Blog WHS Visits

WHS #939: Kaziranga

Kaziranga is the site I looked forward to the most on this India trip, and it certainly did not disappoint. I splurged on staying for 2 nights in the upmarket Diphlu River Lodge (335 EUR p/n all-in). They offer safari packages similar to the lodges in African national parks, including all meals and activities. Its location turned out to be a bit noisy (it lies close to the main road Jorhat-Guwahati) and the somewhat stiffish service didn’t quite reach the African Safari Lodge level, where understated elegance and convivial atmosphere often appear effortless. On the plus side: I had my private car and guide who took me on generously long (4-5 hour) game drives and steered away from the crowds. The food and the room were excellent as well.

The park is only open from November to April, as the rest of the year the area suffers from the effects of serious flooding covering up to 80% of its surface. Markings on park buildings show how high the water reached in certain years. Both man and animal flee to higher-lying areas such as man-made “islands” called chapories and the main road. This also means that the park has to redo all the (unpaved) roads every season, sometimes creating new roads and bridges as the old ones were swept away or the whole riverbank moved.

Included in my safari package were three game drives which brought me to different parts of the park. The first one was the Western Entrance. The first impression here is stunning: wide open fields along the Diphlu river bank, filled with many mammals and birds. We easily saw 50-60 Indian rhinos – and mind you, these are solitary animals, so they were all social distancing some 30m apart doing their own thing. Most sightings are quite far away, so your phone camera won’t be enough here. Other common animals to see are wild water buffalo and several species of deer. We also saw a smooth-coated otter walking on an island in the river. Wild elephants we saw only a few.

The next morning, we went to the Far Northwestern Entrance. Leaving the lodge at 7, we spent the first hour wildlife spotting along the main road. This was quite the “Indian experience”, as it is a busy road with loud and fast buses and trucks passing our safari jeep left and right, while the guide had his eyes focused on the treetops where groups of gibbons sometimes can be seen. We weren’t successful with the gibbons, but these tall trees produced a first capped langur, numerous flying foxes and a pair of great hornbills (for the latter we got into someone’s backyard to get the best view).  

At the park gate, an armed ranger joined our jeep to keep us safe during the tour. We met very few other cars in this part of the park, only a few from our lodge. The landscape of high trees continued after we entered the park. Quickly we found another group of capped langurs, who were very cooperative in displaying their behaviour and posing for photos. They had two young babies with them as well, very cute (see photo 2). Our forest drive ended at a ranger station on the banks of the Brahmaputra, one of the 200 all across Kaziranga that have to keep the poachers out. We stretched our legs for a bit and saw some very special Roofed turtles along the coastline. These creatures are tiny and it looks like they are carrying a conical roof! The guide identified them as the critically endangered Assam roofed turtles - rare but not as much as Wikipedia suggests ("known only from a few individuals"), they're even a subject of poaching as their flesh is a local delicacy. 

The last safari was in the Central Area. This is where the main park entrance is and thus it is the busiest of all. It also seemed to be the prime area to look for tigers. My guide was frantically phoning his colleagues to hear whether one had been spotted. We missed out on one probably by a minute: we raced towards a group of 20 jeeps strategically positioned near a small lake. We only saw the group of buffalo that jointly had scared the tiger away. For half an hour we waited to see whether the tiger would come out of the grass again, but it didn’t. 

The scenery in the Central Area was the least interesting of the three parts we visited (be aware that if you're considering visiting Kaziranga as a day trip, you'll probably end up here). The grass was so tall that even elephants' heads were barely visible. We didn’t find any “new” animals here but encountered a few rhinos close to the road.

Els - 1 December 2024

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WHS #936: Indian Sundarbans

As I had been to the Bangladeshi Sundarbans already in 2007, the visit to its Indian counterpart felt superfluous: this should be one transboundary WHS of course. And it felt even more like a chore because the visitor experience on the Indian side doesn’t come exactly recommended: I scouted for a “better” lodge to stay the night or a more imaginative tour, but all come with mixed reviews (or worse) online. So I settled for a private day trip from Kolkata. This one also suffered from poor communication beforehand, but fortunately, the logistics on the day itself worked perfectly.

A driver picked me up at 5 a.m. from my Kolkata hotel. The drive to Godhkali this early in the morning takes only 2h15 minutes (on the way back, it would be 3 hours). When you leave Kolkata’s city limits, the typical landscape dominated by creeks and channels begins. 

In Godhkali, I was handed over like a postal package to a ferryman who put me on land at the next island, and on his turn delivered me to a waiting taxi that drove me in 15 minutes across the island to another dock. This is a densely inhabited island, it looked quite idyllic but it has suffered greatly from the devastating cyclone in 2020 and is also at risk due to rising water levels. It is protected by a low mud dike covered in plastic that looks very sketchy.

My private boat was waiting at the second dock – it came with a crew of what I first thought were two men but when breakfast suddenly appeared it turned out a woman was working in the kitchen downstairs as well. We first went to Sajnekhali to report to the park authorities. Here we also picked up a park guide, who doubled as general interpreter as he was the only one speaking English well. At the station, we had a quick look at the aquarium where they have a joint Indian-Bangladeshi breeding program for the critically endangered Northern River Terrapin.

From Sajnekhali, we then turned right. The guide said that most tourist boats go left – especially those with Indians as all they want to see are the two observation towers and take selfies with the plastic animals. We cruised along in all quietude, during the whole trip we only encountered one other tourist boat (with 2 foreigners on board). Weekends are the busiest days in the park, which is closed on Tuesdays.

The thing to observe here in the Sundarbans is how plants and animals have adapted to a life with brackish water and high tidal differences. It was funny to see the colour differences in the mangrove trees: the upper part is green, the lower part is whiteish indicating exactly up to where the water level rises daily (photo 1). Birds thrive in these surroundings (lots of branches to sit on and fish to catch), but the other animals had to adjust their “lifestyle”. Monkeys find few fruits here so they turn to anything edible (I saw one devouring a bird), and deer are known to eat crabs.

For the first hour, we navigated the part that locals may use for fishing. We saw several small boats at work. Nets fully encircle the protected zone: to prevent tigers from swimming to the inhabited islands. We then turned into the narrower creeks and into the 'tourist zone' where fishing is forbidden and the nets no longer obstructed views. It felt very pristine and I saw no rubbish floating around at all.

As time passed by (we were on the water for 5 hours) the water levels started rising, which made the observation of animals even more difficult as there were no mud banks left and the animals retreated into the thick mangrove forest. During the whole trip, we saw multiple groups of monkeys (rhesus macaques), two wild boar, and one spotted deer (photo 3: taken with a superzoom lens as it was deep in the bushes). Large monitor lizards (photo 2) were common, but crocodiles we only saw one.

