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I'm pleased to announce that another blank spot on the review map on this site is being erased. Although this WHS has its reviews, they come from people who have not visited it. Still, they were useful - thanks in particular to Solivagant for the tips.

Seeing the place where Lucy's remains were discovered takes quite an effort. The permit is still necessary, but obtaining it in Semera, according to my guide, is not difficult. Getting to the excavation site is a bit more complicated. To get there, in the village of Eli Wiha, turn towards the Awash River. A local guide is absolutely necessary (they assign him with a policeman at the police checkpoint in Eli Wiha). After exactly 44 kilometers, we reach a place that is about 200 meters from the 'road' paved by 4WD cars. People live in the area, but it is extremely inhospitable. Even in January - the coldest month - it was over 30 degrees and almost no shade. Moreover, the area is not the safest, the Afars living there are a very militant nation, almost every adult man here carries a submachine gun.

The place itself is not spectacular. Contrary to what Solivagant wrote, it is not fenced in any way. There is only commemorative plaque and a billboard with WH logo. Dozens of fossilized animal bones are falling around. I don't know their exact age, but judging by their size, they certainly do not belong to the animals currently living …

As of 2024 the main building is still under renovation. You arrive in the busy area of Kampala to be taken to a mandatory guide who explains mostly well until you get to the main building. I wasn't really impressed and I find 4 generations of kings hardly an impressive feat in the world. It is mildly interesting to hear how cultures works around here but no way would I recommend it. In fact after the first building, the drum building and the view from the large center one is taken around graveyards and SLUMS that are actually housing of the king's wives. They live here as long as they alive, taking on new hubbies and getting knocked up by permission sought in the main building (don't really want to know the details) and if they die the family she has aren't accepted as royal so they should get lost. I'm not sure this is really how it's working out as they are way too many houses in the area. In retrospect I could have done with a 10 minute tour and exit. Needing to see the king's escape route and walk back to the parking lot through external slums wasn't nice.

I would give it a lower score but the pictures from the main building look good so I think that would be worth seeing. Women also need to wear some sort of scarf to cover up my clothes not that I was wearing anything revealing. I was …

Assam - and the whole of north-east India - is not only now a fairly remote corner of the subcontinent, it always has been. None of the great Indian empires reached here - neither Asoka nor the great Mughals conquered this region. From the 13th century until the beginning of the British Raj in 1828, the Ahom dynasty ruled over large and small parts of the tea belt.Traditionally and culturally the Ahoms are member of the Great Tai (Tai-Yai) group of peoples. In the year 1215 CE, the Ahoms migrated from Mong-Mao or Mong-Mao-Lung (present Dehong Dai Jingpho autonomous prefecture of South-Western Yunan province of Peoples Republic of China). They entered into the Upper Assam region of the Brahmaputra valley through Patkai Hills under the leadership of Mao-Shang prince, named Chau-lung Siu-ka-pha. He became the first king or Chao-pha or Swargadeo (Lord of the heaven) of the Ahom Dynasty, who established the first Ahom capital at Cherai-doi or Charaideo. By the end of the 17th century, the Ahoms had expanded their kingdom over the length and breadth of the Brahmaputra valley in their long 600 years of power, Chau-lung Siu-ka-pha’s able and intelligent successors like Suhungmung (CE 1497-1539), Suklengmung (CE 1539-1552), Pratap Singha (1603-1641), Gadadhar Singha (CE 1681-1696), Rudra Singha (CE 1696-1714), Shiva Singha (CE1714-1744), Pramatta Singha (CE 1744- 1751), Rajeswar Singha (CE 1751-1769), built a strong state in the Brahmaputra valley by defending it from the Islamic rullers including the mighty Mughals and the provincial rullers, which provided this …

It's been 17 years since Solivagant visited Harar and wrote about it in a review that was so comprehensive that no one added a new one after that. Bowing to the previous reviewer, I will try not to repeat myself and add a few new elements, current as of January 2024.

Not much seems to have changed in these 17 years. We were surprised by the fact that Harar is a very lively urban center, both inside and outside the old city. We were lucky enough to sleep in a traditional Harari house and the scenery was indeed fantastic (see photo #1).

In the evening we went to feed the hyenas and, although the show is aimed at tourists, it is not to be missed. The master of the ceremony first puts the stick in your hand and then tells you to put it in your mouth - this places the hyena's muzzle several centimeters from our face. At least a dozen hyenas come to be fed, and they often roam the city streets at night, clearing them of waste and not harming people sleeping on the streets.

