There are now 721 UNESCO World Heritage sites and I have visited just over 50 of them. Each of these sites offers its own historical, natural or cultural quality, thereby making it very difficult to select just ten favourites. The United Nations chooses about 30 new sites of “outstanding universal value” each year from a pool of sites nominated by Member States. The benefits of the status include financial assistance to safeguard the properties and on-going management support; and, for the traveller, the collection serves as a form of “master list” of the top destinations in the world. Since all of the sites are unarguably unique and valuable, I chose my ten favourites based on the feelings I felt during my visit or the way in which I was moved at the time and afterwards. This criteria explains why some of the sites which I have visited do not appear on this list despite the fact that they are more world-renowned or larger in size than others which do appear on the list (for example, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef over Belize’s Barrier Reef System). In describing the sites, I have tried to describe my personal experiences and why they are so special to me. Here are my ten favourites.

#1: Virunga National Park – The Democratic Republic of Congo
(Visited July 1996)
This site is at the top of my list not only because of its natural beauty, but most importantly because of its regal and awe-inspiring Mountain Gorillas. The site offers 790,000 hectares of jungle-covered volcanic slopes, lava plains, savannahs, swamps and the snowy caps of the Rwenzori Mountains, though all of my time in the Park was spent on the jungle-covered slopes. After days of trekking through this harsh terrain, all the pain of cuts, bruises and aches from slippery fallen logs, boggy underbrush and stinging nettle melts away when one comes face to face with a 450-pound silverback. In the Park, I visited a family of about 15 Mountain Gorillas led by a silverback named Oscar and his wife. While one highlight of the encounter was playing with, and being pelted with twigs by, the babies of the group, the most meaningful moments were those I spent gazing into the eyes of these gentle vegetarian giants, especially Oscar’s. While humans are not supposed to do this as it may be interpreted as a threat to the silverback’s authority, I found that when Oscar looked at me, I simply could not look away. I was mesmerized and I felt a connection to a very distant past, and to an ancestor who seemed much more content, and at peace, than his human contemporaries. Unfortunately, the gorilla groups in the area have been teetering on the brink of extinction for the last two decades. Through the 1990s, they have faced specific threats in the form of the refugee crisis affecting the region after the 1994 genocide in neighbouring Rwanda, an increase in the general surrounding population and corruption and mismanagement under the Mabuto regime. In fact, just after my visit, in 1998, the Park was closed completely for security reasons, and only opened once again in mid 1999. The number of tourists visiting the gorillas in the region, however, seems to be rebounding (from 1313 in 2000 to 2155 in 2001), with the majority visiting Bwindi National Park in Uganda. Eco-tourism provides an important source of revenue for the disenfranchised local people and the governments of these Central and East African nations (Congo, Rwanda and Uganda) and thus it is imperative that this park and its magnificent inhabitants be protected. Because Virunga National Park offers such truly humbling primate encounters, it can easily be ranked number one on my list.

#2: Canaima National Park – Venezuela
(Visited March-April 1999)
This park, located in the Southeastern Guyana region of Venezuela is home to the world’s tallest waterfall – Angel Falls, and the prodigious Tepuis (table mountains), jungle and wildlife which surround it. The three million hectares of the jungle park, (which make it one of the largest national parks in the world), are rich in exotic fauna and flora, mythical black-water rivers and cascading waterfalls flowing over the awesome Tepuis. At more than 1.5 billion years old, the Tepuis are of great geological importance, and are some of the oldest rock formations in South America. Though the Angel Falls area of the park can only be reached by plane from Ciudad Bolivar, the journey is well worth the expense and hassle. The giant rock Tepuis, some towering 979m above the jungle floor, makes flying over, or canoeing to, Angel Falls a truly awesome experience. The sheer size of the Falls, some 16 times the height of Niagara Falls, and often cloaked in cloud, is unforgettable. Most impressively, all of the guides in the Park come from neighbouring indigenous Pemón communities, which include the Arekuna, Taurepan and Kamaracoto. My guide took me on several hiking/canoeing expeditions down the Carrao and Caroni Rivers. From Canaima Lagoon, I took a curiara (Pemón canoe) to Salto El Sapo (Frog Falls) and then Saltos del Yuri (Yuri Falls). From here we hiked to the Aprada, and then Chimanta Tepuis. The surrounding jungle was awash with wild macaws, black-headed parrots and red-billed toucans. We also spotted the bright yellow and black Sapo Minero (Miner Frog). Canaima Lagoon was perhaps the most relaxing place I have ever hung my hammock. After hiking and canoeing, I laid there for hours watching the turbulent waters flowing from every side of the lagoon, gently calming in the middle to form the characteristic foam-topped black and yellow-red waters (which are apparently the result of a concentration of fulvous and humic acids which form from vegetation decomposing in the water upriver). With its breath-taking natural phenomena, beautiful wildlife and indigenous tour guides, Canaima National Park rates highly on my list.

