Lee Abbamonte

There are 1248 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. Many are obvious places, but many are lesser known, cultural places. In fact, some of them are downright strange. For instance, mines or power plants might be included . It’s hard to know what is a world heritage site and what is not. Some things you think surely would be-are not. Plus, many have extremely formal, long names. But UNESCO has a list. And half the time you need to Google stuff because you don’t know if you’ve been there or not! I’ve been to around 500 of them without ever really trying. Here are my 50 favorite in no particular order: Lençóis Maranhenses National Park 🇧🇷 Iguazu National Park 🇦🇷🇧🇷 Lord Howe Island Group 🇦🇺 Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar 🇧🇦 Angkor 🇰🇭 Kluane/Wrangell-St. Elias/Glacier Bay🇨🇦 🇺🇸 Rapa Nui National Parl 🇨🇱 The Great Wall 🇨🇳 Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa 🇨🇳 Mt. Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha 🇨🇳 Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries 🇨🇳 Historic Centre of Prague 🇨🇿 Historic Centre of Český Krumlov 🇨🇿 Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae 🇪🇬 Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela 🇪🇹 Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay 🇫🇷 The Palaces of King Ludwig II: Neuschwanstein 🇩🇪 Meteora 🇬🇷 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Taj Mahal 🇮🇳 Samarra Archaeological City 🇮🇶 Historic Centre of Rome 🇮🇹 Historic Centre of Siena 🇮🇹 The Dolomites 🇮🇹 Ogasawara Islands 🇯🇵 Petra 🇯🇴 Wadi Rum Protected Area 🇯🇴 Town of Luang Prabang 🇱🇦 Timbuktu 🇲🇱 Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou 🇲🇦 Bagan 🇲🇲 Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region 🇲🇰 West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord 🇳🇴 Rock Islands Southern Lagoon 🇵🇼 Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu 🇵🇪 Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River 🇵🇭 Auschwitz Birkenau 🇵🇱 Historic Centre of Sighişoara 🇷🇴 Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow 🇷🇺 Hegra Archaeological Site 🇸🇦 Göreme National Park 🇹🇷 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 🇺🇬 The English Lake District 🇬🇧 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Kilimanjaro National Park 🇹🇿 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 Old City of Sana’a 🇾🇪 Victoria Falls 🇿🇲🇿🇼 Ha Long Bay 🇻🇳 What’s your favorite UNESCO site?

I was having an interesting conversation about the best cities for food the other day with someone who hadn’t traveled much. So I was throwing out city names that I loved to eat in and I was amazed at how into my suggestions they were. So that got me thinking…I haven’t done a rankings in a while and this is probably of interest to most as most people love to eat. Not all…I’ve actually met people who don’t like to eat. We are not friends. Food cities are different than countries-obviously. Some cities have amazing food; whilst some countries do but you can’t necessarily pinpoint the city. Cities can have great street food, restaurants, a local specialty or great international fare. There’s no rules. These rankings are all based on my own experiences eating in these cities. I’ve obviously been to every one listed. This is a very difficult list to come up with an order! Here we go: 1. Tokyo 🇯🇵 2. Bangkok 🇹🇭 3. Naples 🇮🇹 4. New York 🇺🇸 5. Rome 🇮🇹 6. Paris 🇫🇷 7. Mexico City 🇲🇽 8. Hong Kong 🇭🇰 9. Seoul 🇰🇷 10. New Haven 🇺🇸 11. Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 12. Beirut 🇱🇧 13. Gaziantep 🇹🇷 14. Lima 🇵🇪 15. Sao Paolo 🇧🇷 16. Sarajevo 🇧🇦 17. Singapore 🇸🇬 18. Addis Ababa 🇪🇹 19. Sana’a 🇾🇪 20. Tbilisi 🇬🇪 21. San Sebastián🇪🇸 22. Bologna 🇮🇹 23. Chiang Mai 🇹🇭 24. Fukuoka 🇯🇵 25. Istanbul 🇹🇷 26. Tel Aviv 🇮🇱 27. Los Angeles 🇺🇸 28. Athens 🇬🇷 29. Munich 🇩🇪 30. Moscow 🇷🇺 31. Kathmandu 🇳🇵 32. Shanghai 🇨🇳 33. Marrakech 🇲🇦 34. Lisbon 🇵🇹 35. Lyon 🇫🇷 36. Rovinj 🇭🇷 37. Papeete 🇵🇫 38. Saigon 🇻🇳 39. Phnom Penh 🇰🇭 40. Osaka 🇯🇵 41. Porlamar 🇻🇪 42. Amritsar 🇮🇳 43. Samarkand 🇺🇿 44. Medellin 🇨🇴 45. Cape Town 🇿🇦 46. Krakow 🇵🇱 47. Penang 🇲🇾 48. Lhasa ☸️ 49. Montreal 🇨🇦 50. Melbourne 🇦🇺 What’s your favorite food city? What do you think of my list?

