All our reviews

The Wartburg Castle is absolutely magnificent. I have no other experiences with castles to compare it to, and from living in Eisenach for two months I understand from the citizens that many consider it to be 'not a real castle' because of the fact it is so renovated; however, I still think it is a wonderful piece of architecture and history. The tour guide does an excellent job of relaying in English what the castle involves, the deep, rich history, and many important aspects of it's existence. I was also able to meet the owner, he is a lovely man....everyone who works there, works hard to ensure the castle remains as great as it was. I would highly recommend coming to Eisenach and staying, going to the castle, and just enjoying the town. Everyone is extremely nice, and we had an easy time getting around without a lot of German language experience.

I visited Dubrovnik in 95 I found it full of old world charm The sea food was great I visited a wonderful little jazz bar. Just out side of the old wall was a well known Pizzaria named Red Tomatoe. There was wonderfull Itallian shoe stores. A tiny little shop that sold crystal bought by all the royal houses. You can almost feel the history. If any thing even the worst photographer couldn't walk away with a handfull of good photos.

I was posted at Accra in 1946-47 at the American Consulate, and took the occasion to visit as many as I could of the old trading forts built by European companies along the coast of the then British colony of the Gold Coast. This was long before the World Heritage program started, but fortunately, the colonial administration had taken steps to preserve most of the old forts. One served as the Residence of the Governor of Cold Coast Colony, at least one was in use as a prison, some were kept as museums, and many were preserved as temporary residences for travelling colonial officials. No fees were charged for admission, but access was of course controlled. I took photographs of most of the moe notable sites I visited, but have not been back since I left the Gold Coast in December,1947. It is good that the Government of independent Ghana has involved UNESCO in calling attention to these historic buildings, built by companies from various countries and in cases just outside of cannon shot range from a fort of another country.

I have been to Sian kaan on a tour with EcoColors. This was an excellent tour! We crossed two lakes by boat and went through one canal made by the Mayas and one natural canal. We stopped at a small ruin. The guide explained that this ruin was either a post of commerce or a resting point. Then we jumped out of the boat and floated on our lifevests in the natural canal. This was a very nice and relaxing experience! We have done a small hike through the reserve and did some bird watching. We have also seen some more ruins. The park is very pretty and the boat ride was incredible! The company has also a tour of more days to Santa Teresa, the research station and I am thinking of joining the tour soon.

In an increasingly secular world, the Pilgrimage Church of Wies offers an astonishing testament to faith and the dedication of architects Johan and Dominikus Zimmermann. The church's deceptively simple Alpine setting belies the extravagant interior: it is simply a miracle of rococo. My German hosts watched me carefully as I opened the doors to the Wies. As with any architectural masterpiece, you gasp upon entering. (The baroque music playing in the background, though from a compact disc, completed the experience.) Since words seldom do justice to describe true genius, I can only say this: you must see this to believe it! (If you are in Bavaria and making the usual tourist trek to Neuschwanstein Castle, you owe it to your aesthetic sensibilities to make a pilgrimage to the Wies Church.)

I went to the island shortly after the war ended, so this review may be rather out of date. It was an unforgettable experience. I flew from Maputo to Nampula and drove in a battered taxi for three hours through the rain soaked jungle. It took three hours because of the huge craters from mines littering the road. I would say about 40% of the local people had injuries or were maimed from mines. The Island of Mozambique lies like a glittering pearl in an blue-green lagoon. It is reached via a single-track concrete pillared causeway built by the Portuguese in the sixties. During the war the population, migrating to the coast from inland, expanded from 3000 to 25000 in a few years, and the population continues to rise, placing unsustainable pressure on the scant resources of this tiny island. Water shortages are common, there is strepticocca all over the coral surrounding the island from unprocessed human effluent. This situation may well have improved since my visit, but the floods of a cuple of years ago cannot have improved the situation. The island itself is beyond comparison in the Indian Ocean. Zanzibar, Kilwa, Mombasa, even Lamu, cannot hold a candle to it in terms of historical importance, beauty, charm, variety... The 17th century Portuguese fort is magnificent, the baroque gateway carved from stone and white coral, and the old bronze cannon still there, rotting in their emplacements. The ancient chapel on the tip of the island being restored by a …

I am responding to the question about Salamanca. In 1986, I spent my Spring semester of college attending the University of Salamanca. It was the best experience that I have ever had. I consider this town my home away from home. It has been many years since I have returned to Salamanca, but I always have such warm thoughts in my heart - the people, "my family", the wonderful old streets, and the Plaza Mayor. For anyone who is considering studying Spanish in another country, this would be the best place to choose. Not only does it have the oldest university in Spain, but the culture is so rich in it's town. It is something that I would do over again and again. Now that I am married and have children, I am looking forward to the day that they are old enough to visit the place that has stollen a piece of my heart.

