All our reviews

Kondoa was one of the reasons I chose to self-drive in Tanzania because it's quite away from the other sites and I didn't want to arrange a separate tour for just this site alone - but in hindsight it takes a lot of driving on rather crappy traffic-laden roads around central Tanzania and one could just get a driver from Dodoma. It won't cost you that much more especially if you are in a smaller group. It turns out that you must have a car when you get to the site and you drive that super bumpy road (even taking a toll on 4WDs!) to the real site which might not be the best for your rental agreement. When you get to the museum you pay for PARKING (!?), the site permit, a mandatory guide (decent English and knew the site well) and I think even permit for your car to enter the park area...like..whaaaat?! The prices suddenly seem quite steep what was supposed to be a quick look-see of rock art, and that's pretty much what you get to see. You can only drive to ONE site and it's up the hill in the area beyond the little town. The road is rough and if you are out of luck you have oncoming vehicles on the way too. There is eventually a small parking area with a lovely map and some information plus a shaded hut used for groups to listen to a guide. In my case we went …

If you happen to find yourself stranded in Chennai and have a free day, Mahabalipuram is the place to be. The best way to reach this temple is by taxi. From the hotel desk, they can arrange a private driver for the entire day for 40 or 50 EUR. Mahabalipuram is divided into three major parts: the Shore Temple, the Cave Temples, and the Five Rathas. The same entrance ticket is valid for all three, and you can easily walk between them as they are in close proximity. The entire place can be explored in 2 or 3 hours. While I'm not sure how Mahabalipuram compares to other World Heritage Sites in India, I can say it's truly stunning. Some locals, who have free entrance to the complex, may try to sell you souvenirs with elaborate stories ("official" guides, photographers, sculptors...). They are quite skilled at it, but if you mention that you don't have cash, they usually disappear.

Koh Ker did not interest me at all in 2012 so I was more than fine to have skipped it when I went to Preah Vihear Temple, despite the former being on the way. Little did I know that I missed something. While as a complex it is not as spectacular as the ensemble in Angkor, the axial alignment of the Terrace of Lingams-Prasat Thom-Prasat Roum-Prasat Prang-Mound of the White Elephant King reminded me of the impressive configuration of Preah Vihear Temple. While there are joiner tours now offered taking visitors to Koh Ker and Beng Mealea, this only works if: 1. You are happy seeing the pyramid alone, and 2. you have an active Angkor Pass to let you in Beng Mealea. My friend and I opted renting a car for a full day in Koh Ker instead. In doing so, we were able to do the loop and explore most of the temples. Aside from Prasat Pram, I also like the laterite-built Prasat Neang Khmau, an interesting single monument surrounded by two enclosures, and the heavily ruined Prasat Chrap that demonstrates clear design flaws in its three towers possibly arising from hasty work (a theme that will recur in most temples here). Prasat Damrei is another charmer with its elephant and lion sculptures (photo), and it even has an antecedent square sandstone temple that once housed a lingam too.

The nomination dossier spent a great deal in explaining about alignments and how the temples were built according …

You might wonder why Mleiha since 2017 has become an increasingly promoted excursion from Sharjah/Dubai? The interpretation and programing at Mleiha is exceptional. In February 2023, four new tentative nominations emerged from the Emirate of Sharjah. According to our guide, the Ruler of Sharjah and his daughter are obsessed with Archaeology and deeply invested in the discoveries at Mleiha.

To visit Mleiha and specifically to have access to each historic component you must visit the Mleiha Archaeological Centre and reserve the Archaeology Tour (in advance online), but probably no trouble to arrive on-site and pay then. We had reserved both of our tours well in advance, each tour related to TWHS nominations (Mleiha and Faya). We were more intrigued by the Faya Palaeolandscape, while Mleiha gave us more to "see". Our total experience was from about 2pm to 9pm, including travel from Dubai, both tours, and staying for the "panorama lounge" and stargazing, which was a free add-on (they weren't busy). The Mleiha Archaeological Centre does give a well-presented overview of the discoveries and value of the collection of archaeological sites. The women at the front desk were excited to have us and with enthusiasm welcomed us to Mleiha.

I think Mleiha can likely satisfy ICOMOS with criteria (ii) and criteria (iii). The discoveries at Mleiha are so recent that much of the story and its meaning continues to evolve. Below is the criteria proposed:

Criteria (ii): "The mortuary practices and funerary architecture discovered at …

Pakistan hasn’t had a site inscribed since 1997, but they have been trying to submit the Port of Banbhore for a couple of years. It so far has resulted in three incomplete dossiers in 2020-2021-2023. Unfortunately, it is probably the least visually attractive site among Pakistan’s TWHS, but it will surely do good on paper.

