Zoë Sheng Profile

I'm Zoë. I'm originally from Edmonton, Canada and then moved to Vancouver Island although spent lots of time in China where family members still reside. I also spent a few years at boarding school in England where my trips started when my parents took me around the coastal paths and what later turned out to be world heritage sites which are considered my first "ticks". Since then I traveled a lot, studied part-time in Auckland, and my "skills" of efficiency and organized planning helps a lot - meaning that old towns tend to get an overnight stay to easily explore them while churches, tombs or cemeteries that only take an hour tops to visit are really just scheduled for a quick visit. I do sometimes regret not visiting a place longer but revisits are not out of the question. However, as I don't drink alcohol, party or require fancy nights out on the town it shortens activities in places too (if you enjoy doing this  then I'm happy for you just don't wonder why I get stuff done quicker). I also scuba dive frequently which I love the most in the world though I'm not a tec-diving nerd and keep it simple. No deco diving for me unless it's a special wreck.

Personally I'm very private. I ditched Facebook over a decade ago, Instagram I only lasted for a few months and even Whatsapp I tend to mainly use for staying in touch, contacting hotels and tour guides. I'm not anti-social and usually travel in a small group if it works out, although I do enjoy solo traveling more because nobody will screw up my planning. Anyone tagging along will know "it's her way or no way". I have met two people from our community although they didn't noticed it was me at the time. I also do not know the name of one of them but maybe I'll find out eventually. I also almost ran into the Aussie couple and their dog but I was stuck in the Peruvian mountains while they were partying (joke, or assumption?!) in Cuzco.

Since 2023 I started slowing down world heritage specific traveling mainly because I have just seen so many and so much already. I'd rather spend the time with friends and my marine buddies the sharks and dolphins than seek out a mediocre church or wine county, plus the list keeps growing with lackluster titles that hardly excite me, not that I try tick off tentative sites as I can anyway but outliers and crappy stuff far away from civilization isn't going to be fun to visit. At the time of writing I still need to visit 160 sites which doesn't seem like a lot but a few are impossible to visit, some require lengthy trips (30 days for one, two weeks for a few others) and can cost a huge sum of money. There are also those warring states that are currently off-limits (+Venezuela for security/embargo reasons). Having visited 150 UN listes countries these are still left with sites:

Afghanistan
Angola
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo, DR
Congo, Republic
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guinea
Haiti
Ivory Coast
Kiribati
Kyrgyzstan
Libya
Madagascar
Mali
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Niger
Nigeria
São Tomé and Príncipe
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Sudan
Syria
Togo
Turkmenistan
Venezuela
Yemen

For the rest of sites in countries I have been already:

  • Heard and McDonald Island - requires lengthy boat tour
  • Macquarie Island - cruise $$$
  • Khinalig, Azerbaijan - wasn't even tentative I think and it's quite far off the beaten track, next time I visit Azerbaijan it shall be done
  • Okavango Delta - didn't want to cram this as a 1½ day drive-by on my last Botswana trip; worth a lengthy visit for sure
  • Peninsula Valdez, thought hard about adding it int my Argentina trip but early February just wasn't good enough to guarantee Right whales and orcas and September just seems better to splurge the money
  • Brazil - trip upcoming so I'll update this soon
  • French Austral Lands and Seas - well, that's the one you join a ~30 day cargo ship trip that will visit it along the way, "fun"
  • Zagori Cultural Landscape, Greece - I drove through this, or past this, but I can't really count it I think. I also don't mind visiting Greece again. For now Europe stays incomplete
  • Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras - One could tick this by taking a boat around the coast to one of the villages inside the park but visiting this properly isn't easily accomplished - I don't think visiting the villages will give an insight into the heritage of the biosphere reserve at all
  • India - quite a few places but I feel I've already seen the best so I'm not urging myself to go back. Actually had a plan to tick all off in 2023 but the trip fell through and India keeps adding tentative sites so I can make the trip more worthwhile in the future
  • Jordan - my first trip was the main things and rest, probably "meh", would need another trip.
  • Mongolia - a few sites and a couple of these are HARD to visit as they are in the middle of nowhere.
  • Sub-Antarctic Islands, NZ - cruise
  • Te Wahipounamu, NZ south island - technically have been there but I want to hike for a week+ to count this visit
  • Russia is currently off-limits to me personally
  • Aldabra Atoll used to have a $$$ cruise but I think Covid killed it (literally) so the only way to visit is taking the cruise from Zanzibar that stops there on the way. Not super expensive and seeing that you get a cruise it's a nice vacay - if you are into that. Having already done Zanzibar and the Seychelles doesn't help me but maybe fun in a small group
  • Tajik National Park (& Tugay Forests) require a lengthy road trip best done by car from Osh - however, for the last few years the countries haven't seen eye to eye so they won't let rental cars from Kyrgyzstan cross over thus one would have to go from Dushanbe and that's a hefty additional mileage!
  • Gough and Inaccessible Islands - named "inaccessible" with reason
  • Henderson Island - you need special permission to visit although joining a charter trip would include it; however, they are rare and $$$
  • Tauric Chersonese - well, Crimea is now in "Russian" territory and not sure I'm even allowed to visit
  • Zimbabwe I have only visited Victoria Falls but definitely interested in exploring the rest!

