Tucked deep within the Bukit Barisan mountains, Sawahlunto may not ring a bell to many, but it is a city that is well worth a visit. The two-hour drive from …
Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero
Philippines \ Member since May 2012
#273 204 81 9
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
My most impressive site: Hampi, Venice, Bauhaus, Namib Sand Sea, Angkor, Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras
My proposal for a new site: Galleon Trade Route, San Sebastian Basilica Minore - Manila, Old Bangkok, South African Mission Stations
Recent Visits
-
10July 12, 2025FRIM Selangor
-
30June 10, 2025Fujian Tulou, Kulangsu, Quanzhou
-
10Oct. 22, 2024Vatican City
Top 10 Missing
About Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero
- Member since
- May 2012
- Country of Origin
- Philippines
Visits
- Rank
- #273
- WHS
- 204
- Tentative Sites
- 81
Website Participation
- Reviews
- 61
-
Ratings
Ratings
World Heritage Sites
- Taj Mahal 5.0
- Namib Sand Sea 5.0
- Gunung Mulu 5.0
- Rani-ki-Vav 5.0
- Anuradhapura 5.0
- Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple 5.0
- Hampi 5.0
- Polonnaruva 5.0
- Sigiriya 5.0
- Bauhaus Sites 5.0
- Angkor 5.0
- Eisinga Planetarium 5.0
- Sanchi 5.0
- Ujung Kulon National Park 5.0
- Twyfelfontein 5.0
- Quanzhou 4.5
- Persepolis 4.5
- Borobudur 4.5
- Ellora Caves 4.5
- Aachen Cathedral 4.5
- Gyeongju 4.5
- Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago 4.5
- Plain of Jars 4.5
- Verona 4.5
- Pattadakal 4.5
- Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries 4.5
- Preah Vihear Temple 4.5
- Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras 4.5
- Venice and its Lagoon 4.5
- Baroque Churches 4.5
- Hwaseong Fortress 4.5
- Bagan 4.5
- Chola Temples 4.5
- Old City of Jerusalem 4.5
- Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai 4.0
- Sambor Prei Kuk 4.0
- Yazd 4.0
- Citadel of the Ho Dynasty 4.0
- Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka 4.0
- Mining Cultural Landscape Erzgebirge 4.0
- Richtersveld 4.0
- Würzburg Residence 4.0
- Mapungubwe 4.0
- Dolomites 4.0
- Hahoe and Yangdong 4.0
- Via Appia 4.0
- Tchogha Zanbil 4.0
- Phu Phrabat 4.0
- Ayutthaya 4.0
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus 4.0
- Prague 4.0
- Mahabalipuram 4.0
- Medina of Fez 4.0
- Meknes 4.0
- Cape Floral Region 4.0
- Tropical Rainforest Sumatra 4.0
- Su Nuraxi di Barumini 4.0
- Rome 4.0
- Great Himalayan National Park 4.0
- Maloti-Drakensberg Park 4.0
- Trang An 4.0
- Shushtar 4.0
- Naumburg Cathedral 4.0
- Wartburg Castle 4.0
- Okavango Delta 4.0
- Classical Gardens of Suzhou 4.0
- Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles 4.0
- Vatican City 4.0
- Central Highlands 4.0
- Vicenza and the Palladian Villas 4.0
- Jantar Mantar 4.0
- Hoi An 4.0
- Qutb Minar 4.0
- Villa d'Este 4.0
- Pilgrimage Church of Wies 4.0
- Bamberg 4.0
- Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River 4.0
- Fujian Tulou 3.5
- iSimangaliso Wetland Park – Maputo NP 3.5
- Mahabodhi Temple Complex 3.5
- Potsdam 3.5
- Fossil Hominid Sites 3.5
- Mazagan 3.5
- Royal Joseon Tombs 3.5
- The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier 3.5
- Rabat 3.5
- Volubilis 3.5
- Medina of Essaouira 3.5
- Amsterdam Canal Ring 3.5
- Safi al-Din Ensemble in Ardabil 3.5
- Haeinsa Temple 3.5
- Western Ghats 3.5
- Champaner-Pavagadh 3.5
- Vigan 3.5
- Ahmadabad 3.5
- Mountain Railways of India 3.5
- Venetian Works of Defence 3.5
- Phong Nha - Ke Bang 3.5
- Tabriz Bazaar 3.5
- Masjed-e Jâme' 3.5
- Mantua and Sabbioneta 3.5
- Meidan Emam, Esfahan 3.5
- Golestan Palace 3.5
- My Son 3.5
- Masada 3.5
- Speyer Cathedral 3.5
- Messel Pit 3.5
- Prambanan 3.5
- Sukhothai 3.5
- Hué 3.5
- Kinderdijk 3.5
- Agra Fort 3.5
- Hill Forts of Rajasthan 3.5
- Vat Phou 3.5
- Armenian Monastic Ensembles 3.5
- Changdeokgung Palace Complex 3.5
- Holasovice 3.5
- Kutna Hora 3.5
- Maulbronn Monastery 3.5
- Kulangsu 3.0
- Susa 3.0
- Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen 3.0
- The Persian Qanat 3.0
- Robben Island 3.0
- Churches and Convents of Goa 3.0
- Keoladeo National Park 3.0
- White City of Tel-Aviv 3.0
- Old Town of Galle 3.0
- Red Fort 3.0
- Bali Subak system 3.0
- Elephanta Caves 3.0
- Kandy 3.0
- West Lake 3.0
- Fatehpur Sikri 3.0
- Classical Weimar 3.0
- Grand Canal 3.0
- Jongmyo Shrine 3.0
- Melaka and George Town 3.0
- Singapore Botanic Gardens 3.0
- Regensburg 3.0
- Macao 3.0
- Frontiers of the Roman Empire 3.0
