Blog WHS Visits

WHS #946: Banc d'Arguin

Mauritania’s Banc d’Arguin NP is rarely visited and has only been reviewed once, about 18 years ago. However, this is the number one place for waterfowl and migratory waders among the several "bird WHS" along the West African Coast. It is “better” than Djoudj and the Saloum Delta, and only the 2025 nomination Bijagos Archipelago in Guinea-Bissau comes close but still has only 50% of its numbers. We spent a full day and a night in its core zone, stretching 170km along the Atlantic Coast.

The Banc d’Arguin is so rich because it lies next to an ocean upwelling that produces nutrient-rich cooler waters. This sets a whole food chain of phytoplankton-filter feeders-fish-birds-marine mammals in motion. 

We approached it from the South, driving for 2.5 hours from the capital Nouakchott. This is mostly a good paved road, where our drivers even clocked 130km/h. The surrounding landscape is rather featureless, though you will see some dromedaries roaming around. We made a first stop at Mamghar, one of the seven fishing villages inside the park. The smell of fish is predominant here: the people leave their gutted fish drying out on the fences of the corrals for the goats.

On the outskirts of town, you can walk onto the seabank and observe bird colonies that have found their nesting or resting spot right there. We saw two sandbanks right offshore fully covered by a variety of bird species, including larger ones such as pelicans. A bit more inland, there are lakes surrounded by green bushes (a rare sight here in the desert) and there even is a bird hide. It was a fine short visit, but when you’re a serious birder, you really need to allocate more time to this park – you can go on full-day boat trips to sand banks further away. 

After an hour we drove North, taking the great beach road and sometimes diverting a bit into the dunes. It’s very windy along the coast and the weather has created shell middens and finely carved sand dunes.

We overnighted in a permanent camp near Iwik, which is run by a local cooperative. The living conditions in this fishing village built out of shipping containers and wooden sheds look very tough, as it gets very hot out here and there are hardly any amenities. We could admire the works of the fishermen though, preparing their tall wooden sailing ships for another morning at sea. 

The next day we drove another 1.5 hours North through the park. In this area, you can clearly see the offshore sandbanks – they look a bit like icebergs floating by in the ocean (see photo 3, the white bit in the distance); to me, it’s the most characteristic image of this WHS. 

We also visited Cap Blanc, about 4 hours from Iwik, which is labelled in the official documentation and at its visitor centre as a ‘satellite site’ to Banc d’Arguin NP, but has been excluded from the final inscription on the instigation of IUCN because of border issues. It comprises the Mauritanian part of the peninsula that protrudes into the ocean from the city of Nouadhibou. You need to pass through the very busy port area, where the infamous Iron Ore Train arrives. Just on the tip, there’s a nature reserve, not much more than a small but pretty beach. Its pride was the colony of rare monk seals, but they all - except for 1 or 2 that still come by occasionally - have migrated to the Western Saharan side of the peninsula as it is much quieter over there. 

Els - 12 January 2025

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Astraftis 13 January 2025

It all looks very dreamy there.

Danny B 12 January 2025

Thanks Els for your very indepth review - The bucket list keeps getting longer.

Blog WH Travellers

The Quest for 1,100 visited WHS - Year 3

2024 was my third year of full-time travel (read here about Day 0, Year 1 and Year 2). It was a busy year with mainly visits to large countries that I had been to before (China, India, Japan, Argentina, Chile). I managed to ‘complete’ the latter 3. 

There were memorable trips to Sangha Trinational in the Central African Republic (photo 1 is at Dzanga Bai), Patagonia (photo 3 is at Torres del Paine) and Japan’s Ogasawara Islands (photo 2 shows the fruit of the endemic pandan tree). I was also very pleased with spotting a Saiga in Saryarka.

You can find my updated Trip Planner here, including the actual ‘results’ of 2024. With an added total of 61 (54 new + 7 from the WHC), I am still right on track.

The focus now is on reaching 1,000

Reaching 1,000 has become a subgoal as it is such a nice, round number! If all goes to plan, this will happen in late November or early December 2025.