#3: Ohrid Region – Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
(Visited May 2001)
Ohrid is the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’s only World Heritage Site, and certainly my favourite of all those visited on my trip to the Balkans in 2001. The site is composed of the town of Ohrid, located on the northeast shore of the lake by the same name, and its surrounding countryside. The town, which has hosted continuous settlement for the past 2400 years, also has the oldest Slav monastery in the world – St Pantelejemon, and features a perfect marriage of culture history and stunning natural beauty. I arrived in Skopje, Macedonia by train from Belgrade, Serbia, and was told by all along the way (including the newsmedia at home) that the region was unsafe due to the problems in Kosovo. However, I found Skopje, Tetovo and the gorgeous scenery of Mavrovo National Park to be completely calm and serene. But even the bus ride through the rocky hills, rolling valleys and pine forests of Mavrovo cannot prepare one for Ohrid. Called the Balkan Jerusalem and the tourist mecca of Macedonia, the town was virtually deserted when I visited. I stayed in a family home in the picturesque medieval town just off the pedestrian mall and started my sightseeing with a climb up the narrow and crooked cobblestone streets toward the Citadel. En route I stopped at the ongoing excavation of the Roman Amphitheatre high on the hill above the town. The archaeologists working there were very friendly and told me what they could about the site in English. I sat for a while and pondered what it would have been like to sit in its stands in Roman times watching a performance or duel with the mountains all around and the crystal clear blue waters of the lake below. I continued along ul Llindenska to the North Gate of the Citadel and the 13th century church of Svety Kliment. I followed the remains of the Citadel wall along and entered through the door on the west side. The view was absolutely exquisite and most important of all, I was completely alone and free to explore the ruins at will. I wandered for hours along the 10th century turrets and ancient walls, with the lake breezes in my hair and the ancient town hundreds of feet below. I found the location to be truly moving due to its history and natural beauty and the feeling of isolation from the modern world which I felt there. I continued on with a hike down the mountainside through the pine forests above Lake Ohrid until I reached the tiny 13th century Church of Sveti Bogoslov Kaneo. The Church was constructed on a rockface which juts out into the lake, set about 200 feet above the water. I found the Church, with its location, and beautiful frescoes and Byzantine icons to be one of the most enchanting I have ever visited. With its own courtyard where, in summer, plays are performed, the Church is the picture postcard of Ohrid. On my way back, I visited the 11th century church of Sveti Sofija which holds the remains of St. Kliment, and some of the most beautiful frescoes in Macedonia (and a Turkish mimbar, or pulpit from the days when the church was a mosque). The following day I made my way to the Albanian border via the 17th century Sveti Naum monastry about 30 km south of the town. The first church built on the site dates back to 900, with the burial of St. Naum’s remains having occurred there in 910. The view from the monastery includes the beauty of the town of Ohrid to one side, with the intriguing allure of Pogradec, Albania on the other. In Europe’s poorest country, Pogradec, Albania sharply contrasts the relative riches and modernism of Macedonia. The Ohrid region combines the cultural and ecclesiastical history of Macedonia, with the oppressive and bizarre communist styling of Enver Hoxha’s Albanian regime just across the border. With all of this set around a mountain valley lake, the Ohrid region is one of the most unique places I have ever visited.

