Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero Profile

Cultural heritage worker and tourism consultant from the Philippines. Largely based in Paoay, Ilocos Norte which has its own UNESCO World Heritage Site (Paoay church - Baroque Churches of the Philippines). Writes for BusinessMirror & Asia Times, and teaches university courses on global tourism and world cultures. A member of ICOMOS.

Interests: Cultural Tourism, Cultural Thematic Studies, Heritage Site Management, Textile Collection & Curation, Philippine Gastronomy.  

Email: bjeg2000@gmail.com | Instagram: theberntraveler

The Philippines Last Update 11.05.25 195 WHS Visited 59 Reviews 195 WHS Rated 90 TWHS Visited

Visited Sites Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero

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Legend

  • ●● Cultural
  • ●● Natural
  • ●● Mixed

Recent Reviews Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero

Grand Canal

Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero The Philippines - 11-May-25

Grand Canal

During my visit in early 2014, I was not aware of the Grand Canal nomination despite it gaining inscription later that year. But visiting Suzhou and going out of the railway station already allows a fair glimpse into this massive engineering marvel deserving of many superlatives. The canal stretch fronting the railway station is already quite visually pleasing as it is backdropped by massive Pingmen Gate and a nearby smaller water gate; this section of old city wall was rebuilt in 2012. The old city's Ring Canal is part of the Suzhou Section of Jiangnan Canal, and true to its function it is still being used by far-reaching cargo boats and barges that are vital for commerce and transportation as well as by tourist boats that can go to the more popular scenic areas. 

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Varanasi (T)

Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero The Philippines - 12-Nov-24

Varanasi (T)

Varanasi deserves a place in the list and it surprises me that no one has reviewed it yet. Being one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, which remains to be a most central place of worship as the holiest place in Hinduism, its history and value to the world cannot be understated. It is also considered sacred in Buddhism and Jainism. Being historic is one thing, and being iconic is another -- the cityscape of Varanasi is easily one of the most recognizable. While it is easy to be critical about the site as to whether it is clean or not, the judgment, in my opinion, plays little to nothing to the cultural value it offers

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Wadden Sea

Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero The Philippines - 24-Oct-24

Wadden Sea

After visiting the lovely old town of Franeker for the Eisinga Planetarium, my friend and I went back to Leeuwarden to embark on what was probably the craziest bike ride I have done so far. In the end, we cycled nearly 50-kms in total -- yes, on the regular thin-wheeled Dutch bike one can rent out at the stations-- to get to Zwarte Haan and back. I'm not sure if there could have been buses to get us there and back, but we never encountered any on the way. Also, I found the bike journey across rural Friesland rather enjoyable, something I never experienced in the more modern corners of the country. The journey was probably even more memorable than the destination itself, which in this case was the Wadden Sea

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Domus de janas (T)

Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero The Philippines - 13-Oct-24

Domus de janas (T)

There seems to be an issue in the use of Domus de Janas in this nomination as some components are strictly not rock-hewn tombs. What Italy seems to be gunning for in this nomination is to represent a larger picture of pre-Nuragic cultures of Sardegna, which includes a natural cave considered as "The Cradle of Sardinian Man", structural constructions like altars and dolmens, and even stone tool workshops. If anything, the Domus de Janas are only the most representative monuments from a vast period before the Nuraghes started appearing on the island. I managed to see the Necropoli a Domus de Janas di Brodu (ca. 3,200BC) in Oniferi

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The Bhojeshwar Mahadev Temple (T)

Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero The Philippines - 08-Aug-24

The Bhojeshwar Mahadev Temple (T)

Bhojpur Temple, as it is commonly known, is situated between Bhopal and Bhimbetka Rock Shelter. I did not know about this site earlier, but it was recommended by my friend I was staying with in the regional capital. I took a bus from the latter and just mentioned that I wanted to alight in Bhojpur to see the "linggam temple". From where I was dropped off on the highway, I hired a tuktuk for a round trip with a waiting time of 45 mins to see the site. The main temple is really massive and can already be seen from afar. The complex is easy to explore (doable in 30 minutes) but there are fine details that really stand out and deserve closer inspection. The carvings from memory, for one, almost life-size, are visually what impressed me the most

