Gulf of Porto

3.00 Twobaconsandaboston Australia - 16-Jun-25

We visited the Gulf of Porto between 4 - 6 June 2025.  We had a hire car and drove up from Bonifacio.  We decided to drive along the Stradi di e Calanche Road through the mountains that borders the UNESCO inscribed gulf.  Once you pass through Piana, a short time later you will drive past a fairly small sign advising you that you have entered the UNESCO area.  Blink though and you will miss the sign.  The drive along this part of the coast provided amazing views of the Gulf and the land formations along the southwestern part of the gulf before arriving in Porto itself.  We stayed in Hotel Subrini which is right on the foreshore overlooking the bay and the old Genoese Tower that stands on the peninsular looking over the bay.  2

Megalithic Temples of Malta

4.00 Zoe United States - 12-Jun-25

I managed to visit 4 of the 6 inscribed temples so I wanted to leave some short thoughts on them (and also some updated pricing info)! You can buy a pass to all museum sites in Malta (besides the Hypogeum) for 60 euros now as of 2025... but this is too expensive if you just want to see the WHS. So, instead I spent 26 euro seeing 4 temples.

Tarxien: only a 10 min walk from the Hypogeum! Tarxien has rock carvings, something I didn't see at the other 4 temples -- giving it a different "vibe" from the others. Hypogeum museum staff even gave me a map at the  specifically encouraging me to visit it so it's hard to pass up :) I think this is also the only site I visited that is completely wheelchair accessible, with paved ramps taking you in and around the temple. Cons: most of what was interesting there seemed to be reconstructions. Tarxien also doesn't stand as tall as the other sites

Poblet Monastery

4.00 2Flow2 United States - 07-Jun-25

I have to agree with Andrew_Kerr that this site deserves higher ratings than it was previously receiving, and from reading the older reviews it seems to be largely due to the way in which the tour system has been re-worked. Whereas previously an in-person tour was required, the availablity of these has now become significantly more limited as they have been supplanted with an audio guide that you can use to enter the full monastery at any time and tour at your own pace. (I say "full monastery" to refer to the large section open to tourists, though, as this is still an actively used monastery so there are sections exclusively reserved for the monks which travellers cannot enter.)

Tarraco

3.50 2Flow2 United States - 07-Jun-25

For me, Tarraco (Tarragona as it is called today) is a light 3.5 stars for me, bordering on a 3. As you can gather from the other reviews on here, none of the individual locations are particularly jaw-dropping for this WHS, but taken together they make up quite an interesting vision of Roman life. Also, the fact that this is one of the first Roman settlements not only in Spain, but outside of Italy as a whole is just plain cool.

Tarragona has done a decent job of making each of these locations accessible and providing explanations of what you're seeing via signage and audiovisual displays at each of them. If you want to just hit the biggest highlights and avoid the stuff that are mostly just "rocks" or a piece of hardly-identifiable architecture, then I recommend doing the Amphitheatre, the Circus, the Walls, and the Aqueduct. This is more or less what my group did, as we were limited on time and there is only so much I can convince my non-WHS friends to go out of their way for

Ambohimanga

2.00 Dennis Nicklaus - 12-Jun-25

Ambohimanga is one of those places I probably wouldn't have bothered to visit if it weren't a WHS. But I'm very glad I did because, the visit, combined with a visit to the Queen's Palace in Tana, gave me a much better understanding of Madagascar's pre-colonial history. I had a private driver to take me to the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, about an hour outside of Tana.  It's not a huge site, you can spend about an hour there. One there, I picked up a guide at the entrance who spoke very good english.  She was very informative. After a brief overview of the fortress from the ceremonial courtyard, and the large sacrificial stone where zebu were sacrificed, we proceeded inside the complex

Andrefana Dry Forests

4.00 Dennis Nicklaus - 11-Jun-25

I was really pleased to visit the Tsingy de Bemaraha, because an article years ago in National Geographic about them was what really got me interested in visiting Madagascar. Climbing on, and walking through the tsingy was really fun.  You're really exploring an odd landscape.  

Getting There

We visited in [...]

Ancient Nara

4.50 Tony H. Finland - 09-Jun-25

I visited Nara as a full day trip from Kyoto in November 2024. I got first glimpse of the WHS already from the train as the train tracks pass through the Heijo Palace Site! However, it's not much more than a field with some replica gates and walls and seeing it from the train seemed enough.

After arriving to the Kintetsu-Nara station I headed towards the Todai-ji temple by walking. I first visited in Yoshikien Garden, which has free entrance and is very much worth visiting! The garden's exit lead directly to the Namdaimon Gate of Todai-ji (pictured). The gate is very massive and I should have guessed that the size of it was a sign of what was to come. The entrance way towards Todai-ji's Great Buddha Hall is very busy with tourists and deer, and this was the busiest site I visited in Nara. Despite its huge size you won't see the Great Buddha Hall until you enter the ticket office of it

Quanzhou

4.50 Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero The Philippines - 11-Jun-25

I recently came from a trip to Fujian where I stayed in Quanzhou for four days. This allowed me to visit 16 component sites leaving only the farthest six out. Taking the recommendation of earlier reviews, I checked out the wind-praying inscriptions at Jiurishan upon arriving at the railway station. An AAAAA tourist attraction, the site is equipped with a luggage storage facility, which makes such arrangement convenient.  Officially, Jiurishan is considered as the very starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. So, it was good to start here

Lamu Old Town

3.50 Els Slots The Netherlands - 11-Jun-25

I stayed for two nights in a renovated traditional house along one of the narrow alleyways of the Old Town of Lamu. I enjoyed being woken up by the call to prayer (this is a conservative Islamic society) and having a hearty Swahili breakfast in the morning. Due to the thick walls, my room was quite dark all day, but a breeze and vitamin D (handy for the muslim ladies who in the past weren’t allowed to get out) is provided in these houses by the interior courtyard, open-air sitting areas and a rooftop terrace. It wasn’t easy to get into such a house in the past – there’s a massive wooden front door plus an attached waiting area outside (pictured)

Paris, Banks of the Seine

5.00 Ilya Burlak USA - 10-Jun-25

I love Paris. It is one of the first places that comes to my mind in the context of "there is no other place I'd rather be". We've been to this wonderful city dozens of times, but for various reasons, only passingly in the last decade and a half. In April of 2025, we made a concerted effort to reacquaint ourselves with Paris. 

The city is still wonderful - there are not enough superlatives to express that

Vall de Boi

4.00 2Flow2 United States - 08-Jun-25

Though Hubert's review is over a decade old, it was the most recent one written before my May 2025 trip to Vall de Boi and I have to say, not much has changed. In fact, Hubert's review is quite comprehensive and I recommend giving it a read before reading my own here. I'll try and fill in any gaps.

Yes, this high concentration of churches were constructed by the Lords of Erill, though as the attendant at the one of the churches told us, it was not for religious piety that the lords constructed the buildings but rather to establish a particular small territory as their own during the constant conquerings and re-conquerings between the local leaders during that period.

Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley

3.00 2Flow2 United States - 07-Jun-25

This is an area with some very beautiful hikes! I recommend a visit after seeing it in May 2025!

Now, whether this site is of "outstanding value to humanity", as many reviewers have commented, is debatable. As Els mentioned in her review over a decade ago, it's questionable the extent to which this site "reflects the persistence of pastoralism and a strong mountain culture, notably the survival of a communal land-ownership system dating back to the 13th century" as the inscription claims. The Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley is located decently near Andorra's main highway that connects the whole country, and is close to the city of Encamp, which itself feels fairly like a mix of any generic Western European nation blended together with any outdoorsy city in the the modern American West

Muarajambi Temple Compound (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 08-Jun-25

I went to see the temples at Jambi, appropriately called Muarajambi, in March 2018. By appropriate I obviously mean that the town has been named AFTER the temples that are nearby. There isn't much next to the town anyway. The town of Jambi isn't great either and I had people walk into the room late, quite sure it was a dodgy place and next door didn't look much better. You can fly in easily but the hotels are mediocre, hopefully things have changed though. The townfolk aren't used to seeing foreigners either. I eventually made friends with the hotel reception NEXT DOOR and the two girls asked their friends to drive us there by motorbike. You can probably easily find a ride especially with Grab or whatever, but back then it wasn't easy. The bike also took me to the airport later.

