April 2025 - Planet Whitley

Moose in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.

Elk, moose, bears & bison on a Grand Teton National Park wildlife tour

Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park has spectacular scenery – but it’s also one of the best places in the United States for wildlife-spotting. Evidence of bears in Wyoming The bear-proof trash cans outside Wyoming’s Signal Mountain Lodge are a good idea of what lives in…

national parks, tours, USA, wildlife, Wyoming

Big Five on the cheap: Self-driving Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park

In KwaZulu-Natal, you can ditch the expensive safari lodges to see elephants and lions under your own steam. Meeting a teenage elephant Is it angry? Is it frisky? Should we back away slowly? Or should we just put the foot down and get away to…

KwaZulu-Natal, safari, South Africa, wildlife

Waxworks at the Heart of Cape Town Museum, South Africa.

Groote Schuur Hospital – and the museum devoted to the first heart transplant

The Heart of Cape Town Museum at the Groote Schuur Hospital tells the story of how Christiaan Barnard performed the world’s first heart transplant. The operating theatre at Groote Schuur Hospital The operating theatre looks busy. White face masks and green gowns are everywhere, as…

Cape Town, museums, South Africa

The Durban city skyline and Indian Ocean beaches.

Durban: The city that South Africans go to for winter sun

South Africans go to Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal coast for winter sun. But why don’t international travellers join them? Direct flights to Durban When British Airways announced it was going to start (now-cancelled) direct flights to Durban in October 2018, it came to many as…

beaches, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, winter sun

The Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa.

7 reasons to visit Durban, South Africa

Reasons to book a break in Durban include a unique shark tour, a memorable history lesson at KwaMuhle and the biggest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere. Durban has many guises. For some, it is a mere gateway to the wildlife-packed parks and reserves of kwaZulu-Natal.…

Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, reasons to visit, South Africa

The Wicker Man rollercoaster at Alton Towers.

How to do Alton Towers with an 8-year-old: 15 tips

An eight-year-old child can have an amazing day out at Alton Towers. But there are some tactics that can make the queues, rollercoasters and general theme park experience better. 15 top tips for tackling Alton Towers with an eight-year-old: Short version Make sure your child…

England, family travel, theme parks, UK

Orchid at the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, Fiji.

The strange origin of the Garden of the Sleeping Giant, Fiji

The Garden of the Sleeping Giant on Viti Levu is one of the most popular tourist attractions. But its back story comes as something of a surprise. Under the Sleeping Giant Mountain Sat under the looming Sleeping Giant Mountain, the Garden of the Sleeping Giant…

Fiji, gardens, Pacific Islands

How I got trapped in Guam’s Ritidian Point Wildlife Refuge

A long layover, tiredness and a Japanese map almost lead to disaster in Guam… A layover in Guam Around the world, there are some places we never spend time in by choice. Nonetheless, we’re forced to tackle them through inconveniently long layovers between connecting flights.…

driving, Guam, Pacific Islands, stopovers

What to do on a short break in Noumea, New Caledonia

French flair meets South Pacific relaxation on the world’s largest lagoon – and here’s what visitors to New Caledonia should consider doing. What is Noumea like? Noumea is an intoxicating swirl of contradictions. Urban, but with an island time vibe; in the South Pacific, but…

New Caledonia, Pacific Islands

Noumea: The Pacific’s great missed opportunity

The capital of New Caledonia is a weird throwback. The rule of thumb with island capitals Cities on paradise islands have a tendency to be surprisingly drab and functional. Samoa, for example, is largely stunning but anyone getting excited about Apia is seriously deluding themselves.…

New Caledonia, Pacific Islands