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Profile Data

Name
Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero
Country
The Philippines
Ranking
359
Most Impressive
Hampi, Venice, Bauhaus, Namib Sand Sea, Angkor, Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
Proposal
Galleon Trade Route, San Sebastian Basilica Minore - Manila, Old Bangkok, South African Mission Stations

Recently Visited WHS

Update 11.05.25
  • Vatican City

    • 10 Best Missing

    1. Rapa Nui
    2. Galapagos Islands
    3. Yellowstone
    4. Machu Picchu
    5. Petra
    6. Victoria Falls
    7. Tikal National Park
    8. Serengeti
    9. Ilulissat Icefjord
    10. Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks

    11 Countries Complete

    Cambodia . Holy See . Laos . Lesotho . Morocco . Myanmar . Namibia . Singapore . Sri Lanka . United Arab Emirates . Viet Nam .

    Rating Stats
    Angkor 5
    Anuradhapura 5
    Bauhaus Sites 5
    Eisinga Planetarium 5
    Gunung Mulu 5
    Hampi 5
    Namib Sand Sea 5
    Polonnaruva 5
    Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple 5
    Rani-ki-Vav 5
    Sanchi 5
    Sigiriya 5
    Taj Mahal 5
    Twyfelfontein 5
    Ujung Kulon National Park 5
    Aachen Cathedral 4.5
    Bagan 4.5
    Baroque Churches 4.5
    Borobudur 4.5
    Chola Temples 4.5
    Ellora Caves 4.5
    Gyeongju 4.5
    Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago 4.5
    Hwaseong Fortress 4.5
    Old City of Jerusalem 4.5
    Pattadakal 4.5
    Persepolis 4.5
    Plain of Jars 4.5
    Preah Vihear Temple 4.5
    Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras 4.5
    Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries 4.5
    Venice and its Lagoon 4.5
    Verona 4.5
    Ayutthaya 4
    Bamberg 4
    Cape Floral Region 4
    Central Highlands 4
    Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus 4
    Citadel of the Ho Dynasty 4
    Classical Gardens of Suzhou 4
    Dolomites 4
    Great Himalayan National Park 4
    Hahoe and Yangdong 4
    Hoi An 4
    Jantar Mantar 4
    Mahabalipuram 4
    Maloti-Drakensberg Park 4
    Mapungubwe 4
    Medina of Fez 4
    Meknes 4
    Mining Cultural Landscape Erzgebirge 4
    Naumburg Cathedral 4
    Okavango Delta 4
    Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles 4
    Phu Phrabat 4
    Pilgrimage Church of Wies 4
    Prague 4
    Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River 4
    Qutb Minar 4
    Richtersveld 4
    Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka 4
    Rome 4
    Sambor Prei Kuk 4
    Shushtar 4
    Su Nuraxi di Barumini 4
    Tchogha Zanbil 4
    Trang An 4
    Tropical Rainforest Sumatra 4
    Vatican City 4
    Via Appia 4
    Vicenza and the Palladian Villas 4
    Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai 4
    Villa d'Este 4
    Wartburg Castle 4
    Würzburg Residence 4
    Yazd 4
    Agra Fort 3.5
    Ahmadabad 3.5
    Amsterdam Canal Ring 3.5
    Armenian Monastic Ensembles 3.5
    Champaner-Pavagadh 3.5
    Changdeokgung Palace Complex 3.5
    Fossil Hominid Sites 3.5
    Golestan Palace 3.5
    Haeinsa Temple 3.5
    Hill Forts of Rajasthan 3.5
    Holasovice 3.5
    Hué 3.5
    Kinderdijk 3.5
    Kutna Hora 3.5
    Mahabodhi Temple Complex 3.5
    Mantua and Sabbioneta 3.5
    Masada 3.5
    Masjed-e Jâme' 3.5
    Maulbronn Monastery 3.5
    Mazagan 3.5
    Medina of Essaouira 3.5
    Meidan Emam, Esfahan 3.5
    Messel Pit 3.5
    Mountain Railways of India 3.5
    My Son 3.5
    Phong Nha - Ke Bang 3.5
    Potsdam 3.5
    Prambanan 3.5
    Rabat 3.5
    Royal Joseon Tombs 3.5
    Safi al-Din Ensemble in Ardabil 3.5
    Speyer Cathedral 3.5