The next morning we went on a proper tour of the old town. The city is very old, the guide claimed that it was the second oldest in Ethiopia after Aksum, and until the 19th century it was an independent state. You can see Arab, Afar, Oromia, Italian, British, French, Portuguese and even Indian influences here. During their only …

Despite having flu that was worsened by the awful smog, I decided to visit the Lotus Temple on the morning of our last day in Delhi in December 2023. I was pretty sure I was gonna regret it if I didn’t visit the site since it was close to our hotel (we were staying in Friend's Colony). My visit turned out to be quite wonderful, contrary to what Ralf had unfortunately experienced. Some notes about my visit:

1. The Information Centre - the centre is at the opposite end of the walkway leading to the temple. It contains heaps of information about the Baha'i faith: its origin, contemporary history, basic teachings and philosophy, religious sites around the world, social work, and community service projects. The staff were nice and happy to answer any questions. The centre was therefore a must visit before you go to the temple itself. 

2. The temple (aka prayer hall) - first, entry into the temple is allowed. Shoes were to be deposited before you walk up the stairs. The security guards and ushers would then guide you and ask you to wait for your turn to enter the prayer hall. I found it quite organised and everything was flowing well despite the substantial amount of people arriving. When we got to the entrance of the prayer hall, the usher gave some reminders in Hindi and English. When we entered, we were asked to sit quietly to admire the interior architecture of the prayer …

Although our tour operator first suggested the Double Decker bridge, it became clear to me that the seven-hour round-trip trek, which reviewers usually describe as "gruelling", "steep" or even "moderately difficult", was probably unfeasible for me. The two options left besides Cherrapunjee are the semi-destroyed bridge, which can be accessed by a concrete road, and the one in the village of Riwai. We chose the latter and did well. I don't know how to get to the bridge by public transport - but in India, this is not really an issue, I don't think there are any tourists who want to travel around North-East India by public transport. You can get there by car nowadays - the tarred road up to the path leading to the bridge had just been built when we were there and is certainly passable since then. Riwai is just 9 km from Mawlinnong, 'the cleanest village in Asshai', and is in fact as clean, tidy and pleasant as its more famous brother, for which they even charge an entrance fee. The bridge is about a 10-minute walk from the end of the tarmac road, and the path is well-walked, although there are a few steps in between, but thankfully there are railings everywhere. A few metres before the bridge, a small table in front of the bridge charges the villagers an entrance fee - Rs 30 per person. The bridge itself is really impressive - built from the roots of the ficus elastica, it is …

Visited in August, 2023 during long Scandinavian tour (Sweden, Norway, Denmark). Original nomination comprise of 4 components but one of them (Hyllestad Quernstone Quarries) is inconveniently located on the western coastal part of Norway (north of Bergen, more than 500 km from Oslo, including ferry crossing) I decided to focus on 3 other locations that are placed near Oslo.

The Gokstad Mound (Gokstadhaugen, different name: Kongshaugen) lies on the outskirts of Sandefjord, google coordinates 59.14027233638874, 10.253360500311365. It is a big burial tumulus (5 meters high, 50 meters in diameter) where one of Viking kings / chieftains was buried together with his boat and other equipment. The ship was constructed in late IX century and discovered in late XIX century during excavations. Tumulus seemed to be plundered in ancient times as no gold or silver artefacts were found but still archaeologists discovered remnants of riding equipment, sledge, tent as well as human and animal bones. The site currently is open free of charge, fenced and looked as well maintained. Apart from the tumulus itself there are also stones symbolizing the ship and bilingual signs (Norwegian and English) describing the place and its history. There is a small parking just outside the place (also free of charge).

The Oseberg Mound (Oseberghaugen) lies further north along the Norwegian coastline, near Tønsberg, google coordinates 59°18'27.8"N 10°26'48.7"E). If you drive by car you can park on official place (Parkeringsplass for Osebergrunden on Bogata road) or just near the site (Romsveien). It looks pretty …

I can't add much new to this site. I did even less hiking than Els doing only 4.75km to the first camp and then back to the main gate. It is easy to add this to any itinerary but not usually offered by your agencies by default as they don't expect tourists wanting to visit. The road from Kasese is long and rough though. You won't experience anything special on your hike as the exclusive flora is deep in the range which means a 7 day trek is required. It's mainly done by hardcore trekkers. The camps will be cold, no shower, tough hiking if it's raining. The best part of my journey was the scenery around me. Surrounded by lush forest butterflies, birds, a monkey here and there is good, but the peaks in the near distance make you believe this is Jurassic Park. No road, people in sight. It's a shock when you meet a fellow trekker or porter. Most people coming to Uganda will prefer gorilla or chimpanzee trekking, safari game drives as a bonus, but adding a tough hike like Rwenzori isn't really their thing. The branded spring water sold in Uganda isn't even from the mountains.