Like all others who've shared their visits on this website, I only visited the buffer zone of the WHS as the core zone is a strict reserve aimed at tiger conservation. But there is a way to get closer to the core zone: at the Netidhopani Watch Tower. Visitors need a permit. It takes 4 hours from Sajnekhali by boat, so it's possible only for those staying overnight. This spot is also where the plaque is. Your chance of good wildlife sightings won't be significantly better, however; a tiger will stroll by once every 1-2 weeks.

Els - 24 November 2024

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WHS #932: Champaner-Pavagadh

Champaner-Pavagadh is one of the lesser-known Indian WHS. It is also one of the least appreciated by members of our community, although it still amounts to a decent 3 stars. The Tripadvisor reviews about this site are much more positive. One of its main issues is that it is hard to summarize what it is actually about. As the name suggests, it comprises two (contiguous) parts: Champaner (the remains of an Islamic pre-Mughal city) and Pavagadh (a hill with an important Hindu pilgrimage site). They are linked through their prime setting, the hill providing the water the city needed. As it was still relatively early in my 2024 India journey, I deep-dived into it via a day trip on public transport from Vadodara (better known locally under its old name Baroda).

The bus ride to Pavagadh takes about an hour and costs 40~60rs. Buses frequently leave from bays 15-18 at the central bus station; signage is only in Gujarati but just follow the colourful pilgrims on board. From Pavagadh bus station you have to walk about 500m to the right around the walls of the citadel, to where you can see the Jami Masjid – there used to be an entrance right across the street from the bus station (still present in Maps.me), but it is closed off nowadays and looks overgrown.

So I started my exploration with the Jami Masjid, the main mosque and the highlight of the Champaner site. I arrived at the same time as a French tour group, and there were a few local visitors as well. I was immediately taken by the very delicate stone carvings. With their geometrical motifs, they reminded me a bit of the Chaukhandi Tombs in Pakistan. The mosque is walled, with fine gateways (photo 2), and its design with two minarets against the hilly background is picture perfect. On the inside, the carvings are continued in the mihrabs and segregation walls.

For the other parts of the Primary zone of Champaner Archaeological Site, you have to enter the Citadel across the street. This is also where you encounter the infamous village; people have been living inside the walls for decades, housing is permanent and there are shops and businesses. It didn’t bother me too much actually, maybe because I saw worse last year in Pakistan (Rohtas Fort!). It is not as if they are camping on the grounds of the two precious mosques - these are well-protected and gated. Just consider it as separate locations instead of a continuous area as shown on the (very bad) official map.

At the end of the village lies the Shaher ki Masjid (photo 1). The setting with the Pavagadh Hill in the background again is very pretty and its design with multiple domes in a row is similar to what you can see in Bagerhat. In and around the village and the mosques are other points of interest, such as a water tank and a “Custom House”. The smaller Kevda Masjid and Nagina Masjid come recommended in Tripadvisor reviews as well, they can be accessed by following a small road to the right of the Custom House. There are also Jain shrines, some of which have been vandalized earlier this year, and another 11 components towards the town of Halol.

I moved on however to the Hindu pilgrimage part of this WHS: the trek to Pavagadh Hill. Over 2 million people arrive here yearly, so you don’t have to worry about finding transport or something to eat or drink. The first step involves wriggling yourself into one of the Jeeps that provide the transport from the main road (next to the bus station) to the foot of Pavagadh Hill. I think I saw at least 100 of them continuously drive the 5km up the mountain. They pack no less than 20 people in one car! A ride costs 30rs. 

At the foot of the hill, the joyful pilgrimage atmosphere already is present, with a lot of people wearing orange robes or shawls. Even the donkeys, the workhorses of this mountain, wear an orange streak in their manes. 

To get to the top of the hill, where the Hindu temple is, you can walk another 5km (only steps) or take the cable car (a.k.a. “ropeway”). I was already warned how long the queues could be for the cable car, but OMG: I walked and walked around the foot of the mountain to just find the start of the queue. The waiting time must surely have been 2 hours or more. I wanted to give it a go for an hour or so, to see how far I would advance – but I was “rescued” by some men ahead of me. They pointed me to Gate 3, the entrance for people who booked their cable car tickets online – no queue at all. The guard at first wouldn’t let me in (as of course I didn’t know about the booking process and there wasn’t a reliable data connection at the hill either to quickly do it), but the men argued in my favour: Foreigner! Alone! So finally the guard relented and let me in, and I was able to buy a cable car ticket (150rs) at the regular ticket office. I consider this VIP treatment as payback for the foreigner pricing practiced at all Indian WHS!

Within 15 minutes I was at the top. Here you’ll find a pond where people take ritual baths, an older temple and several shrines. To get to the Kalika Mata Temple you need to climb even more steps, but I skipped this since I had to leave my (good) shoes behind among a pile of thousands! The temple has been heavily reconstructed in 2022 anyway and construction is going on to extend the ropeway so that it arrives all the way up there. 

Overall, Pavagadh Hill did feel more like a place for a family outing (I’d guess about a third of all shops along the path sell toys) than an overly religious place. Walking back down, however, I witnessed how the pious tackle this hill: by bowing down and putting a dab of red powder on the stairs at every single step they climb!

Els - 17 November 2024

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Blog TWHS Visits

Workers' Assembly Halls (Belgium)

The Workers' Assembly Halls, a nomination led by Denmark, is one of the more prominent upcoming serial transnational initiatives. It is aiming for inscription in 2027. They represent the international democratic labour movement of the years 1850 to 1950. This isn’t a popular subject in 2024, but “we” (the workers in the countries where the labour movement had a significant impact) owe perks like the 8-hour workday and holiday bonuses to them. 

Among the 7 proposed Assembly Halls in 6 countries is “De Vooruit” in Ghent, Belgium. It doesn’t feature on the country’s tentative list yet, but it is definitely part of the final selected group that is preparing a nomination and it has received funding to do so from the Flanders government. I visited it yesterday on a guided tour.

The ‘Vooruit’ (Dutch for “Forward”) dates from 1913, the year Ghent hosted an International Exhibition. It seemed a good idea to the local socialist movement to celebrate its cause via a grand building, which was to be situated along the main road between the railway station and the city centre. The construction was funded by the eponymous socialist cooperative, which managed a bakery, a brewery, pharmacies, and other businesses aimed at the socialist customer. Workers could use its services against fair prices, to protect them from rampant capitalism.

The building has a very fine facade, but unfortunately, it is completely covered in scaffolding at the moment (works to improve its accessibility will last until 2026). The halls on that side are also closed off, except for the cafe - the only part that has been in continuous use for the same purpose since the early days. It even still feels like a workers’ cafeteria, while its leftist and student appeal is reflected in dishes like “dessert for Gaza”.

Our guided visit focused on the back of the building. It has a fine setting along the river Scheldt as well (see photo 1). Here we find the concert hall and the theatre. The concert hall and many of the other rooms we passed through do show slight touches of Art Nouveau, but nowadays its design is mostly utilitarian. The building has to comply with modern health and safety standards and has survived performances by bands like Nirvana and Motörhead. It also needs to be cost-effective: to battle the enormous energy bill, solar panels have been placed on the roof and a modern heating system was installed.

