All our reviews

The Pantonal is an enormous area of flat lands in the basin of the river Paraguay in Western Brazil. Within it areas have been designated as a National Park or Strict Reserves. From Oct to Mar it is flooded and inaccessible to ordinary tourists. At other times it provides a good opportunity of seeing a number of the typically S American animals/birds in what are probably easier viewing conditions than Amazonian forest. It is also quite a relaxing place to visit with a number of Fazendas or ranches offering accommodation for a chill-out stay accompanied by non-vigorous walks or horse rides. You can easily arrange stays at these and transport in/out using local agents in nearby cities.

Since it covers such a large area and transport around/across the region is limited you really have to decide which part to aim for. If you are crossing to Brazil from Peru/Bolivia then you will probably settle for the southern section. If however you are “coming in” from the east and continuing elsewhere in Brazil then you have the choice of 2 main entry points – the cities of Campo Grande or Cuiaba. We chose Cuiaba, and I suspect that this is the more popular. Whether it is the better I cannot say. I can say however that we were satisfied with what we saw in 3 days and in the ease of arranging something quickly on arrival and in getting out (Ciuaba has very good transport connections, particularly by air). Cuiaba …

It seems that it hasn't become much easier to visit Mount Athos than it was decades ago, and if you happen to be female, it's evidently impossible. But there is a way to see Athos from the sea, which should be enough for most people who aren't obsessed about Byzantine history and Orthodox monasteries (although these are very interesting), and that is to take a cruise alongside the Athos peninsula, making many monasteries perfectly visible from the ship. These cruises can be easily arranged in the tourist areas of the Chalkidiki Peninsula, and usually take in a break in the pretty port of Ouranopolis.

I don't really understand why the area was also inscribed as a natural site, since I didn't notice any particularly noteworthy natural monuments, but Athos' importance from a historical, political (an autonomous community for almost a thousand years!), religious, and cultural perspective is undeniable.

Nevertheless, I hope to be able to see Athos from the "inside" sometime in the future when they relax the rules. Until then I think I won't count it as a fully visited WH site.

The Agra Fort - the second of the city of Agra’s main tourist attractions – was founded in 1565 and is a virtual copy of the Red Fort in Delhi. My understanding is that the latter is now also underway to also become a World Heritage Site, which is not more than fair.

The Agra Fort is huge and still mainly occupied by the Indian Army. Its massive sandstone walls rise over 20 meters and 2,5 km in circumference. Inside the fort you find different palaces and semi-palaces, Harem quarters, Halls of Public and Private Audiences and everything else needed to run an Empire in 15th century India. And also the Musamman Burj, were the aging emperor Shah Jahan spent his last years and where he lay on his death bed, gazing at the distant Taj Mahal where his long lost love, Mumtaz Mahal was buried.

The Agra Fort is an interesting visit but one can’t help that after having visited Agra’s major attraction, the Taj Mahal, it’s hard to see the same beauty in this still very exquisite palace. My recommendation when visiting Agra is that you FIRST visit the Agra Fort and then the Taj Mahal. Otherwise the almost unreal beauty of the Taj might distance you completely from what beauty the Agra Fort actually has to offer you.

Hi everyone,

I have been given the chance to live within the park boundaries for two months and to work there as a wildlife biologist. It was just the most intense place I have ever been in. There is so much energy once you get down into the Devil's Throat (which is the name of the main water fall). If you get the chance to go there, don't miss the chance to do some rafting in the Iguaçu River and enjoy the trails around it.

But, remember : these waterfall are one of this world's wonders, they are to be respected (so...As your mom would remind you : put trash in garbages, don't feed the animals (even though they will look very friendly to you and to your granola bar...) and keep on trails). Thanks for them!

Now, you are all set to experience one of your most unforgettable nature trip ! Have fun

I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed by Bath. The Roman Baths are very impressive, very well preserved, and definitely worth a visit despite the price, but the rest of the city was a bit of a let-down. The cathedral is nice, but not really special, and the 18th-century buildings like the Royal Crescent are small and somehow inconspicuous. Go to Bath if you are in the area, but it's not really a must-see sight. Actually I liked nearby Bristol much more - a lively city with plenty to see and do.

Although often obscured from view by its proverbial drizzle, the old city and especially the fortress of Salzburg are a great sight. The latter is a castle as it should be, and the town itself is charming and well-preserved, even though it is often crowded with tourists and all the Mozart stuff can get on your nerves after a while. Still, it is one of Europe's great townscapes.