Originally my plan was to do a night at the camp and return but seeing that it's only 2h hiking each way I said well do it quicker and I have extra day for seeing something else. I know this sounds silly but with all the other activities …

When planning a family trip to Ethiopia (January 2024), I wanted to see as many places from the tentative list as possible. Dire Sheikh Hussein seemed like the perfect stop on the way from the Bale Mountains to Harar. In practice, however, something different turned out. The town is located in the middle of nowhere, but it has the mausoleum of Sheikh Hussein, the 13th-century scholar from Somalia who introduced Islam to eastern Ethiopia and founded the Bale Sultanate. The mausoleum is considered one of the most important sites for Muslims in Ethiopia and is a pilgrimage site commemorating the day of Sheikh Husein's birth and death.

We paid 3,000 birr to visit the mausoleum ($25 at the unofficial rate, as much as $50 at the official rate) and it was an obvious rip-off because the place is not worth it. We had to take off our shoes before passing through the main entrance, which made everyone very uncomfortable. We had to walk barefoot through an uneven path with incredibly hot stones and tiny thorns that kept digging into our feet. Even I was fed up with it, not to mention my children. By the end, my daughter was being carried in her arms, to the delight and laughter of the local children. Because of these thorns, I was even afraid that my foot would get infected, but nothing happened.

The mausoleum itself is tiny, lacking any decorations - even lacking a proper floor. The caretaker of this …

Wildebeest crossing the Mara River...... Undoubtedly one of the great “mass gathering” wild-life “experiences” of the World, up there with e.g the butterflies of Mexico and the penguins of S Georgia. I use the word “experiences” because it is so much more than a mere “sight” - I particularly remember the chaos and noise! The Maasai Mara Game Reserve (MMGR) offers fine wildlife viewing in other ways too with all those animals out on the plains and the resulting very visible carnivore population. But the “star” turn which really differentiates it from other African "plains" parks is undoubtedly the action packed “river crossing” (There are “crossings” too in Tanzania/Serengeti at Grumeti River but, apparently, less “dramatic”). Anyone visiting should surely at least plan to try to experience it? We were lucky enough to do so way back in August 1991 (photos). But much has changed across those years and the logistics and costs of a visit are now very different. It still seems worth describing them as they then were to highlight the changes and to provide an indication of the things to consider when deciding how to visit today. Also to examine why this, undoubtedly "World Class", site is not yet a WHS.

Then 

We visited across 3.5 days in a self drive 4x4 without a guide and with our own 2 man tent (plus a little petrol Primus for cooking!) during a 19 day, 2300 mile tour of Kenya, going as far north as Samburu NP …

I live in the area. I have to say that the Ancient Messene Archeological Site is the equivalent of what you would like to visit and see in Ancient Sparta. The monuments from Spartans have been destroyed or stolen during the centuries. Now there's almost nothing left in Sparta. On the other hand, the Messinians have not been "famous" like Spartans, so there is much to see. The poor people of Messinia had to endure the constant wars with Spartans. So, instead of visiting Sparta you can visit the Archeological site of Ancient Messene and learn both for Spartans and Messinians. The Archeological Site has many ancient buildings (theaters, stadium, etc). The site is a 20-30 minutes drive from the small Kalamata International Airport or 40 minutes drive from Kalamata.

Tips: 

Rent a car. Access by public transportation (1 bus) is not recommended and not convenient.

Visit the Arcadian Gate about 1-2 kilometers away. Do not forget to continue driving about 1 km and see the remains of the walls and the towers!

Always wear hat, sunscreen and have a bottle of water during the summer months. Avoid the hours 11am-17pm for a visit. Go earlier or later.

Wear comfortable shoes. No high-heels in Greek archeological sites.

During the summer months, some performances or concerts are organized in the theaters. It is a unique opportunity to combine a visit to the archeological site in the afternoon and stay there and watch the performance during …

Site visited in January 2024.

It took almost 45 years to finally inscribe this place on the list and I am wondering why. After my visit I think the site definitely has OUV. Anyway, the park administration is so happy with the inscription that already 4 months later there are new billboards advertising Bale as a world heritage site. There is no commemorative plaque or UNESCO logo, or at least I couldn’t find it.

