac. During this tour, we mainly spotted birds and fish, but …

WHS includes 2 cities (Vladimir and Suzdal) and two villages (Bogolyubovo and Kideksha). Getting to Vladimir is quite easy from Moscow (train or bus), or from Kazan, where 2 other WHSs are located. We took a night bus from Kazan. It did not stop in Vladimir itself, but dropped us off on the highway near the city. After crossing the highway through a upground pedestrian crossing, we had to wait for a bus to the center of Vladimir on the other side of the highway. You need to get off directly at the Golden Gate stop (the first WHS facility). It is enough to go through the gate and continue walking along the main wide street: Bolshaya Moskovskaya to reach two cathedrals: the Assumption and Dmitrievsky. All three monuments: two churches and a gate, this is all that remains from the architectural heritage of ancient Vladimir before the Mongol period (all are included in the core area "White monuments). In addition to them, you can visit the Princess Convent, but it was built much later and is not included in the core area. All other buildings in Vladimir are not of particular architectural or historical value and, in general, give the city a rather depressive aura. From Vladimir, you can take a city bus that stops on the main street next to the Dmitrievsky Cathedral to the village of Bogolyubovo to visit the Bogolyubsky Monastery. The monastery itself is well preserved, but the core area includes not its main cathedral, …

The Dacian Frontiers of the Roman Empire comprises over 300 separate locations, so which site to visit for a representative experience? At first, I zoomed in on Potaissa, nicely located halfway between Cluj and Alba Iulia in Turda. But this site is still closed after extensive restorations; it may open up later this year. Alba Iulia itself is a sure bet but also a bit ‘boring’ as it is also a TWHS on its own and already covered by reviews. The prime Dacian-Roman archaeological site however seems to be Porolissum. It meant a 1.5-hour detour north on my itinerary, but it was worth it.

Porolissum is advertised by roadside signs already from 60km away. There isn’t much else of touristic interest in the wider area, although the Wooden Churches of the Muramures are not far away and you see fine wooden churches by the road here too. Like the Maramures, which I visited in 2010, this is a poor area where horse-and-carriages still can be seen on the road and Roma communities live in squalor.

The signposting to the site is excellent until about 100m before the entrance: I lost track and asked for the way at a souvenir shop – the site entrance turned out to be just beyond that shop, turn to the right and there is a small bump in the road which prevents you from seeing the parking and guard station. The entrance costs 11 lei and can be paid (in cash) to …

In the summer of 2023, we visited Yerevan, Armenia, coming from Georgia. Yerevan, being the most westernized part of the country, served as our base for a few days to visit the nearby world heritage sites, including Echmiatsin and Zvartnots.

As the name suggests, the site has two principal components:

• Echmiatsin: This is the active religious centre of the Armenian Church. It has some modern structures and is definitely worth a visit if you’re in Yerevan and interested in Armenian identity. While Paul compared it to Rome and Canterbury, those cities have a more developed urban fabric and are generally older.
• Zvartnots: Mostly a ruin, we initially skipped Zvartnots. On our last day due to having some spare time we managed to squeeze it in. We found it enjoyable and recommend a visit. From a World Heritage Site perspective, Zvartnots seemed like the better component.

There are several other minor locations. But those don’t add much to the overall inscription. They don’t require a large detour as all sites align along one road, the highway connecting Yerevan to Echmiatsin. 

Getting There

If you’re staying in Yerevan, the most convenient way to travel is by cab (we used Bolt). The fares were low in 2023, so there was no need to check bus connections. Depending on the location, you might want the cab to wait:

• Echmiatsin: A sizable town with a large site to explore. It’s not useful to …

Levuka is not an easy site to get to, even if you start on the right side of the world in Sydney, Australia. From Sydney, it's a just a quick 4-5hr flight to Nadi, the main airport in Fiji, from where most people head directly to resorts. But then you need to get to Suva, on the other side of Viti Levu, either a short flight or a 4-5hr bus ride. And Levuka is located on the small island of Ovalau, just off the coast to the north. Previously, there were flights to Ovalau, but there haven't been commercial flights now for multiple years due to the state of the runway. Instead, it's a 4-5hr trip by a bus/ferry combo.

After a late departure from Sydney, luckily all our other transport connections ran smoothly. We selected to take the cross-island bus rather than fly to Suva, as the flights didn't line up and the bus ticket was about 10 or 15% of the cost of a flight. The cross-island buses often run a little late, but at least we stopped on the way at a market - a good spot for cheap snacks. Also, make sure you turn up at the "loading" not the "departure" time for the bus/ferry - it often departs early!

It ended up taking about 24hr to arrive in Levuka from Sydney, including a hotel stay in Suva with a late arrival and early departure (we recommend the Capricorn Hotel near the bus station), …

I visited this top WHS in 2023 staying on the island for 9 nights, 10 days and renting a car. Since post-COVID there is quite an annoying rule that to visit most moai/historic sites around the island you have to be accompanied by a local guide who will be responsible for your actions, I was almost inclined to cancel my rental car reservation and just go for a couple of half or full day trips around the main sites.

Well, at least when I visited, although it is advertised everywhere that you need a local guide, in reality you just need a local with you who needs to be registered in advance. Most B&Bs, hotels and shops have enough guides to cater for all the tourists who visit the island; only the transportation is lacking and can also increase the costs or limit your changes/adaptations to the itinerary agreed with your "guide", so finally we opted for a rental car for the whole stay. With that in mind, I'm really glad we went for the good deal offered by the B&B itself for a rental car, as we were totally free to explore the island at any time of the day, go swimming in different places, go hiking in different places, go dining without the hassle of walking in muddy areas or getting stressed because of the many stray dogs around, etc.

