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Determining how to visit Ujung Kulon was the most complex part of planning my trip to Indonesia in February 2023. In the weeks leading up to my departure, I contacted several tour operators in Carita and even Jakarta to inquire about their itineraries, availability and costs. I was looking for three-day, two-night tours that included Krakatau and the Ujung Kulon peninsula. Several companies answered me, but none with a price lower than 9 million Indonesian rupiahs per person, that is to say more than 800$ CAD, which was considerably higher than the price we were ready to spend for this excursion. It is finally by contacting Sunda Jaya Homestay on WhatsApp that we found the solution. We had to put Krakatau aside, but we could explore the park for three days, including snorkeling, hiking and wildlife viewing, for Rp 8 million for two people. This included a first night at the home stay, a second night on Peucang Island and a last night camping in the park.

But before you can enjoy the park, you must get there. We took a Grab (a local Uber) from downtown Jakarta to the Kalideres bus station, then a bus to Labuhan. From Labuhan, according to Lonely Planet, there is only one bus per day to Tamanjaya. It's a bit of a mystery to me how this part worked out, but I think our guest house had everything organized and the driver was waiting for us. Indeed, in Indonesia, the bus drivers wait …

The old stone houses of Kalopanagiotis crumbled down the hillside. Below, the bridge was out. I had to leave the car and gingerly inch across the span, trying not to focus on the gorge below. The monastery on the other side was deserted except for two black-clad and bearded priests. The younger greeted me with an unexpected Australian accent and ushered me into the darkness of the katholikon. Due to the lack of lighting and the netting that shrouded the interior to catch any errant flakes of paint peeling from the damp stonework it was hard to make out any details of the saints and Biblical scenes that coated the walls.

That was in 2006.

Revisiting this Easter, I was amazed at the change. Kalopanagiotis was now a chi-chi mountain resort where golf buggies carted guests through its zig-zagging streets to the spa and a shiny glass elevator joined the upper and lower sections of town. Cars trundled across the bridge, bringing crowds of visitors to the Agios Ioannis Lampadistis Monastery. There was even a conference of heritage professionals taking place in a meeting room above the monks’ cells. The interior of the monastery church was now beautifully restored and well-lit, enabling me to take in the details of the frescoes. From the entrance into the church there are essentially three naves running left to right. The first, the church of Agios Herakleidos dates from the 11th-12th centuries, the middle from 13th-14th century, and the furthest, the …

In 2023, I visited several components as part of a week-long road trip through Portugal. We started in Porto at the school of architecture (FAUP) and we continued the same day by car to Matosinhos for the two components there. A few days later, I visited the Expo Pavilion in Lisbon together with Samuel and Natasa.

The most memorable building of those I saw was the Piscina for its scenic location facing the Atlantic. The architecture of the sites felt fairly common and followed general modernist trends. Perhaps only an architect can spot the local sprinkle Alvaro Siza gave his buildings; I couldn't.

What I did spot were two egregious safety issues, akin to those reported by Ian. At FAUP, there was an inclined staircase without a rail on one side (see picture), so anyone walking straight would fall several meters. At the Piscina, there was a low-hanging concrete roof (<1.50m) where you could hit your head brutally. From Le Corbusier, I am used to Modernist buildings lacking in basic amenities (e.g. too few toilets in his Tokyo museum). I had not yet encountered an architect ignoring common sense regarding basic safety measures.

OUV

While I may appreciate its style and local importance, its limitations in terms of global impact raise concerns for me. These are not buildings that have sparked a global architectural movement (e.g., Bauhaus), but rather local interpretations of styles developed by earlier generations of architects. Making my point, Els refers to his …

I love Bunaken. I've been there twice, once when I was young and recently again as I dived at almost every Indonesian place there is to dive :) Bunaken is special. It's also easy to reach. You can fly in to Manado via Singapore which is really convenient, skipping Jakarta or Bali altogether and save soooo much time, and you can also go via Makassar if you really have to. My domestic connection was from the latter and it's quite easy to connect. Once you arrive in Manado you still have to reach the islands but don't fret it's really close by. The taxi trip to the pier is half an hour at the most (r100,000 max at 2023 rate) and the public ferries go once a day and cost only r50,000 and takes 30 minutes max. Those ferries are quite basic so you'll get wooden planks to sit on but since my last visit they do have windows to close off in case it rains. Previously you'd get wet if that happens. Most resorts will offer private picks up from the airport which is a little bit more expensive but saves you some trouble. They pick you up from the airport, get you on the private speedboat and you'll go directly to the resort. Some resorts are bit away from the main pier on Bunaken so it can be a hassle to walk although you can also get a pickup trike if you have a lot of luggage. Either …

The Umayyad dynasty was the 2nd Islamic dynasty, ruling from 661 to 750 AD. The dynasty was centred in Damascus, Syria, rather than Arabia. The Umayyad caliphs expanded their power throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe and Asia, becoming one of the most significant empires of their time. Hisham (724 to 743 AD) was one of the last Umayyad caliphs, and his reign saw the commissioning of some of the most impressive examples of Umayyad art and engineering, including Hisham's Palace in Jericho.