The best part of the tour was at the Theatre. It also has been modernized a lot, but "socialist" details remain such as a banner with the slogan “Art Ennobles” above the stage. Its ceiling has great stained-glass windows, typical Art Nouveau, with the musical notes of the socialist anthem The Internationale incorporated into the design.

Considering the Workers’ Assembly Halls in general, the nomination is carried by a convincing historical narrative (global labour movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries), but I wonder (1) how authentic its tangible remains are, and (2) what each of the 7 components adds to the story (aren’t the similarities too superficial?). The Vooruit does have the correct roots, but to be honest, it is far from a great sight on the scales of Art Nouveau (no match for the Horta Town Houses) or monumental theatre buildings (I’d rather see the Amazonia Theatres inscribed).

“De Vooruit” at the moment can only be visited with a guided tour in Dutch, which is available about once a month on a Saturday. The rest of the year it is in use for concerts and events, which seems to be the case for Paasitorni (Finland) as well. Several other Assembly Halls have accessibility issues too, which I hope will be overcome when the site is inscribed: the CGT in Buenos Aires is an office for the Labour Union, and the Redhills Durham Miners Hall in the UK is currently closed for renovation. And we eagerly await a review of the Australian components (Broken Hill, Melbourne)!

Els - 10 November 2024

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Comments
Els Slots 11 November 2024

I think the only part that is fully accessible in Gent at the moment is the café.

Nan 10 November 2024

Gent has a public section. As does the site in Helsinki. I would argue all of the building serves as a workers hall.

Els Slots 10 November 2024

Which site do you mean, Nan?

Nan 10 November 2024

Small correction: You can enter, but you won't see the big hall. I assume the complete building will be inscribed, not just the singular hall.

Els Slots 10 November 2024

It has a very interesting history, the one in Winnipeg. As I said, a big hurdle for the nomination is to make clear in the comparative analysis why some sites were chosen and others weren't.

Els Slots 10 November 2024

It doesn't seem that to have made the cut, according to the latest reports which all talk about the mentioned 7.

Kyle Magnuson 10 November 2024

So will the Worker's Assembly Hall (Ukrainian Labour Temple) in Winnipeg, Canada not be included?

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Maddeningly Close

There’s a forum topic dating back to 2014 already on this subject: WHS where you have been very close to but missed out on for some reason. We know them as “Near Misses” as well, although the result (frustration instead of relief) is the opposite of a “near miss” in safety procedures where disaster was just avoided; our Near Miss is when you were nearby, but you missed the WHS.

I have been very close to 12 (4%) out of the 293 I haven’t visited yet. How did those happen?

Visited long before inscription

First, I have two recent WHS where I had been very near early in my travel life:

  • In 1994, I thoroughly explored the Chinese province of Yunnan for a month with a small Dutch group. I have 3 WHS ‘ticks’ as a result of it. But then, in 2023, there was the “Ancient Tea Plantations of Pu'er” – in Xishuangbanna, southern Yunnan. Unfortunately, I don’t have a travel diary from that trip. I studied my photos, but the closest I could find was Jingzhen (35km away) and some Dai and Bulang villages to the south of it (photos of rubber and rice plantations, no tea!).
  • In 1998, I went to Sikkim and Bhutan. Part of the itinerary was visits to the Pemayangtse and Rumtek monasteries. Both lie just outside Khangchendzonga National Park (2016) and Pemayangtse even is mentioned (and pictured!) in the AB evaluation: “although not included in the nominated property or in the buffer zone, ..., need[s] to be protected and integrated into the interpretation and communication of the values of the nominated property”.

Unaware

I also have a couple where I came close, but wasn’t aware that the site would be up for WH status.

  • White City of Tel Aviv – visited in 2000, inscribed 2003. I have walked the streets of Tel Aviv, but not into this quarter as far as I can recall based on the pictures.
  • Aasivissuit – Nipisat – visited in 2006, inscribed in 2018. I have had a day to fill at the Kangerlussuaq Airport, I did take an excursion from there, but went for the musk-ox safari as I did not think there was anything WHS-worthy nearby.
  • Persian Caravanserai – visited in 2016, inscribed in 2024. So painful this one. I came within 150 meters(!) of the Caravanserai in Qazvin when visiting the Chehelsotoon Palace across the street.
  • Trans-Iranian Railway. If I had known I could have gone for the quick ‘tick’ of Teheran Railway Station, which lies only 4km from Golestan Palace. Visited in 2016, inscribed 2021.
  • Astronomical Observatories of Kazan Federal University – visited in 2019, inscribed in 2023. Looking at the numbers, no one guessed this would ever become a WHS. 96 community members have visited the Kazan Kremlin and only 7 of them went to see the Observatory which actually lies about 1.5km outside of the walls of the Kremlin.
  • Flow Country—Visited 2017, inscribed 2024. The road to Orkney passes through The Flow Country, and although I remarked that I enjoyed the landscape along the way, I did not focus on it at all.

Betted on the wrong horse

Here I guessed the ‘wrong’ locations of a serial site before inscription, or did not fully acknowledge the potential or the scope of a TWHS:

  • Western Ghats: I have been to Tamil Nadu during my RTW trip in 2011 and I knew this was going to be a WHS (it became so in 2012). By bus, I crossed the hills close to Nilgiri NP, and even walked to Doddabetta Peak, but I think I wasn’t aware of the exact boundaries at the time. Photo 1 shows the Nilgiri Hills, part of the Western Ghats but not an inscribed area.
  • Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites: on my South Africa trip in 2016 I even spent a day in transit to visit two of the proposed locations of this serial site when it still was on the Tentative List. But both in the end did not make the final cut! Of the components that got inscribed, I might have had a passing glance at the Union Buildings while driving through Pretoria. But I have no recollection at all, can you even see them from the road? Photo 2 shows the Howick Capture Site, a component dropped when the nomination focused a bit less on the life of Mandela and more on Anti-Apartheid institutions.
  • Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli – visited in 2014, inscribed in 2024. I have been to Tripoli, the bus station where I arrived lies some 500m from the fairgrounds, but I went the other way – to the Citadel and what I at the time saw as the more promising TWHS. Photo 3 shows the Clock Tower in the center of Tripoli, just a few minutes walk from the WHS.

Travel fatigue / lack of time

This is a category I won’t admit to easily, as I rarely give up on travel goals. But well, on my 5.5-month RTW trip, I was so fed up with eucalypt forests (and Australia in general) that I skipped the Gondwana Rainforests and went for a relaxing day in Sydney instead. 

How many “near misses” do you have, compared to your WH count? And do you have additional reasons than those listed above for missing out on those?

