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I visited Purnululu National Park in early August 2023 as part of a trip around Western Australia and the Northern Territory with my wife and teenage son. We flew into Kununurra from Darwin, which is a short 1 hour flight, and rented a Toyota Landcruiser Prado at the airport. Before heading south towards Purnululu, we visited the excellent Mirima National Park on the outskirts of Kununurra and walked up a steep trail for views over the valley. We also visited the Aboriginal Art Centre. After lunch we visited Kelly's Knob, a high point with a view over the town then set out on the road, arriving in Warmun in the late afternoon. We stopped a few times to check out the Baobab trees around the highway. 

We had originally planned to stay two nights at a campsite just off the highway but a dispute between the traditional owners meant the site wouldn't open for the whole season. We were only given a few weeks notice of the closure so had to hastily arrange alternative accommodation. We stayed at Warmun Roadhouse about 35 miles north of the turn off into Purnululu, and although the accommodation was basic, the roadhouse had everything one needs - shop, restaurant and fuel. The night sky here was amazing, as good as anywhere I had seen previously. 

We set off for Purnululu early the next morning as you are advised not to travel at night due to the risk of hitting animals (cows, horses, …

Impressive 15th Century fortress on the banks of the river Danube. It was once a fortified city and temporarily the capital of Serbia before it was overrun by forces of the Ottoman Empire but not until they had laid siege to the fortress on three separate occasions. The fortress survived the centuries more or less intact until bomb damage in World War II. In recent years the fortress has been restored back to it's former glory as has the spectacular fortress a few miles downriver in Golubac.There isn't much else to detain you in Smederevo, it's an industrial city with a large steelworks that seems to coat everything in a red dust. From memory the nearest places of interest are Belgrade to the north and Veliko Gradiste to the south, both around 40 miles away.

My Wife and I took an amazing trip to the Galapagos Islands in 2024. We took a four day cruise to explore the eastern islands.  

HIGHLANDS (SANTA CRUZ ISLAND)Dry landing. A 45-minute bus ride will take us to the Santa Cruz highlands, located in the northwest of Puerto Ayora, where we will find a natural reserve with giant tortoises. * These enormous and slow-moving reptiles are responsible for the island’s name and therefore approaching them in their humid and forested abode is always an inspiring adventure. They can weigh between 250 and 300 kg and can live up to 200 years. Additionally, travelers can walk inside surprising lava tubes.Difficulty level: easyType of terrain: flat and muddy

EL BARRANCO Prince Philip ́s Steps (Genovesa Island)Be marveled at the variety of sea life that uses the crevices of the lava cliffs for shelter.Red-billed Tropicbirds fly overhead, switching between their nests and the bay, and a small colony of fur seals may be found near the landing site. You will be dropped off at a steep stairway that begins on rocks at the foot of a path that leads through a seabird colony full of Nazca and Red-footed Boobies. At the plateau, the trail continues inland allowing you to see more nesting booby colonies in the thin Palo Santo Forest. Near the end of the trail, over a rocky lava plain,Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels can be observed flying in all directions. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a Short-eared …

In July 2024, I took 5 days to experience the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks. Travel by car is definitely the optimal way to get around here, with many excursions on foot, maybe a few on boat, and one on the Ice Explorer (more on that later). While I wanted to be thorough, I would have been the only one keen on hiking in my group, so I was unable to go on any long hikes. Still, we made the most of our time by visiting all 5 parks accessible by road: Mount Robson, Jasper, Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay.