Hisham's Palace in Jericho is believed to have been a winter residence and features intricate mosaics, sophisticated hydraulic systems, and decorative frescoes. The palace was rediscovered by archaeologists in the early 20th century and has since undergone restoration, providing valuable insights into Umayyad culture. Today, the palace is open to visitors who can explore the ruins and appreciate the grandeur of Umayyad art and architecture.

One of the most remarkable features of Hisham's Palace is the "Tree of Life" mosaic, which is a symbol of spiritual growth and a testament to the cultural legacy of the Umayyad empire. The mosaic depicts a large tree with blooming flowers and birds perched on its branches, creating a stunning display of color and pattern. The other notable structure is a large stone rosette with a circular carving and intricate geometric and floral motifs. It is believed to be an authentic Umayyad-era element and is considered a significant example of Islamic art and architecture, symbolizing …

I often find natural sites to be a bit tricky to visit, especially when they're as large as Sian Ka'an (about the size of the US state of Delaware), have very few roads/trails, and have a range of different ecosystems.

Sian Ka'an is no different, and it does present some difficulties - which is unfortunate because I think it's actually a very important and interesting site, with a reef, other marines areas, dunes along the coast, mangroves, lagoons, forests, and savannahs. It's also home to an impressive collection of animal species, including some that are very uncommon in other parts of the country.

With very few access points, most tourists head for the easy way to see Sian Ka'an, which is from Muyil. There are daily tours there from Tulum or you can easily get there yourself by car or public transport. At Muyil, there are the ruins of a small Mayan settlement and some boardwalks through the forest (including a watchtower you can climb up). The main attraction here are the boat tours, which travel across the lagoons and through canals that connect them, cut through the land by the Mayans centuries ago. Most of the boat tours also offer an experience where they drop you at the start of one of the canals and you float down (probably with a life jacket around your waist to make it even easier.)

I actually really enjoyed the boat tour - and the floating in the canal in …

I was surprised how much I enjoyed Vicenza. We only had the briefest of visits, stopping off the train from Padua back to Verona after a day trip. So we only had a little over an hour between trains at the end of the day. But with a brisk walk into the town center and back, and a little wandering around, we were able to see exteriors of some of Palladio's buildings, as well as a few impressive non-Palladian palazzos along the way. The Palladian buildings we definitely got to see included the Porto Palace, the Palladio Museum, Palazzo Pojana, the Loggia del Capitaniato (photo), and the Basilica Palladiano. We thought we did pretty well with our treasure hunt for Palladian villas in our limited time (and no real map or anything to guide us -- we weren't really very prepared). In the end, we were happy that we had been motivated to stop off here by its WHS status and get a brief glimpse of the city and Palladio's work.

As previous reviewers have written: As a non-diver, it is difficult to visit and appreciate this WHS. If you are a snorkeller and want to visit the core zone, you can either stay in San Pedro or Caye Caulker and book a long and expensive tour that is more geared towards divers. Or you book a stay in an expensive resort on one of the more remote islands.

What to do? After some research I decided to stay on Tobacco Caye. Tobacco Caye is a small island (and small really means small, the island is the size of two soccer fields) that lies within the South Water Caye Marine Reserve and thus the WHS. The island is permanently inhabited and has several basic accommodations. Most importantly, Tobacco Caye is right on the barrier reef and you can snorkel from shore.

I was there for three nights. Other tourists stayed for weeks. The island itself is not a resort or a paradise: Garbage is an issue, and generators disturb the idyll. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my stay. The snorkelling is very good as the reef seems healthy. There are night snorkelling tours offered (recommended) and if enough tourists get together, you can also rent a boat for a tour to the neighbouring islands.

Boats for Tobacco Caye leave in the morning from Dangriga (the ride takes about 30 minutes). It is best to organize your place on a boat through your accommodation. I can't recommend Dangriga itself and would …

A well-reviewed city such as Edinburgh hardly needs additional adverts, so I will primarily add my voice to the general admiration that it produces from everyone who visits. I've been to Edinburgh several times over the last decade, most recently in March 2023, and my affection for it grows with each visit.

