Jgriffindor6 Profile
Hi everyone! I am a budding world heritage traveler and an avid hiker! I love natural world heritage sites and being in nature in general. (I'm working on getting my cultural whs site numbers up but its hard to do when based in the US lol)
My most recent trip was to Hawaii to visit the national parks there.
My next trip in 2025 will be to Italy (Florence, Venice and Rome) plus some day trips to other WHS in the area(s). This will be my first visit to continental Europe and I am really excited!
In the future, I would really love to see in no particular order:
- Spain
- Egypt
- Lithuania ( I am of Lithuanian descent so visiting where my great-grandfathers lived would be very special to me.)
- Netherlands
- India (varanasi especially, it seems like such a fascinating place)
- Peru
- Mexico (Can you tell i'm into archeology?)
- Turkey
- Morocco
- China
Of course this is just an aspirational list, which I may deviate from if offered an opportunity. I am pretty much open to visiting anywhere within reason.
Countries I have visited:
- USA - I live here, and I have done a fair bit of domestic travel. There is still a lot to see and discover here for sure. I have not made it to New York or Chicago yet!
- Costa Rica (2019) - This was my first trip abroad. It was a study abroad trip with my Latin American cultures class in college. Although I knew about WHS at the time, we did not make it to any WHS here. I also grew some disdain for tour groups because we missed out on a hike through the cloud forest because too many people complained about it (walking as an american??? oh the horror!!! LOL). The wildlife and scenery were amazing and I think I will go back someday to hit the WHS and get that hike through the cloud forest.
- Ireland (2023)- This was my first international trip after the pandemic, and it was kind of impromptu because my cousins randomly asked me if I wanted to join them on an irish road trip. This trip was a lot of fun, even if we didn't visit any WHS. I tried my best to convince them to visit Newgrange, but the appeal of a neolithic tomb was lost on them.
- Japan (2023)- I planned this one out myself, which resulted in me dragging my friend to so many temples and shrines that were parts of WHS. One thing that bugged me about other trips was that we didn't stay long enough in places to really get a feel for them, so I planned this trip with one week in tokyo and one week in kyoto. I would love to come back to japan just for the ease in transit alone! Trains are incredible and I wish the US would stop messing around and invest in a high-speed train system. But alas, I think the government next year will have very... stupid priorities.
- Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand (2024) - Angkor Wat has been on the top of my priority list for some time so I made that my next journey. I ended up using G adventures for this trip because nobody else was as interested in going as I was. I was willing to give group tours another chance, especially since there are some places where I would feel more comfortable on a tour (Egypt and India). It had some ups and downs, but luckily we had more freedom on this tour which helped me maintain my sanity at times. Angkor Wat was amazing and the highlight of my trip. We also visited Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Erawan National Park, Ayutthaya, and Chiang Mai.
Recent Reviews Jgriffindor6
San Antonio Missions
Jgriffindor6 United States - 22-Nov-24
I visited this WHS on 4th of July weekend 2023 and it was an interesting time to say the least. I have been to Texas several times before as I have a friend that goes to school out there (which came very much in handy for the solar eclipse that happened earlier this year!!), but I never made it to San Antonio until last year. Everyone that I know that lives in Texas RAVES about San Antonio so I had my expectations up. Nicely restored Spanish Colonial missions are almost a dime a dozen back in California so I really had to do some convincing to get my family to go see the other missions besides the Alamo.
Read OnHawaii Volcanoes
Jgriffindor6 United States - 26-Oct-24
Hawaii is a vacation destination of choice for many on the US west coast, and for a while, I felt like one of the only people in California that liked to travel that had not been to Hawaii (not even once!). Hawaii, being that it is beautiful, tropical, and unique, is also very expensive and will make your wallet cry for help. Compared to the prices for other domestic trips, Hawaii takes the cake for most expensive.
But honestly, it was so worth the temporary bankruptcy! I had this idea in my head that because so many people visit Hawaii that it wouldn't be as cool to visit as people say it is because it would be too crowded or something. But now I understand why so many people go there in the first place! It is truly a unique and special place
Read OnYosemite National Park
Jgriffindor6 United States - 13-Oct-24
This is the only WHS that I have been to multiple times, due to living in California, and it truly is a highlight of not only CA but the USA as a whole. It is a beautiful and unique landscape that rewards multiple visits. I have only been in summer because that is when most trails are open for hiking, but I have heard that it is gorgeous in all seasons. I actually would not recommend a visit in high summer due to crowds and the reservation system that they have put in place. The Valley can become a circus very quickly, especially in the summer season. I would recommend a visit in fall.
Read OnAyutthaya
Jgriffindor6 United States - 05-Oct-24
I visited this site after I visited Angkor, which in hindsight may not have been the best idea, as no other set of ruins in the area can compare to it. However, it is a nice site and deserves a visit. I particularly enjoyed the buddha statue that got entwined with the tree roots. It is also relatively crowd-free, at least on the day that I was there. These temples are in true ruins (unlike angkor, which is very much reconstructed) and offers a different atmosphere.
However, like others have stated, what UNESCO chose to include and exclude from the site area is a bit confusing. Some of the most notable temples were not included within the site. Also, the city around the ruins is not that pleasant, and there were people riding elephants in the vicinity, which I find unethical.
Read OnWaterton Glacier International Peace Park
Jgriffindor6 United States - 05-Oct-24
I visited Glacier national park in August of 2023. While I have been to a significant chunk of national parks in the US, Glacier easily takes one of the top spots due to its amazing scenery and outstanding hiking opportunities. However, you have to really plan ahead in order to fully enjoy the park.
The NPS has implemented a reservation system for vehicles in order to control the amount of visitors [...]
Read OnProfile Data
- Name
- Jgriffindor6
- Country
- United States
- Most Impressive
- Angkor, Temples of Kyoto
- Proposal
- California's Channel Islands and Kelp Forest
Recently Visited WHS
- Update 28.11.24
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0 Countries Complete
Visited WHS
Rating StatsReviewed WHS
Visited TWHS
- California Current Conservation Complex (T)
- Former M-13 prison/ Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (former S-21)/ Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre (former Execution Site of S-21) (T)
- Monuments, Sites and Cultural Landscape of Chiang Mai, Capital of Lanna (T)
- Temples, Shrines and other structures of Ancient Kamakura (T)
- The Royal Sites of Ireland: Cashel, Dún Ailinne, Hill of Uisneach, Rathcroghan Complex, and Tara Complex (T)
Reviewed TWHS