Gedi

3.00 Els Slots The Netherlands - 07-Jun-25

The Historic Town and Archaeological Site of Gedi gained World Heritage status last year – this is the first review since. Known as the Gedi Ruins, they are quite a popular tourist attraction, probably because of their convenient location, almost right at the main road between Mombasa and Malindi along the Kenyan coast. I arrived at Gedi junction by matatu, and jumped on the back of a motorbike for the final 1.5 km to the ruins. Like at all other sites nowadays in Kenya, there’s some commotion at the entrance since they will only allow online payments, which are hard to manage as a foreigner. So there are middlemen lingering about who, for a small commission, will buy a ticket for you via their phones. The entrance fee for foreigners is 500 KSh (3

Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino

5.00 ZCTLife USA - 07-Jun-25

Every winter, gray whales enter the bays on the Pacific side of the Baja peninsula to breed and rear young.  The warm water is high saline and shallow enough that an adult whale can often touch bottom with their tails with their heads above the surface.  Like giant hot tubs, these blue lagoons are perfect for adult whales to meet up and mate.  Like a kiddie pool, these nurseries are perfect for babies to practice holding their breath, to open their eyes underwater and to learn to swim

Tropea (T)

Andrew_Kerr UK - 04-Jun-25

Tropea is the ideal tourist town in southern Italy. Crumbling, rustic charm built on a cliff overlooking a sandy beach and the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean sea.

As you would expect, there are bars, restaurants and shops catering for the tourist trade and the town itself is very photogenic, if a little small.

The surprising thing for me was that the town, as pretty as it is, was ever considered for a UNESCO listing at all. There are very few sights of cultural significance, the Wikipedia entry doesn't list any, in fact.

Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas

3.50 Frederik Dawson Netherlands - 07-Jun-25

A business trip in Bengaluru not only took me back to India but also a perfect chance to visit one more World Heritage Site, the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas. Originally, I thought I should have free days during weekend, so I already arranged two days tour to visit all three temples that are the component of this UNESCO site, but the business meeting continued to Saturday forced me to change my plan to visit only one temple, the Chennakeshava Temple at Somanathapura which is considered the zenith of Hoysala architecture. It took almost 3.5 hours from Bengaluru’s downtown to reach the small village of Somanathapura

Maritime Greenwich

3.50 Dennis Nicklaus - 11-Jun-25

I was surprised to see so many people at Greenwich as I thought it was only going to be a few hardy science enthusiasts coming to visit the observatory.  But, as we learned, there is so much more and visiting makes for a pleasant day out from central London. We took the Uber Boats down the Thames to Greenwich.  The rain dried up for a bit, the green park was nice for walking through, and we happily found much more than the Royal Observatory there.  At the observatory, we took the obligatory "two hemispheres" photo, but didn't enter the observatory proper due to the steep admission fee given our time constraints. Still it was nice to see such a historic place

Maritime Greenwich

3.50 Elena Y Ireland - 05-Jun-25

It's a fool's errand to try and see everything Greenwich has in one day, so naturally I had to give it a shot. I got there via the Thames Clipper River Bus, which has the added bonus of seeing bridges like Blackfriars and Tower Bridge from low down, and grabbed a coffee from the Starbucks which is surprisingly well-integrated into the street's aesthetic for a morning dander around the Naval College grounds until things began to open (it's worth getting there before attractions start opening at 10am to appreciate the exteriors at your leisure.) The first destination was the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul, which has lovely blue highlighting against the more standard cream-coloured walls

Site of Xanadu

3.50 Xiquinho Silva Portugal - 03-Jun-25

The Site of Xanadu is a remarkable testament to the Mongol Empire’s grandeur, where nomadic traditions met Chinese urban planning. I was struck by the vastness of the site, with its city walls, palace foundations, and temple remnants set against the extensive grasslands.

The site’s layout, with its outer city, inner city, and palace area, reflects the ingenuity of Liu Bingzhong’s design, blending yurt-style architecture with permanent structures. Though much of the city has succumbed to time, the visible earthworks, moats, and scattered relics evoke the opulence once described by Marco Polo.

Hawaii Volcanoes

5.00 Alex Baranda United States - 04-Jun-25

September 2016

It was o-dark-thirty! The boat left the dock at dawn. A cup of some Kona coffee kept me awake. From a distance, I saw the fiery landscape as the lava flowed into the sea. Jack Johnson was playing over the loudspeaker, and made me want some banana pancakes! Sitting, waiting, wishing! Bubbly toes!   The heat rose as the boat inched closer. The waves crashed into the cliffs, rocking the boat from side to side. Hot air bubbles collided with the boat from below. It was an amazing experience!

Kladruby nad Labem

4.00 Bropyk Česko - 04-May-25

I'm not a horse lover, but Kladruby is interesting. I recommend climbing the lookout tower and looking at the landscape. It's flat, so you can see quite far. I took the carriage tours and it was interesting. I skipped the castle and stable tours - I'm guessing standard. Everything is repaired and nice from the outside. Otherwise, Kladruby was part of a cycling trip, which is probably the best way to get to know the local landscape. I understand that it's a problem for foreign visitors to get a bike. I don't know how many horses they keep in Kladruby, but it was really nice to see the horses grazing freely in the meadows. We were also lucky to see herds with foals. It's interesting to see adult white horses and black or brown foals

Forth Bridge

3.50 Flahr United Kingdom - 30-May-25

I was in Edinburgh for the first weekend of this April, and with the Sunday free decided to take the short trip out to visit the Forth Bridge. A cooperative effort between local government groups runs a circular walk, the Forth Bridges Trail, between Dalmeny and North Queensferry stations (on either side of the bridge), so I took the train from Edinburgh Waverley to Dalmeny and followed the trail, taking from about 9.30 in the morning to 1.30 in the afternoon (longer than I expected, but then I did dawdle).

Silk Roads Sites in Turkmenistan (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 02-Jun-25

I went to five locations of this serial nomination, perhaps even six without knowing. They are covering the entire country and if you go SOMEWHERE you can just ask for an extra one to cover this. I am not sure all would be included in the final listing because some are just forgotten realms.

My first, and probably the easiest to cover, is Anau. The mosque here has been ruined by an earthquake and it would probably would look good

Anticosti

3.00 Wojciech Fedoruk Poland - 31-May-25

During my visit to Newfoundland and Labrador, I really wanted to see Anticosti, and it turns out that the island can be perfectly incorporated into a trip to this province. WHS fans must take a ferry to Labrador to see Red Bay and they usually spend a night in Blanc Sablon or the surrounding area. From Blanc Sablon, a small Air Liaison plane flies to Sept-Iles and then to Port Menier, the only settlement on Anticosti. Next day is a flight back, so you basically have 24 hours on the island. A ticket purchased in advance is not very expensive (it cost me 400 CAD round trip), and the trip itself is an adventure. The plane from Blanc Sablon to Sept-Iles stops at four other airports along the way – St-Augustin, Chevery, La Romaine and Natashquan

Le Morne

2.00 Dennis Nicklaus - 19-Jun-25

We weren't able to hike very far up Le Morne when we visited because it had been raining and we were told that hiking it when it was so muddy was not advised. So we contented ourselves with just walking up the flanks of it a little ways, and driving around it to admire the views.