Factors that come into play are:

  • Although I somewhat started to dislike them in 2024 (as there invariably are a couple of poor WHS in each cluster), I still need those clusters of 10+ WHS to maintain the necessary speed. I have 3 of those trips planned for 2025: to West Africa, the Middle East and Asia/Pacific.
  • My low number of European WHS still to visit (excluding Russia, Turkey and Israel) makes getting the numbers up more difficult and more costly. I have only 12 left (7 already a WHS + 5 2025 nominations), including St. Kilda, Odesa and Chernivtsi which are unsure to reach at best.
  • The harvest from the WHC 2025 – I have been quite lucky over the past years and 2026 with 15 is also looking good, but 2025 is a poor batch for me. I have been to 8 of the nominations, but even 2 of those are questionable: I probably haven’t visited the right location for the Huichol Route and the nomination of the Olive Grove Landscapes of Andalusia is likely to be withdrawn due to lack of local support.

Targeting #1,000

Also, I am encountering a First World problem within this already privileged context: exactly hitting the right one, the extra-special one at #1,000! This is a puzzle because:

  • You can never be sure to actually reach every WHS you plan because of sudden closures, transport strikes, etc. Fortunately, my track record is that I have reached every WHS I planned for over the last couple of years.
  • You also cannot predict the exact number of armchair ticks you will get from a WHC – every year there are surprises, sites withdrawn at the last moment etc. Uncertain also this year is whether Bulgaria will get its present for hosting the session, as they haven’t nominated anything (but if they get one, I will likely have been there). The picture becomes clearer only 6 weeks before the session, in late May when I have done already most of my travelling for 2025. So I keep 3 European WHS up my sleeve to compensate in September/October.
  • Even in the final approach, the last 10 or so, one can fall out due to unforeseen circumstances. I therefore actually have 2 potential candidates for #1000, not too far from each other. The second one is earmarked #1001 now, but can easily serve as #1000 as well if needed.

And after 1,000?

I will surely slow down a bit. Not so much measured in time spent travelling, but I want to focus more on natural WHS and on one country or region at a time. My itineraries need to become less logistically complicated, that was the main lesson learned from 2024 (That Miami-to-Patagonia trip! What was I thinking?). Still, 1100 WHS in 2028 seems doable. 

Els - 5 January 2025

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Chris W 8 January 2025

Nice goals!!! Curious what 1000 will be !

Carlo Sarion 8 January 2025

Y'all make me so inspired to visit more UNESCO sites!

Astraftis 6 January 2025

Ah, I was forgetting: among your yearly batch, can you choose a best, a worst, and a surprise one?

Astraftis 6 January 2025

Great to hear about progress of the Quest! And all the best for its continuation!

In my small way, I very much empathise with the "logistic decluttering" :-D

Can SARICA 5 January 2025

Congrats Els for the progress!

Jay T 5 January 2025

Quite a productive year! So with #1000 coming, are you taking guesses for which site it would be? 😉

Blog WHS website

2024 - A Year in Review(s)

It’s the year's final week – time to squeeze in another yearly overview of the reviews submitted to this website. 2024 was a rather dull year at the WHC, with 24 new sites inscribed at a poor average rating of 2.79/5. Thanks to Astraftis we had a last-minute meetup in Brussels. For Nan and myself, it was also the year that we were forced to move the website to a different hosting provider – which proved to be a blessing in the end as the performance of the website has much improved.

Community Travel

Overall, there has been a steady increase at the ‘top’ without any new kids on the block. Atila has joined Zoë in the over-1,000 club. We now have 4 members with more than 900 visited WHS, 5 more with over 800 WHS, and 11 more with over 700 WHS. And 39 members in total have seen over 50% of the WHS!

Memorable Reviews

We saw 581 new reviews published, 71 more than last year but still a far cry from pre-Covid levels such as 891 in 2019. 94 different people wrote them, also significantly more than last year; there were many novice reviewers this year. I (Els) wrote the most (60) but not as many as last year, followed by Zoë (33), CugelVance (28) and Clyde (27).

WHS

Only 18 WHS are unreviewed now. We saw the first reviews for Sangha Trinational (Els), Odzala-Kokoua and 'Uruq Bani Ma'arid (both Randi), Noel Kempff Mercado, Badain Jaran, Hawraman/Uramanat (all Zoë), and the Minaret of Jam (Wojciech). Plus those of the newly inscribed WHS Bale Mountains, Gedi, and Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa. 