#4: Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque – Mexico
(Visited August 2000)
While I have visited a number of the Mayan ruins listed as UNESCO world heritage sites (including the more notorious Tikal in Guatemala and Copan in Honduras), I have included only my favourite on this list. The Mayan ruins of Palenque, located just a few miles outside the historic town of the same name, offers the greatest glimpse into Ancient Mayan society. While Palenque does not offer the towering temples of Tikal, or the ornate stonework of Copan its site is much more informative, its buildings more accessible to visitors, and because of its size it presents a more complete depiction of Ancient Mayan life. Surrounded by aqueducts built by the Mayans some 1700 years ago, the buildings of the site form a perfect miniature city, seemingly untouched by time. The carved stone palaces and temples sit atop a 300m Palenque (or natural palisade) in the rolling hills of the Altos de Chiapas. Once inside Palenque, I was compelled to ponder what the life of the Mayans would have been like under King Pacal (AD 615-683) when the city was at its height of influence over the Usumacinta River basin, how the ballgames would have been played on the Pelota (ball court), and what led to the city’s mysterious demise. Dense jungle surrounds Palenque’s breathtaking pyramids and hiking trails span out from the Temple of the Lion and Temple of the Sun. For all of the majesty of Palenque’s ruins, only a fraction of the city has been exposed from the surrounding jungle. One can hike along the ancient aqueducts, to vine-covered ruins deep in the jungle. The trail from the Temple of the Lion leads 7 km to the Mayan village of Naranjo, from which guides can be hired for independent exploration of the surrounding unexcavated ruins and cascading waterfalls. Even inside the excavated centre of Palenque one is free to walk amongst the tablets in the Temple of the Inscriptions, descend into the burial chamber of King Pacal or roam in the massive, dimly lit underground complex of the Palace which is full of carvings, masks and reliefs of Mayan gods, priests and members of Palenque’s royal family. Because of its ingenious engineering, elegant artistry and general openness to the visitor, Palenque leaves the visitor with a glimpse into classical Mayan life not experienced at other ruins in Central America.

#5: Sighisoara – Romania
(Visited May 2001)
Sighisoara, in the heart of Transylvania, is a perfectly preserved medieval town set in beautiful hilly countryside. The town was the first stop for me after arriving in Bucharest. I visited it because I knew it was rich in history and very picturesque. But I did not realise that the town was and is a testimony to the unique culture of the Transylvanian Saxons, a culture which is dying out in the region since the fall of the Ceausescu regime and the opening up of Romania to the outside world. Sighisoara is still a completely intact medieval fortified city with towered walls surrounding narrow hilly cobblestone streets, 16th century burgher houses and numerous pristine churches. Founded in the 1100s by German craftsmen and merchants, the town served as a strategic and commercial outpost of Saxony, along with a collection of other fortified Transylvanian cities, including the more famous and touristed Brasov. It is most famous for being the birthplace of Vlad (the Impaler) Tepes (of Dracula fame), born in 1431 to Vlad Dracul (the Dragon). Tepes went on to become a Romanian prince and national hero of his time, by leading Romanian resistance against the marauding Ottomans of the 15th century. He also became infamous for being a vampire; although there is no proof that he in fact was one, the legend most likely stemmed from his inhumane, although completely contemporary, torturous practices. I stayed in a family home within the walls of the fortified city and started my tour of the city with a visit to, and climbing of, the main city Clock Tower built in the 14th century, complete with a clock from 1648 which still keeps time. Inside the tower are displays of historical pieces from the town and a scale model of the entire town. From the top of the tower, one can gain a fantastic view in all directions from the walkway which, in the morning, also provides an eerie haunting feeling as the mist settles over the surrounding hilly countryside with its horse-drawn carts and uniquely styled haystacks. Under the adjacent citadel tower, I visited the torture museum which explains, with the aid of artifacts and models, the torture techniques of Vlad Tepes. Next I explored the heart of the walled city – Piata Cetatii, and its fine old houses and 15th century Monastry church (Biserica Manastirii) which has a fantastic collection of Oriental rugs. I walked down to Str. Scolii from the square and climbed the 172 steps of the wooden covered stairway built in 1642. The stairway leads up to a 14th century schoolhouse and the Gothic Bergkirche of 1345 which is currently undergoing a massive restoration. This church was surrounded by steep and beautifully gardened German cemetery. I strolled through the lanes of this charming place noting all of the German names on the gravestones and tombs and wondering about how it was that this site became the place where the line was drawn between the central European and Byzantine-Orthodox cultures. I also wondered how long the unique culture of the region would be preserved in light of the steady emigration, or “repatriation” of German-Saxons to their homeland. I was glad I managed to see the beautiful preserved city when I did.