The entrance fee is a rather hefty 1,500 rupees (5 USD), a sum that in Pakistan gets you a meal plus a side dish and a drink in a nice restaurant. The visit starts at the museum, which is fairly interesting, but our guided tour was cut short because the local guide took a phone call and was never seen after! The Lahore Museum also has good displays on Banbhore, which in medieval times was noted for its ceramics with sgraffito (photo bottom right).

The site itself needs a fair bit of walking and climbing until you reach the shore of a creek that eventually ends up at the Arabian Sea. Excavation works are still going on by combined Pakistani, Italian and French groups of archeologists. In 2020 they discovered a load of 40kg of remains of elephant tusks buried at the site, which indicates that ivory was a commodity at the time of Banbhore’s blossoming and that ivory carving was executed here on an industrial scale (the tusks came from India).  

Making your way across the site, which now overall is in better condition than when Solivagant visited in 2013, you'll …

Haida Gwaii is in the top 3 of my beloved Canada sites and to think I only visited after such a long time traveling!! I'm also not alone on this and there are quite a few reasons for it which I will get into later. The national park Gwaii Haanas covers the entirety of the southern islands and it's very protected. Therein also lines a world heritage site SGang Gwaay which I am not too fond of by itself because the real unique site is the entire park. Whenever you see Planet Earth and they mention "west coast Canada" they tend to actually show Gwaii Haanas. This is a 5 star site when it ever gets inscribed and I think the main issue is that the Haida nation aren't so super keen on world heritage status and this makes the bureaucracy difficult. It also doesn't need any sort of protection because First Nation protection already supports the area really well.

While you technically can visit the park without a guide there are strict guidelines such as permits, radioing in when driving on the roads and overall unless you do a large tour on your private yacht this isn't going to be worth the trip. Just join a tour it will be worth it, trust me. Therein lies the problem for most tourists: costs! Unlike Siem Riep or Macchu Picchu there are huge cost entries to visit and thus you will not find the gap year students hanging around. The …

Joel's review of this excellent and disturbing museum is itself excellent (but fortunately not very disturbing!). He describes the site itself and its history exceedingly well, and I even share his opinion about the site's outstanding universal value. So I'll just add a few details about my visit.

I visited ESMA in March 2022, before its inscription on the World Heritage List. Like Joel, I was struck by the human side of the museum, with its emphasis on the testimonies of victims and survivors, the former far outnumbering the latter. The museum boasts 17 permanent exhibition halls, all recounting the events that took place there. The entrance portal is remarkable, with its windows covered with the portraits of those who died. A similar fresco can be found in the Escuela de Mecanica de la Armada (buffer zone).

The first room in which I took photos was the Capucha, on the third floor. This is where prisoners were held in cramped quarters. The description of the conditions of detention is bloodcurdling, particularly the details about the pregnant women held at ESMA whose children were handed over to members of the army who tortured the mother. This area also provides access to the Capuchita, the fourth-floor torture and solitary confinement room. The next room, the Pañol, describes the theft, fraud, and forgery committed by ESMA officers. They operated a well-honed machine of terror. Prisoners even worked on falsifying documents to further the propaganda of the totalitarian regime and the state …

This is my third visit to Angkor. In my first visit I did the small circuit with a very competent guide who has had been part of many studies and documentations of the site (including as the assistant for the LIDAR scanning done by Sydney Univ.). My second visit was during the UNESCO-UNWTO Conference where we did a technical visit to Phnom Bakheng, a priority project then of the World Monument Fund, together with the project supervisor of the organization. I even then had the rarest chance of admiring Angkor in the evening when Cambodia, being the host, lit all the monuments in Angkor Thom during a dinner hosted and graced by the king. This time, I did the grand circuit, and I was still impressed with what I saw. Things that have changed since 2015, however, include: marked pathways in exploring the temples (some sites are strict about this rule, and some sanctuaries can no longer be accessed), having a lot of ticket inspectors on each site, and the single day entry, as mentioned in earlier reviews, is now at 37$ -- a strange way of commemorating Apsara Authority's 37th year anniversary and, apparently, because there are 37 steps leading to the main shrine of Angkor Wat! This move has since then discouraged a lot in taking the more expensive 3-day and 7-day passes, so more than 90% of visitors only take the single-day pass. Apsara did not stop there. Beng Mealea, which previously had its own entrance ticket, …

I visited the wachau region on wednesday the 8th of nov. as well as on thurday the 9th of that month. I arrived quite late around 21.00 in Melk on november the 8th.After my check-in at the hotel "weisses lamm" I strolled through the city of Melk for around 3 hours,taking some pictures of the huge monastery during night time both from the river side as well as from the city centre side.I also enjoyed a good schnitsel and some local beers.