Other recommended reviews to re-read include Bernard cycling along the Wadden Sea, much-needed updates by Mihaela reporting on Altyn Emel, Joel on Yin Xu, Thomas on Aasivissuit - Nipisat, Els on Iriomote and Ogasawara, Zoë on Nanda Devi, Timonator on Vat Phou, Can on Pimachiowin Aki, Patrik on Talamanca, DannyB on Purnululu, Hubert on the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin, Clyde on El Vizcaino, Wojciech on the Lower Valley of the Awash and Jacob on Haiti’s National History Park (posted in the last days of 2023 but published early January 2024). I was also happy to see the reviews by Triath of visits to Syrian WHS such as Palmyra, presenting the first impression after the Syrian Civil War. Let’s hope Syria becomes safe and stable next year so we can visit again in a new era.

TWHS

There are 754 TWHS left to review! For 2025, making a dent in those would be great – try visiting and reviewing one of those, instead of the commonly visited European WHS. You can find the todos here (with a 0 in the column Reviews).

70 TWHS got a first review in this year, including Varanasi (Bernard), the Waldsiedlung Zehlendorf (CugelVance), the enigmatic Prehistoric Stone Structures in Saudi Arabia (Philipp), a flurry of TWHS from Afghanistan such as Band-E-Amir (Wojciech), the upcoming Vietnamese nomination Oc Eo (Frederik), the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Seaflower Marine Protected Area (both by Frédéric), the Stuttgart Television Tower (Hubert), Gemer and Abov churches (Jarek), Kazakh Rocky Mosques (Ana), Fell and Pali Aike Caves (Els), Flinders Ranges (Shandos), Churches of the Altiplano (Clyde), and Dirre Sheik Hussein (again by Wojciech).

Awards

As always, we have awards to hand out to the "best" reviews: 

The Tsunami Award for Travel Misadventure goes on the shelf this year as there weren’t true misadventure stories shared. But an honorable mention goes to Frederik, whom we mostly know for pointing out the finer details of Southeast Asian cultural sites: he got stuck in a cable car at Yen Tu. 

The WH Explorer Award recognizes reviews of (parts) of WHS, where a new access route has been explored successfully, resulting in reviews that show determination and reflect on both the choices made during preparation and the journey itself.

In terms of remoteness, it’s a toss between Central Africa (Randi: Odzala, Els: Sangha) and Afghanistan (Wojciech: Minaret of Jam). 

  • All 3 found, due to clever networking and keeping on top of offerings, rather exclusive group tours that suited their needs without breaking the bank.
  • Randi had to be driven 14h from Brazzaville to reach the site, Wojciech 13h from Herat and Els did 25h across 3 days from Yaounde.
  • Where I could then relax at the fairly comfortable Sangha Lodge, Randi and her partner Svein had to deal with a large rodent and a snake in the bathroom of their more basic lodgings and Wojciech slept in a tent.

What tips the balance though: Randi and Svein weren’t only the first to review the WHS, they were the first two community members to visit Odzala-Kokoua overall! To show how unique this is: there are now only 2 sites left out of the 1223 (Tell Umm Amer and Salonga) that have no visitors and no reviews.

Finally, the Best Review of the Year Award can only go to one: the Civil Rights Movement Sites by Solivagant. It wonderfully describes a visit when the OUV was created!

10 of the notable reviews from 2024 will be rerun on the homepage in the coming week. Are there any memorable reviews from 2024 that you’d like to put into the spotlight again?

Els - 29 December 2024

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Jay T 1 January 2025

Thanks for highlighting these reviews, Els! I was please to see Solivagant's fantastic review of his visit to the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington featured again.

Hope everyone has a fantastic 2025 filled with lots of great adventures and visits to sites!

Zoë Sheng 1 January 2025

Happy New Year everyone!

Blog WH Travellers

Drive-by Visits

When I was in Kaziranga NP last month, I noticed that the authorities were constructing viewpoints along the main road that runs south of the park’s borders. From those, you can look into the core zone which starts maybe 50m beyond. During the season, you’ll certainly see rhinos grazing there and you’ll have the wide-open views of the landscape that is typical of the western part of the park. It may even be interesting to visit during the wet season to see where the animals take shelter (preventing the road isn’t closed due to flooding), as the effects of the water level fluctuations are a significant part of Kaziranga’s OUV. This insight prompted me to have a look at the value of Drive-by visits.

The ”problem” with Drive-by visits

The main issue with Drive-bys is that you generally do not enter the core zone of a WHS. I am not obsessed with this as seeing the OUV always trumps it for me. We have WHS that are fully closed and then we all ‘tick’ seeing the OUV from the buffer zone or as close as you can get.

