All our reviews

I have visited the tomb twice. Once in 2002 when it was a fairly horrific state of repair. I returned last summer and am pleased to say that the ASI have done a magnificent job of restoring this wonderful old tomb. It is surely one of the most evocative tombs on Earth. It provides a moments peace from the madness of Delhi and is even more interesting if you know about the extraordinary life of Humayoun himself.

I visited the Daifo Buddha this summer during a month long trip to China. It is, without a shadow of doubt, an awesome sight. The Buddha looms out of the rock face surveying all in his kingdom.

The entry fees are resonably for a site such as this but, the experience is marred by the fact that the whole site is a tourist trap of the highest order. It is jam-packed with Chinese package tourists.

You won't have a moment's personal contemplation!

I was fortunate enough to visit Aldabra on numerous occasions over a period of year whilst working as a naturalist and boat driver on the MS Caledonian Star, now the Endeavour, and I even got engaged to my wife, Karen, on the beach.

What a fantastical place and one which we plan to revisit with our children one day

Joanne and I were so taken by the park that it seemed like heavin on earth to us and we almost cried at the thought of so much beauty in one location. Truly this was God's masterpiece of creation. We both envied the Native Americans who found it and lived there.

To understand Korea, you had better visit one its Buddhist temples and Pulguksa is one of the most beautiful. The grounds are lovely and serene and there are areas where one can easily meditate and pray. Temple buildings are colorful and lavashly decorated. (I remember the temple complex being remarkably quiet and visitors were respectful and reverent while touring.) The stone pagodas, unique to Korea, are strange and mystic. And the Sokkuram Grotto is a remarkable site for people of all faiths. (Too bad its behind glass.) This is a wonderful place to visit while in the Kyongyu vicinity.

Quebec City is a bit difficult to categorize. It is superbly French in its architecture and urban design but, it is also the very heart of Quebecois culture: a lively blend of indigenous and European traits. Quebec's location is magnificent, and the towering Hotel Frontenac and Citadel give this city a truly monumental stature. The historic walls and gates, cafe's,churches and museums create an unforgettable ambiance. Spend a week in this place and you will be transported to another time, and another world.

When I visited in 2002 there was a wedding in progress. The choir's voices were surreal. A visit during a mass would be worthwhile for the opportunity to hear the incredible acoustics of the cathedral. The sound was unforgettable as was the monestery. It is well worth the visit especially for anyone wishing to learn more about Portugal's history and architecture. The unfinished chapel/tomb is the last stop on the tour and well worth the effort. It's beautiful.

The trip in Ethiopia was an incredible eye opener and a definite highlight of my East Africa journey going north to Cairo. Having only 30 days to burn in Ethiopia, our band of merry travellers, the Afrilanders from South Africa experienced the intense nature of all that is Ethiopia. This included frantic discussions with an excitable Frenchman at the Ethiopia Kenya border in Farole. He was sure there was an ebola virus outbreak. It was an ominous greeting to a land we knew less than nothing about. Our mission was simply to dispel the myths of overland travel through Africa. We believed in conducting ourselves with dignity and respect while being worthy ambassadors to SA. Ethiopia shatterred all sorts of myths let alone dispel. I digress. We found Ethiopia very green just after the rain season, many areas waterlogged. The trip included the historical route, the orthodox churches, rusting road side tanks and faranji screaming villagers. 50 odd million inhabitants in this country and I am sure we saw all of them. no stretch of road is clear for any length of time. Travel tip: if you stop for a road-side brew, make sure you display your long rubber snake - it keeps the very inquisitive locals at bay. Needless to say, after the incessant presence of the locals, the Simian Mountains offer an unbelievable vista of tranquility. Good old country side peace thrown in with the alleviation of the pandemonium. The Simian mountains just after the rainy season is …

We had tickets to fly to Italy from California, September 12, 2001. The 9/11 disaster changed all that. My mother, brother, and daughter had planned to go, and when a week later we were able to fly out, my mother had decided not to.

So it was with great excitement, and some fear, that the three of us left for Venice. We almost immediately boarded the train after reaching Venice, and headed west to our first destination, Monterosso on the Cinque Terre.

We were dragging after 19 hours of travel when we arrived and found our hotel. Because all of our reservations had to be changed, there was some confusion but everyone was very gracious and we were able to get a room. Everyone was very sympathetic because of the 9/11 bombing. We only stayed there 2 nights, because of a proposed train strike we decided to leave a day early to reach Florence our next destination. If I only had one place to return to in Italy it would be the Cinque Terre. We took the boat tour of the other 4 villages. Marvelous, quaint,romantic and timeless. The food is indeed fabulous! The pesto the best I had anywhere in Italy. One place we ordered focaccia which was sold by weight. It was heavenly. And the local wine was mighty fine. But I don't know how those Italians can drink that Limone! After everything that was going on in the US, the uncertainty, staying in Monterosso was the perfect …

I visted Aldabra in 1997 onboard the Fantasea II a live aboard dive vessel. We flew from Mahe to Assumption on light aircraft. It was more like an expedition than a vacation. As we flew over the main channel leading into the lagoon I was immediatley under the spell of Aldabra. Spell being the write word as the main channel branches out like two arms and then like a hand with long witch like fingers. After our pass over Aldabra we made are approach to the runway on Assumption a short distance by plane. Assumption was sureal as all the vegatation has been long since stripped away when mindless greed sought the fertile droppings of centuries of sea bird habitation.