I’m not a big nostalgia guy but I always enjoy going places where iconic movies were filmed. The same generally doesn’t go for TV Shows as they’re usually filmed in a studio. The Brady Bunch was no exception when it aired during the 1970’s. However, they did use the outside of a house in Studio City, California as the house in the show. It’s instantly recognizable. The show was not filmed in the house. However, in 2019 HGTV bought the house and completely renovated it to the exact same as it was in the show. It’s honestly pretty amazing to see. A few years ago, a Brady Bunch fan bought the house and is set to open it for tours next month. I was invited to a sneak preview today…and if you were into the Brady Bunch as a kid like I was-it’s awesome! I probably haven’t seen an episode in 35 years and that’s not an exaggeration. But I think I saw every single one of them as a kid. So today was a lot of fun. Everything is done with precise detail-it brings it all back to you. It’s worth checking out if you were a fan of the show. It feels and even smells like stepping back in time in a completely unassuming neighborhood in the Valley. Are you a Brady Bunch fan? Have you ever visited a nostalgic movie or TV location?

If I go out these days, it’s to a cocktail bar. For years, I followed the 50 best bar lists as a guide of where to go around the world. Some good, some blah. I haven’t been to them all, and the lists keep changing, but I’ve likely been to more of the bars listed over the last 15 years than just about anyone on Earth! So this is my Top 50 cocktail bars list based on my experience at the actual bars (drinks, vibe, decor)-not at a convention or I read about it: 1 Bar Benfiddich: Tokyo 🇯🇵 2 Connaught Bar: London 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 3 Dante: New York 🇺🇸 4 Bar Hemingway: Paris 🇫🇷 5 American Bar: London 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 6 Paradiso: Barcelona 🇪🇸 7 🔶🟥🔵: London 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 8 Atlas: Singapore 🇸🇬 9 Donovan Bar: London 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 10 Old Jazz Bar: Shanghai 🇨🇳 11 Overstory: New York 🇺🇸 12 Virtu: Tokyo 🇯🇵 13 Panda & Sons: Edinburgh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 14 Selva: Oaxaca 🇲🇽 15 Pulitzer’s Bar: Amsterdam 🇳🇱 16 Floreria Atlantico: Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 17 Hanky Panky: Mexico City 🇲🇽 18 Salmon Guru: Madrid 🇪🇸 19 The Clumsies: Athens 🇬🇷 20 Little Red Door: Paris 🇫🇷 21 Jerry Thomas Speakeasy: Rome 🇮🇹 22 Handshake Speakeasy: Mexico City 🇲🇽 23 Caretakers Cottage: Melbourne 🇦🇺 24 High Five: Tokyo 🇯🇵 25 Raa; Hiriketiya 🇱🇰 26 Bemelmans Bar: New York 🇺🇸 27 Maybe Sammy: Sydney 🇦🇺 28 Zest: Seoul 🇰🇷 29 Schumann’s: Munich 🇩🇪 30 Herbs & Rye: Las Vegas 🇺🇸 31 Tan Tan: Sao Paolo 🇧🇷 32 Black Pearl: Melbourne 🇦🇺 33 BKK Social Club: Bangkok 🇹🇭 34 1930: Milan 🇮🇹 35 Hemingway Bar: Prague 🇨🇿 36 Candelaria: Paris 🇫🇷 37 Schofield’s: Manchester 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 38 Hope & Sesame: Guangzhou 🇨🇳 39 Coa: Hong Kong 🇭🇰 40 Lost + Found: Nicosia 🇨🇾 41 Bees Knees: Kyoto 🇯🇵 42 Raised By Wolves: San Diego 🇺🇸 43 Old Crow: Zurich🇨🇭 44 Galaxy Bar: Dubai 🇦🇪 45 Dutch Kills: Queens 🇺🇸 46 Mirror Bar: Bratislava 🇸🇰 47 El Gallo Altonero: Guadalajara 🇲🇽 48 Lamp Bar: Nara 🇯🇵 49 Boutiq Bar: Budapest 🇭🇺 50 Royal Cocktail Club: Porto 🇵🇹 Honorable mention: The Starboard in Dewey Beach, DE, Moonshine in Lynnwood, WA & Fat Pete’s in DC. What’s your favorite cocktail bar?