I had pre-booked a guided tour(15,50€) through the benedictine monastery of melk the following day at 11.00. I was up very early and had another stroll through the pleasant town of Melk.I also had a quick look at every accessible area of ​​the monastery before the official tour began.I also visited the northern bastion with the Wachau lab and a panoramic terrace.Without intention I entered the bastion through the shop exit and visited the panoramic terrace for free. When I left I noticed that you have to pay a quite hefty entrance fee for that building and its changing special exhibitions(I didnt spent more than 2 minutes in the exhibition area as I am not a fan of totally bizarre contempary art) .Sorrrowly, the baroque garden pavillon as well as the garden were closed to the public in winter time. The tour itself was interesting and informative but overpriced IMO.A guided tour of the monastery includes the imperial staircase, the imperial corridor, the abbey museum, the marble …

I have little experience in visiting prehistory landscapes such as this and therefore I was grateful for our tour guide. We hiked starting from the remnants of a spring that was used by humans over many thousands of years. From here we hiked the gently incline toward the caves. Because of recent rains before our visit, much of of the desert landscape was partially green with new plant growth. The caves were in fact human occupation sites and excavations have been carried out to confirm how these caves were used throughout the millennia of the Paleolithic era. During this short hike (about 30-45 minutes) with stops, you will see 3 caves and some pleasant views, one of the caves is possible to enter, though it's a tight fit.

A short drive from this site is where some of the most surprising and exciting discoveries have been made, almost exclusively in the last 5-10 years. At this location is a partially dug out pit where you can see the stratified layers, which benefit from a color coded measurement [pictured] that dates the site to over 200,000 years of mostly continuous human presence and adaption to the landscape. The guide explained some of the new discoveries, which are being published so often now that the information on site has to be updated frequently. A lucky bonus for us, our guide was a passionate "birder" and he was well aware of an owl that frequents this site and soon we heard its …

The Chaukhandi Tombs lie on the outskirts of Karachi, at the end of a street in an industrial area where truckers park their vehicles in between trips. It’s a surprising location for an archaeological site, but it has a formal entrance gate, a local caretaker/guide and amenities such as toilets. There’s no entrance fee. The state of conservation has improved since the last review that we have available (from 2013): the tombs lie now in a neat park with flowering plants and walking paths marked by white stones. The decorated tombs look like they have been cleaned and certainly do not suffer from any vandalism such as graffiti – this is the result of renovations in 2020.  

About 1,500 of these sandstone tombs lie close together in a graveyard. It’s worth looking at them closely one by one, as the mostly geometric motifs used in the decoration vary greatly. There’s a somewhat Hindu/Indian feel about the site, which might be explained by the Hindu Rajput descendence of the (Muslim) Jokhio tribe who created the tombs.

Most are single tombs for individuals, some are family graves grouped on a platform and probably the richest family had their members buried in a kind of pavilion. You can also see tombs at the far end of the site, but the guide told us that they were not historical but recent ones and we could not go there.

Overall, it’s a site that definitely should be part of your Pakistan …

Site visited in May 2023, shortly after the fire that destroyed part of historic houses in the strict center of Banska Stiavnica. 

That was my second visit to Banska Stavnica (first was in 1993), so after 30 years I had a chance to see the results of devastating fire and overall changes of city look-out from the early nineties. I hardly recognized the city. In 1993 it was neglected with hardly no open restaurants, lots of buildings were scratched, some city palaces were just transferred to hotels / hostels and overall impression was somehow disappointing. Currently it is completely the opposite. Historic center is full of cafes, art galleries, boutique hotels. The majority of houses (with exception of few) are restored and well maintained. I also realized that world heritage status is accorded to quite substantial territory – not only historical Old Town of Banska Stiavnica but also surrounding villages (Svätý Anton, Banská Belá, Hodruša-Hámre, Vyhne). If you see the official map of inscribed property it is really a huge area.