Organizing the local guided tours with your accommodation can be much more expensive than if you …

I did a DIY trip to Humberstone & Santa Laura on public transport in March 2024.

The first usable bus to Humberstone leaves at 8 a.m. (with Pulman Santa Angela in a minivan, 3,000 pesos, pay to the driver). It is approximately an hour's drive to the former saltpeter quarries, which open to visitors at 9 a.m. Along the way, the road crosses spectacular high walls of sand similar to those you see on the Peruvian coast. The bus dropped me off along the highway, from where you can walk to the Humberstone site via a footbridge. Being so early, it all looked a bit spooky and deserted, and I noticed a German shepherd dog watching me from a distance.

Once I entered the gate, I found the guard and the ticket seller sitting already at their posts ready for the day. The entrance costs 6,000 pesos (6 euros) and is valid for both locations: Humberstone and Santa Laura 2km away. Someone must have been very busy beforehand also, as the site of Humberstone consists of dozens of small exhibitions housed in virtually every building still standing. So every day someone has to open and close all the locks on these doors!

When you look at Chile’s WHS it is tempting to compare Humberstone with Sewell as they are both remains from early 20th century mining areas. Their setting is very different though, the mountain landscape within an active mining area at Sewell is much more dramatic. …

Getting around Greater Seoul is efficient and cheap with public transport. A T-Money Card is highly recommended. One can easily reach Namhansanseong by Seoul Metro, transferring to bus - the latter are well-kept and provide excellent Wi-Fi. On weekends, get off at Sanseong metro station and transfer to bus 9-1. From Mondays to Fridays, either transfer to bus 9 there or transfer to bus 9 or 52 at Namhansanseong metro station. To beat the crowds, avoid the weekends! 

My visit was on a Wednesday in late March 2024 and was not crowded at all. I started at Haenggung/Namhansanseong Palace, then walked to Bukmun/North Gate and from there counterclockwise close to the outer walls. Just before reaching Seomun/West Gate, at the northernmost point of the wall, one can exit at "Secret Entrance No. 5" to reach "Yeonjubong Ongseong", the watchtower with the panorama that GabLabCebu shared. I agree with the fellow WHS traveller that this is the first highlight, followed by Sueojangdae/West Command Post [picture].

Overall, despite the leafy setting, I found this site to be less picturesque than the Suwon City Walls/Hwaseong Fortress. The distances to walk are very similar to Suwon and so are the ascents and descents. Please note that vending machines can only be found close to Haenggung/Namhansanseong Palace, so bring enough beverages. One does not need to walk the full loop but may shortcut by taking a bus 9 or 52 back to the metro stations from the bus stop closest to Nammun/South Gate.

During our visit to Paphos, we focused on two key components, beginning with the tombs. Although these structures are referred to as “tombs for kings,” they actually served as burial sites for the upper class during the Ptolemaic era, when Cyprus was under Egyptian influence. While some of the tombs are quite spacious, their ornamentation remains relatively minimal. Personally, I had anticipated more intricate stonework beyond the simple pillars. Still, the views you get and the location on the coast are nice.

From the tombs, we strolled along the coast to the main archaeological area. Here, the true highlight lies in the mosaics, which cover extensive portions of the site. These mosaics are great, with some displaying a surprisingly modern aesthetic. However, I must admit that they don’t quite surpass the remarkable mosaics found at Villa Romana del Casale, which to me stands in a league of its own. Interestingly, Els’ review of the mosaics here in Paphos is more enthusiastic than those at Villa Romana del Casale.

Getting There

Paphos boasts an airport, serviced for instance by Ryanair. If you arrive during reasonable hours and avoid delays, catching a bus to town is a viable option. However, be prepared: Cypriot taxi drivers resist using taximeters and will overcharge you, quoting 50€ for a 15-minute ride. As a backup, consider installing the Bolt app; even then, the taxi fare to Paphos city was 35€. We found a German couple to split the costs.

From Karavella Bus …

Visited February 2024

It seems that it is going to be the next Cambodian nomination for WH status… It is already seen in Phnom Penh’s Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum where a poster with WH logo welcomes you and lots of other tourists and pilgrims – most Cambodian citizens treat the visit to the site as a kind of pilgrimage to the so important place for their recent history. And I understand them and feel for them the same way I understand other national genocide sites, prisons and camps, but this kind of nominations and inscription don’t make me believe in the outstanding universal values that UNESCO list should promote. We have already the sites “to remember and never happen again” that are inscribed on the list.

The Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco – sites visited in February, 2024.

As Els already described carefully the basics I will focus on updates. Before any visit to the site – you have to obtain a permit (A4 paper with names on it, visiting hours and guide name), pay entrance fee (also a ticket for camera) and arrange an official guide. Local INAH office is located in the center of San Ignacio (near the church, Museo INAH San Ignacio, Valdivia Peña, google coordinates 27.283319417059342, -112.89868613892016). The office is open every day (except Sundays) from 11.00 until 18.00) so you can arrange a visit returning from Laguna San Ignacio – whale watching, El Vizcaino). Currently there is a perfect asphalted road to El Raton (the road is not shown on official UNESCO map as it is new) but for Santa Martha you need a car with high clearance or even 4WD.

El Raton (Cueva del Raton) – located 82 km from central San Ignacio, use national Highway 1, direction Guerrero Negro, after 45 km turn to the right (sign for San Fco Sierra). Within next 10 km you already pass through inscribed property entering a mountainous area (no sign but according to an official map you are there). Landscapes are amazing – wide valleys, steep slopes with lots of cactuses, rocks. The site is located on the right side (signpost, small parking space, google coordinates 27°35'29.5"N 113°01'26.5"W) but usually you have to drive further (around one kilometre) …