- Salzburg 3.0
- Trans-Iranian Railway 3.0
- Ban Chiang 3.0
- Ksar of Aït Ben Haddou 3.0
- Medina of Marrakesh 3.0
- Luang Prabang 3.0
- ǂKhomani Cultural Landscape 3.0
- Yogyakarta 3.0
- Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage of Sawahlunto 3.0
- Koh Ker 3.0
- Medina of Tétouan 3.0
- Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust 3.0
- Cologne Cathedral 3.0
- Lower German Limes 3.0
- Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch 3.0
- Al Ain 3.0
- Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt 3.0
- Persian Garden 3.0
- Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple 2.5
- Pasargadae 2.5
- Gaya Tumuli 2.5
- Jewish-Medieval heritage of Erfurt 2.5
- Persian Caravanserai 2.5
- Si Thep 2.5
- Pyu Ancient Cities 2.5
- Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains 2.5
- Baekje Historic Areas 2.5
- Kaeng Krachan Forest 2.5
- Bisotun 2.5
- Berlin Modernism Housing Estates 2.5
- Jaipur City, Rajasthan 2.5
- Lenggong Valley 2.5
- Wadden Sea 2.5
- Dutch Water Defence Lines 2.5
- Van Nellefabriek 2.5
- Humayun's Tomb 2.5
- Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz 2.5
- Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites 2.5
- Luther Memorials 2.5
- Namhansanseong 2.5
- ShUM Sites 2.5
- Old City of Acre 2.5
- Kinabalu Park 2.5
- Botanical Garden, Padua 2.5
- Hyrcanian Forests 2.5
- Sinharaja Forest 2.5
- Museumsinsel (Museum Island) 2.0
- Thang Long 2.0
- Mount Carmel Caves 2.0
- Dong Phayayen - Khao Yai 2.0
- Vredefort Dome 2.0
- Bahá’i Holy Places 2.0
- Danube Limes 2.0
- Prehistoric Pile Dwellings 2.0
- Sangiran Early Man Site 2.0
- Water Management System of Augsburg 1.5
Tentative Sites
- The Historical Village of Abyaneh
- Nasqsh-e Rostam and Naqsh-e Rajab
- Silk Road Sites in India
- The Persian House in Central plateau of Iran
- Long-lived trees of Iran
- Etosha Pan
- Welwitschia Plains
- Caesarea
- Iconic Saree Weaving Clusters of India
- Industrial Heritage of textile
- Andaman Sea Nature Reserves of Thailand
- Aire du Dragonnier Ajgal
- Casablanca
- Capital Fortifications of Hanyang
- The Archeological complex of Banteay Chhmar
- Olympic Park Munich
- Nuragic monuments of Sardinia
- Sulcis Iglesiente
- Shwedagon Pagoda
- Sites of Saytagrah, India's non-violent freedom mo
- Aihole-Badami- Pattadakal
- Mayon Volcano Cultural Landscape
- Fishriver Canyon
- Mountain Railways of India (Extension)
- The Historical-Cultural Axis of Fin, Sialk, Kashan
- Tape Sialk
- Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension)
- Persepolis and other relevant buildings
- Apo Reef Natural Park
- Brandberg National Monument
- Old Town of Jakarta
- Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park
- Benguela Current
- Monastery of St. Amenaprkich
- Chocolate Hills Natural Monument
- Coron Island Natural Biotic Area
- Succulent Karoo (Namibia)
- Delhi - A Heritage City
- Shush
- Arasbaran
- The Historical City of Maybod
- El Nido-Taytay Protected Area
- The Zandiyeh Ensemble
- University of Tehran
- Kerman
- Tehrans Modern Architectural Heritage
- Mattanchery Palace
- Walled City of Manila
- The Collection of Historical Bridges
- Alpine and pre-alpine meadows
- Kaboud Mosque
- Gombak Selangor Quartz Ridge
- Semarang Old Town
- Les Alpes de la Méditerranée (Italy)
- Corregidor Island and Fortifications of Manila Bay
- Taq-e Bostan
- 198 56
- Locations
- 0
- Zones
- 0
Reviews by Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero
Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage … (Inscribed)
Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage of Sawahlunto
Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites (Inscribed)
Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites
From what is written on what is available online regarding its nomination, South Africa did a good job with site selection and which crucial stages in the history of the …
Plain of Jars (Inscribed)
Plain of Jars
- I first read about the Plain of Jars when I was 15 years old and its mystery and allure have never left me since. It then took me 20 …
Phu Phrabat (Inscribed)
Phu Phrabat
Phu Phra Bat (PPB) is an exemplary multi-layered cultural landscape set on a plateau rising up to 150 meters above the floor plain, and would make a great addition to …
Kaeng Krachan Forest (Inscribed)
Kaeng Krachan Forest
As the previous two reviews focused on Kaeng Krachan NP, I'm sharing here my experience in visiting Kui Buri NP last March 10, 2022.