Els - 3 November 2024

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Comments
Alikander 7 November 2024

The one that stings the most is Aachen cathedral. It was unesxpectedly closed the day I went. Turns out they had an event conmemorating the deaths from the 2019 flood.

I've also missed: "monuments of oviedo and the kingdom of asturias" and "palau de la musica catalana and the hospital of sant pau"

I'm kinda dubious on wether to count or nor the pamir national park and the coffee landscape of colombia as technically I wasn't inside either propperty, but their borders are honestly pretty random. I saw the lakes and the mountains of the pamir, I just didn't go inside the national park; and i tasted the coffee in a local coffe plantation in colombia plus saw the vernacular architecture of the region, it just so happens that that specific coffe plantation and towns i visited were not in the site.

Squiffy 4 November 2024

I came down with the galloping trots on the last day of a trip from St Petersburg to Beijing by train, back before I'd even heard of World Heritage Sites. Missed out on Temple of Heaven / Summer Palace as a result.

I was staying a couple of blocks away from the Parisian Le Corbusier elements at the point they got inscribed but they were closed on the day I was there so didn't bother prioritising going to see from the outside. Likewise I didn't prioritise going to see Palais Stoclet from the outside.

But at least those two are easily rectifiable. Buenos Aires is my Great White Whale. I've been within 2 miles of ESMA and within 2 blocks of the Argentine Workers' Assembly Hall.

Philipp Peterer 3 November 2024

I also corrected most near misses. Those were Luis Barragan House, UNAM, Ephesus, Via Appia, St. Cathrine Monastery, Western Limes, Mafra Palace, Grand Canyon and more.
My current near misses are:
Was in the region, but missed to visit: Erfurt, Slate mines, Sitio Burle Marx, Cordouan, Grand Canal
Visit not successful, but intended: St. Kilda, Al-Faw, Sans Souci Citadel

Bernard Joseph Esposo Guerrero 3 November 2024

I remember skipping Soltaniyeh in the end while travelling from Kermanshah to Tabriz as I wasn't feeling well during that leg of the trip. It was on the way. Recently, in Italy, I was supposed to be seeing Villa d'Este and Villa Adriana on one day, which is very doable, but decided last minute to drop Villa Adriana mainly due to "Roman ruins" fatigue and instead spent the time in Tivoli itself. I felt the same thing when driving from Prague to Munich, where instead of squeezing both Holasovice and Cesky Krumlov together, I dropped the last one mainly because I got tired of old towns (super touristy at that) and preferred to spend more time in one low-key site. Silly of me to skip the Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy too when I was in Hahoe, only to find out a year later that it would be a part of another WHS.

Solivagant 3 November 2024

@Els "Maybe that (Al-Faw) is a "Final leg failure" as well"....... IMO only if, with better planning or luck/fate one could have achieved that "final leg". i.e if you turned up on the wrong day or if the site wasn't open because the guardian was off ill (Yes that has happend to us....luckily we were able to rearrange!!)

Wojciech Fedoruk 3 November 2024

Persian Karawanserai is my best example. How far it was from Bisotun town, 200-500m? The same for Kazan.

I also betted the wrong horse with the Welsh slate landscape and my final leg didn't work for Skellig. I am sure there are some more examples and there will be more, such as Alvaro Siza's architecture.

Els Slots 3 November 2024

Maybe that (Al-Faw) is a "Final leg failure" as well

Els Slots 3 November 2024

@Zoe - I think your experience and that of others at Al-Faw is more like "trying to visit the unvisitable". You were at the right location and you were aware of its (future) WH status (so not a near miss in that sense), but could not see the thing you came to see.

Lubos Lier 3 November 2024

I do have at least couple of sites on my visited list which I have seen long ago without any clue of their unique status. I will likely revisit them and potentially even remove them till then.
I did develop a kind of "mental hygiene practise" in regard to these situations like 'near misses' and its a simple fact that it gives me opportunity to re-visit regions, places and countries which are most of the time well worth repeated visit anyway...

Solivagant 3 November 2024

By the way, i did say "final leg".... you cant compare trips which were cancelled even before you set out with ones where you were only 1 step away ...even if the objective was "over the horizon" and not actually seen....

Solivagant 3 November 2024

So you are introducing "feels like.." into the definition!! I can tell you that, if i had travelled across eurtope by plane, bus and car to the far north est of Sctoland.....was only a couple of hours away by a boat and the boat wouldn't take me there it would seem like a "near miss" to me!!

Els Slots 3 November 2024

That's a good one, Solivagant, but St. Kilda doesn't feel like a near miss to me, I have never been even close. Maybe I'd see it that way if we went out and had to turn around halfway for some reason. I have had other trips cancelled, like Sangha (during Covid, fortunately made up for it this year) or Syria *(had 2 trips cancelled earlier in my travel life).

Solivagant 3 November 2024

Could I suggest something along the lines of "Final leg failure"... or even "fate" .... you knew about the site...you have made a reasonable plan... and have done everythng you could reasonably have been expected to do to implement it ...but then that last leg didn't work out for no good reason. You don't even have to have got that close.... all it needed was one more travel step. I think you have one of these els - St Kilda!
I have Târgu Jiu, long before it was inscribed - only 40kms away and was invovled in a traffic accident - not my fault but the police hassle etc meant i never got there!
There is a thin line of course between "bad luck" and "bad planning"..... If you arrive to find a place closed then should you have known? If the boat didn't sail was it because you chose the wrong route?

Zoë Sheng 3 November 2024

Does Al-Faw count as a near-miss if I didn't enter the "core zone" - because it's locked up?

Kyle Magnuson 3 November 2024

I have corrected some misses in the past. So I only have 2 frustrating misses. An early one from 2011 in Palawan, due to weather, poor planning and travel fatigue. The other, also poor planning for touring the Luis Barragán House in Mexico City. Lessons have been learned, in the decade plus since, my planning is much more thorough. Additionally, I try to provide ample time for most high-interest WHS in case of poor weather or in case of an unforeseen issue that might negatively affect my appreciation of its OUV.

Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park (Palawan, Philippines)

Luis Barragán House and Studio (DF, Mexico

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Best Recent WHS

In last week’s blog post I referred to Padua’s Fresco Cycles and wondered why it took so long to get them inscribed. During the preparatory research, I also found out that it is the highest-rated WHS that was inscribed in the past 5 years. It got me curious to look for other recent WHS with very high ratings, and if there are any remarkable trends to discover.

Highest scores of the past 5 years

The following sites, which were inscribed in the last 5 years (2020-2024), have received the highest approval scores by the community members of this website. Remember that 2020 and 2022 had no WHC sessions. The ranking is sorted by the last column, based on the toned-down Wilson score we use on this website to deal with outliers and few votes. 

Findings:

  • Two WHS in this bracket still suffer from too few votes to make the score representative. 
  • The no.1 of this group only ranks #166 overall, and the no. 10 is #494!
  • No less than 8 out of 10 WHS are cultural.
  • None have reached a score of 4 or higher (equalling 'very good').