The park is in many respects unique and important for three countries - rivers starting here supply water to Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. And they have something to power them with, because the rainy season here lasts 9 months.

The park is known for its biodiversity - from mixed forests through forests with the spectacularly blooming Hagenia abyssynica species to heathlands and a completely barren landscape in the highest parts. And in the southern part - Harren's Forest - truly tropical vegetation reigns. The fauna is no less rich, only a small part of which we were able to see, and even less of which we were able to photograph.

The symbol of the park is the mountain nyala, a huge antelope that lives in the northern part of the park. It can be seen entering the park through its headquarters in Jinsho, just off the main road from Shashamane to Bale Robe. We visited the reserve in the late afternoon and I do not recommend this solution - we saw a …

The site is still called Aberdares Range no matter what the description says. It could be be that only certain mountains are to be inscribed but the waterfalls are definitely the highlight of your trip through the range 

I entered at the Mutubio West Gate which isn't far from Lake Nakuru although the road can be a bit tough. It gets surprisingly better as you get closer to the gate. Ensure you have your eCitizen ticket ready because there is no data connection in the range.

Your first stop from here will be Karuru Waterfall which is a bumpy ride but well wirh it. From the parking lot you walk a few minutes for spectacular views across the valley and down the falls. It's a triple stage drop that is best scene from the right side. If your route is like mine and another group I met here then you should enjoy it a bit longer. The rest of the range won't be as good.

Bumpy road back onward to Magura Falls & Queens Cave which were skipped by the second group and I agree there isn't much to see. It's not even a cave but a smelly cavern you can enter. As that isn't too spectacular I suggest looking at it from the top and move on.

Third stop is Chania Waterfall. You need to climb far down for this on and even though you can see it well from the top you can get …

Most has been mentioned about the monastery itself, so I won’t go into details. According to their website, the monastery is closed on Friday and Sunday, so I picked Saturday to go there. Further the museum and church closed at 11:30 that day, so better early if you want to visit them. We also skipped visiting the mountain. If you are not religious, there is in my opinion little incentive to climb such a mountain.

I went to the monastery from Sharm El Sheikh by rental car and apart from the usual police and military blockades this was no problem at all. No special permit needed and no police escort. Streets are great and empty the whole way. It is very easy to find as there are not many streets and signage is good. A clear advantage for the crazy ones like me is that you can visit 3 TWHS on the day trip to the area. We stopped in Dahab in the morning and took the longer route (had to convince the police that I want to take a detour) on the way back, with stops at Wadi Feiran and Raitho monastery. All 3 TWHS are from 1994 and will never make it to the list. So don’t bother if you are not that serious.

I spent a bit over three hours in Íznik in October of 2023. That was enough time to stop by three of the town's gates, explore several mosques, peruse the museum collection at the historic soup kitchen building, stroll around the central town a bit, and glance at the Roman theater from behind the fence. I also initially planned to go to the Tile Museum, but that was curtailed due to the amount of time I spent on breakfast in the morning.

Of the gates, the Lefke on the eastern side is the most interesting to explore, while Yenişehir on the southern edge is the most fortress-like. The Green Mosque is the most eye-pleasing on the outside and quite simple on the interior; Mahmut Çelebi Mosque, for instance, inverts that by being relatively basic on the outside, but more ornate inside. The Hagia Sophia showcases its Byzantine origins as a multi-nave church and offers a few decorative features from different eras.

The compact and well-curated collection of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts (Google Maps confusingly calls it "Íznik Museum" even though there is a separate "Museum of Íznik" near the southern gate) covers the story of the town and the region as well as its main industrial outputs of tiles and pottery. The historic soup kitchen that is mentioned in the tentative submission is not really seen anywhere, and the building has been clearly renovated very recently to become a museum. I was the only visitor, …

I commence this “review” of the "Central Karakorum National Park" (CKKNP) by stating that I am somewhat shame-faced to proffer a report of such a “puny” visit to this magnificent natural T List site. I do so purely to contribute to the “Community objective” of having as many T List sites reviewed here as possible and not from any suggestion that we, in any way, fully visited and appreciated it. The space remains for a Community member who has achieved rather more than we have in that respect to report on their experiences and conclusions! However, beyond merely providing a record of our “limited” visit, there is also much which has been un-highlighted to date about the site and its history which I believe is worth recording here (at some length!) …..