We also saw the Slave Monument, though the gate was closed when we were there.

OK, it's a nice small mountain, nice to look at, with a pretty view and some slave history.  Otherwise, it isn't so remarkable and I don't really see much OUV.

Rhodes

5.00 Andrew_Kerr UK - 22-May-25

When Greece opened up for package holidays, the first two major islands to be developed for mass tourism were Corfu and Rhodes, and having been to both (more than once) it's easy to see why.The island of Rhodes itself is a worthwhile destination with plenty of activities and sights to see but the jewel in the crown is definitely Rhodes town in my opinion.The medieval walled town with it's own Crusader castle is a charming maze of cobbled streets and beautiful stone built shops, restaurants and houses

Quseir Amra

3.00 J_neveryes Canada - 25-May-25

As there are already a number of excellent reviews of Quseir Amra, I will focus more on my day trip itinerary to Zarqa Governorate and the eastern portion of Amman Governorate.  After all, there is very little practical sense to visiting Quseir Amra only.  I visited Jordan in March 2024, and I travelled to the Desert Castles and Azraq Wetland Reserve using a rental car.  I will describe my day trip in the order of my travel.

Qasr Kharana (or Qasr Al-Kharanah or Qasr Al-Harrana)

The drive to Qasr Kharana is simple.  You just get on the paved Highway 40 until you see Qasr Kharana.  It is nearly impossible to get lost once you are on Highway 40, and the Qasr is as nearly impossible to miss

Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe (T)

Zoe United States - 27-May-25

Sardis was a great change of pace from the tourist-filled Ephesus and Pamukkale. The gymnasium alone is very impressive, and has a somewhat different visual weight to it from the other ancient sites in the region -- more red brick than white marble, for instance -- and it's much less crowded. The synagogue is the largest known synagogue from the ancient world. The mosaics throughout the WHS are also nice. A pet peeve of mine is ruins without any signage, but Sardis doesn't disappoint in this matter either; there is plenty of signage in Turkish & English to explain what you are seeing with out it being overbearing. 

Val d'Orcia

5.00 Bropyk Česko - 24-May-25

Val d'Orcia was one of the amazing experiences of traveling. We didn't have any exaggerated expectations, but the experiences were really worth it. We were accommodated in Rocca d'Orcia, a little below the tower and we had a wonderful view from the terrace, we didn't expect that Tuscany is so hilly (not just the towns on the hill). The evenings were wonderful, a glass of wine and the only thing we wished was that it wouldn't end. We went on trips around the area and the towns were also wonderful, just enough tourists. The natural thermal springs were not as warm as we expected, but the rocks were beautiful. What I don't recommend is the cypress circle, on private land, parking the car in a dangerous place and the circle itself is not much.

Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings

4.00 MichaelH - 22-May-25

With a trip to Chicago and Wisconsin in October 2024, I was finally able to complete visits to all the UNESCO inscribed Frank Lloyd Wright buildings.  I was only able to view the Jacobs house from the streets, but took a tour of Taliesin, a very worthwhile visit.

The highlight of the trip, which included Chicago, the Oak Park neighborhood and viewings of various other Wright sites was the Estate Tour of Taliesin, which ran from 9:15-1:15.  This seemed to the be most comprehensive tour being offered at the time. It included the residence, but also the school, his sister’s home, and an opportunity to view many of the other Wright designed out buildings – barns, a windmill, and more.

Ancient Jericho

4.00 ZCTLife USA - 23-May-25

Unfortunately, due to my then wife damaging my phone in the Dead Sea and our subsequent divorce (unrelated events), I don’t have any photos of our trip to the Holy Land.  

Jericho is at least 10,000 years old, probably 12,000, maybe older.  Americans have trouble wrapping our heads around such long ago time periods.  Jericho dates back to the beginnings of agricultural settlements around the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia.  The last Ice Age was ending and a warming world enabled people to settle permanently.  Jericho as a community likely predates those first agricultural settlements, although such simple groups leave no traces.  The walls are 9,000 years old—the oldest known walled city in the world—, and that’s of course what made the city so famous.  But the Bible story of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-27) only dates back 3,500 years, and the song less than 200 years

As-Salt

1.00 Frédéric M Canada - 23-May-25

I visited As-Salt in February 2025 from Amman. By asking some very helpful men, I managed to find the very cheap minibus to As-Salt from the North bus terminal in Amman. The minibus dropped me off directly at the entrance to the city. For the return journey, the logistics were just as simple, but it's worth noting that the minibuses leave from down the hill, after the flea market.

I began my stroll through the city on Prince Hasan Bin Talal Street, where you'll find a few rather pretty buildings (the Mismar House at number 21, but see also the one at number 37 with its twisted columns). I then moved on to the city's most impressive mansion, the Abu Jaber Museum (on the left in the photo, with its reddish roof). Here you'll find a tourist information center and some rather uninteresting exhibits. The maps described by previous reviewers were only available in Arabic when I visited. I then climbed up to the Haj Hamdi Mosque Alanis to enjoy the plunging views over the city (photo). The amazement was not there, however. As-Salt isn't particularly pretty, with its faded buildings and exposed electric wires

Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo

3.00 J_neveryes Canada - 24-May-25

"I liked it better before I saw the cave churches in Cappadocia," I said to my friend, who didn't really ask for my opinion of the Churches of Ivanovo.

Not the most nuanced assessment, I know, but it does reflect the fact that while the church (singular) is interesting, but it can compare less favourably to other old religious sites that are carved into cliffs/mountains/remote areas.  To give an illustration, I initially gave Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo a rating of 3.5 stars.  After visiting the churches in Cappadocia, however, I revised the rating to 3 stars, even though I know that the ratings do not have to be in relation to other sites.

Versailles

4.50 MichaelH - 20-May-25

Having visited Versailles on two prior occasions during the off-months, I decided to spend the last day of my recent vacation at Versailles, even though it was a Sunday and likely to be crowded.  Because of the timing of my earlier visits, I had not been able to appreciate the gardens and their fountains.  My first visit many years ago had been on a cold overcast December day, so I spent little time in the gardens.

My Passport ticket was 32 euros and required selection of a time slot for entry into the palace.   It was a relatively late decision so entry times to the palace were all booked before the mid-afternoon.  That was fine with me as I can find the crowds thin out some in the late afternoon, with fewer large groups.  

Westminster

4.00 Ilya Burlak USA - 19-May-25

I've been to the Westminster Abbey for the first time as far back as 2000, and then at least a couple of times while living in London in the later part of the first decade of the millennium. It is undoubtedly among the most important monuments in London and in all of Britain, and the final resting place of a number of major historical figures. My very dated recollection of it somehow includes free entry and the ability to walk in without waits - twenty years hence, the cost is significant and the queues are pretty long all day around. On my most recent trip to London, even as I wanted my youngest child to see the Abbey, we took one look at the line from behind the fence and decided to pass.

Mount Kenya

3.00 Els Slots The Netherlands - 13-Jun-25

I have always wondered how a site that has been ticked by 63 members so far has only had one, tiny review dating back to 2006. I would guess that 90% of the “visits” here were drive-by ones. Even then, the mountain, with its characteristic rugged, glaciated peaks, isn’t always easy to see, as it is often covered in clouds. The best I could get was a silhouette at 7 in the morning from the pool area of my lodge.

Mount Kenya is known for its several vegetation bands with Afro-alpine flora from the base to the peak

Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor

3.00 Thomas Buechler Switzerland - 25-May-25

The Mausoleum of Mukhammad Bashoro is almost a thousand years old (built 11/12th century). It is a building that combines the function of a mausoleum and a mosque. The central cupola hall has extensions on both sides. The most outstanding feature of the Mausoleum is the arched portal or peshtak with glazed tiles, carved terracotta and brick stones. Since it has undergone very little renovation, the Mausoleum is one of the most authentic religious buildings along this part of the Silk Road. 
It is located along the Panjakent-Duschanbe highway, with a 10km detour to the village of Mazor. You need your own vehicle. 