Mount Robson:

You don’t actually need to be a hiker to experience this world-class provincial park in its full glory. Mount Robson (pictured) is very much visible from the visitor center, and just the sight of it gave me perhaps the most chills I’d gotten from any singular sight on this trip. One could probably just bask for hours, especially at sunrise or sunset, to admire this massive monolith tower over, well, the entire area. Of course, it would’ve been all the more amazing to hike as well. Another cool site if you’re around in August or September would be Rearguard Falls to witness the Chinook Salmon jumping up the rapids. Personally, I think this provincial park, with its namesake mountain in particular, is a must-see in the Rockies and may even surpass Kootenay National Park in significance and grandeur. The visitor center is only about an hour’s drive from …

It’s just a 20-minute walk from the center of Dakar to the ‘Gare Maritime’ from where the ferries to Gorée leave. This is a well-organized service, with online timetables, clear ticket prices (unchanged for years so it seems, 5200 XOF for the return plus 500 tax), and a boarding area with plenty of seats and a French bakery. It's nothing like the Elephanta ferry I took a month ago from Mumbai – with its lack of signage, old wooden boats and the dirt all around. Just don’t forget to bring your passport here, as it will be checked when you enter the harbour area. If you want to sit at the ferry's top deck, enter via the back entrance and choose a seat on the right for the best Gorée arrival views (I sat on the left, staring at a Maersk containership). The crossing takes just 20 minutes.

The core zone comprises the whole island, which measures about 900x350m. Right off the boat, you walk underneath a Welcome to Gorée-sign that doubles as a Plaque. Check! There’s no shortage of UNESCO WH emblems on display around the island anyway, they are also present on every information panel and at the town hall (hand-painted). 

Gorée is a pleasant place to roam around on your own. There are no cars and no persistent sellers or wannabe guides. It has many picturesque small alleys worth checking out. Most buildings date from the late 18th and 19th centuries and were built …

There are a couple of component parts to the Medina that warrant a visit in their own right. The Ribat, an impressive fort dating from the 8th century that is surprisingly complete and perfectly maintained. The site can be visited including the tower.The Great Mosque of Sousse (picture) dates from the 9th century and is impressive in it's size and layout. It doesn't fit the stereotypical image of a mosque, a domed building with a slender minaret, it is squat and rectangular and has a defensive nature to it being enclosed behind formidable walls with round towers on the corners surrounding a tranquil and elegant inner courtyard.And the Medina itself with it's own defensive walls and tower and magnificent city gates make it one of the most interesting places in Tunisia.

I visited this site in January 2025, my first for the new year. I had initially planned to check out Labna, Sayil, and Kabah as well, but after all the holiday travel, I decided to focus on Uxmal and make it a laid-back day trip from Merida. 

Touring the site

I arrived at the site well after lunch and spent about three hours exploring. The weather was perfect, and the crowd was much smaller than I remembered from my visit to Chichen Itza two years ago. This was consistent with what I had read in various blogs about Uxmal, though I had anticipated a more crowded experience, especially considering it was peak holiday season. The main structure in this site, many of which depict the rain god Chaac, are as follows: 

1. Piramide del Adivino - the first thing you’d see past the site entrance. It’s quite majestic, with its unique oval shape setting it apart from other Mayan pyramids. An arched, pointed doorway is visible on the upper half of the south side of the pyramid. Walking to the right of the pyramid will lead you to a series of buildings whose upper façades feature Chaac masks and elaborate geometric carvings.
2. Cuadrangulo de las Monjas - this is situated west of the pyramid. Elongated, rectangular buildings built on low platforms surround a large grassy courtyard. Beware of the iguanas sunbathing here; they’re so well camouflaged that they might startle you when they suddenly scurry away. …

August 2024 - the last days of our roadtrip returning fromm Romania we passed this little village. A steep road is guiding to the villages parking lot. You have to pay an entrance fee, which enhances the museum-character of this village. Visiting all wooden houses and some interiors can be completed within an hour. Make sure to visit the only restaurant in Vlkolinec which has wonderful Bryndzove Pirohe i Buchty na pare. The village is remarkable due to its wonderful surrounding landscape. 35 years ago i still remember some polish villages which looked similar.