Highest scores of the past 10 years

When we repeat this for the last 10 years (2015-2024), we get the following Top 10:

Findings:

  • The no.1 of this group ranks as high as #10 overall, directly followed by no.2 which is at #11 overall. and the no. 10 is on #182.
  • The group of 10 has 4 natural WHS, 1 mixed and 5 cultural.
  • 8 out of the 10 date from the first 5 years in this decade.
  • Now we already have 5 WHS with a score above 4, and the other 5 are very close to that level (3.90+).

Highest scores of the 2000s

And finally, the best-rated of this century, inscribed in 2000 or later. This covers ca. the second half of the existence of the WH List.  

Findings:

  • The no.1 of this group still is Bagan, ranking #10 overall. The no. 10 is still as high as #45 overall.
  • The group of 10 has 6 natural WHS, 1 mixed and 3 cultural.
  • All 10 WHS are now comfortably above the threshold of 4.00.

Conclusions

Considering the findings from the 3 periods presented above, the following can be concluded:

  • We knew it already, but the inscriptions during the first half of the 47 years of the List's existence were ‘better’ than those of the second half: from the Top 45, 10 date from the 2000s and the other 35 from the 1900s.
  • But, could it also be true that sites that are 'older' are rated higher? More time has passed to let a broad group of visitors rate them, we know more about them, and all fruitful ways of approach are known to us. For example, the scores from the past 5 years don't seem stabilized yet.
  • The natural WHS clearly had some catching up to do, especially in the earlier 2000s, with classics such as the Norwegian Fjords, the Okavango Delta and the Namib Sand Sea only inscribed this late.
  • Could the latecomers also come from countries that just aren't too active on the WH front? Thinking of Namibia, Chad, Sudan, Myanmar, Botswana, and Iceland (all have 3 WHS or less and its WHS are in the Top 10 of the 2000s).
  • A fair number from our Missing List pop up here as well: Bagan, Ephesus, Okavango Delta, Padua, Vatnajökull, Göbeklitepe. Were these just overlooked in the decades before?

What's your take on these findings?

Els - 27 October 2024

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Comments
Meltwaterfalls 30 October 2024

Flipping it a little, and grouping the sites by score rather than year, then looking for the “average” year in those ranking bounds gives a pretty clear result.
The higher scoring sites are older, and every half point score difference increases the median year of inscription for sites in that category.

On average sites become 5 years younger for each 0.5 decrease in score, this holds true for both Mean and Median Averages

Score Band Median Year of inscription
4.5+ 1985
4 - 4.5 1988
3.5 - 4 1996
3 - 3.5 1998
2.5 - 3 2004
2 - 2.5 2010
under 2 2015

3 or fewer votes 2009
Total 1999


* for ease of comprehension I have shortened the bound title, the upper limit is actually .x999... so there is no double counting

Also there is a pretty clear normal distribution in scores just that the mid point is skewed slightly higher to 3-3.5

Score Band Count of sites
4.5+ 28
4 - 4.5 128
3.5 - 4 262
3 - 3.5 349
2.5 - 3 273
2 - 2.5 101
under 2 31
3 or fewer votes 51
Total 1223

Nan 27 October 2024

I dont think it makes sense to assume a normal distribution for ratings as everyone uses a different scale. Mine is 2.5 = deserving of WHS status.

The downward trend, at least for countries with long existing lists, seems rather natural. The obvious WHS that offer a good visiting experience have been inscribed in the past. I would assume the hidden gems would be countries that have not been active in the past.

Els Slots 27 October 2024

Maybe I can calculate a "positivity score" for each community member, Solivagant. LOL.

Solivagant 27 October 2024

actually I have just had a look at the Rankings list sorted by year and am "shocked" by just how high the ratings are - very very few below 3. Not a "normal" distribution at all!!

Solivagant 27 October 2024

and how are the "low" markings distributed across the 4 periods?

Els Slots 27 October 2024

I do recognize the overall trend you described, Solivagant.

But only looking at the "best" sites, the best ones really got in early:
The first 10 years resulted in 55 of the Top 100 best-rated.
The 2nd 10 years had 21, the 3rd 10 years had 9, the 4th 10 years had 12.

Solivagant 27 October 2024

Re "Early Inscriptions"...Els's statistics regarding the number of exceptional sites in the first 20 odd years of the scheme compared with the second can hide the fact that a fair number of the early ones were (IMO) ALSO of rather "poor quality". Particularly in the very early years. Rather than dividing the c75 years into 2 periods it might be better to look at it in total across 4 periods.
In short I would expect the most recent one to demonstrate a fair bit of "scraping the barrel" with duplications and novel (if doubtful) OUVs. That also reflects the growing politicisation of the schem and a move away from "objective" assessment by an independent body as the WHS overreuls its advisors! Whilst the first would be similar but would also contain a few of the really "high quality" sites which one would have expected to be brought forward early. The middle 2 would show the most "top sites" as, by then, most developed countries had got involved and got their act together in terms of protection, preparing nominations etc. Of course we all "mark" sites differently
As a recent post I made on Bulgaria showed, remarkably few countries were involved in the first 10 years of the scheme and they used their position to get in "mediocre" sites way ahead of real "outstanding" ones.
As for Malke Kunture - it was one of a number of early failures from Ethiopia among a number of successes (though ones like Awash and Omo would not have got in later as presented - not because they were "unworthy" but because they were not prorperly documented or managed!). Several of those are now in Eritrea (Matara and Adulis) and are not on its T List. We visted Melka Kunture in 2008 and I would not place it that highly either as an "early man visit" or in terms of its significance in those terms --- I gave it 1.5 ("just about creeps in"!!)

Els Slots 27 October 2024

I don't think you can really say that, Svein Elias. I have added the ID's and the years to https://www.worldheritagesite.org/ranking/community -> maybe Babylon is an example, but there are also plenty of poor ones with low numbers that got in in the end (As-Salt, and Melka Kunture indeed)

Zoë Sheng 27 October 2024

Mbanza Kongo only has 1 vote (!) so not sure you can add this to the findings. From the look of it (without having been) just in general it will be a low score. Perhaps a review would enlighten me with the high score.

Svein Elias 27 October 2024

Some new sites have old unesco-id, like “Melka Kunture and Balchit”. They tried to get it inscribed in the early years but were refused until now. Do you see them any different than other sites lately inscribed?

Blog Countries

Top Tips for the wider Veneto Hotspot

Last week I was in Northeast Italy, celebrating the 10th anniversary of our immersive Art History course in Florence with my study mates (it turned out to be ‘only’ 9 years ago we found out during the trip). We were roughly in the Veneto Hotspot, covering Verona, Padua, Mantua, and Vicenza. I also added two days on my own in Bologna. These were all revisits for me. It's a region that has been popular for its treasures of art for centuries, even the French troops took a lot home from here as seen in the new Napoleonic booty connection.