On March 28th, 2003 I walked from a Korean yogwan (travelers' inn) located near Haeinsa, up the path to the temple. I brought my two elementary school age sons with me to give them a feel for the Korean countryside, as well as the opportunity to see a Korean Buddhist temple and renowned collection of Buddhist literature. The inn itself was worth the visit for its wide "maru" porch and delightful dinner of "kimchee" dishes made from all kinds of roots, vegetables and seaweed. Sanjang Byeoljang is its name.

We had a brilliant cool day. The magnolia and cherry trees were not yet blooming at the temple's altitude, but the air was clear and there were only a few groups of visitors spaced out throughout the temple, so there was no crowding and everyone got a good look at the Buddha Hall and the wood blocks.

I visited the temple almost thirty years ago for the first time, and it is certainly in very good condition now. The monks on this visit were deep in meditation and conducting sutra chants in all the halls, even the smallest ancilliary buildings had a monk beating a wooden bell and chanting. An older monk came out of a small building just above the Buddha Hall and spoke with my sons. He made them promise not to fight and to treat each other with respect. He performed the promise handshake with each of them, linking little fingers and pressing the thumbs together. A promise …

My wife and I visited Xidi and Hongcun in January 2002 as part of our visit to Huang Shan. We both really loved the villages, as we do everything in China. They have been well-preserved, and what was so amazing is that people actually still live there, surrounded by tourists. It was far better than seeing an empty shell, even though many wanted paying for their photos to be taken! But then, how else can they make a living? I didn't mind that.

A visit here is thoroughly recommended, but be careful if you go outside the normal tourist dates - you have to get a police permit to enter the sites, and it took several hours finding the office and rousing up someone who could arrange the permits.

If you want to see more photos of the villages, have a look at the ever-growing web site of our travels in China: www.tingey.tv

I went to the Cahokia Mounds pretty much as a last minute visit before heading out of Saint Louis, I just saw the sign and decided to go there. I am glad I did. I had no idea this even existed but am glad I took the time to learn about it. It was a very intresting site, did not take long to go through but was very informative. I am generally not intrested in archeological stuff but even I found it intresting. I recommend taking an hour out of your day as you pass by and visit it. It is worth the look and it's free (although you can spend money in thier gift shop, or through donations if you want)

I took a a one day tour from Islamabad for the Mangla area. The first stop was the Rohtas Fort. The road to Rohtas is excellent, and the a new bridge had been built. The site is awesome. Every quater there is a sound and light show, that gives the history of Sher Shah Suri. A must see when taking the Manla tour.

The Mangla Fort is another good sight. Captured from the Indians at partition, one is amazed how this could be done considering the fortication. The view and the scene of the the sorrounding area is breathtaking.

Water sport is provided. This consists of: use of the facilities,a boat ride, fishing ( licence and tackle provided), use of the one man and two man kayaks,and sailing. All this for a cost of Rs 500 approax. -- 10 US dollars. On payment para sailing,water skiing and speed boat rides are available for a minor cost.

I stayed in Ferrara for eight months as part of my BA Italian degreee and I really enjoyed it. The city was great, there are a lot of things to see. There are many places, but the best are the Palazzo Diamanti and the smaller Palazzo Marfisa d'Este. Other places of cultural interest are the two cathedrals- the gothic facade of San Giorgio is amazing, whilst the Castle is a reminder of the Este family who ruled Ferrara in the 15th century.

There are many parks to rest and enjoy the sunny weather, such as the wonderful Parco Massari, or the Piazza Ariostea where there is an annual racing event, the Palio, that dates back to the mediavel time.

Not only is Ferrara steeped in history, but it is close to many of the northern cities. Venice is only an hour away by Eurostar, whilst Padua, Mantua and Verona are easily within two hours. Florence is only under two hours away as well!

There are clubs and bars too, making Ferrara's night life good! There is always a restaurant or pizzeria around the city, offering good value for money.

Overall Ferrara is a great place to visit, or use as a stopping point to move onto somewhere else!

My trip to the Orkney Islands was wonderful. I spent one full day and parts of two. With my friend I visited the Ring of Brodgar, the Maeshowe tomb, and the settlement of Skara Brae. All were very interesting.

The ring is very large and can be walked around freely (unlike, say, Stonehenge). You can walk right up to the slabs. It's right off the road.