The “Background”

To whet your appetite if you haven't considered going, I quote from Isobel Shaw’s “Pakistan Handbook” - “The most concentrated block of high mountains anywhere in the World, and the longest glaciers outside the polar regions”. Indeed the CKKNP apparently contains c608 glaciers - give or take a few! Moreover, the area has been subject to what has been titled the “Karakoram Glacier Anomaly” by which its glaciers are actually increasing their total mass. This review arises from a trip in Aug 1996 when we traveled along the Karakoram Highway (KKH) over into China. Much will have changed since those days. What was one of the …

This entry is just odd and I don't even want to try and understand what exactly wants to be inscribed. There is a "mansion" house (look like from the 60s and hardly special) with a neat broken tomb and somehow there is a museum nearby. Does the tribal houses museum belong to the entry? Also the building at Muramwvya is shut, abandoned and not used in decades. This is the easiest site to visit. For the second one would need some more effort by bus, perhaps private car on the small road if you dare, and the third is off-road so I don't think it's possible to visit at all. Or maybe it just means the fields in that area overall - well guess what they are not special... So not to be rude to Burundi customs, history or the locals, these places are not worth visiting, not universally unique and even if by chance someone with a lot of knowledge about all this would guide me through the locations step by step and tell me all about it, I don't think it would be interesting to me at all, no worth my time, no thank you. I don't think it's significant enough to be a world heritage site. 

I disagree this is a site for world heritage. It is already an INTANGIBLE site on the list and the rest of the place isn't what it was back in the day. Sacred sites are indeed on the WHS list and I wouldn't be surprised if it gets added but while the field may be sacred, the houses are traditional style and the performances are quite enjoyable, it's 85% intangible drumming and dancing. Also if you come alone they won't perform unless I pay a lot but worse is that it would feel strange to be the only guest, but they said I could wait for another group they expect later. Another hour later they did indeed show up and I only had to chip in for the total costs. The group also offered me to drive back on the Route 2 which saved me some bus journey time. I figure most tourists just do the trip from Bujumbura and I can see how it's a highlight of customs in Burundi you should put on your to-do list, just not as a tangible world heritage site.

Clearly, based on the reviews thus far there is no need to go into the magic of Guanajuato! The music of the Callejoneada, the beautiful plazas (personal favorite, Plaza de San Fernando), Teatro Juarez, and the University steps each offer their own reward. The numerous historic Churches are noteworthy, though I would highlight Templo de San Francisco and the surrounding small streets 'Manuel Doblado' and 'Del Campanero' as particularly worthwhile areas to explore. Based on the glowing reviews here, I determined 4 days in Guanajuato would be ideal, considering there would be some closures on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. The festive holidays only added to the city's beauty. From here on I'll focus exclusively on 3 historic museum experiences that were briefly mentioned or not covered in previous reviews.

Alhóndiga de Granaditas Regional Museum [José Chávez Morado Murals]

This museum has fairly standard, though interesting collections/exhibits on Mexican History and Culture. Yet, what left the strongest impact were the José Chávez Morado Murals in the stairways, some of you will be familiar with his work (whether you recognize the name or not) if you visited UNAM campus in Mexico City. His mural here tells some of the dramatic History of Mexico around the time of the Revolution, its a stunning work.

Museo Iconográfico del Quijote [Free on Tuesday]

There is such a wonderful whimsiness to much of the artwork here. Located adjacent to the Templo de San Francisco (mentioned above), this museum offers a real …

I am quite surprised that there are no reviews about this delightful place, and only a small number of community members have explored this popular tourist spot that is easily accessible. Our visit coincided with our journey from another WHS, Campeche, to Merida. The main roads in Yucatan are modern and well-maintained. We covered two-thirds of the journey on the highway and the rest through picturesque villages, encountering only one police check. Such moments in Mexico can be nerve-wracking, given past experiences of being asked for bribes by the police for unknown and irrelevant reasons. Nevertheless, we reached the boat departure area, Parador Turístico Flamingos Boating Celestún, located just 5 minutes inland from the main beach, without any issues.

Here, the boat fee is per boat, not per person, accommodating up to 6 people despite having 8 seats. The recent increase in boat prices to 3000 pesos + tax from 2400 pesos is noteworthy. We observed groups of fewer than 4-5 people waiting by the ticket booth to form larger groups and reduce the cost per person. Joining forces with a couple from Houston, we formed a group of 4.5, including my 3-year-old daughter. We were informed of a swimming option at the end of the tour, prompting us to change into swimsuits. We even brought our daughter's floaties with us. The facility provides amenities such as toilets, showers, and a restaurant.

The 1.5-hour boat tour, including a short landing, began with sightings of crocodiles and pelicans. Surprisingly, …