Below are my Top Tips for Travel to the Veneto Hotspot as a WH Traveller in 2024.

1. Choose your base wisely

We have Venice as the center of the Veneto Hotspot and while its international airport and two inner-city WHS make this a logical choice, I’d recommend choosing a different base. Venice is the most expensive and the most touristy city in this region. For lower costs of hotels and food in restaurants, consider Verona, Padua, or even Bologna. The latter’s university crowd guarantees cheap eateries and the city has excellent train connections with the rest of Italy and a busy airport. 

2. Allocate at least a day per city

During my first trip to this region in 2007, I made the mistake of combining visits to Vicenza and Padua in one day. They’re just 20 minutes apart by train! I ended up missing the interior of the Villa Rotonda (photo 1, made it this time) and my time slot for the Scrovegni Chapel. This time we just did one day, one city and we travelled there from one base (so we did not have to change hotels). There’s so much to see in all of these cities. Many of the WHS also are serial sites, so you’ll need to visit several places anyhow. You’ll easily walk 12-20 km a day within the town limits.

3. Even Italy gets digital

I fear for the future of the Italian tobacco shops! On this trip, I didn’t have to search for one as bus tickets now can be bought via an app or in some cities even by just tapping your credit card. The Trenitalia app also works well for train tickets – say goodbye to the ‘validation stamp’!

4. It’s all quite relaxed

While Venice is always crowded and summer visits to this region should be avoided all around, the smaller cities in this batch are very pleasant in Spring and Autumn. They’re all a bit touristy (Verona probably the most), but nowhere it was uncomfortably busy or too tacky. Also, in comparison to 5-10 years ago, visiting rules often have been relaxed. You can take pictures inside everywhere, even of the most precious frescoes and paintings. You can buy tickets on the spot (even for Scrovegni’s Chapel) and they will accept both cash and cards. There’s also surprisingly little security at the sights (no bag scans etc), albeit most entrances are ‘guarded’ by fierce Italian women who will scold you for any reason. 

5. Padua is the best recent WHS. Overall.

It is hardly imaginable that Padua’s frescoes only were inscribed in 2021, as #57 of Italy’s 60 WHS. It is rated #9 in Italy now and #1 overall of the sites inscribed globally over the past 5 years. These frescoes will appeal to anyone, you don’t need to be an art lover or a religious person. The presentation of the major components also is very good (the Baptistery (photo 2) almost trumps the Scrovegni Chapel). The town wears its WH status proudly with notable banners stating “Padova Meravigliosa! Siamo Patrimonio UNESCO” (Italian for “Wir sind Welterbe”), and also a good new(?) plaque at its second WHS, the Botanical Garden (photo 3).

What’s your take on this region?

Els - 20 October 2024

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Comments
Astraftis 26 October 2024

Oh, you are right. It is a very recent development, but at least they understood the stupidity of that.

Els Slots 22 October 2024

I think the Trenitalia tickets via the app are now all automatically validated at the train's scheduled departure time.

Astraftis 21 October 2024

Veneto is incredibly rich under many aspects. Let's not forget also part of the Dolomiti and, why not, the Prosecco and other vineyard hills.

I think each city can warrant at least a weekend trip, not to speak of Venice, so here more than elsewhere I would also advise against rushing it and to focus on each goal.

The position of Padua could be the best one for the hub, but lately it is becoming too expensive, probably as an effect of similar speculations. So maybe I would suggest the less "trendy" Vicenza as the "secret" hub. Venice is a world apart: too demanding and to... isolated to serve as a hub, in my opinion. I would not ever consider Bologna to explore Veneto, too far and different. Maybe Ferrara, but still. They are however one next logical step in exploring Northern italy.

Do not fear for tobaccos, Els! They have many other irreplaceable services, like being bars :-) Anyway, I find the local apps for public transport some of the less useful and worst done things ever, it is simply better to buy tickets somewhere. And you still have to validate some Trenitalia tickets, even if digital (yeah, really a genius move on their part...).

Lubos Lier 20 October 2024

Although I visited most of the heritage sites in the region its definitely on my bucket list to revisit (hopefully repeatedly) and spend some quality time in the region to soak up some more of the cultural atmosphere from this special corner of Italy.

CugelVance 20 October 2024

Great article!! Just too many things to see in that region! One has to plan very carefully....

Blog Connections

The Most Remote Cultural WHS

Wojciech’s recent review of the Minaret of Jam (“The road from Herat takes 13 hours…”) sparked a debate about whether this Afghan icon is The Most Remote Cultural WHS. A quick look at our “Takes more than 5 days”-connection brings up Bikini Atoll, but all other remote ones listed there are natural or mixed. In a quest to find more Remote Cultural WHS, I took a systematic approach.

The Approach

I started with a subset of sites that are rarely visited: a combination of the ‘least visited WHS’ (cutting it to 10 members or fewer that have visited) and the ones in the '1,000 visitors or fewer' connection. This resulted in a list of 46 different Cultural WHS.

Then I tried to measure the time it takes from a hub city to get to the WHS. With a hub city I mean a place with decent hotels and frequent onward connections to the rest of the country, including an international airport. I used what is mentioned in the reviews and also Google Maps. Timings are calculated under ‘normal’ conditions (no active war, no weather disruptions, not out-of-season).

I also added the time necessary to get from the hub to the international airport, as some hubs are already pretty remote. If that transfer takes 5h or more, I added a * to the site.

Finally, I divided them into 4 groups with increasing grades of remoteness.

The Results

Not too difficult

Even the 46 that are not often visited contain 34 sites that are actually not remote. They are either recent additions to the list so many people haven’t made the detour yet, or places that are quite hard to access for other reasons such as insecurity. 

Within 2 hours of a hub are: Ancient ferrous metallurgy sites (Ouagadougou), Ashur (Mosul), Bamiyan Valley (Bamyan), Deer Stone Monuments (Tsetserleg*), Gedeo Cultural landscape (Dila*), Hegmataneh (Hamedan or Kermanshah), Kazan Astronomical Observatories (Kazan), Kuk (Mount Hagen), Kujataa (Narsarsuaq), Melka Kunture and Balchit (Addis Abeba), Ruins of Loropéni (Gaoua*), Sado Island (Niigata). Tadrart Acacus (Ghat or Awaynat), Taputapuātea (Uturoa on Raiatea), Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa (Sibudhu Cave: Durban). The place named within brackets after each WHS is the proposed hub.

With a bit more effort, but still less than 4 hours one way, the following can be reached: Ancient Kingdom of Saba (Sana’a), Hawraman/Uramanat  (Sanandaj), Lower Valley of the Awash (Semera), Moidams (Jorhat), Sudanese style mosques (Korhogo), Thimlich Ohinga (Kisumu), Tomb of Askia (Gao, pictured below, (c)Roman Bruehwiler).