The tomb is awe-inspiring. The space is maybe 15'x15'x15'. It is pretty completely dark except for the light from the guide's torch (flashlight for us Americans). My friend and I were the only folks in the tomb with the guide, and it was all the better for it. Not only do you get a 5000-year old stone tomb that took a hundred thousand man hours to build, but you also get a collection of 11th century Viking graffiti, too. The tomb is in a grass mound a short way from the road; you must buy a ticket (I think it was 10 quid) at the converted farmhouse opposite.

And the settlement is the most beautiful. Set right by the ocean, it is a sprawling area of holes in the ground, surrounded by rocks, and with some treasures inside. You can actually see a 5000-year old "stone dresser", which is clearly a shelving unit built out of rock for the room's inhabitants. It's still standing. On a nice day this is a really wonderful place to be. Another 5 or 10 quid.

Dubrovnik was the most magical, beautiful city we visited in the late '70's. The burnished stone of the streets glowed from the lamps, the dark coffee was delicious, the atmosphere incredible. My husband and I sat and sipped coffee by the Adriatic, ships in the harbor, while a group of musicians played violin. Exploring up the next level of streets was a surprise, as well. We took our own tour.

We traveled up the treacherous road to the top of the windy mountain as it neared evening. As we pulled to the top of the hill, the sun was just setting behind the mountains, making the sky a brilliant orange. The kurdish ranger allowed us to pitch our tent on the top of the mountian, and he entertained us long into the night with his talk of multiple wives. Just as we were settling down for the night, a group of Turks settled right next to us, and with their loud banter kept us awake all night. We got up at the wee hours of the morning in the frigid air to watch the sunrise. The Euphrates sparkled below as the statues of kings and eagles gave a mystical aura to the view.

All at once I felt a sort of awe for the relics that connected that age to ours. Mt. Nimrod was far from dissapointing, it was inspiring.

i had the chance to see the genbaku dome in the year 2000' its something interesting. the only structure leftstanding in the area where the first tomic bomb exploded on august 6,1945. It is amazing how that building has a lot of meaning to the citizens from hiroshima, it attracts people from everywere, including my country, Honduras.

Other than for its population of 5,000 donkeys roaming the narrow streets among kanzu-clad men and women in flowing buibui robes and 40 mosques, Lamu looks like any other ancient Islamic town. The only motor vehicles in the ancient centre are a Land Rover belonging to the District Commissioner and a tractor owned by Lamu County Council.

Yet Lamu is a Mecca of sorts. More than 20,000 Muslims visit Lamu annually to mark the holy Maulidi Festival that also attracts tourists from East and Central Africa, Europe, North America, the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East every August.

Returned to Canada from a great tour. Enjoyed our time at the crater very much. Had excellent guides/drivers with Leopard Tours, stayed at Serena Lodges and enjoyed them all very much. The Serenena Lodge at the Crater being one of my favourite. Food excellent, staff wonderful. Room very comfortable, enjoyed the cooler evening for sleeping. Saw an amazing rainbow late afternoon over the crater out my door - great photo. Saw lions, rhino, huge elephant lots of other animals also. Would have liked to see more rhino, but at least saw the one. Great day, would like to explore area surrounding crater more - next time! Enjoyed seeing the Maasai with their herds, missed them when we got to the Serengeti. Was not overly impressed with Olduvi Gorge, but it was OK.

The rice terraces are already showing signs of irreversible degradation especially those in that are accessible to land transportation. Structures are indiscriminately built on the terraces areas. Some areas are abandoned as people leave the place in search for more economically viable livelihood activities. The rice terraces is taken cared of by the older people with the younger generation getting aversed to terrace work as they get more educated. When nobody is willing to work in the rice terraces, that means the end of this heritage. Yet the national government is not concerned as shown by its abolition of the Banaue Rice Terraces Task Force and passed on the responsibility to the Provincial Government. The Provincial Government is so cash strapped that it depends on funding allocation from the national government with no other fund sources.

Hi! My name is Anders. I have grown up in the area around this cemetery. In high school, my six-kilometer walk to school included a shortcut through the cemetery. It was, in spite of what you think, a wonderful walk (perhaps because of the nice weather in May 1993). When I and my friends were young, we used to play in the forests. It's still the place I think of when having a long walk when I visit my parents, who still live in the area. I could go on and on about childhood memories experienced at Skogskyrkogarden. We played hide and seek there, we've played soccer and land hockey there. In our teens, we crossed the forests a few times because we were drunk and wanted to reach "Daisy's" (burger place) at the other end. Once, on Halloween some ten years ago, I was dressed in a robe and held pitch torches in my hand (we'd had some drinks that evening...). As I said, I could go on and on, Skogskyrkogarden will always bring back memories to me...