May 2025 - Planet Whitley

Exploring the architecture of Andrea Palladio in Vicenza

The familiarity of La Rotonda On a hilltop, a couple of miles outside Vicenza’s city centre, stands a building that looks instantly recognisable. La Rotonda has four identical facades, each dolled up with six columns, while a domed roof both smooths out and adds to…

architecture, Italy, Veneto, Vicenza

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, seen from behind the Cathedral.

Pisa travel guide for first time visitors

Pisa isn’t all about the Leaning Tower. Look beyond the thousands of selfie-takers and there’s an engaging Italian city to explore. What is Pisa all about It’s tricky to think of another city so defined in the international consciousness by a single attraction. And, on…

city guides, Italy, Pisa, Tuscany

Siena travel guide for first time visitors

Arguably the most beautiful city in Tuscany, Siena has sensational food and one of the world’s most eccentric festivals. What is Siena all about? It’s hard to rein in the giddiness walking through Siena’s winding hilltop streets. The walls climb high, the decoration leaps out…

city guides, Italy, Siena, Tuscany

View over the rooftops in Trieste, Italy.

Trieste travel guide for first time visitors: Attractions, restaurants & shopping

The Italian city of Trieste doesn’t feel all that Italian – and that’s a major part of the charm. What is Trieste all about? Clear days in Trieste are pretty magical. The water of the Adriatic Sea looks so, so blue, and the mountains rise…

city guides, Italy, Trieste

Icebergs on the Jökulsárlón lagoon, Iceland.

Should you do Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon cruise on a day trip from Reykjavik?

The boat tours around the icebergs of Iceland’s Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon are well worth doing – but it’s a long way on a day tour from Reykjavik. What is Jökulsárlón in Iceland? Jökulsárlón is a glacier-fed lagoon on the south coast of Iceland. It is…

Iceland, tours

Why Melaka is so much better by day than by night

Come in the day, and chances are you’ll love the Malaysian city of Melaka. Come at night? Not so much… The colourful trishaws of Melaka The trishaw weaves through the narrow streets, adorned with as many flowers and spinning windmill contraptions as the driver can…

Malaysia, Melaka

6 lessons about tackling a tropical city learned in Kuala Lumpur

A stopover in Kuala Lumpur provides lessons for travelling to other tropical cities. There’s an argument for Kuala Lumpur being rather underrated. The Malaysian capital has a surprising amount to do – Bird Park, caves, big towers to clamber up – as well as a…

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A bear in Yellowstone National Park's Lamar Valley.

Desperately searching for bears in Yellowstone National Park

After a week in Wyoming with no bear sightings, an expedition into the Lamar Valley is the final hope… Looking for bears in the Lamar Valley An air of misery overwhelms the car. We’ve driven to the end of the Lamar Valley – supposedly the…

bears, national parks, USA, wildlife, Wyoming