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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 Shalimar Gardens with locals, so I didn't pay the foreigner's fee late November/2003 and they were worth the visit. The walls and floors were hand carved and made of marble and sandstone. There is no support for the ceiling, made of huge blocks of sandstone. The construction was well planned for acoustics. An artificial waterfall operates during the tourist season.. Nearby is a marble enclosure with a seat where Shah jahan sat.

The guide spoke only Urdu so the locals translated for me. He charged too much for his fee and the locals told me I should not have paid him less the the Rs. 200 he demanded. I am 69 years of age and travelled there to visit some cricket friends and the old Indus Valley civilization sites.

I have visited the magnificent centre of Vienna thrice, and I plan to go back again. It is just endlessly fascinating. The city revolves around St. Stephen's Cathedral, with its enigmatic single spire. Apart from this, points of interest include the Cafe Central and other decadent coffee houses, the Stadtpark and the Strauss statue, the Danube which unfortunately was never blue but is fun to travel on by ferry, the Hofburg, Belvedere and Schonbrunn palaces, the Museumsquartier with several fine museums within walking distance of each other, the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus concert halls, the memorial houses of many classical composers, the Central Cemetary which is almost a museum, The Prater (fairground including the famous Ferris Wheel), numerous extremely ornate and beautiful churches (The Votivkirche and St. Peter's are the best of these), the UN headquarters in Vienna, The Rathaus (Town Hall), The State Opera (Staatsoper) and the Folk Opera (VolksOper), the House of Music (Haus der Musik), the Kärntner Straße and Mariahilfstraße shopping areas, the old-world Sacher and Imperial hotels ... the list is endless. Apart from these, the friendly Austrian people and the street entertainment top off one of my favourite cities. The metro (subway) is very comprehensive, and the Vienna Card for tourists is good value. Vienna, is indeed, the City of Dreams.

It's very unfortunate that most people visit this site only to walk around the henge once and then wait for the next coach out of there. There are Saxon burial mounds, forests and footpaths to explore as well. Combine this with a visit to Salisbury cathedral and you've given yourself a crash course in English history.

The fortress island is a fine example of 18th century fort building and presents a relaxed day out. You can catch the free municipal ferry just off the fishmarket in Helsinki and enjoy views of the archipelago before disembarking on the island. The island feels strangely rural with a small post office and general store, emphasising the virtual isolation the islanders must feel in winter.

You could join the Fins enjoying a swim in the Baltic or explore the parks, museums, cannons and fortress walls all over the linked islands. Try to be there when the ferry to Stockholm passes between the narrow gap between two of the Suomenlinna fortress walls!

It is possible to visit the Sterkfontein caves but you have to find your own way to get there. They do tours of the caves for a nominal fee (tips are optional) but don't expect to see many fossils. The archeolocial digs were all closed off.

The caves are impressive and it is a good day out, considering the many unique private restaurants in the area. That way you could drive around the Highveld countryside enjoying some time away from the city bustle of Johannesburg.

The St. Lucia estuary is one of the unique biosystems on this planet, with the subtle interplay between marine and terrestrial aquatic life. This is the only place where I've seen sharks swimming in the lagoon next to hippopotamuses, and crocodiles swimming in the sea!

There are many beautiful woodland paths to explore and the warm Indian Ocean is great for swimming. This is also the only place where I've seen a barracuda jumping over the surf, from the shore! There is an abundance of fauna and flora to admire in the protected areas as well.

The cheapest way to stay is on one of the camping grounds, although there is luxury accommodation as well. Public transport is poor so it is recommended that you make your own arrangements to get around.

Visited Lumbini in October 2001(very warm in October!) with group of Buddhist pilgrims led by the Ven. Robina Courtin. A little shrine with some statues, excavations. One of Ashok's pillars is there. We conducted a puja under one of the large trees there. Went on to Nalanda,Kushinigar, Ragir, Bodhgaya, Varanasai & Sarnath. a month after 9/11 we were praying for peace at all these holy & historical sites.

Dowth, Knowth, Newgrange in the valley of the Boyne. Tara. My friend & I travelled to Ireland for 2 weeks in July of 2002. We started at Newgrange and then went on to Carrowmore, Carrowkeel, the Burren. I highly recommend visiting them in the sun or rain. Rain makes them even more special. High clearance vehicle for Carrowkeel. Visit www.megalithomania.com for pics and info on megalithic sites throughout Ireland.

The caves of Ellora are truly fantastic. The creator was not indulging in fantasy when looking upon his creation - the Kailasha temple - he said, 'Oh what have I created?'

The engineering and work that must have been involved in creating this wonderful place is truly mind-blowing.

I was disappointed by Prague. Filled with tourists and badly organized traffic, it was chaotic and unpleasant.

To avoid the atmosphere, it's better to buy a book of the architectural wonders of the city.

Also the food was similar to elsewhere in eastern block, grease and mayonnaise ruled all over.

I only recall one nice even, getting off the metro in Vysehrad, and walking over the bridge to the center. That fifteen minute walk over the valley beyond was beautiful.

Maulbronn was (at least that day) very empty, which provided excellent opportunity to just wander around in silence. It had a very authentic feel to it, which I believe had much to do with the purposeful withholding of drama or eyecatchers for tourists.