The day I was there was cool, rainy, and foggy (and I had thought I was in the desert), but still the mountain exudes a magical charm and is a must-see site. I almost managed to hike around it, but it really was too muddy for that! At least I could understand why people from all over the world make such a fuss about it. Really worth seeing.

The Canal du Midi is truly magnificent. From the standpoint 17th century engineering, doubtless it must have been regarded then as a miracle. Personally, I think it still is. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Canal du Midi three times, although I have never been able to navigate the Canal by boat. A shame.

The surrounding countryside is beautiful, with everything Mother Nature has to offer. Vineyards, the beautiful old trees, which are so typical for France. And please, dot't forget, the Languedoc has a very interesting 2000 year old history. You can feel it. And for me as a Northern European, it is very nice to see that life has a different pace along the banks of the Canal. So, visit the Canal du Midi and the Aude region, enjoy it. You will. Oh, and it does smell so nice over there.

In for a laugh? Visit the nine locks of Fonsérannes. The skippers of the rental boats will make it worth your while, mostly not being hampered by any knowledge of seamanship and line handling.

The Canal du Midi is rightly on the list of UNESCO World Heritage. The French can be proud.

Little tip for visitors in the neighbourhood of Bezier: a bit to the west lies the village of Nissan, close to the Canal du Midi. You might as well take a look at the Opidum d'Enserun. See for yourself, because it is hard to describe, but I am sure you will be astounded.

Siena, the perennial rival of Florence, may not equal its neighbour to the north in sheer artistic achievement, but its charm and exuberance is all its own. The center of town is dominated by the Piazza del Campo around which every summer the Palio, a no-holds-barred horse race, is run to the delight of locals and tourists alike. Siena is also home to an unusual cathedral, which still sports the initial foundations of a massive planned expansion of the building that was cut short by the arrival of the plague. And of course, all of this is best seen while munching on one of the local ricciarelli, almond-based cookies.

Synonymous for me with Mozart and music (the summer festival is a real treat), I was pleasantly surprised to find how beautiful the city of Salzburg is as well. The wrought iron shop signs, winding streets, and imposing castle on the hill typify the quaint Austrian town. Interestingly enough, my visit to Salzburg coincided with the filming of a Bollywood film in the Mozartplatz; a touch of India in Austria!

The Val d'Orcia is about two things for me: beautiful vistas and delicious wines. Staying with friends in a villa outside Siena in May 2004, I had ample opportunity to sample both. The roads in this part of Tuscany provide the archetypal imagery that has made the province famous, and the wines of Montalcino and Montepulciano are experiences in themselves.

After all the hype that the city receives, Pisa is a disappointment. The entire Piazza del Duomo is a giant tourist trap, and I still don't understand why this particular leaning tower, of all the leaning towers in Italy, gained such a reputation. I will say, however, that the Baptistery is interesting, particularly when the ticket collector performs an impromptu concert to demonstrate the perfect acoustics. Beyond the Piazza, Pisa offers little to the curious tourist, making even a day trip a bit underwhelming.

Having muscled through the traffic of central Dehli to the southern suburbs, I found myself at the Qtub Minar, the 73 meter high minaret and one of the true landmarks of the city. Whether it was really meant as a minaret or just a watch tower seem to be still under discussion but it was unquestionably built in the late 12th century by Qutub-ud-din Aibak.

Standing next to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and many other temples in a nice park, it's a peaceful excursion that could last you an hour or two. And while you are there, don't miss Ala-ud-Din's unfinished minaret, meant to be twice as high as the Qtub Minar, but left at 27 meters at the time of his death.

At first light of dawn, when a cool breeze fills the air and the morning sun shines on the palace, Taj Mahal is at its height of beauty. Set against the azure skyline, it looks like a mirage in a desert - the greatest monument to love.

It was exactly like this when, on an early December morning, I made my first visit to the legendary monument. It is certainly also true that it is a very special view to see the early morning sun rays embrace this absolutely magnificent white marbled tomb.

The story has been told many times - of Shah Jahan's favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal,

who died at the age of 39 when delivering a child and the greif that then made the Shah immortalize their love by building the 'dream in marble' - 22 years in the making with the help of over 22.000 craftsmen.

History tells that when Shah Jahan started to plan for his OWN mausoleum to be built in black marble across the river Yamuna, his son had just about enough of his fathers spending and locked him up in the Agra Fort. And there he sat until the day he died, gazing at the distant tomb of his long-lost wife. Almost makes you want to shed a tear, right..?

