Shortlisted for a British Travel Press Award
Today I learned that my travel blog, Inside the Travel Lab, has been shortlisted for a British Travel Press Award. Considering that the email I opened just before that turned out to be a tax reminder, this seemed like particularly good news…
British Guild of Travel Writers – Membership
For over 50 years, the British Guild of Travel Writers has been the UK’s “premier association of media professionals who focus on travel.” In their own words: “The Guild’s name stands for reliability and respectability in the fiercely competitive worlds of travel writing, photography and broadcasting. The criteria for membership are tough.” That’s why I’m [...]
100 Favourite Travel Writers
Tripbase have just published their list of 100 Favorite Travel Writers – and you can imagine how happy I was to see that “Abigail King” made the cut. I’ve no idea what factors Tripbase…
Featured in the Travel Trade Gazette
Well, the world certainly moves in mysterious ways. When I started my travel blog, Inside the Travel Lab, little did I know that the world of social media would transform itself from a sidelined hobby into a professional worldwide extravaganza - and that I’d be along for the ride. November saw me return to the sixties by zooming [...]
Zebra – Moremi Game Reserve
A safari through the lesser-known Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana allowed me to get up close and personal with these zebras.
Formula One, Valencia
Lewis Hamilton – Valencia Grand Prix This time last week, I was in the pit lane at the Valencia Grand Prix and it’s taken some time for my ears to stop ringing and my heartbeat to slow down. For days before the big race, the streets of Valencia hummed with the distant noise of robotic [...]
Underground in Kraków
I’ve spent this last week in Kraków, amid snow and sunshine, sobering historical sites and the best hot chocolate known to man. This photo (of me) comes from an underground restaurant called The Piano Rouge. Beneath Kraków’s formal, medieval square, this place reminded me of a cross between Aladdin’s cave and the Moulin Rouge, with its scarlet [...]
The End of the Olive Harvest
It all started with the police check last night. Torchlight zig-zagged across the car and we huddled in the backseat. “You are English,” said the policeman. “And yet you say you want to go to Pegalajar.” “That’s right,” said MG, our driver. “My friends here – they want to pick olives.” “They want,” he lingered [...]
Hunting Whales
Pedro Martina’s sun-worn face lights up as he grabs my shoulder and points into the distance. “Three of them are under the water now,” he says as I scour the shades of blue. “One baby and two adultos… and further behind them I can see two more.” It’s certainly not the first time Pedro has [...]
Searching for Volcanoes
Speeding along the tarmac road, I wonder how long it’s been since I last took a normal breath. The road drops away from me on either side, descending into black fields of boulders, frozen bubbles that stretch into the distance. Not that I care. In the rear view mirror…this post continues at Inside the Travel [...]
After Me, The Flood
A visit to England’s oldest National Park had me reflecting on bravery, sacrifice, and the need for waterproof trousers.
Shanghai
Emerging from the underground, Shanghai feels like New York City’s chinatown. With this view, however, you couldn’t be anywhere else.
May Day Madness
Both sides of La Manche (aka the English Channel), celebrate May Day, a fusion between traditional pagan festivals and more recent workers’ rights. In France, the bank holiday falls on May 1st, whereas England grants the first Monday in May to ensure a long weekend. But the differences run deeper than that…. In Oxford, all-night [...]
Bad boy Marseilles
Approach with trepidation.
Marseilles seems proud of its bad-boy image. As a sailor’s city, the Old Port’s promenade is awash with fresh blue paint and a salty breeze. Its reputation is formidable, its spirit rebellious. Above all, Marseilles is a city to be heard.
Turtle Safaris – Saltwater & Scepticism
These days, I take promises of viewing exotic wildlife with more than a pinch of saltwater. Particularly endangered species. To find pandas I had to travel for days. To glimpse a tiger, I shivered morning and night under a blanket of frost.
Riyadh
Flashbacks of an Arabian princess….
Biarritz
Spotting surfers on the waves at Biarritz…and for once feeling grateful that I’m on dry land.
For those thrilled by the fact that the surfers in this photo are barely visible (giving perspective to the size of those waves) – and who actually clicked on this link to find out more information about the surf in Biarritz,