As focus my visit on the places previously not visited or changed substantially I started from Calvary Hill. Not long ago this unique site due to decaying conditions was placed on list of the 100 most endangered monuments in the world (World Monuments Fund). From 2007 thanks to local efforts and international support process of comprehensive restoration was started and currently you can see the results. All chapels, churches are beautifully restored, everything is well prepared for …

After visiting the archaeological sites around Mleiha, I was not keen on searching out more of them in Al Ain, particularly since the sites in Al Ain range through various periods all the way to the Iron Age. So in fact there is some overlap, though the "Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud" inscribed components in Al Ain mostly come from an earlier period. I felt their story has some connection to each other, perhaps a "theme" providing a rich archaeological record of settlement in the UAE as a crossroads of trade and early adaption to the environment. Whereas I could access all the sites in Mleiha by an excellent tour, the sites in Al Ain primarily require taxi or rent a car, therefore I focused exclusively on the Oasis components.

How the 'Cultural Sites of Al Ain' world heritage site is organized was critiqued by ICOMOS:

"ICOMOS considers that the nominated elements form ensembles which are too disparate to be able to qualify the serial as having integrity. The landscapes associated with the seventeen components of the property are numerous, and of unequal meaning and integrity."

The six oasis components and all of the numerous historical sites within them are primarily from the early 19th century to the early 20th century. In my non-expert opinion, they should have been inscribed alone. The archaeological sites at the Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud areas which have tenuous connections to the oasis sites at best should have been inscribed separately …

The Monuments of Uch Sharif are on Pakistan’s Tentative List under the cumbersome name of ‘Tomb of Bibi Jawindi, Baha'al-Halim and Ustead and the Tomb and Mosque of Jalaluddin Bukhari’. They comprise a cluster of three stand-alone monumental tombs and a mosque-mausoleum in the town of Uch Sharif. They’re probably the most colourful sights you will encounter in Pakistan, and posting a photo of its iconic Bibi Jawindi tomb anywhere on social media will attract countless ‘likes’ from those who have never seen it.

Uch Sharif is considered the cradle of the ‘shrine worship culture’ that is still very present in today’s Pakistan. In the later Middle Ages, religious missionaries and scholars came from as far as Bukhara to Uch Sharif to convert local tribes to Islam. When they died, a tradition was started of veneration of their tombs and local people wanted to be buried close to them.

The four buildings of this ensemble stand together on a low hill adjacent to a river, which caused them severe flood damage in 1817. The compound has kept its original desert-like conditions and is mostly covered with small cemented graves.

The visit starts at the mosque, which already is a sight to behold. The ‘flat’ blue-tiled façade resembles those common in Uzbekistan, while the interior reminds of the Wooden Mosques of Anatolia, with painted wooden pillars ‘holding’ the roof. At the back is the entrance to the tomb of the 13th-century Sufi saint Jalaluddin Bukhari; he was …

If one spends enough time to carefully explore the area, there are many temples here that have been overgrown by strangling fig trees in ways that do not fail to charm any visitor. I visited Sambor Prei Kuk as a halfway stopover from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap via a rental car. The three clusters have all been well reviewed already, so what I can add here is about the Trapeang Ropeak temple complex west of Prasat Yeay Poen. Its temple Z is originally surrounded by four shrines forming a quincunx, of which only one of these ruined octagonal shrines stands (there are only 11 of these unique octagonal structures remaining, so its good for ticking off as much). The carvings on the temple are in relatively discernible state, and the vault is described to be irregular but is complete compared to most that have collapsed. A stone throw away is another octagonal temple named temple Y, and it is spectacularly taken over by a tree. In the afternoon light, these two temples are photogenic as there are no tree covers above them. I recommend making the swing here after seeing Group S as a way of capping off a visit. 

PS. Prasat Tao (Group C) is currently off limits due to conservation work, and no one can get near the famed lion statues. The same is the case for the main temple in Group S.  

After doing some research online (and trying to avoid dirt roads as much as possible), I decided to visit what seems like the most complete and representative location of the Dacian Fortresses, Sarmizegetusa Regia (a mouthful!).

The ancient Sarmizegetusa Regia, at an average altitude of 1,000 metres, is situated in Gradistea de Munte and the most straightforward way it can be reached is via the now fully paved main road DJ 705 A (still quite narrow and not ideal in very rainy conditions due to the risk of landslides) which ends at a small parking area and an 800 metre slightly uphill pedestrian road to the ticket office.

