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The site is very impressive and large. I was surprised one could go in, but this was only possible with a guide. There was no English speaking guide available, which made it hard to understand what we saw. With a little English book it was possible to understand some of it.

It was not difficult to find the site. I found it very worthwile visiting and would certainly recommend this to anyone visiting Sardinia. However the countryside was a bit disappointing...

There is no doubts that Ouro Preto deserves a visit.

The beauty of some churches, specially Nossa Senhora do Pilar and Sao Francisco de Assis, with their mind-boggling golden interiors, and the bucolic early morning views over the town contrasting with the students parties at night offer the visitor a complete pack of culture, South American colonial history and art.

However, Ouro Preto has been preserving its heritage with careleness. First, there is no preservation counciousness, as a historic house in the town's main square recently burned down and a beautiful fountain was destroyed by a truck. Also, the hills surrounding Ouro Preto were dominated by modern and ugly statements, and the once beautiful wide landscapes are now limited to the town itself using the Itacolomi rocks as background.

There are no doubts that Ouro Preto deserves a visit, as it is not so far from big centers like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and the region is packed with other sensational destinations, including other World Heritage sites like Diamantina and Congonhas, but bad use is consuming Ouro Preto's charm and beauty.

(Nb. This review is of a visit in Apr 1991 and submitted to this web site even before it started maintaining submission dates - i.e before 2005!!)

Panama has quite a lot going for it as a tourist destination – excellent bird watching and diving, the San Blas Islands (run as an autonomous province by the indigenous peoples), several colonial historical sites plus the incomparable Canal (which is not a WHS but should be even though it is not even on the Tentative list). If you have time it IS worth the detour to go the 50kms from Colon to Portobelo. This sleepy village was at one time a pivotal location within the Spanish Empire for the transport of gold to Europe, lying as it did at the Atlantic end of a stone highway from Panama City.

I quote :- “Portobelo was the port of entry and of exit for all of South America. The exchange of merchandise took place annually at Portobelo in the form of a fair which lasted from 30 to 60 days. During this time, this sleepy little place was a beehive of activity. Transactions frequently totaled from 10 to 12 million gold pesos. These fairs took place once each year until 1738 when, as a result of continual attacks by pirates, Spain was forced to abandon the Isthmian route for the longer but more secure one around Cape Horn. The frequent pirate attacks forced the Spaniards to adopt a convoy system. …

What to say of Rome? It's a city of a thousand different characters, where the best of Baroque and of Classical intertwine to form a fascinating array of art and architecture found nowhere else in the world. Rome is absolutely unique. Some highlights for me include the Galleria Borghese (best of Bernini sculptures), the Palatine Hill (home of the emperors), and the Vatican Museums (simply some of the best art in the world). Regardless of the number of visits you make to Rome, each time you will find something new and wonderful to explore.

For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with Japan. I still don't know if it was the image of the Otorii (Great Gate), guarding the entrance to the Itsukushima shrine that made me impressed with Japan, or the the Otorii was 'just' the symbol of Japan for me. I always wanted to come here and visit.

Anyway, I visited in October 2000 and from seeing the gate emerge from the mist to returning as dusk fell I thought it wonderful. A spiritual place.

The town of Palladio, Vicenza, to this day bears witness to the architectural feats of its most famous resident. From the immense Basilica that dominates the Palazzo dei Signori to the perfect geometry of the villa, La Rotonda, that watches over the town from afar, Palladio's genius is everywhere on display. Of particular note are the Teatro Olimpico, which Palladio designed but died before completing, and the street, Contra Porti, along which many of his finest palazzi reside. Vicenza is a short hop from Venice and Padua, certainly worth a day if you have it in your schedule and a must for you architecture buffs.

I just got back from Brussels yesterday. The Grand Place is absolutely stunning. I found my way there via metro (1.40 euro each way) and followed the green directional signs through the downtown, and through a few cobbled alleys. As you turn your last corner and wonder if you are going the right way you run into it, and it hits you hard! Amazing, just amazing, the sheer size of the buildings and the incredible artwork. The stone somehow looks like lace! It is remarkably clean in the center of all the buildings, so clean in fact that people of all ages laid on the ground to see everything as the towers were so tall. I ate dinner there outside just so I could have more time to take everything in. You can't just leave easily. I walked away and found myself rounding that one corner again to try and double the effect of seeing it for the first time.

A lovely little town situated on the quinessentially Tuscan drive between Montalcino and Montepulciano. What the town lacks in notoriety in comparison to its famous neighbours, it makes up for in beauty and grace. Almost completely redesigned between 1459 and 1462 and renamed on the orders of hometown son Pope Pius II, the main square is the picture of Renaissance architecture, while the surrounding houses retain old village charm. A highly recommended lunch stop for those doing a tour of the vineyards of Southern Tuscany.

Unfortunately, my experience with Torino was marred by terrible weather and the ongoing construction that precedes the arrival of the 2006 Winter Olympics in the city. On my trip, I visited the Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Madama (from the outside as it was under renovation), and the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi (a royal hunting lodge outside of the city centre). The Palazzo Reale was underwhelming at first but proved in the end to be the equal of many other royal palaces in Europe; Stupinigi was also impressive although my desire to wander the grounds was deterred by the torrential rain. My explorations around the rest of Torino revealed an elegant city that presently bears the scars of massive development projects that are being rushed to completion in time to welcome the world for the Olympics. I hope I get the opportunity to visit Torino again to see the city at its best.

