Italy
Travel Through Italy Cumbria is a wild, wet and wellie-wearing region in the north of England, whose damp hedgerows and fields of daffodils fired the literary imagination of Wordsworth several times over. Umbria, on the other hand, is a fragrant, olive-soaked region in central Italy, whose soft pink stone apparently fired the literary imagination of C.S.Lewis and [...]
Dubai, UAE
Abigail King will be speaking at the Arabian Travel Market from April 30 through May 3. With almost 2500 exhibitors, the Arabian Travel Market is a large gathering of Middle Eastern travel professionals and destination representatives. Abigail’s session is entitled “Can Bloggers Fill the Traditional Media Vacuum?” and will include case studies of recent partnerships [...]
Poland
Travel Through Poland “Are you ready?” asks Christopher, a guide from the nearby village of Wieliczka. He’s cloaked in a long charcoal jacket and blowing on his hands to keep warm. For a giant-sized man, he uses a soft voice. “Because once we start, I will not be able to talk to you. And you [...]
Australia
Travel Through Australia I’ve arrived in Sydney, a little dazed, a little confused. Apparently that’s jetlag and it’s something to do with circadian rhythms, cortisol surges and melatonin…although right now I can’t quite remember my name and could easily believe that jetlag’s caused by blue-edged tomatoes and overripe watermelon and comes with an easy cure [...]
LSE Literary Festival 2012: How literature and photography change the world we see
Date: Saturday 3 March 2012 Time: 3-4.30pm Venue: Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building Speakers: Horatio Clare, Dr Alex Gillespie, Abigail King This panel will discuss the relationship between perceptions and realities of travel, and the influence of travel literature and photography on tourist experiences. Forum for European Philosophy and Department of Philosophy,Logic and Scientific Method [...]
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.
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. Malaysia Abigail King recently returned from [...]
The Spanish Pyrenees
Late September sees me digging out my hiking boots and hitting the slopes of the Spanish Pyrenees…If you are looking for a freelance writer to cover this area then please contact me here.
Via Ferrata in the Dolomites
Forget rock climbing, For a taste of real adrenaline in the mountains, via ferrata is the only way to go. easyJet Traveller July 2011 Abigail King Read the full article here…
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.
Time Travel in Asturias
Asturias, Spain Everything’s still, save for a breeze so slight it’s invisible until it reaches the window and makes the curtains sigh. I hear railway sounds from another century, a whistle and muted metal clanging, before the landscape of northern Spain picks itself up and learns to glide by. I’m not used to [...]
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 [...]
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.