There was a piano in one empty hall, and I sneaked in and played a few accords.. very nice!

Kyongju is very very overrated, I moved to the city almost 6-months ago, choosing a job there over one in Seoul because I had read about how beautiful it was meant to be. Quite frankly I am very disappointed.

The city of Kyongju is a hotchpotch of modern 1980's building which have been erected with absolutely no regulation or proper planning. In amongst this high rise hell are to be found a scattering of very unimpressive historical artifacts many of which would not be given a second glance were they to be found in Europe. OK the burial mounds are impressive, but they are not captivating in the way an old medieval town is.

Out with the city of Kyongju itself (it should be remembered that despite Kyongju being marketed as an open air museum some attractions are 20km away) things are much better. For example the temple at Bulguksa is absolutely fabulous as is Seokguram Grotto a short walk away.

We went with Grandmaster Huang, Chien Liang, of Baltimore, Maryland, with a group of 30 students. This city was phenomenal, very beautiful and striking with its wall surrounding the entire city. We were warmly received, had fun shopping, and watched a 14th century trial, with the accused being punished. We also saw part of an opera and many artifacts in a museum setting. One of the best days of our trip.

I visited the site with my college (Notre Dame Institute) and it was the most rememberable experience I had. Witnessing one of the most oldest archeological ruins was an experience words can not express. According to the time period the people seemed highly civilized and having enough knowledge of an orgnised urban structure. But there was no information provided to us about the medical facilities they used, neither any medical artifacts was seen in the museum. Allover not a place to be missed by tourist.

I found Guanajuato to be a fascinating and beautiful city. The classic colonial churches have impressive domes and breathtakingly intricate facades. The weather (in summertime) was just about perfect. For details on my trip to Guanajuato and central Mexico, you can go to my web pages, starting at www.geocities.com/ucsb1990/mexico.html

July 2002 - So very very hot and the swifts and swallows screaming and swooping through the courtyards. The guide books were expensive or limited in their content and an english spoken guide would have added to our enjoyment of the trip. A clear explanation of the rope carvings around the windows would also have helped.

Amongst the cloisters - a cool haven from the heat - at the heart of the building a strange representation of Jesus the Christ - sitting on a chair, looking mighty fed up and just like the rest of us on a bad day! Is that the spear mark in his side? What did the carver of the statue mean?

The clear crisp blue sky and the smell from the formal gardens was superb.

The charola was the same as many other Templar round churches or copies (e.g. Northampton UK) but nontheless spectacular. I would have loved to be told who stood on the column plinths around that special space...but the sense of calm that I felt meant that it didn't matter!

Please keep the place safe.

Thanks

One of our favorite towns is Bamberg, a beautiful cathedral city that has escaped extensive war damage. On top of the hill four sharp spires rise from the Transitional Gothic cathedral. A wood sculpture in the cathedral, the monument for the tomb of Emperor Henry II, took the famous sculptor, Tilman Riemenschneider, 14 years to carve.

Das Bamberger Brücken-Rathaus, or Bamberg’s City Hall sits on a bridge over the River Regnitz. This incredible building, sits on a small island, anchored in the middle of the river, with a little timbered building, Häuslein, that seems to have been just tacked onto the bridge’s pierhead.

The two nights in two different years that we spent at the campsite in the suburban town named Bug, it rained and rained. What is remembered depends a lot on sunshine or rain. In either case what we see is exciting, but when we have another chance to see Bamberg, we will pray for sunshine.

From our book, Invitation To Germany (see Google)

Mapungubwe is a special and sacred place, I have had the honor to go on top of the mountain several times and each time you discover something new about the amazing history, myths, legends and culture that lay hidden in the mountain.

It is great climbing up the mountain through the entrance that was once a long time ago a secret entrance hidden by a wild fig tree, its the only way to get on top of the mountain. There is a rope now but long ago there was none and the people who lived there were really clever and made a ladder by grinding holes into the rocks on opposite sides and putting sticks on each side. It great climbing up there (just wear the appropriate clothing}.

My wife and I visited Ban Chiang on 1/11/04. The directions to the museum were a little bit unclear, and to the excavation site, they were non-existent - at least in English. The new buildings were under construction for the new museum facility. The exhibits were those for the traveling exhibit. These were still very good exhibits. We hope to be able to go to the site again when the new buildings are open. We visited this web site because there was no information available at the museum for us that would provide more extensive information that had been part of the exhibit. It would be very helpful if something additional could be offered for sale that covers the subject more and provides photos. We found publications at other archeological sites, such as Wiang Kum Kam, Ayuthaya, etc.

The excavation pit had been undergoing some work as well. Many bags [of archeological materials?] were stacked on the side of the excavation pit and some access to viewing the site was barricaded. Some of the skeletal materials and ceramics could still be seen in the side walls. The profiles had not been cleaned recently, so the profiles were difficult to see, but some detail was evident.

As an archeologist, I truly hope the excavation site becomes more prepared for interpretation for the public for their education. This is a very important site and needs more public awareness and exposure to both Thai people and foreign visiters. Few tour books highlight this …