There are many places in Sicily where you feel like you've somehow ended up in Greece; Agrigento is one of those places. The valley complex has several well-preserved temples and the ruins of others that were among the biggest ever built, but I couldn't help but be somewhat disappointed. I was more impressed by the temples and acropolis of Selinunte (just up the coast to the west)which gave a much better insight into life in a 5th century BC Greek colony. Still, Agrigento is a very important archaeological site and well worth a visit for the day. I highly recommend the drive from Palermo; some of the landscape is just gorgeous.

Before I came to England, Stonehenge was on top of my list of places I wanted to visit. I was not disappointed. I was quite impressed... to think that some ancient race was so inspired by the position of the sun, unbelievable! And just how did they manage to get stones that size into position...! Such a mystery, amazing!

Wow! There's no other word to describe the reaction when you enter the Basilica di San Vitale for the first time. The shimmering gold and the brilliant greens of the mosaics are just jaw-droppingly beautiful. Do you remember all those pictures from your art history or European history text books? Here they are. Justinian, Theodora, and the last vestiges of the glories of the Western empire are on display here. Due to Ravenna's having served as the capital of the empire for a short period after the sacking of Rome, there exist numerous other impressive monuments from the 5th and 6th centuries AD, such as Mausoleo di Galla Placidia, Sant'Apollinaire Nuovo, and the Neonian Baptistery. All are easily visited in an afternoon, and all are covered by a joint ticket costing 9.50 euros (as of May 2005).

There is a plan to construct a road to Batad where the most beautiful part of the terrraces are found.

The plan should be discouraged. Else, the awesome natural beauty would be permanently lost to the invasion of distractive technology like those which sprouted in Banaue central.

I visited Pisa in August 2004. The first view of the tower was very exciting, probably because it is such a famous monument. I didn't climb the tower (it is now 16EUR), but greatly enjoyed the whole Piazza, the museums and especially the Cathedral. It's well worth getting the combined ticket (just EUR10.50) to see all that the Piazza del Duomo has to offer.

San Ignacio Mini is well worth the visit for anyone at nearby Iguassu Falls, whether on the Argentine or Brazilian side. Though there are guided tours available from Iguassu, driving on your own is quite easy. It is possible to drive to San Ignacio and back in the same day though spending the night adds to the experience. However, the town offers few accomodations, the best of which are hard-pressed to earn a 1-star rating. From Buenos Aires it is not so easy to reach Argentina's State of Misiones.

On certain nights there is a sound and light show. The slightest hint of rain and the show will be cancelled; the equipment is simple and not water resistent. So, as can be expected, the show is rather primitive and its simplicity could hardly be expressed as charming. Boring may be a better descriptive. The lighting is uneventful and the sound is a recorded narration (in Spanish) of the mission's history with some music of the jesuit-educated natives as a background mixed with some booms and crashes to depict the battles with they fought with the Brazilian slave traders. Not emotionally stirring!

In the summer it is barely dark when the light show begins, reducing even more the already limited effect. Needless to say, it was a disappointment and one should spend the night to experience the simplicity of the village and not for the light show. But catch it if you are already there and reach your own conclusions.

All …

Hallo,

Ik zag dat je gewoon uit Nederland kwam dus ik doe het dan ook maar in het Nederlands.

Ik ben samen met mijn vriendin in november 2002 in Fuerte de Samaipata geweest.

Het gebied rondom de tempel wordt (werd) goed onderhouden en er zijn overal loopbruggen en uitzicht torens bij geplaatst. Het is wel een heel gedoe om een kaartje te kopen om het complex op te komen maar dit lukt uiteindelijk wel.

Ik ben er met een taxi vanuit Samapaita naar toe gegaan en dat is best goed te doen. Aan te raden is wel om een vaste prijs af te spreken voor de retour trip (inclusief wachttijd)

We spent several hours in Kutna Hora (mainly in St. Barbara), en route for Opava, in August 2004.

St. Barbara was stunning - especially the interior. I'm only sorry that I can't find any web pictures of the interior (and not many of the exterior either!).

This cathedral, and the whole city are well worth an extended visit. We want to return, and explore it properly before long.

This is one of the best UNESCO sites I have visited, it is on a huge scale and very well preserved. The theatre and Capitol are almost entirely intact! And the size is so impressive. The remote location really adds to the appeal as well set on the side of a hill overlooking mountains and cornfields. If you are in Northern Tunisia this is a site really not to be missed.

To get there catch a bus or Loauge from Tunis to Terbosouq (these normally carry on through to Le Kef) from here the locals can help you to get to the site, but chances of bartering may be low as there seems to only be a few taxis around for tourists, so expect to pay about 15TD (€9) for a taxi/ caminette so the more people going the cheaper it will be! It is about 15km away and pretty remote so it is money well spent, you may be able to get it cheaper if you go in summer and try a bit of bartering!

This is a really nice site to visit, it is out of the way and situated on a great piece of coastline. There is not much left (everything is less that a metre in height!) but it provides a great example of Punic towns especially good if you have seen other sites in the country which did not fair so well under the Romans! The site is right next to the sea and contains some features which you would not see at other archaeological sites such as the minimalist mosaics and almost fully intact bathrooms in every house.

The site is best reached from pleasant fishing town of Kelibia where local buses can drop you of at the turn off then it is a 1.5km walk to the site, or alternatively you could get a taxi there which should cost about 4-10TD (€2.5-7)

I went to Nepal in June. It was always my dream destination but the main reason i wanted to go there was to see the bouddhanath stupa. This buddist temple with the eyes penetrating has always fascinated me. But what i never expected was to discover so many hindu temples in nepal. Going without expecting is always an experience. The best temple among the ones i visited is of course pasupathinath.

I missed out the shangu narayana temple and the bathrakali temple. That is why i visited this site.

Nepal is an exotic country to visit. I would want to visit again all those places that i missed out.