My friend and I stayed …
Shushtar (Inscribed)
Shushtar
After the rather lifeless sites of Susa and Tchogah Zanbil which we explored under the scorching summer heat of 2017, Shushtar's watermills and waterfalls delivered a most refreshing sight. No …
Old Town of Jakarta (On tentative list)
Old Town of Jakarta
For the simple reason that Macao and Melaka were able to get into the list seemingly smoothly (and it's really a mystery how they got in, especially if we apply …
Prehistoric Pile Dwellings (Inscribed)
Prehistoric Pile Dwellings
The day we visited Augsburg and Roseninsel might be the least impressive leg of my World Heritage Site hunting in Europe in 2019. Augsburg kept me wondering how the monuments …
Fatehpur Sikri (Inscribed)
Fatehpur Sikri
I arrived at Fetehpur Sikri at 7am, way too early that I had to wait for the ticket seller to come before I could go in. I rode on a …
Sites of Saytagrah, India's n… (On tentative list)
Sites of Saytagrah, India's non-violent freedom mo
I visited two sites included in this serial nomination back in 2019, the Sabarmati ashram (Gujarat) and the Asiatic Society of Mumbai Town Hall (Maharashtra). The sites are interesting, …
Bauhaus Sites (Inscribed)
Bauhaus Sites
If I were to pick the most special WHS I've seen this year, it would have to be the Bauhaus sites. It is not because they are beautiful and grand, …
Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa … (Inscribed)
Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen
Bugeun-ri, Ganghwa: The tourist park is now being expanded at the back to include four more extant dolmens within the vicinity --- one, which is half buried, seems to be …
Victorian Gothic and Art Deco… (Inscribed)
Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai
Reaching Mumbai via the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) was indeed special, and I waited for 3 years before I could apty claim to have ticked off a rare feat: that …
Anuradhapura (Inscribed)
Anuradhapura
As a cultural worker, hunting for World Heritage Sites has gone beyond just seeing sites. Rather, it has become more of experiencing them. Hence, in the Anuradhapura vs Polonnaruwa debate …
Sanchi (Inscribed)
Sanchi
Sanchi is a pleasant site to visit and going there is convenient too from Bhopal. I went to this WHS via train, and came back on a bus, both took …
The Historical City of Maybod (On tentative list)
The Historical City of Maybod
With the recent inscription of Yazd, I am not quite sure how Maybod, another silk road desert city in the same region, would be able to position itself differently and …
Persian Garden (Inscribed)
Persian Garden
During our Iran visit in May 2017, we ticked off three: Fin garden in Kashan, the ancient garden in Pasargadae, and Eram garden in Shiraz. We also had a fair …
The Persian Qanat (Inscribed)
The Persian Qanat
This is probably the UNESCO World Heritage Site I spent the most time in trying to understand how to “properly” visit it during my recent trip in Iran. When I …
Citadel of the Ho Dynasty (Inscribed)
Citadel of the Ho Dynasty
Indeed, this place is off the beaten path and the only way that I could make renting a private car worth it was by combining a visit here with a …
Neolithic Shell Midden Sites (Removed from tentat…)
Neolithic Shell Midden Sites
Several shell middens dot the banks of the Cagayan river. Between the two towns, Lal-lo is more interesting as it was the site of one of the four earliest cities …