Visited Sites Zoë Sheng

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Legend

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Recent Reviews Zoë Sheng


Kilifi Caves (Panga Ya Saidi, Mawe Meru and Chasimba Caves) (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 18-Jan-24

Kilifi Caves (Panga Ya Saidi, Mawe Meru and Chasimba Caves) (T)

I visited all three components although Mawe Meru appears to be just the black rocks on top of Chasimba Caves which is even marked so on the map. Also I don't see ANY cave. Maybe 70,000 years ago this was a cave system and has now been eroded to just have rocks. Both cave sites are taken care of by the local family (unofficially?) and they'll be happy to take you on a small tour. By tour it means you walk over sharp karst and maybe fall if you aren't careful - honestly this is so not recommended to visit. My advice is to save you some money (not that it cost a lot to tip them) and just take a picture of the wall rock as you drive past it

Read On

Le parc national de la Kibira (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 18-Jan-24

Le parc national de la Kibira (T)

A natural extension to Rwanda’s Nyungwe NP, boasting the same floral and fauna. That park has already got a great review so I won't bump it down with my scribblings. Instead I can focus on the Burundi side which is easier to reach than the loooong drive from Kigali.

I dropped my bag off in town and took a bus from COTEBU market to Bugarama. It's a single road so you can't do much wrong. Just ask the drivers for Bugarama and they'll advice you. My empty bus departed soon and took 90 minutes, costing me 10k francs

Read On

The Historic Town of Gedi (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 19-Jan-24

The Historic Town of Gedi (T)

Gedi is to be nominated very soon and I wouldn't be surprised if it slides through even though the visitor centers are all "Kenyan style" half built and then left forgotten. It can do without so just seeing the ruins is enough.

You arrive at the main gate where you can pick 3 tickets. If you are into snakes and butterflies stolen from the nearby forest then be my guest. They also guilt you into thinking you are supporting the local community this way. What you could do it hire a guide for the Gedi ruins alone. I chose not to because Gedi is like Angkor Wat and you explore overgrown ruins on your own. Zoe Croft was not going to miss out on this one!! (Don't want a sidekick for that!)

Read On

Tombs of Buganda Kings

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 18-Jan-24

Tombs of Buganda Kings

As of 2024 the main building is still under renovation. You arrive in the busy area of Kampala to be taken to a mandatory guide who explains mostly well until you get to the main building. I wasn't really impressed and I find 4 generations of kings hardly an impressive feat in the world. It is mildly interesting to hear how cultures works around here but no way would I recommend it. In fact after the first building, the drum building and the view from the large center one is taken around graveyards and SLUMS that are actually housing of the king's wives

Read On

Rwenzori Mountains

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 16-Jan-24

Rwenzori Mountains

I can't add much new to this site. I did even less hiking than Els doing only 4.75km to the first camp and then back to the main gate. It is easy to add this to any itinerary but not usually offered by your agencies by default as they don't expect tourists wanting to visit. The road from Kasese is long and rough though. You won't experience anything special on your hike as the exclusive flora is deep in the range which means a 7 day trek is required. It's mainly done by hardcore trekkers. The camps will be cold, no shower, tough hiking if it's raining. The best part of my journey was the scenery around me. Surrounded by lush forest butterflies, birds, a monkey here and there is good, but the peaks in the near distance make you believe this is Jurassic Park. No road, people in sight

