Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2018 i Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition

MIDDLE EASTERN carriers Emirates and Etihad have both revamped their first and business class amenity kits. Emirates’ new kits have been created in partnership with fashion house Bulgari and come in a total of eight designs and colours in both classes. First class passengers will enjoy skincare products from Byredo, along with use of exclusive Bowers and Wilkins Active Noise Cancelling E1 headphones. Etihad’s new kits, meanwhile, have been developed in collaboration with Italian fragrance brand Acqua di Parma, and come in either a vibrant yellow or sleek black. The kits contain a range of cosmetics, including Acqua di Parma’s popular Colonia perfume. emirates.com; etihad.com…

Perched in the heart of Hong Kong’s busy shopping district Tsim Sha Tsui, The Chop House serves up a slice of serenity with its cool and casual vibe. The industrial-chic dining room is furnished with cosy booths where you can relax and savour a meal. With the open view kitchen, you'll also be able to watch the team of talented chefs whip up a selection of classic comfort food. Start with some fresh oysters or crispy calamari before diving into the meaty mains, which include prime cuts of steak and lamb chops, or sample the delicious pan-fried barramundi for a lighter seafood option. Complete your meal with The Chop House favourite – Bailey Cheesecake, to leave your stomach feeling completely satisfied. Perhaps even more tempting than the menu, is the…

Are you an enthusiastic travel junkie, a history buff, or do you want to #livelikealocal? Each of Hong Kong's diverse neighbourhoods offers a different glimpse into the city's character: from modern metropolis to hipster village. Sino Hotels' premium collection of city hotels has something for every kind of traveller – once you've decided what piques your interest, let the expert concierge team share their insider tips and help you discover one of Hong Kong's hottest hangouts. North Point – authentic local life North Point is a superb district to get to know the “real” Hong Kong. To get there – hop on the tram. In operation since 1904, this is the classic way to navigate the island. You’ll want to bring a camera to capture the tramways that plough through…

It’s early morning in Helsinki’s Market Square. On the harbour quay a small fishing boat has moored to the dock and a stocky fisherwoman with eagle eyes (to combat the gulls) and a booming voice is selling fresh fish such as mullet and salmon to local wives and mothers. Behind her tiny vessel, long ferryboats are lined up next to piers, ready to whisk commuters and tourists to one or more of the many islands that form a barrier between the city and the Gulf of Finland, a giant inlet of the Baltic Sea. In deeper water on both sides of the harbour, massive cruise liners are docked – the Baltic is said to be the second most popular destination for cruises after the Caribbean Sea. Close by and for…

Chic and modern, Pullman Saigon Centre is a cutting-edge lifestyle hotel with contemporary urban décor and sensational city views. Restaurants and bars offer unique culinary experiences, such as premium imported steaks at the casual-cool Mad Cow Wine & Grill. Pullman Yangon Centrepoint is located amid captivating colonial-era architecture in the central business district. Spacious rooms offer homely comfort and stylish amenities, and dining options suit everything from grand gatherings to quick bites. An oasis of wellness, travellers can unwind or burn calories at the Fit Lounge. The only international 5-star hotel in Dong Da district, Pullman Hanoi is perfectly positioned near international offices and embassies. Eight contemporary meeting spaces and the Van Mieu Ballroom boast space for up to 600 guests, and the Pullman Spa Lounge offers relaxation and wellbeing…

1 Art Gallery of Ontario Toronto has some seriously long roads (Yonge Street stretches 86km), but by focusing on certain parts of the city you’ll find it is walkable. Begin your tour at the Art Gallery of Ontario, which was revamped ten years ago by Frank Gehry. It has a permanent collection of more than 95,000 works, with exhibitions spanning European masters from the 1600s to 20th-century North American painters. Head for the section on the Group of Seven, a collective of artists from the 1920s to 30s who depicted the country’s landscapes in beautiful colours. Look out for Above Lake Superior by Lawren S Harris, The Cloud, Red Mountain by Frederick H Varley, and Falls, Montreal River by J E H MacDonald. The gallery describes them as giving a…

