For centuries, Porto Ercole has been one of the ultimate summer hubs for elite Italian travelers. Today, it still retains this reputation of being a bite-sized, chic destination to spend a few days—think sun-soaked beaches, generations-old family restaurants, and sleek yachts bobbing in the bay. It's easy to access—located on Tuscany’s Monte Argentario peninsula, you can drive to this coastal village in under two hours from Rome, or take a one and a half hour train journey into Orbetello. Here, days pass by at a slow, leisurely pace; take picturesque strolls along sandy stretches, feast on Tuscan delights, or explore one of the three impressive fortresses towering over the village. In this guide, we highlight some of the very best things to do, places to eat, shop, and drink in Porto Ercole.
A first-time guide to Kruger National Park, South Africa
20.09.2024 - 19:09 / lonelyplanet.com
Sep 20, 2024 • 12 min read
There’s a snort in the bush and a troop of warthogs muscle their way out of the undergrowth just as a bee-eater in a fluster of iridescent feathers lands improbably on a twig. High above, a snake eagle momentarily clouds the sky, perhaps clocking the movement of a lone cheetah in the grasslands below. You sip iced tea, watching the dust kicked up by a herd of elephants moving as silently along the dry riverbed as their massive bulks allow. All this entertainment, and you haven’t left camp yet. This is South Africa's Kruger – a park so full of wonders you can’t help but be wrapped up in its magic.
Easy to reach, expertly managed and almost uniquely self-drivable, Kruger National Park is one of the world’s great destinations for wildlife viewing. All the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino – are present in the park, together with safari favorites impala, zebra, giraffe, hippos and crocs. The hardest part of the trip is booking accommodations (in tents, cabins or lodges at one of Kruger’s rest camps) at short notice in high season. Other than that, the whole park is designed to give safe, responsible and informed access to the widest contingent of people, regardless of budget, mobility or time.
Only have two days to spare? Go anyway! With a pair of binoculars, the Kruger National Park Map and one booked game drive, you’ll find Kruger whispers in your ear until you find a way to return for longer.
Kruger National Park is wonderful to visit at any time of year but arguably the dry winter months, from May to September, offer the best wildlife viewing. At this time, the bush dies back and trees shed their leaves making it easier to observe animals and birds gathered around the shrinking waterholes. Naturally, peak wildlife viewing also means peak visitor season with July and August being the two busiest months of the year.
The hot, rainy summer months, particularly December and January, mark another high season in the park, coinciding with local school holidays. While wildlife is harder to spot, and daytime temperatures are uncomfortably hot and humid, the park is at its prettiest with abundant newborn life hiding in the dense foliage. Booking several months ahead for any of Kruger’s camps is advisable during peak times.
Although Kruger rewards even the briefest of visits, the odds of spotting the highlights are improved the longer you remain in the park. For most people with a general interest in wildlife and keen to learn about the bush, five days makes a perfect introduction to the park. This gives a couple of days to focus on spotting the Big Five in and around the main camp of Skukuza, take a game drive and a guided bush walk to learn about the park’s extraordinary
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