    Sukhothai 3.5
    Tabriz Bazaar 3.5
    The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier 3.5
    Vat Phou 3.5
    Venetian Works of Defence 3.5
    Vigan 3.5
    Volubilis 3.5
    Western Ghats 3.5
    iSimangaliso Wetland Park 3.5
    Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch 3
    Al Ain 3
    Bali Subak system 3
    Ban Chiang 3
    Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust 3
    Churches and Convents of Goa 3
    Classical Weimar 3
    Cologne Cathedral 3
    Elephanta Caves 3
    Fatehpur Sikri 3
    Frontiers of the Roman Empire 3
    Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen 3
    Grand Canal 3
    Jongmyo Shrine 3
    Kandy 3
    Keoladeo National Park 3
    Koh Ker 3
    Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou 3
    Lower German Limes 3
    Luang Prabang 3
    Macao 3
    Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt 3
    Medina of Marrakesh 3
    Medina of Tétouan 3
    Melaka and George Town 3
    Old Town of Galle 3
    Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage of Sawahlunto 3
    Persian Garden 3
    Red Fort 3
    Regensburg 3
    Robben Island 3
    Salzburg 3
    Singapore Botanic Gardens 3
    Susa 3
    The Persian Qanat 3
    Trans-Iranian Railway 3
    West Lake 3
    White City of Tel-Aviv 3
    Yogyakarta 3
    ǂKhomani Cultural Landscape 3
    Baekje Historic Areas 2.5
    Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains 2.5
    Berlin Modernism Housing Estates 2.5
    Bisotun 2.5
    Botanical Garden, Padua 2.5
    Dutch Water Defence Lines 2.5
    Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz 2.5
    Gaya Tumuli 2.5
    Humayun's Tomb 2.5
    Hyrcanian Forests 2.5
    Jaipur City, Rajasthan 2.5
    Jewish-Medieval heritage of Erfurt 2.5
    Kaeng Krachan Forest 2.5
    Kinabalu Park 2.5
    Lenggong Valley 2.5
    Luther Memorials 2.5
    Namhansanseong 2.5
    Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites 2.5
    Old City of Acre 2.5
    Pasargadae 2.5
    Persian Caravanserai 2.5
    Pyu Ancient Cities 2.5
    Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple 2.5
    ShUM Sites 2.5
    Si Thep 2.5
    Sinharaja Forest 2.5
    Van Nellefabriek 2.5
    Wadden Sea 2.5
    Bahá’i Holy Places 2
    Danube Limes 2
    Dong Phayayen 2
    Mount Carmel Caves 2
    Museumsinsel (Museum Island) 2
    Prehistoric Pile Dwellings 2
    Sangiran Early Man Site 2
    Thang Long 2
    Vredefort Dome 2
    Water Management System of Augsburg 1.5
    1. Aire du Dragonnier Ajgal (T)
    2. Alpine and pre-alpine meadow and marsh landscapes (T)
    3. Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath (T)
    4. Ancient cities of Upper Myanmar : Innwa, Amarapura, Sagaing, Mingun, Mandalay (T)
    5. Apo Reef Natural Park (T)
    6. Arasbaran Protected Area (T)
    7. Art and Architecture in the Prehistory of Sardinia. The domus de janas. (T)
    8. Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension) (T)
    9. Benguela Current Marine Ecosystem Sites (T)
    10. Brandberg National Monument Area (T)
    11. Caesarea (T)
    12. Capital Fortifications of Hanyang : Hangyangdoseong Capital City Wall, Bukhansanseong Mountain Fortress and Tangchundaeseong Defense Wall (T)
    13. Casablanca, Ville du XXème siécle, carrefour d'influences (T)
    14. Chocolate Hills Natural Monument (T)
    15. City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (T)
    16. Colonial Urban Plan and Fortifications of the Walled City of Manila (T)
    17. Coron Island Natural Biotic Area (T)
    18. Corregidor Island and Historic Fortifications of Manila Bay (T)
    19. Delhi - A Heritage City (T)