Belum Park is a large protected area of tropical forest in the northern part of Malaysia. The forest is shared with Thailand that also protects it as a national park, placed on T-list as well. As a transnational proposal, both parks have higher chance for inscription, although the path has not been announced yet (Malaysia placed it on T-list only in 2017).

 It is quite easy to get to Belum State Park with a rental car. From Penang it is about 2.5-hour drive and the nearest WHS of Lenggong Valley is only 1.5 hours away. It is not the most popular part of Malaysia and the tourist base is quite small. It seems that the park cannot be visited on your own, as it requires boat transport on Temenggor lake. Interesting thing is that the lake is artificial and was created by Malaysian government to make life harder to local communist militias (this is what our guide told us, official reason was to generate electricity). The rebelliants applied hit and run strategy escaping to Thailand, what was obviously much more difficult with the huge lake in the center. Since 1989 there are no fights in this area.

 The most convenient way to visit is booking one of the trips offered by Belum Tropical Resort. This is what I did and the experience was really pleasant. At first the guide took us (all transport by boat) to Rafflesia, giant parasite flower whose pitches may reach over one meter of diameter. Unfortunately …

Verona is one of my favourite Italian cities. From the open-air opera performances during the summer months to delightful decorations of the pedestrian-only areas during the holiday season, the town just begs to be explored. That being said, some sites are better than others. Don't get dragged into the tourist trap at "Juliet's House", and the arena, unless there is a performance going on, isn't really worth an entrance fee. I prefer instead heading over to the Roman theatre on the opposite bank of the river or strolling around the streets and alleys surrounding the Piazza dell'Erbe. Although the town becomes quite crowded in the summer, its generous open streets offer a welcomed contrast to the crush of Venice.

I spent three months living deep in the Jungles of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve; it is an incredible place full of wildlife, birds and varying ecosystems. For the nature lover travelling in Mexico, it is an absolute must.

Sure the road to Punta Allen is a bit less traveled than the Trans-Canada or the I-5, but with a little spirit of adventure, a trusty scooter will take you all the way from Tulum in a gentle three hours. If driving at night, watch out for giant blue crabs on the road - they scream and snatch their claws if you get to close. Keep your balance in check if you are two and getting through the sand bars may require a short walk. Driving a scooter through the biosphere reserve was not only a great way to get intimate with nature, but is ecologically and economically friendly.

There are several companies that offer tours to the Biosphere, Ecocolors is a good choice, Cesiak, Sian Ka'an Tours, Community Tours in Tulum, and others if you look around. Maps are few and far between, but don't worry, the road doesn't branch the whole way from Tulum to Punta Allen, just go south on the coast road and stop along the way as you are surrounded by beauty. Being a small penninsula, you will see beautiful lagoons on one side and the warm Caribbean Sea on the other the entire way. Don't forget to visit the Visitors Center (9Km from the entrance)where …

Blessed with sunny December weather, I made a day trip to the Bend of the Boyne during a visit to Dublin in December 2004. Not wanting to have the hassle of driving, I chose to join a tour that would hit some of the highlights for me. Unfortunately, it was the winter solstice, so Newgrange was reserved for dignitaries and other more important people than I. This meant, however, that the tour was able to go more in depth into some other passage graves, ancient abbeys, and other Stone Age sites, such as Four Knocks and the Hill of Tara. Very pleasant way to recover from a Dublin-induced hangover.

It's not just a cemetery, it is also a nice park for an afternoon stroll whilst you are contemplating and solving the world problems. And if you are into architecture you’ve probably already learned that the cemetery was planned and laid out by the Swedish architects Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz in the 1920:ies and has been an inspiration for cemeteries all around the world. The site is easily accessed via the Stockholm underground (station: Skogskyrkogården) and once there you turn right and just walk through the gates while you are facing the Chapel of the Holy Cross on your left side. Since I have a few of my relatives buried here, I usually visit the site once a year or so and in the spring and summertime it’s a nice walk under the tall spruce trees that populates the cemetery. During All Saints Day (Halloween) the cemetery is lit up by thousands and thousands of candles and it’s likely to be the day of the year to best visit the site.

In 1999, rented a car with friends and toured around the Loire Valley as a day trip from Paris. Visited the main attractions (Chambord and Chenonceau) along with some lesser known chateaux. The views, both architectural and pastoral, were wonderful, but I think the highlight of the trip was enjoying several bottles of the local Sancerre wine over a lengthy lunch. Was certainly a worthwhile excursion.