Wow…my first group trip flew by! A combination of an easy going, fun group of travelers that made everything flow-no drama at all. An amazing and completely underrated destination like Sri Lanka. And a great itinerary with a good balance of sightseeing, culture, physical activity, rest, good hotels, driving and food. My first group trip was a big success! Looking forward my next 2 group trip this September from Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan across the stunning Pamir Mountains, September 5-14. Then a comprehensive tour of the beautiful North African country of Algeria, September 26-October 3. Everyone is welcome to join! Sign up now! To finish up this trip on Day 7, we left Dickwella for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Galle old town and fort. I was in Galle 21 years ago to volunteer after the tsunami that devastated South Asia. But I barely have any memory of it. One of those weird things. So this was a nice reminder of how pretty the Galle old town is under good circumstances. We then took a fun tour of the Hassleblad Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Center in Kosgoda. They do a lot of good work with injured and sick turtles that crack their shells or get caught in fishing nets, etc. They also birth a hundred or so baby turtles a day. They release them into the ocean on day 5. It was very cute and fun to watch them play. We even got to hold a 4 day old baby. After lunch, it was up to Colombo for the airport and goodbyes. It’s funny, I’ve never done any extended group travel except for North Korea because I had no choice. I was a little anxious about the group dynamics, etc. but as always things work out. We had a blast! Sri Lanka was a perfect first group trip country for me. It’s wonderful and so beautiful, safe and exotic. It’s the type of place you could easily do yourself; but there are a lot of logistics, research and driving involved so it’s easier to do it as a group with a driver and comfortable van. I hope you can join me in September for the Pamir Highway and/or Algeria-they’re going to be awesome! Feel free to comment or message with any questions. Links to trip information is in the highlights above titled Pamirs and Algeria.

Day 6 of my first ever group trip was pretty epic. We did everything and absolutely nothing… And it was glorious! After a ridiculously long travel day yesterday, I scheduled a completely free day where everyone could do what they wanted and then we all met up for sunset cocktails and dinner. It helped that we were staying at a beautiful resort in one of the best parts of Sri Lanka. Dikwella and its adjacent beachfront neighborhoods like Hiriketiya are simply perfect. They’re basically surfer/backpacker paradises from a bygone era of travel. If I was 25 years younger, I’d spend a month here. Hiriketiya is an absolutely perfect cove of surfable ocean that is perfect beyond explanation. It also contains two of the top 100 cocktail bars in Asia. Smoke and Bitters has been on my radar for many years and I finally got to go. But Raa is the one that really stood out because of its perfect sunset beachfront location and delicious cocktails that people should write songs about. I also got to play golf in my 40th country after heading about an hour east to the Shangri-La resort golf course here in Sri Lanka. It was a really fun course that probably should have been in better shape if it got more play but for Sri Lanka; it was pretty good. Today was absolutely perfect. I woke up at 3 AM to watch UConn advance to the championship game. Then I went back to sleep. Had breakfast, played golf, took a nap and then went to the gorgeous beaches here in southern Sri Lanka. This is apex life and I am so happy I got to share it with my group for an unforgettable final night! We still have a full day tomorrow before we fly out…what a trip this has been! Have you been to Dikwella or Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka?

Day 5 of my first ever group trip started in Ella, Sri Lanka. Ella is an awesome little backpacker town. If you just dropped me off and I didn’t know where I was I would’ve said Thailand. Really enjoyed the night and morning in Ella. It’s a place you could easily spend a few days. We visited the famous Nine Arch Bridge just outside of town. It was basically an aqueduct like the High Bridge in New York City but in a jungle setting! It was gorgeous and fun to arrive at via tuktuk along a wild road. Afterwards, we stopped at Ravana Waterfall; which was lovely. Then it was down to Yala National Park! Yala National Park had been missing on previous visits to Sri Lanka so I was pumped to get to finally visit and go on safari. I also just realized this was my first safari since 2019 in Tanzania-wild! Yala is a beautiful park with awesome landscapes. It definitely feels like an African safari with slightly different animals. The top draws at Yala are: leopards, elephants, crocodiles; water buffalo, wild peacocks, colorful birds, and something called a sloth bear. We saw everything but the sloth bear; which are apparently quite elusive. Yala National Park is a good size but in African terms it’s basically the size of a private game reserve. The best part was the safari ended on a gorgeous, empty beach that touches Yala. My only issues were our safari guide was useless and the sheer volume of jeeps on the few dirt roads in Yala. When there was a sighting, for instance a leopard-there were legitimately 30 jeeps backed up. It took forever. There didn’t seem to be any driver etiquette in terms of moving along after viewing for a few minutes. That said, there’s nothing better than safari and seeing animals in their natural habitat. I love it. We didn’t have a choice but if you go to Yala, I’d suggest going during the week for less jeeps. Today was a long day with a lot of car and jeep time. Happy to end in Dickwella on the Southern beaches. Looking forward to a chill day tomorrow! Have you been to Ella or Yala National Park in Sri Lanka?