Sarmizegetusa Regia is truly the core of the Dacian fortification system in the Orastie Mountains and played a very important role as suggested by the sheer amount and size of the remains. Three main different areas with different functions have been identified: the fortress, the sacred zone and the civilian settlements. Starting from the first century BC, the terrain on this side of the Muncelu Mountains has suffered drastic changes, having as a result hundreds of man-made terraces surrounding mainly the temple area. The highly complex organisation of the territory, the various types of monumental architecture and the large number of inhabitants, stand in favour of Sarmizegetusa Regia as an important urban centre and the largest human settlement in the Dacian area. Its location as a capital of the kingdom was probably chosen for strategic, political, economic and spiritual reasons. …

So, is the first time that I am writing a review but I think it's worth it. I do not doubt the outstanding value that has included the tower of london in the world heritage list but I am really shocked by the price (33 pounds/38,70 euros as I am writing in december 2023) that is totally crazy! Moreover, the crown jewel exhibition was quite small, I really expected something more. Wouldn't repeat a second time! 

There are some WHS on the List where it is hard to imagine what they are about and what they look like before you visit it. For me that always has been the case with “Makli, Thatta”. What’s Makli and what’s Thatta? Well, Makli means “little Mekkah” and is the name of the site, while Thatta is the name of the city it belongs to. The site is usually described as a necropolis, but I believe it is not really about the number of burials. It stands out for its set of monumental tombs and mausolea created in different styles by local dignitaries, who wanted to be buried near the shrine for the Sufi scholar Shaikh Jamali.

Makli was already inscribed in 1981, which seems a little early as although it is a nice site to visit it can hardly be seen as globally influential in any way; it’s more the eclectic result of a local building tradition. There is little info to go on why exactly it was made a WHS. It went through a re-focus stage post-inscription (including a name change) as described here, as the earliest incarnation seemed to suggest that other monuments in the city of Thatta were inscribed too. But only Makli is.

The entrance fee, as at all other WHS in Sindh Province, nowadays is 3,000 rupees (about 10 USD) for foreigners. It’s a vast site, impossible to cover fully on foot, with alternating areas of little interest and eye-catching monumental …

In the dwindling chance Dubai Creek is inscribed, I will seek to plot out the best use of your time over 2 days. After visiting "Khor Dubai" I have to say, it certainly can be an enjoyable place to visit. Though for a World Heritage Traveller, I suspect the UAE's recent update to their tentative list might take up more of your time. 

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

This is the best neighborhood to walk around the narrow streets and stop for food or coffee at XVA Gallery or at the Arabian Tea House Restaurant & Cafe. Al Fahidi is the best preserved district in or around Dubai Creek that was mostly saved from complete demolition. I suppose if you want to see the difference between what is new and what is mostly old (late 19th, early 20th century), the OLD Al Fahidi district sits adjacent to the NEW Al Seef Promenade. Since Al Seef was completed in 2017 and has by some been labelled a "historical fraud" you can easily compare the historical district with its nearby imitation. The buildings in Al Seef are deliberately aged and the old wind towers tend to be taller and larger than the ones in the Al Fahidi district. I will not trash this 2017 development, because I would then be a hypocrite for having stayed in a hotel there (which was quiet comfortable and affordable). However, I will simply say Al Seef will hold little interest to most of our …

When you take the relatively short way from the centre of Paris to Saint-Denis you are not sure if you really went the right way. You are still very much in Paris but the quarter is rather poor and and as a caucasian north European you feel like a stranger among a largely arab crowd. Street vendors enhance the exotic feeling. When you stand in front of the building the doubts are not resolved: The asymmetrical facade with just one tower looks rather clumsy and unfinished despite the beautiful portals. The modern arge square in front does not help the impression. 

And what a difference once you enter: One of the most important buildings in European history with the first choir that resolved the walls into windows. When I visited the weather was cloudy and dark but you could still get an impression of the light effects. But I definitely have to return there once with sunshine. If you follow the history of the early gothic buildings this is the key monument and Abbé Suger its great and interesting hero. If you look closer you find that the whole area of the Île-de-France was a laboratory for a new style and it is pivotal to put it in the context of the other great churches that were build around the same time in the are: the church St-Martin-des-Champs in Downtown Paris, the Cathedral Saint-Étienne in Sens (strangely also with an asymmetrical facade), probably contemporary with St. Denis, and the …