Despite its hilly topology, Edinburgh is a very walkable town, and major monuments and points of interest are practically all within walking distance from each other. Soaring monuments and church spires pop up in perspectives every few hundred steps or so. Sweeping panoramas open up from places such as the walls of the Castle, Calton Hill, Arthur's Seat (one single point of interest that requires a true hike to get to), or from rooftop terraces such as the one at the National Museum of Scotland. The numerous closes around the Royal Mile are the opposite of wide-open spaces and quite fun to walk through and linger at - hardly anything else anywhere gives you a similar feeling of seeing the "insides" of the city.

The color palette of Edinburgh's Old Town is rather muted, even on the sunniest of days, despite many architectural standouts throughout the town. Nonetheless, splashes of color are found in many quarters, most notably on Victoria Street or Cockburn Street. The New Town is brighter by design, with plenty of architectural standouts of its own.

Of the main attractions, Holyroodhouse Palace and Edinburgh Castle are each worth a visit. If you …

Turkey has a good track record in nominating ancient sites with noteworthy remains still in situ. The more complete ones concern relatively late (20th century) and careful excavations deep in Anatolia. Gordion (nominated for 2023) is another example: it was the capital and cultural center of the Phrygian civilization. The Phrygians had come to Anatolia from what is now Bulgaria and Greece.

First: what have the Phrygians ever done for us? It would be overstating to say that they were an influential tribe: after a flowering period in the 8th century BC when they ruled over large parts of Anatolia, they were overrun by the Lydians, Persians, Alexander the Great, Celts and Romans. Still, there are two terms in modern English that remember them: the Gordian Knot and the Midas touch.

The site of Gordion lies deep in the countryside, in what looks like an impoverished area. While driving up there I noticed dozens of people poking around in the fields with sticks – were they looking for bird eggs or mushrooms?

The archaeological site doesn’t seem to draw many visitors, I only encountered three other cars on Saturday morning. The area that is open to visitors consists of the museum, the Midas Mount across the street and the remains of the citadel on the other side of town. The entrance fee for the museum/mount combination still is a modest 40 TL, and there is none at the ruins.

The museum is small and already ageing, …

I was really dazzled by the frescoes of Padua. And I went on a Monday. Don't go on a Monday if you can avoid it -- several attractions are closed. But it was the only day that fit into our schedule. Still, we got to go in the Scrovegni Chapel, Saint Anthony, and the Baptistry. Around town, we were able to enjoy the small market at the Prato, peek through the gates of the closed botanical garden, and eat lunch in the shadow of the Palazzo della Ragione. The highlight was certainly the magnificent Scrovegni. I really appreciated the introduction provided by the video you watch just prior to your turn entering the chapel itself. The Scrovegni frescoes are probably only surpassed by the Sistine Chapel and while at the Scrovegni, I liked to imagine Michaelangelo being inspired by this art. Of course the Baptistry was also very impressive -- the details of the biblical scenes coating its walls and ceiling were amazing and the audio commentary describes it all nicely.

We visited as a day trip by train from Verona, and this worked out very well. We even stopped off for a quick walk through Vicenza on the way back to Verona. We had bought our Urbs Picta pass online, and we made use of the fact that it included a tram pass to get across the city. All-in-all, it was a very delightful day and we were extremely pleased that we chose to visit. I wouldn't have …

Íznik is Turkey’s nomination for 2024. It rose quite quickly among the 84 candidates, apparently using Bursa’s experience (it lies in the same province) to create a complete nomination dossier in a short time. Or, as others say, because it has an AKP mayor (no shortage of Erdogan banners in its streets anyway in late April 2023). With 2025 looking set for Izmir, the Turks in the short term seem to prefer the easy nominations backed by city tourism money and less so the more complex (in funding, in selection) thematic serial sites that also linger on the Tentative List.

There isn’t a really strong focus in Íznik’s proposed OUV. Probably they are going for another ‘multi-layered’ approach (as did Pergamon), presenting historical continuity from prehistory til the Ottoman Empire. Nevertheless, there are 4 specific topics mentioned: the production of ceramic tiles, Byzantine-Ottoman architecture, the town’s interaction with the lake, and its role in the history of Christianity.

