Costa Brava: The Creative Side of Spain
National Geographic Traveler – Best of the World for 2012 The painted boats that bob in yellow, crimson and white could belong to any rugged Mediterranean coast. The polar bear that guards them, however, means only one thing: Salvador Dalí’s home in Costa Brava. Find the article by Abigail King here.
Jordan
Travel Through Jordan Life’s been high on adventure lately, if low on sleep. Usually, I manage to find something beautiful, something that moves me wherever I go. But last night, in Petra, that didn’t happen. Read more about my time in Jordan here.
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…
Living the High Life at the Goring Hotel
The Goring Hotel shot to fame when Kate Middleton stayed here the night before the Royal Wedding. Yet even for commoners without a prince in sight, this family-run London hotel offers a taste of charm, seclusion and scones with clotted cream right in the centre of the city. Read the full article here.
Malaysia
Just back from a self-guided driving tour around Malaysia, taking in the highlights of Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Penang and Redang, as well as some off-beat locations on peninsular Malaysia. Read the initial travel stories about Malaysia here. Please contact me if you have any editorial needs in this area.
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 [...]
Love Locks & Lonely Planet
Check out this month’s Lonely Planet magazine from the BBC, where I write about the love tradition that’s travelling across the world.
Snow Festivals in Tohoku, Japan
While Sapporo steals the headlines when it comes to snow festivals in Japan, the Tohoku region offers plenty of off the beaten track igloo adventure. I’m just back from an assignment in Tohoku, taking in the snow festivals, doll festivals, sake breweries and UNESCO sights, as well as making the most of all that wonderful [...]
Sun, Sea and Staying Forever Young – The Islands of Okinawa, Japan
“You must try it,” says Kuki, translating what the waiter’s body language already makes clear. “He says it’s the secret to a long and healthy life.” On the one hand, Okinawa does hold the record for life-expectancy. On the other, the “secret” looks like a test-tube of seaweed that’s been rescued from an oil spill [...]
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…
Passports with Purpose
Passports with Purpose is a fundraising initiative that invites travel bloggers from around the world to get together online to make the world a better place (I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s actually true.) Last year, Passports with Purpose raised a staggering 30 000 dollars and used this money to build a school in [...]
The Okavango Delta, Botswana
Despite the stillness of the water, there’s no sound of silence. Insects skim across the reeds with a soft buzz and woodpeckers tap against acacia trees. Birds chatters in all directions – yet the loudest by far are the doves. Chu charra, chu charra. “Work harder, work harder,” says Rodger, slipping a pole into the [...]
FIB Festival, Spain
Nights at the party, days by the beach. That’s the hedonistic promise made by the music festival in Benicassim. Forget the mud of Glastonbury, forget that FiberFIB sounds like a constipation product. Grab a ticket to Spain and party for four days, both beneath and in front of the stars. From where I’m standing, of [...]
Adventure in the Dolomites, Italy
There’s nothing like the fear of immediate death to concentrate the mind. Last week I retraced the steps of the world’s first via ferrata…
The Reality of a French Love Affair…
The world has a love affair with French food and markets, dreaming of croissants, baguettes, chocolat and more. But, of course, that’s not the whole story. Brains, Ankles and Other Body Parts, published this month in Desert Leaf, tells the truth behind the gastronomic dream. Read it here…
1000 Metres Above the Sea in Andalucia
The outdoor enthusiast in me fell in love with the limestone towers in El Torcal National Park, which I wrote about for this month’s easyJet Traveller. Only so many photos fit into a piece, however, so I wanted to share a few more here.
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 [...]
White Ice in the Pink City
Toulouse, nicknamed La Ville Rose or the Pink City, turns white near Christmas with dripping lights, a skating rink in Place Capitole and, if the weather’s just right, a soft snowfall. Find my full article on how Toulouse celebrates Christmas at National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel. Joyeux Noël.
Hiroshima Today
As the sleek shinkansen train slid into Hiroshima station, I admit I felt nervous. The weight of the name infused my muscles, each of my movements becoming that bit slower, that bit heavier, that bit more apprehensive.
I was still unprepared for what I saw.
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.