A beautiful old city! Others here have already done a good job explaining what is best to see in the town so I will keep this review fairly brief as not much has not changed since then to here in Jan 2025. My wife and I spent a day here with my cousin, who had come to Salamanca a few days before us to spend time with her graduate school friend who is a native of the city. The friend who had grown up there (a "Salamantina") somewhat cheekily put the things to see in Salamanca into three categories:

1. Old & Beautiful
2. Beautiful, but not Old
3. Old, but not Beautiful

Sites like the Catedral Nueva and Catedral Vieja (which are one combined entrance fee & location where you pay to see both with an audio guide) fall into the coveted "Old & Beautfiul" category. Other things like the Roman Bridge are in the "Old, but not Beautiful" classification.

We were kind of just wandering the city without a specific agenda or checklist to complete, so a hitlist of items that we ended up seeing that were definitely worth it include:

• The Cielo de Salamanca in the ancient Salamanca University - An ancient astrological painting inside Spain's oldest university
• Convento de San Esteban - A ridiculously intricate alterpiece that is dozens of meters tall
• Plaza Mayor - The typical "main square" of older Spanish cities, and very similar to …

York is a great little place for a weekend break. It's a compact old city that has everything, Roman and Viking remains, a Cathedral, intact city walls, river excursions and some great museums.The Shambles is one of the best preserved medieval areas in the UK with interesting narrow streets lined with half timbered buildings.York Minster, the Cathedral (picture), is an impressive building dating mainly from the 13th and 14th centuries and is built in the early English Gothic style. It is the second highest ranked cathedral in the country and the seat of the Archbishop of York.In 1984 a fire destroyed much of the cathedral but quick thinking actions by the fire brigade saw them deliberately collapsing the roof which saved the rest from certain destruction. The building today shows no effects from that devastating fire.The only downside to York is the sheer number of visitors the city receives. It's a fairly small city center and it can feel oppressive with the volume of people, particularly on a hot summer weekend when the city is full of stag night and hen night party goers as well as the influx of tourists.In terms of gaining a full WHS listing, I'm not so sure, it's a great place for a break but not on the same level as, say, Bath or Edinburgh

I listed the Kitanglad Range under my proposed WHS years ago, and to my surprise, it has now come up on the tentative list. I visited back in February 2019 through Dahilayan Adventure Park, Manolo Fortich; this is a few hours from Cagayan de Oro City. The adventure park is located just inside of the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park with wonderful views of the mountain range. This is probably the easiest way to visit this site, along with driving the nearby countryside roads that also reach the edge of the natural park (which we also did). However, the best way to experience it would be to climb Mt. Dulang-dulang (2941masl., 2nd highest in the country) and/or Mt. Kitanglad (2899masl., 4th highest), or Mt Kalatungan (2860masl., 5th highest) in the neighboring Mt. Kalatungan Range Natural Park, with various agencies offering guided climbs. Hopefully, I can add an update when I get around to doing those climbs. 

This is mostly a natural site focused on exceptional biodiversity, endemism, ecologic processes and health, and scenery. I cannot yet comment much on anything but the scenery, but I can say the scenery alone had a profound effect on me at the time. It's the type of scenery that makes you fall in love with the mountains, with nature, as cheesy as that may seem. Don't knock 'em 'til you see 'em; these mountains are simply majestic. When it comes to the cultural aspect, I can see how this proposal is a bit …

August 2024 - it was one of the hottest days during our trip. Luckily we found a camping spot at the local Swimmingpool which was included in the fee and seems to be the only spot to cool down in this town. In the evening it became more bearable for a stroll through the old town. It is definitely a wonderful old town, but also too much of a tourist place loaded with souvenir shops and italian-style restaurants. I regret not visting the old town next morning again, without the tourist masses. Summing up, I expected a bit more of this one, but it was a nice visit.

