All our reviews

Being Swedish and grown up in Stockholm, Drottningholm was probably the first World Heritage Site I ever visited, long before UNESCO’s took the initiative to create the famous list. For me personally the site is associated with many memories and it’s truly a wonderful place for an excursion while visiting Stockholm. The castle and its surrounding park is obviously best visited in the summer and the best way is to approach the site is by boat. Many tour boats depart from the Town Hall in central Stockholm and it takes about an hour to slowly cruise through Lake Mälaren on a steam boat, a nice experience in itself.

The castle is inspired by Versailles but obviously not as enormous as its French cousin. Still it has played an important role in Swedish history. You will find wonderful French and English park as well as the oldest theatre in Europe still in use. A slow stroll through the park to the China Castle, were you will find a nice café, is an absolute must.

Seldom noticed by the tourist is the small village on the right side of the main road that runs by the castle. This village was planned and built in the mid 18th century for the people working at the castle and contains many picturesque houses and villas and is in itself a good example of how a Swedish village once would have looked like. Don’t miss this when you visit Drottningholm.

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 …

A bustling friendly city. The town centre (Rynek) is very beautiful and more and more buildings are being renovated.

Make your first stop a bookshop for a town guide before you begin walking, this will ensure you do not miss any of the main sights and also point out the more unusual ones which usually have a local tale attached to them. The bookshops also have some beautiful large colour books on Torun or Poland in general. Buying one is a must but make sure you get it at the end of the day because of the weight.

Large enough to have many facilities for tourists but small enough to make it possible to explore away from the centre.

Make time for a stroll along the Wisla and follow the medieval walls.

Hotels and guest houses are now more abundant but always ask to check the rooms first as some may still have a tendency to have a stunning reception but very basic rooms.

We have never been disappointed in any of the restaurants so can't recommend any in particular. The tables were always well presented and the food fresh and superbly cooked.

We have enjoyed many a beer or coffee with the locals, sitting outside the Ratusz or in the Dwor Atusa across the street.

Children will enjoy the story of the legendary 'Flisak' who's statue is beside the Ratusz, 'Leaning Tower', Planetarium or a boat trip on the Wisla to the salt towers at Ciechocinek.

War historians can …

What a magnificent coliseum! A true testament to the engineering skills of the ancient Romans. A few hours drive from Tunis this impressive site could easily be visited as a day trip from Tunis or the resorts around Hammamet. I took a louage (the ubiquitous shared taxis) via Sousse, which cost less than 10 dinars. Pardoning the camel rides and curio stands outside, this site is worth a visit for anyone interested in Roman building and fans of the Gladiator film.

Getting to Dougga from Tunis was a bit of a trek considering the lack of transport, this may have been due to the religious holidays during Ramadan. The cheapest and quickest way of getting there is to go to the louage (shared taxi) station for Teboursouk and waiting for the taxi to fill up. Driving to Teboursouk took just over an hour (cost less than ten dinars) and a friendly local taxi driver was willing to take me the additional 10 kilometres for another 10 dinars.

The ruins at Dougga are magnificent! I was the only tourist there and explored the ruined city at my leisure. The capitol and many of the temple building are still relatively intact making for some very impressive views. Many of the homes still have much of their beautiful mosaic floors visible as well. It rained the day before so the mosaic tiles in the baths were wet bringing out the beautiful colours and shapes.

This is a truly impressive site well worth the visit. It is much better preserved than many similar sites in Europe. I also felt that it was much less touristy being furhter away from the coast. Its remoteness makes it difficult to reach but it is well worth a visit.

Approaching this out of the way site, it looks like a disused masons yard with a gigantic tent at its edge. But once inside the tent, which is truely enormous, you are treated to a sight which is awe inspiring in its magnificence. I was immediately struck by its sanctity, even though I am not a particularly religious person myself. All hail to UNESCO and others who are working so hard to preserve this wonderful temple.

Everybody should visit Edinburgh at least once in their lives, and if possible go during the summer festival, the Fringe Festival, the Tattoo Festival... all worth seeing, great people and great views. I've visited Edinburgh several times, and it seems I can't get enough of it, its people are really welcoming and charming, and don't worry if you are on your own, get into a pub and most certainly you'll feel at home.

Aye! I'd like to live in that wonderful city!

Cheers!

This was an excursion tour from our Holland America ship from Veracruz. The bus ride was very long and the stay in the town only about one hour. Except for our tour group the place was mostly deserted. The one hotel refused any of us to use the bathroom. The streets were interesting and the empty buildings colorful, but overall the town seemed run down. Visiting the museum we found dark halls with ceiling lights that we were told didn't work. The guide continued her speech but very little could be seen. The apothocary may have had some interesting shelved antiques, but the display of Barbie dolls, hair creams and misc stuff spoke for itself. This place must have seen better days, but why waste the over two hour of bus time. Why would a museum have inoperative lights installed? Maybe when UNESCO visited it was great but not now.