Another issue is that while ‘driving by’ (well, I assume you make at least a roadside stop of half an hour or so), you spend relatively little time at the WHS. Kaziranga is a WHS with a high, 4* average rating. You do yourself a disservice by just watching it from the outside for half and hour, there’s so much more inside. Why do you travel at all if you speed by sites like this?

And: most WHS are not suited for Drive-bys as you won't see the OUV from the roadside. Looking at the other 14 WHS that I visited during my last India trip, for example, it wouldn’t work at:

  • Konark Sun Temple, Ramappa Temple, Keshava Hoysala Temple: you can see the building but not the carvings that comprise the OUV. 
  • Rani-ki Vav cannot be seen at all because it lies underground, as are the Elephanta Caves which lie around the corner from the entrance.
  • For Nalanda and the Moidams you may see a brick wall or a hump from a distance, but you get no idea of the extent or the layout of the site. Similar for Manas NP, where the park fringes are severely degraded.
  • Sundarbans: you will at least have to take a boat tour to get any feel for the site, the islands in the Delta aren’t accessible by car.
  • Mahabodhi Temple: you will encounter throngs of pilgrims in the streets and see the tip of the main tower, but it just makes no sense to not go inside the complex.

However, it could be an option at:

  • Ahmadabad and Santiniketan (photo 2): here a drive-thru may be appropriate, best with a rickshaw stopping for photos here and there.
  • Champaner-Pavagadh: you can see the typical mosque architecture of Champaner from behind the fence and since a (too) wide area has been inscribed you will even be in the core zone.
  • The Western Ghats: after having had both outside and inside views myself, I am not sure whether getting into one of the 39 designated reserves changes the outlook on the Western Ghats in general. Probably the time spent in preparation and inside the park tips the balance in favour of getting inside (you acquire more detailed knowledge instead of: mountain range that acts as a barrier? Tick.).

Where drive-bys even maybe "better"

Landscape features such as Mountains, Forests, Deserts, and Lakes with generic OUVs like “highest mountain of Africa” or “largest freshwater lake in the world” are particularly tempting for Drive-by Visits. How else could you get a sense of scale?

Mount Kilimanjaro was only inscribed on the "superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty" criterion (vii). Its OUV of "with its snow-capped peak and glaciers, it is the highest mountain in Africa" almost begs to be viewed from a distance (photo 3). 

Another example is Mount Kenya (with a broader, more specific OUV of glaciers, effects of glaciation + afro-alpine flora); 65 people have ticked this WHS but we have only 1, superficial review. I suspect most people had far-away views only! But: you can enter the park fairly easily. And can the effect of glaciation be seen well enough while driving on a road 50km away? I'd like to hear from someone who counted this via a drive-by visit.

St. Lucia’s Pitons Management Area even has views from afar as part of its OUV: “The Pitons predominate over the Saint Lucian landscape, being visible from virtually every part of the island and providing a distinctive landmark for seafarers.” Similar are the WHS in the connection ‘Visual effects of Cloud, Fog and Mist’, such as the Teide volcano and the Great Smoky Mountains. 

Drive-bys out of necessity

I assume everyone aims for the best possible visit and drive-bys aren’t your first choice, but the reality of travel is that we can’t have good visits all of the time. Special circumstances such as the following can force you into a drive-by:

  • longstanding site closure for renovations etc.
  • acts of nature preventing you to enter 
  • too high entrance fees for your budget 
  • visited early when the site was touristically undeveloped or maps were not present 
  • or even something trivial like running out of time during a full travel day

Did you have any satisfying drive-by visits or even those where the experience was better than getting inside?

Els - 22 December 2024

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Astraftis 23 December 2024

I would also say that a drive-by visit is often "highly enhancing", but as the main choice it is rather poor.

My usual scheme is to use it after the main visit of a site to hunt for smaller coponents: it was the case in Maulbronn (the ponds by themselves are not so OUVy), hunting grounds in Denmark, for some pile dwelling sites (for which, given they are otherwise inaccessible, I was content to pass near the spot while appreciating the surrounding)...

It might be a subcategory, but I would like to add the "taxi-by" visit. And... I was going to recount my hectic taxi-by visit of the Mani peninsula in Greece, but I noticed (strangely enough?) that it is not a WHS, nor a T, nor a FT! Then, I can remember a moped-by visit of Pyi in Burma, but that was more of renting the transport for the whole day and perplexing the driver by asking to go to each and every corner of the archaeological site. But in the end he seemed to like it, as he proposed some "bonus stupas" on the way back to town!