We started off day 4 of my first ever group trip leaving Kandy early through the gorgeous hill country and tea plantations toward Nuwara Eliya. This drive was breathtaking. It reminded me of driving up around Darjeeling in West Bengal. We stopped at the Labookellie tea factory. I’m not a big tea guy but I appreciate the novelty of Ceylon tea and how it’s made. A quick tour and tea tasting was perfect. Nuwara Eliya is an awesome city in the middle of Sri Lanka. They call it Little England because of its colonial ties and influence. Just a beautiful town and the Grand Hotel where we had lunch-was simply spectacular. This is where we hopped on the train to Ella. There is a lot of confusion around the train to Ella. I got a lot of mixed messages and online videos are misleading. But apparently as a result of the cyclone last year, the train now leaves about 30 minutes away from Ambewela. I was also told that just recently, they’ve been cracking down on people hanging out of the train to get photos and videos for safety reasons. But it would appear not. Whatever the case, it was an exhilaratingly fun time. It’s obviously dangerous but the train goes pretty slow and there are strong rails to hold onto. There are however, a lot of tunnels and poles etc. so you just be careful. Train staff will direct you when it’s safe. The train journey to Ella is about 2 hours give or take, and one of the most scenic train rides I’ve ever been on. It’s just a fun, unique experience. Have you been to Nuwara Eliya or ridden the train to Ella?

Day 3 of my Sri Lanka group trip saw us leave early for the stunning Dambulla Cave Temple. It’s a sacred complex of caves filled with ancient Buddha statues and murals dating back over 2000 years. It was 340 steps up to where you had to take your shoes and hats off before entering the temple complex. So you’ll have a nice lather of sweat going in the 500 degree heat to greet the Buddhas! But it’s so worth it. The complex is vast, intricate, beautiful and detailed. There are more Buddha statues here than anywhere I can recall in one room. It’s a very cool place built into the side of a mountain about 3/4 of the way up it. Well worth the sweat! Afterwards it was a haul to Kandy. Thanks to one of my tech savvy guests, who figured out the Bluetooth situation on the bus so I could play the music and didn’t lose my mind listening to a hodgepodge of Sri Lankan classics-as delightful as those tunes are. Along the way was a lovely drive including an awesome Hindu temple called Sri Muthumari Amman Kovil. Kandy is a big part of the Sri Lankan Cultural Triangle. I was here nearly 20 years ago-so it feels like new to me. Kandy is a gorgeous place. In the central highlands of Sri Lanka with awesome hills, lovely cricket grounds, statues, shops, and beautiful rivers and lakes. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t really cooperate this afternoon. We got caught in a thunderstorm of biblical proportions at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic-one of the holiest places in Buddhism. I can’t recall the last time I saw rain this heavy and intense. It was basically monsoon season early. We got caught in a ‘hard to describe’ metal candle house during the lightning storm which didn’t seem safe so we had to book it back to the temple…We survived-although soaked! Then it was a fun indoor Sri Lankan cultural dance show complete with fire dancing and swallowing etc. The classics never die…Fire is always a crowd pleaser. An eventful day and a fun day. Have you been to Dambulla or Kandy?

Day 2 of my first ever group trip was relaxing and fun. It was designed that way because yesterday and tomorrow are both very physical days with long drives. So today we headed out early from the hotel in Dambulla to the lovely lakeside resort town of Habarana where I learned that peacocks could fly! After that epiphany, we took this cool dugout kayak that kind of looked and felt like an outrigger canoe through the lake. Habarana Lake is a tranquil, scenic spot known for bird-watching, wildlife, and boating amongst water lilies and white lotus flowers. They even made us lily pad conquistador hats and lotus necklaces. It’s a part of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle. After the boat ride we made our way to a rural village to cook and be taught how villagers make traditional food in Sri Lanka. This is not the type of thing I normally do so it was a lot of fun to actually do it. And our lovely host was fantastic and made everyone have a good time. I’m not much of a cook at home, nor in Sri Lanka, but I have a newfound respect for the way they cook here. It’s real work, like laborious! And I’m not joking when I say the meal we “cooked” came out fantastic! After lunch it was off to Habarana town. It’s essentially a spa resort town with spas dotting the road. It’s known for Ayurvedic massage and spirituality. I got a 60-minute massage that was phenomenal and then did a 20-minute sauna/steam in a makeshift sauna with leaves and sticks on the ground. It wouldn’t work in the U.S. but it was pretty perfect in Habarana, Sri Lanka! Tonight is a glorious full moon in Sri Lanka; which is holy out here and affects what can and can’t be sold, meaning alcohol, or working with animals-go figure! Busy day ahead tomorrow! Have you been to Habarana or Dambulla, Sri Lanka?