#6: Belize Barrier Reef System – Belize-Honduras
(Dived and Snorkelled in August 2000)
This site is the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere, and while only the 290 km of the Belizean reef make up the UNESCO portion of the site, the reef system itself stretches much further in the region to include the reefs around parts of Mexico and the Bay Islands off Honduras. The reef system is one of the best to dive in the world, offering a peek into the way in which marine ecosystems develop and evolve. I started my diving on the island of Utila, off Honduras, where I completed my open water certification. The dive sites here offer 60-90 foot reef walls with brilliantly coloured corals and many marine animals including barracuda, turtles, groupers, rays and sharks. The island itself is also quaint, with a unique culture (the Garifunos) who descend from escaped or ex-slaves who integrated with Honduran people. The Barrier Reef System off Belize is one of the most spectacular in the world, consisting of many offshore atolls, hundreds of sand cays, lagoons, mangrove swamps and estuaries. I visited Caye Caulker, via boat from Belize city. A tiny sand island, measuring 7km in length and just 600m in width, the location is a haven for resting, and also partying, backpackers. But the coconut palms and mangroves a short walk from the town centre still provide the visitor with a desert island feeling. The highlight of any trip here is the diving and snorkelling available just offshore. Shark Ray alley is probably the best place in the world to snorkel with nurse sharks and stingrays. The diving here offers visibility of up to 70m and the nearby Blue Hole is one of the deepest and most mysterious in the world. Two other coral atolls (the only ones in western hemisphere) are also in reach – Half Moon Caye and the Turneffe Islands. This site is definitely one of my top choices for diving.

#7: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Uganda
(Visited July 1996)
I visited Bwindi National Park, located in southwestern Uganda, in order to trek wild chimpanzees. The park is actually at the junction of Uganda’s central plains and its mountain forests. Covering 330 square kilometres, the park offers unforgettable hikes into a diverse ecosystem which includes over 160 species of tree, over 100 species of fern, elephants, the rare giant forest hog, many birds, butterflies and my favourites – at least 10 species of primates. I visited the southern tip of the park from the nearby campsite at Lake Niyabikere. The Park offered chimpanzee trekking and hiking with a guide knowledgeable in the ways of these social animals. Interestingly, the experience provided a stark contrast with the trekking I had just done in Virunga National Park with the Mountain Gorillas. We spent about 3 hours in the park learning about the flora and fauna and following the sounds of the families of chimpanzees we trekked. We learned how to bang on the base of certain trees in order to communicate with the chimps. It was fascinating to send out signals this way into a seemingly empty forest, and hear, several minutes later, the return calls of chimps banging the same species of tree miles away. The family groups of chimps were far more active and noisy than the gorillas. The gorillas sat quietly eating some of the hundreds of forest plant species they enjoy while we sat in among them, as if part of their world. In contrast, the chimps reacted aggressively when they realised that those who had answered their tree-banging calls were, in fact, humans and not chimps. They made calls to each other, broke branches off the trees and threw them down to the forest floor. They took up a defensive position, flew around in the canopy and generally made a racket. It was compelling to crouch down and ponder the evolution of us from these creatures in light of the contrast with the calmer, more docile and completely vegetarian gorillas. (The chimps are omnivores who eat predominantly plants, but also insects and, on occasion, smaller primates and other sources of meat which the males hunt in packs.) While humans are, allegedly, closer in genealogy to chimpanzees than gorillas, these two encounters made me wonder how the world could have been a very different place, had evolution taken a different course. With all of the consequences of war I had seen in that region in the preceding week (primarily refugee camps established after the genocide in nearby Rwanda) I wondered if there was any connection which could be made.

#8: Kinabalu National Park – Malaysia (Borneo)
(Visited July 1997)
At 4101m, Mt. Kinabalu is Southeast Asia’s tallest mountain, and the tallest to occur between the Himalayas and Papua New Guinea. It is surrounded by 750 sq km of the tropical Borneo jungle of Kinabalu National Park, and is also one of the most interesting to climb. While the mountain is promoted as one which climbers of any ability can tackle, the final ascent to the summit is actually quite challenging. But because the mountain offers such a wide range of environments from top to bottom, the climb is also very rewarding. The foot of the mountain is a rich tropical lowland with lush vegetation, rushing rivers and waterfalls, and hiking paths through steamy jungle basins. This is also where the first set of climbers’ huts are located. About 50 people commence the climb each morning, but the group quickly dissipates, leaving each individual to choose his or her own path through the jungle trails. The trail quickly leads the climber out of the valley lowland and into the hill rainforests. Here one sees the great variety of species which make this ecosystem one of the most diverse in the world, with representatives of more than half the families of all flowering plants, including elements from the Himalayas, China, Malaysia and Australia. The steepness of this rainforest, combined with its diverse geology and frequent climatic changes, also provide the conditions necessary for the development of new and unique species, such as the Pitcher Plant. About halfway through the climb, the rainforest gives way to tropical montane forest and then at about 3200m, the vegetation becomes more sparse and rocks begin to proliferate. The mosses, scrub and fuzzy plants at this altitude live in a constantly passing stream of windy and cold mist and clouds. Once above the clouds, at about 3400m, one comes to the overnight huts and a chance to catch a couple of hours’ sleep in preparation for the ascent to the summit which departs at 2am. While most of the remainder of the climb is made in the dark over rocks, snow and ice (the most difficult part of the climb), the view from the summit is worth this effort. The best times to reach the summit are sunrise and sunset, but on the morning I summited, clouds obscured a full sunrise. However, once the clouds cleared, the view was incomparable. When looking down from such a height, the lush greenery below was unrecognisable as jungle, but the contours of the surrounding landscape, including the Pacific Ocean, were breathtaking. While the climb, and to a greater degree, the descent, left me quite sore, the experience is one I will never forget.