But in general, if I can only drive through/close to a city or national park I do not count it.

Liam 22 December 2024

@Solivagant - thanks! I knew I'd seen a better version somewhere was still wondering whether crossing over an inlet at Tankhoi (where the plaque seems to have been spotted!) counted. Actually I was in the core zone for hours and did, indeed, see a big old expanse of grey water. I'm still not convinced I experienced OUV - but let's face it, chances of a revisit are extremely slim.

Clyde 22 December 2024

Interesting. I agree that the amount of time spent is important for the drive/sail by/flight/train ride as well as the amount of preparation before and sometimes luck too (with wildlife). Semmering and Rhaetian railways come to mind ... for both I didn't take a train ride but I hiked or drove to specifically see the inscribed infrastructure and take in the views (which I would have missed or only got for a couple of seconds on the train itself). Belize Reef and Great Barrier Reef flights were great add-on/splurges/cherries on the cake together with diving/snorkeling. Sagarmatha flight I'm very happy for the OUV and a short hiking trip wouldn't have added much. I'd love to go camping there for the wildlife but less for the climbing. Donana NP and Fraser Island could almost be better as drive-bys for the wildlife and with enough patience and a beanie-bag for birdwatching.

Solivagant 22 December 2024

@Liam - "The maps on the UNESCO webpage are so bad that I'm not *entirely* sure whether the rail line between Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude runs through the core zone (Solivigant - work your magic!)"
Yes the offical maps are bad and yes the Ulan Ude-Irkutsk railway line does in part run through the core zone. The best source is the Dec 2023 "Reactive Monitoring Mission Report". Map 1 on page 14 whose text clearly states "The central ecological zone corresponding with the boundaries of the World Heritage property is delimited by the red line." See - https://whc.unesco.org/document/207572

Liam 22 December 2024

I would argue that a 'fly-by' is realistically the best way of visiting a site like Nazca in Peru. I couldn't even tell you whether I stepped foot into the core zone - but I certainly got a better (if rather dizzying) view from on high.

The only WHS tick of mine I would class in this category is a 'train-by' of Lake Baikal. The maps on the UNESCO webpage are so bad that I'm not *entirely* sure whether the rail line between Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude runs through the core zone (Solivigant - work your magic!); but this was a journey prior to me knowing about World Heritage Sites and I know that realistically I'll never be back in the vicinity.

Els Slots 22 December 2024

Oh, I like that dialogue with Gemini! @Solivagant

It also confirms my feeling that the main issue of drive-bys is the (low) amount of time spent on the WHS: "A brief stop at a site might not provide a comprehensive understanding." You don't see different aspects of the site and also (in my case at least) spend less time reading up beforehand (because you don't need all those details).

I also agree with @Luboang that drive-bys must be regarded as complementary "or even highly enhancing" to a regular visit inside.

Solivagant 22 December 2024

Just as Michael Ayers has "bike bys" there are also "sail bys" ,,,,,indeed this is likely to be a relatively common possibility when visiting islands, many of which are closed or likely to be difficult to visit on any vparticular day because of weather. The official boundaries of some Island WHS include the "sea" for a few kms beyond the land but that is of course a rather articificial distinction. Surtsey is one which many of us are likely to come across. There is even the issue of a "fly by". Angel Falls is one such WHS where this could come into play. I also remember overflying the Big Hole at Bloemfontain with an excellent view (now a "former TWHS") and wondering whether to count it if it ever got inscribed! If the sea surface around the island can be "inside" the boundary then how much of the "air" above it is?!
I have just had an interesting discussion with Gemini on some of these matters - other Community members might like to do so to get some extra insight into this strange (and probably indefinable) concept called "Visiting"!
See - https://gemini.google.com/share/cf240e3af9d9

Luboang 22 December 2024

Dont forget mount Athos for the fairier half of mankind... I dont see one can argue drive-by visit is better than setting ones foot in the actual place of interest but complimentary or even
highly enhancing and of course at times much more practical or even the only option.
Generally I observe as I gain experience with travelling new yet simmilar sites my sense of what constitutes a proper visit is evolving and my hunger for full fledged visit gets satiated easier.

Michael Ayers 22 December 2024

I don't have any drive-by vists... No, wait, that's now wrong, for the Saint Lucia Pitons, I was running very late, and had to hire a taxi to take me to the viewpoints before dark. Fairly disappointing.