Mount Hamiguitan

3.00 Clyde Malta - 20-May-25

I visited this WHS in Spring 2025. The big international car rental companies are now available near Davao airport. For the time being (till the airport enlargement works are completed), you are greeted upon arrival (excellent communication via email and whatsapp prior to arrival) and a shuttle takes you to the car rental office in Davao. This will make you waste at least 30 minutes to 1 hour in total as getting in and out of the city is slow with heavy traffic at most times of the day.

Since we were arriving quite late in Davao, we decided to visit the Philippine Eagle Sanctuary/Centre first (which is not part of the WHS but we wanted to support their invaluable work and make sure to see [...]

Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats

3.50 Nan Germany - 19-May-25

As a Wadden Sea fan and a native of Schleswig-Holstein, I do have a soft spot for tidal mud flats. It was on my first visit to Korea more than 20 years ago, sitting on the airport train from Incheon to Seoul, that I spotted what looked like Korea’s own “Wadden” Sea along the way: the tidal flats.

On that trip, we never made it to the coast, so I didn’t get to explore the mudflats

Ancient Kyoto

5.00 Tony H. Finland - 22-May-25

The amount of locations this WHS has might seem first very overwhelming. Which ones to visit when you have only limited time in Kyoto? Especially when considering how much other stuff there is to see and do in Kyoto! I had 2 full days and a morning to explore Kyoto in November 2024 and I think I got good sample of what this WHS offers.

On the first full day in Kyoto I started my day in Arashiyama district and visited Tenryu-ji temple and the social media famous bamboo forest next to it. The temple is most famous for its garden (pictured) and it was my favourite of all the gardens I visited in Kyoto. As it was late November the autumn foliage was very pretty. I bought the ticket that only included visit to the garden, I didn't visit inside the temple itself and I don't think that would have added much to the visit. There were a lot of tourists at the temple, probably most lured there by the next door Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. From Arashiyama I took the small train to Ninna-ji temple

Umm Al-Jimāl

3.00 Frédéric M Canada - 20-May-25

I visited Umm Al-Jimāl during my trip to Jordan and Egypt in the winter of 2025. Since I decided not to rent a car in Jordan, I had to find an alternative solution to reach the sites on the outskirts of Amman. So I hired a driver from the Black Iris Hotel in Madaba. Recommended by Lonely Planet, it was the place where I got the best price, and I can confirm that the service was excellent. We therefore left Madaba early and my driver took me to Qasr Kharana, Qusayr 'Amra, Azraq Wetland Reserve, Qasr al-Azraq, and Umm Al-Jimāl, before finally dropping me off in Amman.

Chengjiang Fossil Site

3.50 Xiquinho Silva Portugal - 19-May-25

The Chengjiang Fossil Site, in Yunnan Province, is a must-visit for paleontology enthusiasts and those fascinated by the Cambrian Explosion, a pivotal moment in Earth’s history 520 million years ago.

However, the original fossil site, including key areas like the Maotianshan Shales where the first discoveries were made in 1984, are now permanently closed to the public. This closure, in place to protect the fragile fossil-bearing strata from further disturbance, means you can no longer visit the iconic dig sites or the Chinese Academy of Sciences research building, bellow described as a trilobite-shaped structure (now locked and unused).

Aapravasi Ghat

1.00 Dennis Nicklaus - 12-Jun-25

There's nothing wrong with the site, and I agree that the indentured servant phenomenon that moved so many millions around the globe deserves some sort of World Heritage recognition.  There's just so little to see at this site. Just one restored building, really, and a few other foundations/walls.  The small rooms do have signage that do a good job of explaining the whole "movement of indentured servants as a solution for getting cheap labor" idea once nations had banned slavery, and it was interesting to learn the history. Unfortunately, the downstairs museum exhibit hall was closed during the hours we visited (even though there were staff at the front desks, as they allowed me in to use the toilet), so we missed seeing that.

Former M-13 prison/ Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum / Choeung Ek (T)

Frederik Dawson Netherlands - 19-May-25

Before I started my Cambodian trip with ICOMOS in 2022, I had one full free day to explore the capital city of this country, and the infamous Killing Field with Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum was one of many attractions I saw in that long day tour. While I was deeply depressed to learn all those sad stories of victims by the atrocities of Khmer Rouge, I was happy to note that with international pressure to Cambodian Government this genocide incident was already inscribed by UNESCO under Memory of the World Program. However, when I learnt that Cambodia Government is pushing to inscribe these memorial sites as a World Heritage Site, I question this move because I am afraid that it will become part of political propaganda.

Meknes

3.50 Nan Germany - 19-May-25

Meknes was the last of the four royal cities of Morocco we visited. Unfortunately, we had really bad luck on multiple levels. It turns out it does rain in Morocco in March - plenty. The rain in Meknes was so persistent that it significantly limited our ability to explore the city. We missed several key parts simply because our clothes were too wet to continue wandering around.

To make matters worse, several major sites were closed for renovation—and have been for quite some time. Neither the granaries/stables nor the Kara prison were open during our visit (March 2025).

Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River

3.00 Clyde Malta - 15-May-25

I visited this WHS in Spring 2025. Having read through the quite negative reviews online balancing out the mostly national praise for this site as one of the 7 Wonders of Nature, we decided to sleep for a couple of nights at the coastal village of Sabang to beat the early morning and afternoon taxi van hairpin races shuttling visitors from Puerto Princesa to Sabang.

This decision was key to our enjoyment and better appreciation of this WHS. All visitors need to pay a combination of entrance, environmental, audio guide, mooring and boat trip fees at the very organised ticket office in Sabang. The ticket office opens just after 07:30 but officially starts registering and accepting payment at 08:00 sharp. What they do is write down a series of numbers on pieces of paper and the first one to arrive is given number 1, second number 2, etc. and then call out the number for those who were there early (we were there at around 07:00 to make sure we were first before the groups

Abu Mena

2.00 Frédéric M Canada - 18-May-25

During my trip to Egypt in February and March 2025, I spent three nights at the Zad El Mosafer guesthouse in Tunis in the Fayoum and Lake Qarun region. I used Tunis as a base to visit Wadi Al-Hitan, Gebel Qatrani, and Soknopaiou Nesos. I organized all these activities through my guesthouse. What's more, they also arranged transport to Alexandria, with stops at the monasteries of Saint Pishoy and Saint Macarius the Great and Abu Mena.

After the previous day's disappointing excursion to Gebel Qatrani, during which the driver and guide refused to take me to the points of interest I had requested to visit, I left Tunis for Alexandria with a driver. For this excursion, I had requested stops at the four monasteries of Wadi Natrum and at Abu Mena

Gebel Qatrani Area, Lake Qaroun (T)

Frédéric M Canada - 18-May-25

During my trip to Egypt in February and March 2025, I spent three nights at the Zad El Mosafer guesthouse in Tunis in the Fayoum and Lake Qarun region. I used Tunis as a base to visit Wadi Al-Hitan, Gebel Qatrani, and Soknopaiou Nesos. I organized all these activities through my guesthouse. What's more, they also arranged transport to Alexandria, with stops at the monasteries of Saint Pishoy and Saint Macarius the Great and Abu Mena.