    20. Dreams in Stone - the palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee (T)
    21. El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area (T)
    22. Etosha Pan (T)
    23. Evolution of Temple Architecture - Aihole-Badami- Pattadakal (T)
    24. Fishriver Canyon (T)
    25. Former M-13 prison/ Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (former S-21)/ Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre (former Execution Site of S-21) (T)
    26. Gombak Selangor Quartz Ridge (T)
    27. Iconic Riverfront of the Historic City of Varanasi (T)
    28. Iconic Saree Weaving Clusters of India (T)
    29. Industrial Heritage of textile in the central Plateau of Iran (T)
    30. Jame' (Congregational) Mosque of Esfahan (T)
    31. Jerusalem (T)
    32. Kaboud Mosque (T)
    33. Kerman Historical-Cultural Structure (T)
    34. Khor Dubai (T)
    35. Khorramabad Valley (T)
    36. Le centre historique de Tétouan (T)
    37. Les Alpes de la Méditerranée (Italy) (T)
    38. Long-lived trees of Iran (T)
    39. Mattanchery Palace, Ernakulam, Kerala (T)
    40. Mayon Volcano Cultural Landscape (T)
    41. Monastery of St. Amenaprkich (New Julfa Vank) (T)
    42. Moulay Idriss Zerhoun (T)
    43. Mountain Railways of India (Extension) (T)
    44. Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park (T)
    45. Mt. Soraksan Nature Reserve (T)
    46. Nasqsh-e Rostam and Naqsh-e Rajab (T)
    47. Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park (T)
    48. Nuragic monuments of Sardinia (T)
    49. Olympic Park Munich (T)
    50. Parc naturel de Talassemtane (T)
    51. Persepolis and other relevant buildings (T)
    52. Prehistoric Sites of the Cagayan Valley Basin (T)
    53. Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (Extension) (T)
    54. Semarang Old Town (T)
    55. Serial Nomination of Maratha Military Architecture in Maharashtra (T)
    56. Serial Nomination of Tehrans Modern Architectural Heritage (T)
    57. Seruwila to Sri Pada (Sacred Foot Print Shrine), Ancient pilgrim route along the Mahaweli river in Sri Lanka (T)
    58. Shush (T)
    59. Shwedagon Pagoda on Singuttara Hill (T)
    60. Silk Road Sites in India (T)
    61. Silk Route (Also as Silk Road) (T)
    62. Sites of Saytagrah (T)
    63. Succulent Karoo Protected Areas (Namibia) (T)
    64. Sulcis Iglesiente (T)
    65. Sun Temple, Modhera and its adjoining monuments (T)
    66. Sungai Buloh Leprosarium (T)
    67. Tape Sialk (T)
    68. Taq-e Bostan (T)
    69. That Luang de Vientiane (T)
    70. The Andaman Sea Nature Reserves of Thailand (T)
    71. The Aniene valley and Villa Gregoriana in Tivoli (T)
    72. The Archeological complex of Banteay Chhmar (T)
    73. The Bhojeshwar Mahadev Temple, Bhojpur (T)
    74. The Collection of Historical Bridges (T)
    75. The Historic Towns and Landscape of Taal Volcano and its Caldera Lake (T)
    76. The Historical City of Maybod (T)
    77. The Historical Village of Abyaneh (T)
    78. The Historical-Cultural Axis of Fin, Sialk, Kashan (T)
    79. The Old Town of Jakarta (T)
    80. The Padang Civic Ensemble (T)
    81. The Persian House in Central plateau of Iran (T)
    82. The Sugar Cultural Landscape of Negros and Panay Islands (T)
    83. The Television Tower Stuttgart. Archetype and symbol of modern mass communication (T)
    84. The Zandiyeh Ensemble of Fars Province (T)
    85. University of Tehran (T)
    86. Vali-e Asr Street (T)
    87. Via Francigena in Italy (T)
    88. Welwitschia Plains (T)
    89. Wooden Monasteries of Konbaung Period : Ohn Don, Sala, Pakhangyi, Pakhannge, Legaing, Sagu, Shwe-Kyaung (Mandalay) (T)

    Reviewed TWHS