It’s been an awesome start to my first ever group trip here in Sri Lanka! This is my 5th time here but first since 2010; and it’s all of my guests first time-so that’s fun! It’s a great group of experienced travelers; which makes my life easier! We stayed in Negombo last night at a beautiful lagoon-front hotel before setting off for the famous Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. There are between 60-70 Sri Lankan elephants at the orphanage. The Sri Lankan elephant is native to Sri Lanka and is one of the 3 recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant-in case you were wondering. Pinnawala is where you get to watch the elephants bathing in the nearby Maha Oya River before they walk down the street back to the orphanage. It’s a lot of fun and a unique experience. After lunch, it was up to the UNESCO protected Sigiriya rock fortress. I climbed Sigiriya back in 2010 and all I remember was sweating an ungodly amount because of the heat and humidity. I can report that my memory was correct. I was basically a wet T-shirt contestant when I got down! Sigiriya, also known as Lion Rock, was built in the 5th century, yes 5th! It is a massive, 670 foot high geological marvel transformed into a fortress. It has frescoes, landscaped water gardens, and an insane staircase leading to summit ruins and ridiculous views for days! Climbing Sigiriya is no joke. It’s steep, it’s hot, it’s narrow and has uneven, weird steps. You’re essentially on the ledge of the rock and it’s not uncommon for vertigo to set in. Luckily we had no accidents! There are also monkeys the whole way up; which can complicate things as they get pretty close to you on difficult steps. They’re cute and don’t bother you unless antagonized. I saw some dumbass Italian tourist try to kick one multiple times before I yelled at him-stupido idiota! All in all a great day in Sri Lanka! It’s also worth noting how much more chill Sri Lanka is than India in general. Less chaos, less beeping, cleaner, better roads. It’s a breath of fresh air after nearly 2 weeks in India! Have you been to Negombo, Sigiriya or Pinnawala in Sri Lanka?

Hyderabad is the 4th biggest city in India. It’s massive; textbook urban sprawl. It’s annoyingly spread out; everywhere takes 45 or more minutes to get to. Traffic is appallingly bad. Air pollution is terrible. It’s an exhausting place to be. You’re constantly battling. Have you even heard of Hyderabad? Or the state of Telangana? Probably not, but if you did, you’ve probably never heard anything positive. Hyderabad is a tech hub. The tech area called Hi-Tech City is a self contained area well outside the city. Otherwise, it’s known for having the best biryani in the world. Can confirm it’s excellent. I went to Hyderabad for a few reasons: it was the largest city on earth I hadn’t yet been; it was an easy place to get to Sri Lanka for my group trip; I wanted to play Hyderabad Golf Club-one of the best in India. I wasn’t disappointed in Hyderabad because I had no expectations. I knew exactly what it was going to be. Sometimes when you travel like me-you take one on the chin. So 24 hours was more than adequate in Hyderabad. The highlight was absolutely playing golf. To preface, it was 115 degrees and I walked 18 holes. I drank 12 Gatorades and never peed! That’s hot! The course was awesome inside the outskirts and in the shadow of Golconda Fort. Highly recommend Hyderabad Golf Club. The main site in town is Charminar; a massive monument with a chaotic market surrounding it. It’s insanity-what a mess, but a fun experience nonetheless. I went at night as I heard it was less chaotic-it wasn’t. Otherwise there are some beautiful buildings, statues and temples around Hussain Sagar Lake but honestly the air pollution makes it unfun to walk around. After braving Charminar on foot, I just couldn’t be bothered so I just admired them from the car! Hyderabad marks the end of an epic India trip. By far the best India trip I’ve ever had in 7 times. The bottom line with India is the huge cities SUCK; the rest can be lovely! I will post more on India soon. Have you been to Hyderabad?