On my second day in this region, the excursion organized via my guesthouse took us to the north shore of the lake

Erbil Citadel

2.50 Clyde Malta - 13-May-25

I visited this Iraqi Kurdistan WHS in September 2024. Up till not long ago, visitors arriving in Iraqi Kurdistan could not visit the rest of Federal Iraq but in 2024 this is no longer the case, even though you certainly feel as if you're visiting a different country when visiting from Baghdad. The location of the Erbil citadel, built on top of a high multilayered tell, makes it really pleasant to gaze at its exterior details towards sunrise or sunset. In the morning, you'll see all types of vendors setting up their wares, while towards sunset the whole modern square with fountains gets very lively with traditional coffee sellers in full costume roaming around locals, expats and tourists who gather there.

Laurisilva of Madeira

4.50 Aitia France - 18-May-25

My friend and I visited the Laurisilva of Madeira during a 10-day stay on the island in May 2025

Old Town Lunenburg

3.50 J_neveryes Canada - 18-May-25

I have visited this charming east coast Canadian town twice, i.e., in 2006 and in 2021.  Although the town is compact, I stayed overnight on both trips to enjoy it at a more leisurely pace and to also use the town as a base to explore the picturesque the South Shore of Nova Scotia.

Lunenburg is touristy, but it still maintains an aura of authenticity and continues to capture Nova Scotian's famous down-to-earth personality.  The existence of a non-tourism industry, such as the High Liner Foods plant, is helpful in this regard.

Pienza

4.50 Bropyk Česko - 08-Jun-25

Pienza - a beautiful little town, where there weren't really many tourists. It was quiet there and when I looked at something for a longer time, no one pushed me. In my opinion, there is a Renaissance feel here more than in other Tuscan towns. Definitely don't miss sitting or at least standing for a while on the castle walls and looking at the countryside. There is a beautiful view of a piece of Tuscany and other towns on the hills. Then all you have to do is go somewhere for a good meal or at least a dessert. Suddenly you don't want to do anything, just stop and do nothing.

Siena

4.00 Bropyk Česko - 08-Jun-25

Siena - it is a bigger city, but there were not as many people here as there were in Florence. We preferred to arrive in the morning before 10 am. Parking was fine and we then easily got to the cathedral. The interior of the cathedral is worth seeing. The center of Siena has retained its Renaissance face and there are many buildings to admire. It was also possible to have lunch in the center. After lunch, there were more people in the center, so we packed up and continued wandering around other Tuscan gems.

Palau de la Musica Catalana & Hospital de Sant Pau

4.00 2Flow2 United States - 17-May-25

Visited in May 2025. These two works by the Catalan architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner are both excellent locations to visit, and as other reviewers have said, are just as good as the Antoni Gaudí works.

[...]

Works of Antoni Gaudí

4.00 2Flow2 United States - 17-May-25

Visited in May 2025. This site maintains a very high rating for a reason. The work is incredible.

One recommendation I hadn't seen on any of the reviews so far: read up on Antoni Gaudí and his non-traditional method of designing before visiting Barcelona! Learning of Gaudí's interesting life beforehand will enhance your experience and give you a perspective that the audio guide tours can help flesh out. (They will not give you the full story on their own.)

I think Kyle Magnuson said it best in his review here:  "If all 8 Frank Lloyd Wright inscribed components were in one city, it might feel like this." Wandering around Barcelona, for as touristy as it is, is a treat as you search to discover all of the fascinating Gaudí buildings with their striking, non-traditional architecture style. Experiencing his work will make you lament how few buildings constructed in the modern day (especially in younger countries with few attractive historical edifices) have real personality and style, trading off beauty for price of construction & functionality instead

El Fayoum (T)

Frédéric M Canada - 18-May-25

During my trip to Egypt in February and March 2025, I spent three nights at the Zad El Mosafer guesthouse in Tunis in the Fayoum and Lake Qarun region. I used Tunis as a base to visit Wadi Al-Hitan, Gebel Qatrani, and Soknopaiou Nesos. I organized all these activities through my guesthouse. What's more, they also arranged transport to Alexandria, with stops at the monasteries of Saint Pishoy and Saint Macarius the Great and Abu Mena.

On my second day in this region, the excursion organized via my guesthouse took us to the north shore of the lake

Samarra

3.50 Clyde Malta - 13-May-25

I visited this WHS in September 2024. Samarra lies on the east bank of the Tigris river and it was founded in 836 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mutasim as a new administrative capital and military base. Since the WHS is made up of 10 loosely named locations, it was hard to tell whether I covered all or most of them during a full day exploring Samarra and its surroundings. During the Iraqi Civil War (2006-2008), Samarra was in the "Sunni Triangle" of resistance and even now, the military personnel at checkpoints wear different uniforms and fly different "religious/political" flags.

Hatra

3.50 Clyde Malta - 13-May-25

I visited this WHS in September 2024 after visiting Ashur. I had double checked before my arrival in Iraq and during my visit to make sure everything was in order and that we had enough time to explore this WHS.

Like Palmyra in Syria, unfortunately Hatra featured quite a lot in the news during the quite recent period when ISIS controlled the area, with heartbreaking videos of barbaric acts and terror, with horrific scenes of destruction of "pagan" statues using sledgehammers and assault rifles. Luckily, most invaluable artefacts were saved and are now scattered around the world and in a whole room of the National Museum of Baghdad.

Ashur

2.50 Clyde Malta - 13-May-25

I visited this WHS in September 2024 as a long day trip together with Hatra. An early start to the day and a reputable fixer/tour agency with good contacts is essential to allow for the several military checkpoints and to make sure everything goes smoothly. Even though eventually everything went very smoothly and I made it in time for both WHS, I wouldn't have made it without an early start.

Ashur was the capital of the Old Assyrian city-state (2025–1364 BC), the Middle Assyrian Empire (1363–912 BC), and for a time, of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911–609 BC)

Mijikenda Kaya Forests

2.50 Els Slots The Netherlands - 06-Jun-25

The Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests along the East Coast of Kenya comprise former fortified settlements (kayas) in an undisturbed forest setting, which still fulfill a sacred role in the belief of Mijikenda peoples. It's such a messy WHS: it is what you get after an AB overrule where the documents haven’t been adjusted to the final decision. When I started preparing for my June 2025 visit, I found out that we had its site history and name (it starts with “Sacred”) all wrong, a rare occurrence nowadays. Originally, it had 36 locations, now there are 8 according to the map section at the UNESCO website, but that’s an error also

Maritime Greenwich

4.00 Andrew_Kerr UK - 15-May-25

Greenwich, part of London but just far enough away from the center to make it seem like a place apart. It's not even on the underground network, you need to take the Docklands Light Railway, itself an interesting journey through Canary Wharf along the way.But back to Greenwich, of all the London boroughs outside of Westminster and The City of London, Greenwich offers the most diverse sights.Alongside the river is the old Royal Naval College, there are some fabulous Georgian buildings on the site that you can visit. It's also home to the National Maritime Museum.Nearby is the restored, Cutty Sark (picture), one of last British clippers built in 1869

Tower of London

4.00 Ilya Burlak USA - 16-May-25

The Tower is awfully expensive and terribly overcrowded. There is hardly a better indicator of the worth of a tourist attraction visit than the economics of exorbitant entrance fees not denting the demand to any degree. I first visited the Tower 25 years ago, when the tickets cost around £10, and I somehow recall it as less busy than it is today, even as the entry cost has more or less quadrupled since then.

As others noted, you can easily spend half a day seeing all there is to see on the grounds, exploring multiple layers of history for which this royal citadel has been inscribed. There are nearly a dozen defined points of interest and exhibitions, including the Medieval Palace, the armouries in the White Tower, the battlements, the dungeons and prisons, and the Royal Beasts exhibition

Verla Groundwood and Board Mill

3.50 Mo-han Je China & Finland - 18-May-25

Practicalities

I visited this site on a Sunday in May 2025 using public transportation. Besides the Tuesday and Thursday bus services,  Bus Line 15 connects Kouvola central station to Verla, departing at 8:48 and returning from Verla at 17:24. This line runs only on Saturdays and Sundays, and you can purchase tickets or check timetables using the local public transportation app, Waltti. If you're coming from Helsinki, there’s an InterCity train that leaves at 06:54 and arrives in Kouvola at 08:19, making a day trip from the capital feasible, but definitely best suited for early birds.