August 2024 - After visiting Sibiu we took smaller roads to Biertan. It is probably the most visited Fortress town as it is on the way to Shigishoara. We visited during lunch break of the guards, so no entry fee for us. The german heritage is very obvious and the history well displayed. The next day, we still visited Saschiz and the wonderful and idylic Viscri (Photo). However, we spent the night at yet another fortress which strangely is not found on the list. Honigberg or Hārman is well preserved and the Saxonian heritage still being worshiped. It definitely adds some value putting it on your itinerary. 

We stayed one night in the heart of Praia’s historic center, conveniently located for an early departure to one of the other islands. The city is perched on the naturally fortified plateau of Santa Maria da Vitória, overlooking the harbor. Praia developed here due to its strategic military importance, which allowed control over maritime and commercial activities in the region.

As Ribeira Grande (Cidade Velha) declined, Praia emerged as Cape Verde’s primary population center, benefiting from its geographic location, large port, improved defenses, and better hygiene. In 1770, it was declared the capital of Cape Verde. The city’s 19th-century urban planning reflects European ideals, with straight streets, squares, and colonial architecture, including landmarks like the Presidential Palace and City Hall.

We wandered the streets in search of its Outstanding Universal Value, but nothing truly stood out. We viewed the Presidential Palace, which is modest in size, the City Hall, and visited a couple of pleasant squares. The historic center is small, with no signage or markers to highlight points of interest. In São Filipe, for example, they’ve implemented a walking tour with QR codes and some information along the way—something Praia could benefit from.

The main street, flanked with a few stately buildings and mercifully car-free, is pleasant to stroll, but it’s far from enough to justify an inscription on the World Heritage List. Thumbs down from us.

Sal Island, part of Cape Verde’s Barlavento group, was discovered by the Portuguese in 1460 but remained uninhabited until the late 18th century due to extreme drought. The island’s salt industry began in the late 1700s at Pedra de Lume, a volcanic crater 39 meters above sea level and 1.5 km from the sea. This crater, once connected to the ocean, holds over 50 million tons of natural salt formed through seawater evaporation.

The salt industry flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries, exporting up to 30,000 tons annually. However, economic disparities between workers and management were prominent. While the industry declined after Brazil banned foreign salt imports in 1887, it experienced a revival in the 20th century under the French company Salins du Cabo Verde.

With an eigth hour stop over at the island of Sal we visited this salt basin area. The island itself seems like the least interesting of the ten islands of Cape Verde so our aim was really the other islands.

A taxi took us from the airport and we put our luggage in the ticket booth while we entered the volcano basin. A stroll across then an half circle along the shore took us back to the entrance area and the swim area. Of course we had to test swimming in this salty water. Swimming is practically impossible, but floating around is nice. There is a cafe present and a changing area with showers. The changing boots are free but a …

On the 1st of May 2024 Syria started issuing e-visas on condition the application went via a travel agency (otherwise the payment wouldn't go through) and this is how I spent my trip in the country a week later - with a guide/driver that would make sure we passed all the checkpoints.

To complement Triath's review, the citadel was open to visitors and the biggest visible damage was not from the war (those parts had been reconstructed), but from the earthquake that shook the area the previous year (as in the photo). Other than this, Hotel Baron had been recently closed (the guide, who was a local, had not been aware of this).

And last but not least, Aleppo gave probably the most famous kebabs of Syria - the cherry kebab (which I enjoyed at Naranj restaurant in Damascus - it would be a pity to miss it, all the locals know about it) and the kebak khashkhash which I had (luckily) at Aspasia restaurant in Hama.

I had expected these Ancient Ksour to be really remote, but Ouadane and Chinguetti in 2025 are easily reached. The 82km road from Atar to Chinguetti has recently been turned into an asphalt road via a project sponsored by the Islamic Development Bank. And Ouadane, another 120km eastwards, is accessible via a ‘piste’ (unpaved but smoothened and maintained), where driving 90 km/h is easily possible and no 4WD is needed.