#9: Hoi An Ancient Town – Vietnam
(Visited August 1997)
This historic fishing town, also known as Faifo, was one of Southeast Asia’s major ports in the 15th – 19th centuries and is a beautifully preserved example of the fusion of cultures which shaped the region throughout that time period. These include the Cham culture, Chinese and finally the French, but also those of the trading vessels which frequented this port, including the Dutch, Portuguese and Japanese. Perfectly preserved as its was centuries ago, Hoi An also offers a quaint little market with narrow laneways and vendors hawking a variety of traditional Vietnamese wares, including hammocks, snake blood and dried fish, but also many items unique to the region, including woven mats, Cham antiques, wood carvings and pottery. At the nearby riverside dock on Hoang Van Thu Street, I was convinced by an old lady to take her boat tour of the area (for the fee of $1US for three hours). She took me up and down the Thu Bon river visiting the local houseboats, fishing villages and craft centres. We stopped alongside fishermen who spend the better part of every day up to their waists on platforms in the bay setting and collecting in miles of nets with special wooden pulling devices. We stopped at the shoreside homes of artisans carving wood and weaving mats and also visited Cam Kim Island, the hub of the woodcarving industry in the area. We ended our journey with a visit to Cam Nam village and its famous fine pottery workshops. I spent the following day exploring the unique character of the historic streets in the centre of town including the French Quarter – a perfectly preserved block of colonnaded French Indochinese homes and administrative buildings. I also enjoyed visiting the numerous Chinese Congregation Halls and Pagodas throughout the town. The most interesting of the Pagodas was the tiny Caodai Pagoda as it was the only religious building of this sect (numbering 2 million, and unique to Vietnam), which I visited on my trip. The Caodai religion, established in the early 1920s, seeks to create the ideal religion by fusing the philosophies of the great western and eastern religions into one. I found the melding of so many cultures in the small area of Hoi An to be truly fascinating and unique.

#10: Himeji-jo – Japan
(Visited July 1997)
Himeji-jo, also known as Shirasagi, or the “White Egret”, a name which derives from the castle’s stately white form, is the most magnificent and majestic of the small number of Japanese castles which survive in their original wooden form. Built in 1580 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the site of fortifications dating back to 1333, the castle was also enlarged in the early 17th century by Ikeda Terumasa. The castle and displays therein provide an insight into Japanese feudal culture starting with the Shogun period. After Ikeda was awarded the castle by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the 17th century, the castle went on to be home to 48 successive lords. It has a five storeyed main donjon and three smaller donjons, and is completely surrounded by moats and defensive walls. These walls are interspersed with openings (or ishiotoshi) of various shapes for firing guns and shooting arrows. The walls of the inner donjon also have special openings which were used for pouring boiling water or oil on anyone who made it past the defensive slits, and tried to climb its walls. It takes several hours to tour the 83 buildings of the site and gain an understanding of the ingenious way in which all of the various defensive mechanisms interacted to make the castle impenetrable. For example, every element of the castle was designed with the aim of alerting its residents to the presence of intruders and preventing them from moving toward the centre and the innermost buildings. Even the wood floors throughout the interior donjons were built with a special interlocking mechanism between the individual floorboards and the nails used to attach them. The system, which is still audible and visible today, ensured that each step taken made an unavoidable creaking noise, thereby foiling the silent stepping skills of samurais. A final stop must also be made at the gorgeous Koko-en Gardens, on the site of the Nishi-Oyashiki-Ato which was formerly the Lord’s western residence and samurai housing for the castle. The site consists of nine individual gardens landscaped in separate traditions which, when combined, capture all the styles of gardening which existed during the Edo period, including Oyashiki-no-niwa – a royal garden of the Lord’s house, Cha-no-niwa – a tea garden surrounding the traditional tea house, and Nagaya-Gate – an historical garden landscaped in typical Edo style.