However, I do have several "bike-by" visits, all of which were fairly large Natural Sites, without easily accessible visitor facilities, at least not anywhere close to the part of the Site that I was near. I still consider those to have been good visits, in most cases. By default, the length of time I spent going through the Site was significantly longer than a drive-by would have been, and the general scenery was well-appreciated. Additionally, it's common to be able to observe a lot of interesting flora and fauna that motorists would usually zoom right past. Not always the famous megafauna a certain site might have, but, on occasion, that happens, too. Huascaran National Park was a good example of that kind of visit for me.

I am also sometimes just as happy to "see" the core zone, as opposed to actually "touching" it.

Blog Countries

Top Tips for India

So I have just returned from my best India trip ever! I stayed energetic til the end and could have easily extended it by a week or so if the visa had allowed me to. I managed to visit 15 new WHS; I had already visited 24 across my 4 previous trips so I am missing just 4 now to complete India. The itinerary can be found here. Bear in mind with the tips below that I visited mostly state-level places of interest, and not the more foreign-touristy parts such as the Golden Triangle (where you'll definitely encounter more touts).

1. Fly!

43 WHS, 28 States – where to start? Even after 4 previous trips I still had (and have) so much of India to cover. I suggest keeping it to one state at a time for a “normal” traveller on a 2-3 week trip. For a WH Traveller who wants to raise his/her score, it’s best to combine several clusters. I made good use of the domestic flight network of IndiGo, which connects most state capitals and other major hubs. For a mere 75 EUR or so you’ll find yourself in the middle of the next cluster to tackle 1200km away. Still, you should have at least a broad focus like North, South, West, or East.

2. Anything can and will be arranged

Sometimes travel agencies and hotels in India seem lacking in customer service as they do not communicate proactively or put themselves in your shoes. But when you ask for something (I think that’s the clue, they wait for your initiative as they all mold it against your wishes): anything can be arranged. Look for example at the endeavours of Shandos in her review of the Western Ghats or the logistics of my Sundarbans visit. Want to go to that remote archaeological site tomorrow? Leave 5 a.m.? A driver will be waiting for you, ma’am. 

3. Digitalization is only half-way

I guess it’s a love for detailed forms and abundant cheap labour that holds India back in its digitalization efforts. Train tickets can be booked online easily (I used 12go) and that system works flawlessly. But for site entrance tickets it’s hit or miss. Of the 15 WHS on my trip, 2 were digital tickets only (Moidams, Keshava Hoysala Temple), some accepted both cash and online tickets, others were cash-only and those accepting foreign credit cards are rare.

I’d suggest pre-booking tickets a few days beforehand – look at the ASI booking website for which sites tickets are available. Not because they will sell out, but because you don’t want to fill in a detailed form on your phone at a site entrance or have to accost Indian passers-by to acquire a ticket for you with their digital payment setup. The booking website only accepted my American Express credit card, by the way. It’s also annoying that you have to choose between a morning and afternoon visit (who cares?), especially when you guess you’re arriving around noon…

4. Bring your own notes

Most of the 11 cultural WHS that I visited are managed by the ASI, the Archeological Survey of India. You will immediately recognize arriving at an ASI site: there’s a fence, a guard, a manicured lawn and some flower beds surrounding the monument. I think the ASI employs more gardeners than archeologists or site interpreters. However, the Indian sites lack modern site museums (which China and Turkey do so well) and even overall explanations about what you see. Maybe they are trying to protect the livelihood of the elderly guides who will approach you at the entrance.

Considering the high visitor numbers of all Indian WHS, they can’t get away with a simple hand-painted general introduction anymore in 2024 like the one I found at Nalanda (photo below, and no, the QR code didn’t add anything). So bring along your homework!

5. Try to avoid hitting that tipping point

On my previous trips to India, I always had a moment, after 2-3 weeks, where I was ready to hit/yell at/kill someone, particularly an Indian with behaviour that irritated me (the 10th person to ask for a selfie that day, the beggar, the clueless clerk). I managed to avoid that tipping point this time as (1) travelling in India has become more comfortable than in the past, with strong infrastructure improvements and plenty of nice clean coffee shops, restaurants and hotels where you can hide away for a while, and (2) I had a rather calm and balanced itinerary, mixing 3* and 4* hotels, flights instead of overnight trains or buses, and no over-ambitious add-ons. So overall I felt more relaxed and didn’t have to hit it out on somebody else (as really, the source of this is you and not them).