Read On

Profile Data

Name
Zoë Sheng
Country
Chinese-Canadian
Most Impressive
Abu Simbel, Ilulissat Icefjord, Cocos Island
Proposal
Mariana Trench

Recently Visited WHS

Update 09.02.24
Rating Stats
Angkor 5
Petra 5
Potosi 5
Rome 5
Dolomites 4.5
Dubrovnik 4.5
Ephesus 4.5
Granada 4.5
Huanglong 4.5
Sintra 4.5
Ani 4
Bagan 4
Brugge 4
Cuzco 4
Hegra 4
Kotor 4
L'viv 4
Matera 4
Paphos 4
Prague 4
Sanchi 4
Timgad 4
Uluru 4
Verona 4
Agra Fort 3.5
Ashur 3.5
Avignon 3.5
Ayutthaya 3.5
Bordeaux 3.5
Butrint 3.5
Copán 3.5
Delos 3.5
Djémila 3.5
Ferrara 3.5
Garajonay 3.5
Gordion 3.5
Hiraizumi 3.5
Hué 3.5
Jeju 3.5
Koh Ker 3.5
Masada 3.5
Mérida 3.5
Nikko 3.5
Québec 3.5
Ravenna 3.5
Rhodes 3.5
Samarkand 3.5
Shark Bay 3.5
Siena 3.5
St. Kilda 3.5
Sucre 3.5
Taxila 3.5
Telc 3.5
Uxmal 3.5
Valletta 3.5
Vienna 3.5
Volubilis 3.5
Wadi Rum 3.5
Warsaw 3.5
Albi 3
Assisi 3
Avila 3
Belem 3
Corfu 3
Elvas 3
Hampi 3
Hoi An 3
Ivrea 3
My Son 3
Odesa 3
Oporto 3
Orange 3
Pienza 3
Pompei 3
Puebla 3
Riga 3
Split 3
Toledo 3
Urbino 3
Yazd 3
Anticosti 2.5
Byblos 2.5
Cuenca 2.5
Hatra 2.5
Hollókö 2.5
Kairouan 2.5
Kulangsu 2.5
Lyon 2.5
Lübeck 2.5
Mafra 2.5
Mtskheta 2.5
Nan Madol 2.5
Nancy 2.5
Naples 2.5
Nessebar 2.5
Nesvizh 2.5
Nice 2.5
Old Rauma 2.5
Palenque 2.5
Ping Yao 2.5
Potsdam 2.5
Quito 2.5
Reims 2.5
Røros 2.5
Salamanca 2.5
Salzburg 2.5
Syracuse 2.5
Tiwanaku 2.5
Torun 2.5
Trang An 2.5
Visby 2.5
Vlkolinec 2.5
Al Ain 2
Anjar 2
Arles 2
Corvey 2
Evora 2
Genoa 2
Goias 2
Graz 2
Kandy 2
Kondoa 2
Lima 2
Macao 2
Meknes 2
Modena 2
Mostar 2
Susa 2
Tipasa 2
Trebic 2
Trier 2
Trogir 2
Troy 2
Tyre 2
Vigan 2
Burgundy 1.5
Campeche 1.5
Champagne 1.5
Chavin 1.5
Hopewell 1.5
Ibiza 1.5
Jelling 1.5
Kaesong 1.5
Kernavė 1.5
Levuka 1.5
Maymand 1.5
Nalanda 1.5
Panamá 1.5
Rabat 1.5
Saltaire 1.5
Sarazm 1.5
Sheki 1.5
Surtsey 1.5
Tsodilo 1.5
Zacatecas 1.5
Qalhat 1
Abu Mena 0.5
Battir 0.5
Djerba 0.5
Kuk 0.5
Lumbini 0.5
Schokland 0.5
Yin Xu 0.5
  1. Tombs of Buganda Kings
  2. Rwenzori Mountains
  3. Fort Jesus
  4. Lamu Old Town
  5. Noel Kempff Mercado National Park
  6. Jodrell Bank Observatory
  7. Studley Royal Park
  8. Kondoa
  9. 'Uruq Bani Ma'arid
  10. Cold winter deserts of Turan
  11. Nahanni National Park
  12. SGang Gwaay
  13. Selous Game Reserve
  14. Stone Town of Zanzibar
  15. Ogasawara Islands
  16. Chitwan National Park
  17. Lorentz National Park
  18. Jodensavanne
  19. Maloti-Drakensberg Park
  20. Auschwitz Birkenau
  21. Hani Rice Terraces
  22. Walled City of Baku
  23. Los Katios National Park
  24. Tipasa
  25. Echmiatsin and Zvartnots
  26. Shiretoko
  27. Old Town of Lijiang
  28. Island of Mozambique
  29. Tubbataha Reefs
  30. Sítio Roberto Burle Marx
  31. Malpelo
  32. Caves of Maresha and Bet Guvrin
  33. Sarazm
  34. Cocos Island
  35. Central Amazon Conservation Complex
  36. Tadrart Acacus
  37. Carthage
  38. Dougga/Thugga
  39. Masada
  40. Djerba
  41. Tassili n'Ajjer
  42. M'Zab Valley
  43. Al Qal'a of Beni Hammad
  44. Ani
  45. Gordion
  46. Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia
  47. Arslantepe Mound
  48. Shark Bay
  49. Richtersveld
  50. Chongoni Rock Art
  51. Margravial Opera House
  52. Ningaloo Coast
  53. Silk Roads Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor
  54. Xinjiang Tianshan
  55. Stoclet House
  56. Quanzhou
  57. Willemstad
  58. Tak'alik Ab'aj
  59. Belize Barrier Reef
  60. Ruins of León Viejo
  61. Coiba National Park
  62. Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda
  63. Teotihuacan
  64. Archipiélago de Revillagigedo
  65. Chan Chan
  66. Sucre
  67. Odesa
  68. Tierradentro
  69. Eisinga Planetarium
  70. Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works
  71. ǂKhomani Cultural Landscape
  72. Talayotic Menorca
  73. Kakadu National Park
  74. Taxila
  75. Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China [Phase II]
  76. Himā Cultural area
  77. Northern Martinique
  78. Cordouan Lighthouse
  79. Chiribiquete National Park
  80. Vegaøyan
  81. Antigua Naval Dockyard
  82. Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple
  83. Mistaken Point
  84. Pimachiowin Aki
  85. Aasivissuit - Nipisat
  86. Ilulissat Icefjord
  87. Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands
  88. Paris, Banks of the Seine
  89. Funerary and memory sites of the First World War
  90. Fagus Factory
  91. Mount Wutai
  92. Lumbini
  93. Hegra
  94. Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine
  95. Koguryo Kingdom
  96. Safi al-Din Ensemble in Ardabil
  97. Susa
  98. Robben Island
  99. Fossil Hominid Sites
  100. Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains
  101. Hyrcanian Forests
  102. Takht-e Soleyman
  103. Ancient Thebes
  104. Lake Malawi
  105. Gonbad-e Qâbus
  106. Trans-Iranian Railway
  107. Abu Mena
  108. Maymand
  109. Pasargadae
  110. Qinghai Hoh Xil
  111. Rock Art in the Hail Region
  112. Qalhat
  113. Champaner-Pavagadh
  114. Persian Caravanserai
  115. Petra
  116. Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River
  117. Xidi and Hongcun
  118. Al-Ahsa Oasis
  119. Khangchendzonga National Park
  120. Nalanda
  121. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
  122. Chengjiang Fossil Site
  123. Alto Douro
  124. Hubei Shennongjia
  125. Struve Geodetic Arc
  126. Plain of Jars
  127. Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art
  128. Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region
  129. Chief Roi Mata's Domain
  130. Tr’ondëk-Klondike
  131. Gunung Mulu
  132. Liangzhu Archaeological Site
  133. Sigiriya
  134. Phong Nha - Ke Bang
  135. Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution
  136. First Coffee Plantations
  137. Yakushima
  138. Wood Buffalo National Park
  139. Danube Limes
  140. Papahanaumokuakea
  141. Mount Hamiguitan
  142. Gaya Tumuli
  143. Medina Azahara
  144. Amami-Oshima Island
  145. Kladruby nad Labem
  146. Žatec – Landscape of Hops
  147. Fanjingshan
  148. Okinoshima Island
  149. Mount Wuyi
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