Íznik nowadays has 22,000 inhabitants and a bustling, pedestrian-friendly town center. I started with exploring its ceramic tile history, as I recently in Kuala Lumpur’s Islamic Arts Museum saw some fine examples of Iznik tiles. Look for ‘Çini fırınları’ on Google Maps and you will arrive at the archaeological site where they are excavating Iznik's kilns. You have to watch it from behind a fence, but the areas are labelled with signs big enough to get the idea of what you’re looking at (“ceramic waste”, “kiln fireplace”, “water well”). The …

It seems the tradition of growing vine and making wine around Negotin, a small town in the East of Serbia bordering Bulgaria and Romania, dates back from Roman times. This led to the development of wine cellars, but mots of these settlements are now lost or were destroyed. The most remarkable of the few remaining ones (from 19th and 20th centuries) is in Rajac – a village which gives its name to one of the Serbian wines. We made a stop there in summer 2022.

The wine cellars, or “Pivnice”, form a distinct, geographically separated settlement : the village is in the valley from where a small winding road leads to the cellars on top of the hill, overlooking the valley. When arriving, you would believe to have reached the next village but actually all the buildings are wine cellars only. They have square or rectangular plan, with one level only (although a handful for them have two levels), partly dug into the ground, probably to keep a more stable temperature inside, which is best for wine storage. Wine is still made here and can be tasted and purchased in a few of them. From the heat and sun outside, a few seconds were needed to adapt to the rather dark, tempered cellars when going in, and to safely walk down the few steps. Whether you like or dislike a food or a wine is a very personal thing as usual ; these wines were quite unusual and pleasant. …

It would be easy to dismiss Modena Cathedral as just 'another European church' on the World Heritage List, but I actually found it to be very interesting. It's the fusion of art and architecture that makes it stand out from many of the others - particularly the way the original sculptures are incorporated into the fundamental design of the cathedral, with the ones added later inspired by the same ethos.

Obviously the cathedral is small but there are a lot of details to take in. It's not about the grandness of the site so its size should not matter. In fact, it's the smaller and more intricate features that are the most impressive, particularly the pontile with its carving of the Last Supper.

In hindsight, I made a mistake by not going equipped with a list of the church's artistic treasures because it was only later, when I was writing an article about the site, that I realised I had missed a couple of important ones. When it's these artworks (and how they blend with the architecture) that are the most interesting thing about the cathedral, it's a shame not to see them all.

Modena itself is a lovely town, and it's easy to spend the day doing a balsamic vinegar tasting, seeing a few of the other historic sights, and even visiting the Enzo Ferrari Museum. Although I did it as a day trip from Bologna, you could happily spend the night here or use it …

We managed to visit three of the four caves proposed under the name “Neanderthal fossil caves in Wallonia” in April 2023 : Spy, Scladina and Goyet.

Spy cave was already reviewed : as mentioned, this is more a shelter than a cave. It is well sign-posted from the car park and can be accessed at any time following a pleasant and easy walk in a wood. On that Sunday morning, the other people we met were doing some exercise or just enjoying the sunshine, and the cave could easily be missed or overlooked. There is nothing left from Neanderthal, just a plaque remembering those who discovered pieces of skeleton here (the famous “Homme de Spy” was found in 1886). We did not visit the nearby museum : its limited opening time did not fit well with our agenda.

Scladina (see picture) was by far the most interesting of the three caves, in my opinion, for still being an active archaeological site. Tours are by pre-booking only (25 people maximum per group) and usually operate on Sundays – and on some bank holidays : one tour in the morning in Dutch, one tour in the afternoon (at 2 pm) in French ; we joined the latter, with twelve other visitors. Check the website for detailed agenda and booking. You pay only upon arrival (cash or credit card). The tour was guided by a Scientist who was very nice and was able to explain her work with simple words, so …

Thanks to the sharing of information in this community I approached Fundación Sewell in Rancagua to organise a tour. They started again after the pandemic in the beginning of 2023 with a visit roughly each weekend. I approached Angélica who was a very helpful contact and also our tourguide. The tour is in Spanish and costs 33.000 CLP, but luckily a friendly Britisch visitor translated a bit for me and other non- Spanish speakers plus Angélica explained a bit with her German skills. You can not visit Sewell on your own as CODELCO doesn't allow it and it's their territory! I took a bus at 7 in the morning from Santiago to Rancagua and returned with a bus at 5 p.m. to Santiago.

The ride to Sewell from Rancagua is already a highlight in itself. After crossing the checkpoint from CODELCO, the national copper company, there are great views of the huge copper mine La Tenienda and its industrial sites along the road. Especially because it's not possible to visit the huge Chuquicamata mine further north anymore it was interesting to get an idea where huge amounts of copper are coming from.