Long day trip

It gets really serious with the following ones, which take 4 hours or more to reach from the hub, but are still feasible for a loooong day trip because you desperately want that ‘tick’:

  1. Al-Faw – hub Abha 5.5h drive 
  2. Dholavira – hub Bhuj, about 4h by car
  3. Petroglyphs of the Lake Onega and the White Sea – hub Petrozavodsk, “then 370 km by rented car via surprisingly good road to Belomorsk.” 
  4. Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple – hub Hyderabad, 4h by car
  5. The Royal Court of Tiébélé – hub Ouagadougou, full day trip (~4 hours each way)

Overnight needed

In this final group, the sites are so remote that an overnight stay is required away from the hub. That night is spent in temporary or basic accommodations:

  1. Bikini Atoll – hub Majuro, 3 days sailing from there.
  2. Great Burkhan Khaldun - hub Ulaan Bator, the only reports I can find tell about spending the night at a ger camp nearby
  3. Kenozero Lake - hub Arkhangelsk and still a 470 km ride by rail/car.
  4. Mbanza Kongo – 6 hours by car from Luanda, can’t see another hub closer and the site is still unreviewed.
  5. Minaret of Jam – hub Herat or Bamyan, both taking some 13 hours to reach.
  6. Petroglyphs of the Mongolian Altai – no reviews yet, but the hub seems to be Ölgi (with a domestic airport and 35,000 inhabitants). You’d have to stay overnight camping somewhere closer to the petroglyphs.
  7. SGang Gwaay – hub Vancouver, requires a flight to Sandspit and at least taking part in a 2-day boat tour to get to the right island. 
  8. Sukur - hasn’t been visited by anyone, so?? Abuja airport is 14 hours away, so definitely a * as well.

I would like to hear whether you have any “intelligence” on the sites in the two last groups and if they can be reached faster. And also when you know of any other cultural WHS that takes at least a long day trip (4 hours or more one way) from a hub.

Els - 13 October 2024

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Els Slots 14 October 2024

Good find, Can. It seems that no one ever used that airport.

Can SARICA 14 October 2024

Al Faw can be reached differently. There is a major airport connected to Riyadh and Jeddah with daily flights in Wadi Al-Dawasir. In addition, there are hotels there that can be booked by using booking.com. From airport, Al-Faw is just 50ish minutes.

Juha Sjoeblom 13 October 2024

I want to add the Struve Geodetic Arc here. Some components in the north can be very hard to reach. Stuorrahanoaivi in the Finnish Lapland is in the middle of wilderness area which requires 25-30 kilometers and two days hike one way from the nearest road. And the nearest road is many hours away from the nearest airport, railway station and/or major city. The Stuorrahanoaivi trek is described here https://en.m.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Stuorrahanoaivi_trek

Els Slots 13 October 2024

Thanks for the suggestions!
Tsodilo and Serra di Capivara I think both are cases of there being a "minor" hub nearby (Shakawe, Sao Raimundo Nonato) with decent accommodation but they're both still far (4-5h) from a proper city and a visit is not trivial.

Wojciech Fedoruk 13 October 2024

Very interesting post, thank you for the analytical work.

I think Sukur can be done way faster from Maiduguri. Security situation prevents from checking.

Petroglyphs of the Mongolian Altai - some people claim that tick, perhaps it can be done without camping.

Others - I think Khomani, Tsodilo and Sierra da Capivara will suit.

Blog Connections

The World’s Greatest Natural Areas

Solivagant often sends me inspirational things on WH-related topics, but I don’t always have the time to do something with them. This also was the case with ‘The World’s Greatest Natural Areas’. At the 24-hour ferry back from Ogasawara, I finally found some focused hours to digest this article published in 1982 by the Commission on National Parks and Protected Areas (CNPPA) of IUCN. This was in the early years of the World Heritage Convention, and they decided to come up with an indicative inventory of natural sites with the potential to be listed. It’s interesting to see where we stand now, 42 years later. 

The Inventory

The CNPPA came up with 219 different sites in its concise and well-written article, spread across the biogeographic realms as follows:

  1. Nearctic: 33
  2. Palaearctic: 42
  3. Afrotropical: 47
  4. Indomalayan: 31
  5. Oceanian: 14
  6. Australian: 13
  7. Antarctic: 6
  8. Neotropical: 33

Their WH status now

Of the 219 proposals, 115 sites have since acquired WH status and 29 more are on the Tentative Lists. Some WHS are partial representations of the proposals in “The World’s Greatest Natural Areas” – a smaller version was proposed (Marine Lakes of Palau instead of the Rock Islands eg.), or a broader version (Rainforests of Southern Mindanao instead of only Mt. Hamiguitan). Furthermore, they also included sites we now know only as cultural WHS, such as Rapa Nui, Nan Madol, Angkor, Niah Caves, Nikko, Mont Saint-Michel and Mogao Caves (I have not added those to the totals).

Findings

  • With 219 considered worthy, in 1982 they were already thinking in the high range of numbers we have today (231 natural WHS to date, plus 40 mixed WHS).
  • There seems to have been a focus on established ‘safari parks’ (Kruger, Perinet, and other well-known parks in Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa) and other clear-cut areas such as those managed by the US National Park Service.
  • Countries like Canada and the USA are extensively covered, while others such as Brazil and Papua New Guinea have very poor coverage. And it may have seemed unfathomable in 1982 that Iran could have natural WHS too and that China has reached 19 so far.
  • For Antarctica, being aware of its special status, they chose a surrogate in the Australian Antarctic Territory.
  • As this was a scientific exercise and not a state-centered process as is the WHC, they proposed the sensible combinations of both Iguaz(c)us, both Sundarbans, and Manas on both sites of the border. On the other hand, Bialowieza was seen as Polish only.
  • The inclusion of Zhoukoudian (Choukotien) and the Niah Caves indicates that they considered early hominid fossil sites as nature, while they are categorized as cultural nowadays.

Missing Sites and Sites Missing

The list of 219 also provides inspiration for sites that are Missing from the List, but could be worthy candidates. There are 73 sites proposed by the CNPPA that we haven’t encountered yet in the WH domain. Regarding Indonesia for example, they have selected Siberut Island (isolated evolution of plants and birds) and Kutai Game Reserve (for Bornean gibbons and orangutans). In Venezuela, they name Henry Pittier NP for its spring and autumn migrations of millions of birds and butterflies.

The other way around, there have been natural and mixed WHS inscribed since that don’t feature at all in this inventory. No less than 162 of them! The more recent, niche ones (Wadi al Hitan, Vallee de Mai, Los Alerces, etc.) are all missing, and obviously no one thought about the Flow Country yet. Clear oversights include the Cape Floral region, Socotra, the big Sahara sites, any of the Brazilian Atlantic Forests, the Wadden Sea, Socotra, and Ilulissat. Sites like the Norwegian Fjords and Ha Long Bay are also notably missing: the scientists weren’t focused so much on natural beauty. 