Yosemite National Park

5.00 MichaelH - 17-May-25

Yosemite is one of a handful of US sites that readily meet OUV requirements. It has stunning scenery and has provided an impetus to the overall American (and indirectly world) conservation movement (reference John Muir) and has provided inspiration for artists (Ansel Adams and more). 
It is also the WHS that I know best, having hiked or skied most of its trails over the past 50 years. I am writing this review less as an evaluation than as an introductory guide for other WHS travelers, having appreciated the guidance I’ve found in other reviews for less celebrated sites.

Peninsula Valdes

3.00 J_neveryes Canada - 16-May-25

Penguins are cute. 

That's an indisputable, undeniable, and universal fact. 

They are so adorable that the eleventh selection criteria for whether a site should be included in the World Heritage List should be, "Are penguins there?"

I travelled to Peninsula Valdes in early March 2025 and explored it for one day with a rental car.  Although Peninsula Valdes is in Patagonia, its landscape is not the one that most people picture of Patagonia.  There are no majestic mountains peaks, raging rivers, or striking valleys here.  But you don't come to Peninsula Valdes for the scenery.  You come here for the animals, especially the penguins, whales, elephant seals, and sea lions.

Minoan Palatial Centres (T)

Philipp Peterer Switzerland - 14-May-25

I visited Knossos and Malia during my weekend on Crete. Just like any site covered by Solivagant, the info about OUV and history is already covered, so I focus on the visitor experience in 2025 during what seems to be already main season (May).

Knossos
Knossos is just a few minutes outside Heraklion. I arrived there at 07:50, 10 minutes before the palace opened.

Be aware that this seems to be the main attraction on Crete. Tours are offered from every beach location and from every cruise ship.3 tour buses arrived at the exact same time and when I reached the entrance, 1 entire tour bus was already waiting in line. Luckily these tours don’t have to buy individual tickets (outrageous 20 Euros), so I could walk passed them to the counter. There are ticket vending machines outside, but none of them worked.I managed to pass by the group again as they stared at the bust of Arthur Evans and had the whole palace almost to myself. But when I left at 08:45, the place was packed. There was an infinite line to get into the throne room and the main square looked like a festival ground

Ahwar of Southern Iraq

4.00 Clyde Malta - 12-May-25

I visited this mixed WHS in September 2024 covering Ur, Uruk (Warka) and the Ahwar Marshes. Like most of Iraq's archaeological sites, the wealth of artefacts found is much more than what is left to see in situ. However, this is perhaps the best group of archaeological sites in terms of authenticity and what's left to see. This applies much more to Uruk than to Ur, although the iconic reconstructed Ziggurat of Ur is a worthy sight. 

In Uruk, you literally feel you are trespassing in an archaeological dig, stepping on countless fragments of pottery, cuneiform mud bricks, glazed tiles and conical mosaics. The best time to visit is just before sunset, not only because it is burning hot here earlier, but mostly because all the building remains with glazed tiles and statues (mostly taken to the British Museum and to the Pergamon Museum in Berlin) light up in the afternoon sun. Among the best examples to be explored with a high-clearance car and a generous tip to the caretaker are the Inanna Temple, the Temple of Gareus, and the remains of a ziggurat

Babylon

2.50 Clyde Malta - 12-May-25

I visited this WHS in September 2024. Most of this WHS has not been excavated yet, and judging by most of the lame reconstructions above ground and by the iconic artefacts (above all perhaps, the amazing glazed tiles of the Ishtar Gate and the Babylonian Map of the World clay tablet) which can be found in the National Museum of Baghdad and in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, this is definitely a good thing. The Euphrates river has long vanished from this site and problems of water drainage and rising groundwater levels among the original and/or reconstructed mud brick structures are still a huge headache.

Khangchendzonga National Park

4.50 Kurt Lauer USA - 17-May-25

During the late summer and and through the Fall of 2023 I embarked on a series of treks through the Himalayas starting in Ladakh and working my way to Bhutan.  During this time I was able to hike in a number of WHS: Great Himalayan National Park, Nadi Devi/Valley of the Flowers, and Sagarmatha.  But my favorite trek was to the base of Kangchenjunga, the world's third tallest mountain and the focal point of Khangchendzonga National Park and World Heritage Site. The main viewpoint of the mountain is Gochela Pass, which is a 7 day round trip trek from Yuksum

Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch

1.00 Nan Germany - 15-May-25

Visiting Lorsch today, you might find it to be a rather quiet and uneventful town. However, it's fascinating to imagine that during Carolingian and medieval times, Lorsch was a bustling monastery. One of the unique aspects of Lorsch was that it was among the first abbeys North of the Alps to possess a relic. Before this, strict rules mandated that all relics be kept in Rome. Frankish Count Cancor and his cousin, Abbot Chrodegang, managed to relax these rules, allowing Lorsch to house a relic.

I think the "gifting" of the relic has to be seen in light of the ascendency of the Franks. The Catholic Church's became increasingly reliant on Charlemagne and the Franks for protection

Medici Villas and Gardens

4.50 Bropyk Česko - 01-Jun-25

Due to time constraints, we only managed to visit the Boboli Gardens. But it was really worth it. Compared to busy Florence, there were far fewer visitors. The garden is located in a hilly terrain, the garden has a number of ancient statues and several buildings. From the peaks there is a beautiful view of Florence and the surrounding area. Although it is tempting to visit only the part above the Pitti Palace, it is worth going through the whole garden. We spent 3 hours in the garden and we liked it more than overcrowded Florence. At the end, you can go to the cafe in the Pitti Palace, where they had excellent desserts.

Historical theatres of the Marche (T)

Philipp Peterer Switzerland - 14-May-25

The historical theatres are currently scheduled for 2026, so it’s time for a deeper look. Here’s my “visitor” experience in 2025.

First of all, bad news for Tsunami and probably others who ticked it as visited: the nomination has since been reduced from 62 to 18 and Urbino is no longer among them. Also interesting is, that from the 18 theatres, 4 are actually not in the Marche region. Bagnacavallo and Sant’Agata Feltria are in Emilia-Romagna, Amelia and Spoleto in Umbria. Spoleto is now your best change for an accidental tick, in case you visited the city centre as well, while visiting the Longobards component of Basilica di San Salvatore.

Belize Barrier Reef

3.00 Clyde Malta - 12-May-25

I visited this WHS in Spring 2024 staying close to Half Moon Caye Natural Monument and the Blue Hole Natural Monument. Already getting close to Half Moon Caye, we got lucky and from the boat we saw a couple of dugongs feeding in the middle of the mangroves. If you stop by the mangroves, make sure to wear some mosquito repellent, and beware of crocodiles!