The tour starts after approaching Sewell Mining Town more or less at the end of road. Already before explainations in Spanish during the ride are delivered in the bus. I have to say that I got a bit of a headache with the 2000m + elevation that we passed by in the morning despite drinking a …

My daughter and I really enjoyed our visit to El Imposible in January 2023 and we had a really good hike here. We were driven up the same terrible access road that Els described, and I think we went to the same ranger station/mirador for the start of our hike. However, we hiked all the way down to the bottom of the gorge to the confluence of two rivers. After some fun exploration along the boulders and streams and swimming in the little pools there to cool off, we of course had to hike back up, about 7 miles round trip. A sign at the top says you're at 780 meters above sea level, so it was maybe 500 meters elevation change? The forest was enjoyable and we had a good local guide for the interpretive plant trail that was pretty interesting. But it is far from virgin forest as most of the area where we hiked used to be a coffee plantation, we were told. This seemed to be a pretty standard tour for El Imposible, but I was disappointed that our tour didn't even include the "impossible" bridge that the park is named after. I think there are many other hikes you could do, and I think there might be adrenaline sport activities inside the park boundaries in other spots. I don't think the part of the park that we saw was really WHS worthy, but maybe other parts are better. Our tour guide (who we'd used for …

You may have seen my previous review but after my second, much longer visit I am not negative about it's chances to be WHS and while I don't think feel it is unique enough to be added I certainly don't mind if it does. I seriously doubt it will be ever get inscribed though.

So from the four islands you will only be on Tomia no matter what resort you stay. Previously I thought you can only stay at the Wakatobi Resort which is a five star luxurious dive/snorkel retreat and very pricey at that, but you can potentially stay with local guest houses and dive with a local operator. However, that means you will need to fly in via domestic flights that requires at least 3 legs from Bali or Jakarta plus another boat ride across to the final island. Think 30h easy, potentially more, and that's only for getting here. In all honesty you do yourself a disfavor to save a buck and if you are really desperate to get to Wakatobi on a smaller budget and have lots of time then be prepared for some disappointments. So you did the smart thing and went with the resort option that includes a private charter from Bali. 3h later you will arrive, get transported to a small ferry to the adjacent island (still Tomia) where the resort is. The max guests are just over 100.

So before I away from the resort and without reviewing it directly …

On first glance, it may appear like there's not much to see at Jongmyo Shrine. Its main raison d'être is to hold the spirit tablets of the Joseon kings and queens - but these are all hidden away in spirit chambers in the main buildings where no tourists will ever see them. On top of that, the architecture is much more muted than the nearby royal palaces, so it's less of a spectacle. And, at the time of my visit, the main hall (Jeongjeon) was covered by hoardings while it undergoes a five-year renovation (due to finish in 2025).

However, as I learned more about the story of the shrine, I gained a new appreciation for its heritage and how it plays a part in Korean culture. As the guide described it, Jongmyo Shrine is "a symbol of the Korean people’s thought". The Confucian principles at the shrine's core are quite interesting and seeing a place where they are put into action is part of exploring the country's guiding philosophy.

There's also something quite beautiful about the architecture once you accept that is is deliberately less flashy, presenting a more respectful design for a place that honours the dead. The landscaping of the parklands in the shrine creates a tranquil setting away from the bustle of the city.

If you visit on a weekend, you can wander around at your own pace. On a weekday, you need to take a tour, which lasts for about an hour …

The city of Valparaíso is a very ambivalent city that got poorer and poorer over time. I find the UNESCO inscription a bit difficult to evaluate as the site is mainly the old port area which was one of the richest districts of South America from the 1850s till 1914 and is since then declining (heavily). So parts of the inscription are old, chic houses that formerly were home to rich people and now are home to poor people and that are partially quite rotten. Nevertheless I enjoy Valparaíso as a city a lot. The street art is excellent and fascinating and with it comes an alternative scene culture that I missed a bit after travelling through Patagonia. Also as a Hamburger I love cities with a port which Valparaíso has and is famous for and which can be nicely viewed from e.g. La Sebastiana, one of Pablo Nerudas houses. The inscribed hills (which means in Valparaíso neighbourhoods) Alegre and Concepción are full of street art and also today touristy and nice to walk through. However the Barrio Puerto which is also inscribed is now a poor neighbourhood with Calle Serrano and Plaza Echaurren. Locals will warn you as Gringo not to run through here. However we took a tour and the guides said that they will warn you mainly because they're embarassed by the apperance of the borough. The naval museum is full of history and weapons and is to my opinion way too nationalistic and uncritical but that's …