I was one of only 36 people that year to have the grand pleasure of diving and walking on these timeless treasures of Aldabra, Assumption, Astove and Cosmaldo. I've dove in some world class locations in the world but nothing can compare to the adventure that is felt in such a remote and untouched place as is offered by these islands. Every kind of dive experience can be had at Aldabra. Drift dives at break neck speed through the channel to wall dives and cave exploration. Fish of gigantic porpotions, manta rays, dolphins, sharks , and more turtles than I have ever seen in one place. The lagoon is like swimming in an aquirium and the channels are like riding a roller coaster on the currents. All the time turtles …

My daughter & I visited in May 2003. It is an incredible experience. We arrived late in the day so missed visiting the information center but the causeway itself was fabulous and worth every minute getting there. Walking along the coast and climbing the stones allows you to imagine the impact on the lives of all who live & lived near here. Photos don't give you half the idea of how phenominal this site is.

The 'frescoes' and the 'graffitti' on the mirror wall are a treat. Initially there have been about 500 frescoes of the sigiriya maidens. But unfortunately the numbers have been reduced to many reasons.

The climb up is a bit tedious, but don't miss it, you'll be rewarded

Some sources claim that Riga was the only European capital to survive WWII destruction. While I can not confirm this, I can still say a word on behalf of this strange city.

Obscure little cafés, the ludicrous mixture of medieval beauty and Soviet monuments, chocolate bonbon stores, poverty, luxury.. What ever you find to be of contrast in the world, can be found in Riga, at least in some form.

On a recent trip to Portugal (see Sintra reviews) I visitedv Evora. I decided to write after reading the poor review of it on this site. Yes it has become quite touristy but I imagine it has been a "tourist spot" for hundreds of years because of it's strategic location, heritage and history. If in Portugal it is a must-s The Capela dos Ossos, the Chapel of Bones (one of several in Portugal) is quite exotic, and filled with skulls and bones, quite eerie. The Temple of Diana is smaller than I had imagined but still inspiring to find in Portugal. The aqueduct is marvelous. We stayed at the very charming Estalagem Albergaria do Calvario, and it turned out to be my favorite hotel of the trip, with free internet access, great service, and wonderful rooms at mid-range prices. We ate at the Pickwick restaurant and had a tasty dinner there. Back to Evora though, one of the great things about it, talking

about a city underneath it, is that we were walking about and could see where they'd been excavating and uncovering walls and such. These areas had glass viewing windows on the

outside walls so you could see the progress. And for you shoppers out there, there is some great shopping to be had here of local craft and products from around the area. It is a good base location, and we made several day trips. What was a disappointment though was the "megalithic tour". The standing stones …

I've visited Taxila twice in May 2004; the site can easily be reached from the Grand Trunk Road, which connects Islamabad and Peshawar.

There are several subsites at Taxila, such as Bhir Mound (the oldest part), Sirkap and Sirsukh (two later cities), a giant stupa, a Greek-style temple (called Jandial) and several Buddhist monasteries. A bicycle or a rented taxi can be useful, because the distances between these parts of Taxila are pretty large. At all these sites, it is easy to hire an English-speaking guide, but I was not always impressed by their quality.

The museum is excellent.

More info at http://www.livius.org/ta-td/taxila/taxila.htm

i discovered skellig michael in the fall of 97 while taking a Xan celtic spirituality class at the GTU in berkeley CA...the island of liminality haunted me; i wrote my paper for this class on skellig; it is my "place of resurrection."..in aug 99 i visited skellig--it is so much more than any book can describe or even my fertile imagination! the isolation, the stark beauty, the darkness of a beehive cell, the tiny steps carved into and from the rock itself....connected. One...certainly a holy, sacred place....the rock face that once held "the spit" was not open to pilgrims, i am sad to say....it was a warm (for anywhere, but especially for ireland) day, so i could only imagine what skellig must feel like in cold, pouring irish rain in winter....it was very hard to leave such a magnificent place....i can only imagine what skellig is like under a full moon or a new moon with the sky filled with stars...i wonder how disorienting those steps are in fog and clouds.....i would love to be get permission to stay overnight on skellig...

be prepared if you go--to layer for warmth (it was so warm that, within ten minutes of being on the island, the german tourists and i had stripped down to next to nothing). also wear comfortable hiking boots...AND don't drink lots of water before or during the skellig experience; there is no toilet, loo, or bathroom! reclaim the hydration at the first pub when you return to land

FANTASTIC!!!! I'm a diplomat who has lived in Brazil for almost two years. I've travelled around quite a bit. As far as stark beauty, good hiking, and incredible history, this place can't be beat. The guides are professional and knowledgabe. I vowed I'd only go to sites once since Brazil is such a rich, vast country full of treasures, and I know I'd only live here two years. Well...I broke my vow, and I'm going back this weekend.

I've been to Kinderdijk by bike a few years ago. It's the only place where you can catch so many windmills in a single photoshot. Tourist should also be aware of the many windmills across the country, almost every town has one. Just go and visit them; many owners will be willing to show you inside for free or a small payment.

I have just returned from a trip to Vietnam which included 2 days on a traditional Vietnamese junk boat in Halong Bay. The site itself is breath-taking, but unfortunately, there is little respect for nature shown by those operating the tour boats. I repeatedly saw boat operators throw their garbage overboard into the waters. These are the people who survive on tourism and ought to care more about protecting the very site which is bring the tourists to them in bus-loads. It was sad to see this and I hope the government forces people to clean up their act.

I have been a frequent and regular visitor and resident in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv remains the greatest collection of Modern Movement architecture I have ever seen. Although many, possibly most buildings, have been altered, the alterations are not of a permenant nature. The most common and nearly ubiquitous change is the addition of "treeseem", sliding louvered blinds enclosing the open air porches or negative spaces of the buildings. The renovations which have been ongoing for several years are remarkable. Many of the renovated buildings appear to be pristiine in condition. Those buildiings with contemporary additions are done so that a clear and obvious distinction remains between the old and the new. Tel Aviv is THE MUST SEE city for modernists.