Coming from the Northwest (Atar), we first spent a day and a night in Ouadane. Already on the approach you feel that you’re arriving somewhere special. The old city was built against a hill overlooking date palm plantations, with a maze of streets like a dense beehive. It is much larger than I expected it and also has preserved its outer wall and gates. It is now fully abandoned. We did a walking tour here with a local guide. It's remarkable how high the walls bordering the streets are (upper photo). Entrance to the buildings is via low wooden doors; we visited the house of one of the three founders of the city, El Hadj Yacoub. It had spaces for books and for teaching, and a balcony overlooking the city. The town’s Old Mosque looks brittle but has been restored.

The approach to Chinguetti was very different – we took the sand dunes shortcut route from Ouadane via the oasis of Tenewchert, and you’ll end up seeing the minaret of the Old (First) Mosque appearing from the sand. …

This is an incredible site. I've been twice to St. Denis, and tried to take my wife a third time, but it was New Year's Day and the cathedral was closed. 

Getting off the Metro, the area is a bit depressed, but the people are hard scrabble working folks and immigrants, lots of street vendors.

It's been a long time since my visit, but I remember the Gothic history of the place being quite remarkable, and the tombs of all the French royalty dating back to Clovis, Dagobert, Pepin the Short, and up to Marie Antoinette - are you kidding me? Then, you learn the Parisians during the revolution pulled the corpses and bones into the street having strewn the bodies about.

They were re interred together in the crypt by Napoleon. The church itself is one of the earliest if not the earliest Gothic cathedrals. A definite highlight which should be included on the list. 

Totally worth a stop and a couple hours time to visit.

(Visited 2022.6 Bayanbulaq & 2023.6 Qarajun-Köldeneng)

I'm not a natural WHS lover but I still decided to write this because it seemed to me that here is lack of information of Bayanbulaq (Bayinbuluke) and Qarajun-Köldeneng (Kalajun-Ku'erdening).

In my opinion all 4 parts of Tengritagh (Tianshan) WHS are equally important because they reflect one of the most important OUV - biodiversity. Tömür(Mountain), Bogda(Lake), Qarajun-Köldeneng(Mountain Grassland-Forest), Bayanbulaq(Basin Grassland), each has their uniqueness.

Bayanbulaq

Bayanbulaq is located in a little basin between 2 branches of the mountains and has always been the traditional pasture of the Junggar people. The main attraction you can visit is the Bayinbuluke Grassland scenic area (entrance CNY 150), where rivers meander due to the Coriolis force. There is also a small Tibetan Buddhist temple here, which is currently almost the only permanent building on the grassland. (Originally there was also a town and other buildings, but they have been demolished and the residents have moved out)

The most convenient way to get here is to drive, especially the seasonry Duku (Maytagh-Kocha) Highway (an excellent way to experience the OUV of this WHS, although not in its area). There are many accommodation options in the town, but it is often difficult to find a room during the peak season. Overall, as an important stop in the middle of a road trip, it is worth spending half a day to a day here to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery.

Qarajun-Köldeneng

Qarajun is divided into 2 areas, both with stunning mountain …

End of december 2024 I visited 2 of the plantations. I also passed by one other.

Landhuis Ascension: gate was closed; I could only see from the street. Website tells it is reserved for the Dutch Marine. Just next to the Landhuis you have Kas di pal'i maishi - Kunuku House. It is just at the street. This one is a little house with a roof from Mais.

Landhuis Savonet: very close to the road to Westpunt and it has its own busstop. There is a small museum in the building. Nothing special, but you can enter the building. Price was only 5 USD. The landhuis is also the ticket counter from the Christoffel National Park.

https://www.christoffelpark.org/nl_NL

Landhuis Knip: The house is at one side of the road; on the other side of the street you also have some buildings. There is also a museum. I think there is a guided tour for 25 USD, but i had not much time to check, otherwise I would miss the last bus. Website tells 15 USD for ticket.

https://fundashonmuseotula.com/