I’ve published the lists of Greatest Natural Areas still on the T List and Greatest Natural Areas with no follow-up at all at the Forum for future reference. Pictures in this post show the non-represented Greatest of Perinet (now called Analamazaotra, Madagascar), Torres del Paine (Chile) and Etosha (Namibia).

Els - 6 October 2024

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Solivagant 6 October 2024

@meltwaterfalls
I think they were always seen as "Cultural" by UNESCO. Those which had been inscribed BEFORE this 1982 report on "Natural sites" had been nominated as Cultural and ONLY evaluated by ICOMOS e.g Awash and Omom (1980). So why did the CNPPA decide to suggest that Choukoudian was a suitable future Natural site??? Conceptually there comes some point in human development at which the purely "animal" is left and the "cultural" is entered. I suspect that knowledge of and views on this will have changed somewhat since 1982 in that non humans have "cultures" too and one of the distinguishing factors previuosly used to identify "human" i.e Tool useage is now known not to be so signficant. In any case with the case law of Awash and Omo why did CNPPA suggesta site which was much closer to "moderun human" in timescale than those already categorised as Cultural as Natural

Meltwaterfalls 6 October 2024

Seeing the early hominid sites in there as natural is interesting. I’m not fully across academic classifications, is this a result of a shift in how such sites are viewed compared to 40 years ago?

Also seeing Vezere Valley on there is interesting, I’m assuming that is a reflection of the natural setting (I always thought it to be an interesting landscape but probably not world class) sure it isn’t prehistoric cultural sites being classified as natural

Solivagant 6 October 2024

The report was dated Sept 82 i.e before the Dec 1982 WHC in Paris. The number of Natural and Nixed WHS to that time was 26 (!978 - 4, 79 - 9, 80 - 3, 81 - 10). EVERY ONE of these is included among the report's list of "Greatest Natural Areas" EXCEPT Durmitor!!! Either the report didn't want to create waves by suggesting that some already inscribed WHS were not worth the honour or it genuinely did believe them to be so. I presume that the exclusion of Durmitor could have been a mistake since the Balkan Highlands ARE identified as a separate "Area" within the Palearctic. Most of the 26 ARE quite signficiant .....but Djoudj and Ichkeul? The description of Djoudj is pretty perfunctory and doesn't indicate great support for it, but Ichkeul is lauded as "N Africa's most important wetland". I fear it has somewhat degraded....

Blog Countries

Top Tips for Japan

With a four-week trip to seven of the most recent or most remote Japanese WHS, I have ‘completed’ the country, the second person on this website to do so after Zoë. It was a wonderful trip, my fourth to Japan, and I am certainly not done with it—there are still more areas to explore. I would like to go to Shikoku Island or Hokkaido in the winter, for example.

Below are my Top Tips for Travel to Japan as a WH Traveller in 2024.

1.      Being in Japan is better than seeing all its WHS

Just being in Japan and taking part in its daily life trumped the quality of its sights on each of my four visits. Think of a world where people are raised to be considerate of each other. You can roam the streets of the big cities alone late at night, or leave your bag unattended when you pick up something from a counter or go to the toilet. One with the best public transport system in the world. And with an extremely rich food culture. It’s a "Land of Instructions" too, sometimes bordering on the silly (see top photo), but those make things easier when renting a car or visiting a restaurant where you are supposed to grill your own meal.

2.      It's not for people who get seasick easily

I counted, and no less than 9 of Japan’s 26 WHS partially or fully cover one or more islands, not being one of the four main islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu). They can all be easily reached using ferries or sometimes domestic flights, except for Okinoshima Island which is barred to visitors overall. Most voyages stay relatively close to the shore, so the level of 'turbulence' is generally low. Only the 24-hour ferry to Ogasawara crosses the open ocean for a long time.

3.      Trains aren’t always the best choice anymore

When I visited Japan for the first time in 2000, it was obvious that I should invest in a Japan Rail Pass. It was an easy and inexpensive way for foreigners to use most of Japan’s train network. However, the pass was hit by a 70% price increase last year. It may now only be useful to a first-time traveller to the country who wants to move around a lot on the main islands in a short time. Single train tickets are also expensive, Osaka to Hakata (2.5 hours/600km) will cost over 100 EUR. The train experience overall feels a bit dated (Japan isn’t great at digitizing its services in general), although the trains fortunately still run like clockwork! See also this Forum topic about which WHS are best accessible by train. Taking a domestic flight or renting a car are valuable alternatives nowadays. Japan has low-cost flyers as well which often are cheaper than long-distance trains. You need to bring a special International Drivers Licence (model 1949) to rent a car, but driving is easy. 

4.     You'll get a fair representation of the country

The WHS are nicely spread around the country and its outlying islands, and divided between cities and rural areas. From the main islands, only Shikoku is missing. Thematically, there could be room for modern Japanese architecture (I find the Corbusier site in Tokyo a joke). Like most countries, Japan overdoes it a bit on the subjects it values the most (industrialization in the broader sense) and its mines and industrial sites don’t do so well in our community ratings. The next ones in the nomination pipeline, Asuka-Fujiwara and Hikone-jo, are more classical Japanese sights.

5.      They don’t do well on the plaques

World Heritage Sites certainly are a ‘thing’ in Japan, but especially this time I noticed that the UNESCO WH logo rarely is displayed at its sites. The natural WHS are signposted as “World Natural Heritage Sites”, but rarely with a reference to UNESCO or to why they were inscribed. Sometimes they even have their own logos with the text ‘World Natural Heritage Site’ incorporated. This violates of course of our WHS Visitor Commandment #4: “You shall have a proper UNESCO plaque” (and it is a requirement in the guidelines from UNESCO too). What they do often have is a 'selfie-point' to immortalize you at the site, with a display of the site name (see photo 3, me at Shiretoko). At Tomioka Silk Mill, they even have one where you can have the exact date of your visit displayed.

It must be said though that Japan does very well on the other commandments, many sites are free to enter (and when they charge a small fee, you’ll get a proper ticket), they supply a lot of brochures including maps, there are official websites and the opening hours and other basics are rarely in doubt. Translations into English are often given, but usually, they are more limited than the Japanese texts. Sometimes they work with QR codes but these may not be operational.

Finally, I was thinking about the top 3 Japanese WHS and came up with the two best cultural sites (Nikko and Kyoto) and the two best natural sites (Yakushima and Ogasawara). Non-WHS that I enjoyed across the four visits include Matsumoto Castle and the Kibi Plain. Which additional sites in Japan would you put forward?

Els - 29 September 2024

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Lubos Lier 29 September 2024

Nikko was one of my favorites: magnificent royal structures in forested mountainous natural environment in region with special cuisine close to Tokyo.

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