Staying close to Half Moon Caye, meant we were able to come and go at different times of the day with rather short boat trips to enjoy the island and reefs mostly alone. On the island proper, there's a beach which is practically reserved for nesting turtles and a broken down lighthouse where a lot of water birds like to stay. On the opposite side of the island is another lovely beach for swimming, lots of coconut palm trees, a small ranger station with some information boards, and a short hike through the lush vegetation and mangroves, full of hermit crabs, iguanas, lizards and a wooden watchout tower to view the scores of frigatebirds and red-footed boobies and their young in this bird sanctuary

Primeval Beech Forests

2.50 J_neveryes Canada - 14-May-25

This review is of Bulgaria's Dzhendema Reserve, which I hiked through without initially realizing that I would be in an UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

My actual hiking goal was Bulgaria's tallest waterfall, Raysko Praskalo, which is located in Central Balkan National Park.  Approximately 1.5 hours after starting the hike, I encountered a sign informing that I was entering an UNESCO World Heritage Site, which puzzled me as I had no idea that I was even in the vicinity of one.  The mountain forest provided a very pleasant hike, but I would not have known about is specialness but for the sign.  I believed that I hiked for about an hour in the forest before another sign informed me that I was exiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

National Museum of Qatar (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 13-May-25

I have a strong fascination for National Museums and every time I visit a “new” country, I try to take one in. What I am interested in is how countries present their history. It’s like a 5-minute pitch they have to give about “Tell me about your country”. This is very difficult to do well: where do you start, and where do you end? What stories do you tell and which ones do you omit? I recently visited the museums in Jordan and Iraq: the Jordan museum really struggles with a lack of authentic content and representativeness, while the one in Baghdad is an excellent Archaeological Museum but doesn’t cover the whole story.

Tubbataha Reefs

Boj Egypt - 17-May-25

Reasonable scuba divers will agree that, as far as the possibility of marine life encounter is concerned, luck is a constant factor, along with all other environmental conditions, as well the divers’ skill and general behaviour. “It’s not an aquarium down there after all,” is an easy but a necessary caveat. In that regard, I and my fellow divers thank ours lucky stars for the Tubbataha superlatives experience (dive safari in March 2025). 

However, to fully appreciate the site, it would be necessary to look back and stocktake decades of efforts from various stakeholders in Palawan - academe, fisherfolk communities, national and local government agencies, NGOs, international organisations, etc., whose efforts made Tubbataha currently a model for marine site conservation

Tubbataha Reefs

3.50 Clyde Malta - 14-May-25

I visited this WHS in Spring 2025 thanks to a special meet-up (9 pax) organised by Thomas Buechler on a liveaboard catamaran for 2 nights. The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is made up of Tubbataha Reef (South Atoll and North Atoll) and the smaller Jessie Beazley Reef, located in the middle of the Sulu Sea 150 kilometres southeast of Puerto Princesa. It lies at the apex of what is known as the Coral Triangle, a global centre of marine biodiversity. The natural park is a bird (also a Ramsar site) and marine sanctuary with a very high density of marine species, especially coral, with 72% of all coral genera in the world.

Copán

4.00 Clyde Malta - 12-May-25

I visited this WHS in Spring 2024 as a 2 night 2 day trip excursion from Guatemala. Arriving late in the afternoon as opposed to an early morning border crossing meant that there was no traffic at all, something that should be taken in mind as we saw long queues to cross the border from Guatemala to Honduras on our return.

Thi [...]

Antigua Guatemala

3.00 Clyde Malta - 12-May-25

I visited this WHS in Spring 2024 and spent a couple of nights here, mostly to be able to visit early in the morning and around sunset when it isn't so crowded. The nearby active Fuego and Acatenango volcanoes frequently sent up huge plumes of ash in the sky every now and then, just as a reminder of why the earthquake resistant Baroque architecture was necessary here.

Having extra time and entering Antigua Guatemala from three different locations (Lake Atitlan, Tak'Alik Abaj and Santiago de Guatemala) during my stay in Antigua Guatemala, I allowed brief stops to also cover some of the minor locations scattered around the old town, namely Finca Retana and Finca El Portal (some of the oldest fincas in the region for coffee production), San Bartolomé Becerra (a small church but portrayed as a highlight during Holy Week processions), San Juan del Obispo (now an interesting museum) and San Cristobal El Alto (remains of a chapel). It must be said that these minor locations alone don't possess any particular OUV that truly enhances the main old town location or indeed cover it if anyone were to miss out on visiting the old town for any reason

Brugge

5.00 Andrew_Kerr UK - 11-May-25

I've been to Brugge three times and I'm yet to be disappointed.I know we are all different but I really struggle to see how people rate Brugge at three stars. It's a 5 star tourist destination. One of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe, the "Venice of the north" with it's extensive canal network (although I dislike that tag) and several UNESCO listed sites besides the Historic Center of Brugge itself.Yes, it does get overrun with tourists (what do you expect?) and it can be expensive but it's still one of the great sights in Europe and definitely the best in Belgium

Rideau Canal

3.00 J_neveryes Canada - 13-May-25

I have a soft spot for this Canadian World Heritage Site as I lived in Kingston - the end (or start) of the Rideau Canal - for four years during my university days. 

Kingston is an attractive city, in my opinion, with a good collection of 19th century limestone buildings.  A particularly interesting building is the Neoclassical Kingston Penitentiary, which housed some of the most infamous criminals from 1835 to 2013. The “Kingston Pen” is now a museum with guided tours.  

The monasteries of Tatev and Tatevi Anapat (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 13-May-25

Seeing Tatev pop up as a potential WH candidate for 2028, I had to dive deeply into my memory for an opinion. Fortunately, I still have my diaries in Dutch available.

I visited in 2005, as a day trip from Yerevan with a car + driver. It’s in the direction of Iran and it would take us 5 hours to get there. We regularly encountered large trucks with Iranian number plates. The chance that they are bringing something to Armenia is greater than getting something, but Iran is (compared to Azerbaijan and Turkey) a good neighbour. We also got caught up in very large herds of sheep twice, accompanied by shepherds and dogs.

Village de Sidi Bou Saïd (T)

Joel on the Road Australia - 07-May-25

The dossier for Sidi Bou Said speaks glowingly of an important Mediterranean hilltop town, with palaces and big houses and important religious shrines and so on. The reality (at least for our visit) was a typical Mediterranean tourist village, featuring a packed main street with souvenir stalls, Nutella crepe vendors and so on.

We spent an hour or so here and honestly didn’t find much of interest. It was cold and raining steadily during our visit, so it wasn’t the sparkling jewel we had semi-expected. The highlight for us was Dar El Annabi, a restored old mansion built in the traditional style. It was interesting to wander around, a felt like a very fancy version of Dars we had stayed in elsewhere in Tunisia.

Quirigua

3.00 Clyde Malta - 11-May-25

I visited this WHS in Spring 2024 as a detour from Antigua Guatemala before heading to Copan, Honduras. It is rightly famous for its superbly carved and preserved sandstone stelae, 9 of which are protected only by thatched roofs. There are small information boards in front of each stele with hieroglyphic texts and sculpted calendars. The huge trees full of birds surrounding the current site of Quirigua are a mere reminder of the jungle which used to cover these stelae. Old photos of the site can be seen in the small on-site museum, together with photos of the recent flooding. The wooden UNESCO WHS plaque has been changed with another carved one recently.

Budj Bim Cultural Landscape

2.00 Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 09-May-25

I did the "lazy" thing and just parked at Lake Surprise, part of Mt Eccles National Park, which is easy as long as you have your own car. It was way back in 2018 so maybe things have changed now - for one it's actually inscribed as a UNESCO property now and the path around the lake is actually clear. Back in the days I met with the caretaker (more of a hippie that was doing this on the side) and he was a bit concerned that logs had fallen onto the path - and he made sure I would drive safely to avoid hitting 'roos - mkay.  The path around the lake is usually quite easy and doesn't take too long. You can see plenty of birds this way too. From this area you can hike more inwards for the lava tunnel and "natural" bridge

Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia

2.00 Zoe United States - 12-May-25

I recently visited Aslanhane Mosque (in Turkish, Arslanhane Camisi) in Ankara as I was already in the city for the day due to a flight connection. This Seljuk mosque, built in 1290 CE, seems to be a lot smaller and less interesting than the other locations of this WHS. Thus, I wouldn't recommend it as a stop to anyone besides WHS travelers. I have seen a lot of Seljuk mosques/madrasahs, of comparable age, that are more stunning and visually intriguing during my time in Turkey (the Çifte Minareli Madrasah in Erzurum, built 1265 CE, if you want a rec)! However, what makes these hypostyle mosques interesting are the wooden beams inside, thought to have originated from the Mongol invasions half a century prior, according to UNESCO

Garni and the ‘Basalt Organ’ Columnar Joint (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 09-May-25

I visited this recent addition to Armenia's Tentative List in March 2005. It's actually surprising that it took them so long to put it forward, since Garni is one of the country's best-known sights. I went on a day tour (a combo with Geghard Monastery), organised from the Soviet hotel Erebuni and costing 10 dollars. There was only one (Armenian) fellow passenger.