Pictures with this post show (1) the Rang Ghar pavilion in Sivsagar, a site that should have been included with the Moidams, (2) the Nandi in Kakatiya-style at the Ramappa Temple, and (3) the main interpretative sign at Nalanda.

Els - 15 December 2024

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Els Slots 15 December 2024

I'd love to say that the hygienic situation has dramatically improved - but it hasn't. Although Pakistan was worse! You'll still see men peeing everywhere, and people disposing of trash on the streets (but the number of trash cans has risen), a rat creeping out of the gutter etc. But it has gotten easier to shut yourself off from it.

Nan 15 December 2024

Having seen the recent flurry of pictures and having several sites in India on my to visit list, I would love to go back. But I am still shell shocked from the hygienic situation encountered in India. I had never before and never since seen anything comparable.

I remember needing a vacation from the vacation. Or as Els calls it: Hitting the tipping point.

Blog WHS Visits

WHS #941: Mahabodhi Temple

The Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodh Gaya is easily reached nowadays in about 2 hours from Patna via a 4-lane highway that bypasses the city of Gaya. The town of Bodh Gaya is essentially a slum, with desperately poor living conditions and full of people whose main goal in life is to get the most out of the Buddhist pilgrims. India shows itself here at its worst: noisy rickshaws, begging children, severely deformed people hoping for compassion, con artists of all kinds, and dirty children made to perform circus acts by their mothers. They all ply the main street leading up to the temple.

The entrance policy confused me when I tried to find out about it online beforehand, but despite the tiresome stroll through town, it’s actually not chaotic at all. Entrance is free, except when you want to take pictures; then a 100rs fee is required, payable at the "Camera Ticket Counter". Phones are not allowed in, but it seems that when you buy a camera ticket this is waived as well (I did not try).

First going through a new gate with the reassuring label "World Heritage Site" overhead, you will be patted down twice before you enter the temple grounds. These additional security measures were taken after bombs were placed here in 2013 (and two went off) by an Islamic militant group. You only need to take your shoes off in the inner circle of the temple, so leave them on as long as you can as there is a bit of walking involved around the complex.

I visited the Temple twice: once in the evening and also early the next morning. The evening session was especially serene, the lighting added to the site in 2020 enhances the warm atmosphere. People were praying everywhere. Taking pictures here seems intrusive, and I think I noticed only 5 cameras among the at least 1,000 people present. You see orange-clad monks, pilgrims in white. 98% of the visitors here come for a religious experience of some kind: Tibetans prostrating, Japanese sitting without moving, young monks playing. The chanting goes on til late at night. I walked around the temple three times, on the three different layers. The most is going on “at the back” – where the pilgrims rever the sacred Bodhi tree (photo 2).

The next morning I entered around 7. It turned out that this is one big camping site as well, as a considerable number of pilgrims had spent the night in tents amidst the stupas. If you want to observe Tibetan monks getting dressed this is your moment. I did the three rounds again and encountered monks and the city’s disadvantaged begging for breakfast on the upper level. The 7 stops where Gautama Buddha meditated for a week each after he was enlightened are clearly marked with stone information panels, it's worth checking them all out although you will almost be run over by ambulating pilgrims when you stand still to read the texts.

When I left the complex, I walked into a long procession of participants of the Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony, representing all Buddhist countries present; a colourful spectacle. Events like these show the long tradition of pilgrimage at this site, which also is its main strength as a WHS.

While you’re in Bodh Gaya, visiting the Archeological Museum is recommended too. It lies on the main road to the temple. The ASI must have forgotten about it, as it charges no foreigner fee! Everybody pays just 10rs. This small and quiet museum holds the original sculpted stone balustrades from the 3rd century BCE that used to surround the temple and are explicitly part of the OUV. Their style is a bit similar to that of the Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi. It also has a good collection of 8th-10th century Buddha statues found at the temple site. Many have their faces smashed in, but there are some fine works.

Els - 8 December 2024

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Els Slots 8 December 2024

Well-spotted, Durian! I will replace it, it may take a day or so to show, because of the image caching in browsers.

Durian 8 December 2024

@Els, the photo by Clyde on the Mahabodhi temple page is not correct. I think it is a photo of Mahabodhi Temple replica in Myanmar.

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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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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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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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