At the first stop, we know for sure that Yerevan is behind us: the air here is clean and fresh, the surroundings green. We stopped at a monument for a poet. His favourite spot for inspiration was this view of Mount Ararat. This, snow-covered, is clearly visible today.

Wadi Al-Hitan

3.00 Frédéric M Canada - 17-May-25

During my trip to Egypt in February and March 2025, I spent three nights at the Zad El Mosafer guesthouse in Tunis in the Fayoum and Lake Qarun region. I used Tunis as a base to visit Wadi Al-Hitan, Gebel Qatrani, and Soknopaiou Nesos. I organized all these activities through my guesthouse. What's more, they also arranged transport to Alexandria, with stops at the monasteries of Saint Pishoy and Saint Macarius the Great and Abu Mena.

My first day in Tunis was spent [...]

Val di Noto

3.00 Twobaconsandaboston Australia - 09-May-25

This WHS was last reviewed in 2021, so I thought I would provide an update in 2025.  We have been based in Syracuse (another UNESCO site) for the last 3 weeks and used this location as a base to explore all 8 of these Baroque Towns.  On average we spent about 3- 4 hours in each town, I think if you spend any less you are not doing each location due diligence to explore the OUV of each site.  Ragusa and Modica were a long day trip by train to explore both on the same day.  Scicli, Noto, Catania and Militello were all individual day trips by the Train

ShUM Sites

4.00 Sturuss Germany - 11-May-25

I visited 3 out of 4 of the ShUM sites in May 2025 and was very impressed by my experiences. Prior to my visit I was tangentially aware of various elements of the history of Europe's Medieval Jews, but these sites really gave me an insight into a side of European history that I knew relatively little about. The sites were well set up for visitors and there is now the ShUM-App, which contains information in German and English for all of the sites. If you have heave headphones with you then you can use it as an audioguide, although I just read the text. The app also contains all of the important information about opening hours, entrance fees, and important customs all in one convenient place

Djerba

1.00 Joel on the Road Australia - 07-May-25

Djerba is a cultural landscape that reflects how local people survived and thrived on a harsh desert island. The dossier and the inscription criteria speak of overcoming the unique challenges in finding food and water, building shelters, developing an economy, defending themselves, and so on. This sounds interesting enough, though a bit vague like most cultural landscapes.

However, almost none of the inscribed locations reflect these criteria. Of the 31 locations specifically mentioned, 25 are mosques, along with a catholic church, a synagogue, and a souk. Which honestly makes this inscription baffling.

Tak'alik Ab'aj

2.50 Clyde Malta - 11-May-25

I visited this WHS in Spring 2024 as a day trip from Antigua Guatemala. The day before my visit I was lucky to spot some original stone sculptures on display at the second floor of the National Museum of Guatemalan Art or MUNAG in Antigua Guatemala. It is best to leave very early as the mostly one lane roads to Tak'alik Ab'aj can see quite a lot of heavy traffic, mostly due to the banana plantation trucks and workers. Make sure not to visit on Mondays as otherwise the excellent Museo Caracol del Tiempo with most original stelae and sculptures will be closed. Spanish-speaking guides offer their services for a tip both at the museum and at the archaeological park.

Vatican City

5.00 Jgriffindor6 United States - 14-May-25

I initially thought that I would not be able to add much to the discussion in regards to the sites I visited in April 2025. I mean, what can yet another American tourist say about something as heavily visited as the Vatican? I did decide to visit during the year of the Jubilee, which I thought would add another layer to the experience, at least in an anthropological manner. 

However, the day before I was about to leave, the world received the sad news that Pope Francis had passed away

Çatalhöyük

3.50 Zoe United States - 12-May-25

I visited this site in May 2025. As mentioned, there is a brand new museum that is really well-done. There's interactive screens and buttons you can press to learn about the different reasons Çatalhöyük is important. For instance, Çatalhöyük showed evidence of a egalitarian society, with no difference in the treatment of men and women. No one home unit was more elaborate or larger than another, also seen as evidence towards this point. There is, additionally, a replica of the houses on site (pictured) that you can freely walk into and get a feel for what it might have been like thousands of years ago. Other facilities on site: cafe, bathrooms, gift shop, and lookout tower. I was a big fan of the museum and found it to be really interesting

Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands

2.50 Els Slots The Netherlands - 07-May-25

The Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands, being a distinct Floral WHS, never appealed to me much. Still, it was a shoo-in in 2021 as IUCN easily confirmed its global significance (“one of the two most important refuge areas of Arcto-Tertiary geoflora in western Eurasia”; the Hyrcanian Forests are the other one) and was also happy with the site management. I visited the same location as several other reviewers, Mtirala National Park, but happened to do so on a sunny day in May, with the rhododendrons in full bloom.

Paquimé

2.50 Clyde Malta - 11-May-25

I visited this WHS in spring 2024. I drove to Nuevo Casas Grandes from Hermosillo airport (8 hrs) and apart from a few military checkpoints along the highway where the Trump wall is visible, the only minor issue were the many potholes. If you happen to have a rental car with hub caps, I suggest removing them or buying straps as otherwise you'll most certainly lose them while driving to/from Paquimé. Keep in mind that it can get very cold after sunset and especially in the morning with the formation of morning dew; but after that it quickly gets very hot.

Ichkeul National Park

1.50 Shandos Cleaver Australia - 07-May-25

Visiting a site like Ichkeul National Park, where it's not clear what if anything you can visit, is a lot harder to plan by public transport than by car. Especially when you've just arrived in the country, aren't yet confident with louages and can't speak French. A staff member at our Tunis hostel recommended we request a permit at the Ministry of Tourism (he had unsuccessfully tried to visit within the last year or two), but other sources said a different department was required.

We decided to go ahead without getting a permit, as we weren't too keen on wasting time in government offices. At the last minute, we changed plans from taking a bus or louage to Mateur to taking a louage to Menzel Bourguiba. After all, the latter city was almost on the edge of the lake - our back-up option to tick off a visit

Litomysl Castle

1.00 Ludvan USA - 08-May-25

The Litomysl Castle is on my penultimate day of Czechia WHS circuit.  I am not going to add much to the comments already posted except for my experience, or lack thereof during the visit. 

1) the site is under renovation so the side of the castle is covered by scaffolding and screening. The Sgrafiti are therefore not visible from the entrance side. The other side with the lawn is enclosed by construction fencing, thus you can’t get a photo.  I was lucky to sneak in for a few photos when the construction crew was changing shifts and opened the gate. 

Ayutthaya

4.00 ZCTLife USA - 06-May-25

Many years ago, I traveled with the famed Lonely Planet book, South East Asia on a Shoestring, the storied ‘Yellow Bible’ of discount travelers, my prize possession.  I remember traveling around Thailand in those days, taking colorful 3 wheeled Tuk-Tuks, eating simple Pad Thai street food, and staying at the cheapest guest house hostels I could find.  I remember watching a truck filled with children stop at the end of a touristy street, unload two dozen street urchins, and drive to the other end of the street to pick them up after they had collected their begging money