It’s early evening when you arrive at the Island Shangri-La. A smiling staff member welcomes you to the hotel and whisks you past the reception queue for a private check-in experience in the comfort of your own room or suite, while a discreet porter materialises at the door with your luggage. You’re offered a complimentary late check-out option on the day of your departure, which will of course also be handled at your convenience. In your own time, you head to the Horizon Club. The sophisticated lounge is warmly lit with soft lighting illuminating the rich fabrics and classic mahogany walls. But your attention is captured by something else: the wall-to-wall windows offering a spellbinding panorama of the Hong Kong skyline at night. The Horizon Club attendants recognise you immediately…

In just 120 years our global population has grown fivefold, from 1.5 billion in 1900 to 7.5 billion today. By 2050, we’re on track to exceed nine billion people. It’s no secret that our food resources are under massive pressure with demand for meat at an all-time high – worldwide production has tripled in the last 40 years. Whether it’s the colossal volumes of energy and water used for rearing and processing livestock, or the acres of rainforest cleared to generate cattle pasture (40 per cent of Central America’s jungle – so far), the harmful effects on the natural world are becoming irreversible. The solution? Insects, apparently. Reviled as vermin by much of the West, they’ve been part of human diets for millennia (the practice is mentioned in the Bible…

There are two primary airports serving the Japanese capital. Narita International Airport (NRT) is the predominant international airport, located 60km east of the city centre. The much closer Haneda Airport (HND), roughly 20km from the city centre, is the primary domestic hub, but also caters to international flights. Here’s an overview of the many transport options from both airports to the city centre, and how to connect between the two airports. NARITA → CITY CENTRE RAIL Skyliner (Keisei Electric Railway) This is the fastest option, reaching Nippori Station in the city centre in 36 minutes, or Ueno in 41 minutes. Trains run regularly from 7.26am until 10.30pm, departing from the basement floor of Terminal 1 and 2. A one-way ticket costs ¥2,470/US$22 (keisei.co.jp). Narita Express The N’EX will deliver travellers…

Business travellers want to step off of the plane and into an oasis of calm, but few sanctuaries exist in a busy and booming capital such as Bangkok. Last year however saw the opening of the Park Hyatt Bangkok – one of the city’s most highly anticipated hotels, offering a different level of luxurious comfort, style and service. Located in downtown Bangkok near the city’s thriving business district, the Park Hyatt Bangkok is a paragon of luxury, offering inspired design from renowned New York firm Yabu Pushelberg and London-based studio AL_A, dazzling installations from Japanese artist Hirotoshi Sawada Studio, plus a spread of state-of-the-art facilities. Business guests’ needs are put front and centre with impeccable, personalised service, a 24-hour gym and a 40-metre saltwater infinity pool – ideal for winding…

For centuries Shanghai has been a vibrant meeting point between East and West, leading to a rich heritage of art, history and culture that has been preserved in the city’s numerous museums. We round up a selection of the quirkiest, biggest and best museums to visit on your next trip. SHANGHAI MUSEUM To get a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, head over to the Shanghai Museum. Opened in 1952, it holds one of the largest collections of ancient Chinese art in the country with around one million pieces. There are ten permanent galleries and three temporary exhibition spaces. You’ll find precious relics, bronzes, ceramics, paintings, calligraphy and more. Seeing everything is impossible – if you’re pressed for time, take the two-hour Masterpiece Journey, which highlights the ten must-see items in…

Tagging a few days of leisure onto a business trip is becoming more and more popular, and it’s amazing how different a city can look through the eyes of a tourist. The same is true for those of us who live in Asia’s business cities. Next time you’re in need of a weekend break, consider something a little closer to home, and check in to a city resort. Once you’ve swapped the boardroom for a sun lounger, replaced meetings with mojitos and turned the 6pm conference call into a total body massage, you’ll enjoy all the benefits of a weekend away without having to go anywhere. STANDOUT LEISURE FACILITIES Luxury hotels offer so many leisure facilities these days, it’s entirely possible to enjoy a relaxing weekend in the heart of…

Not long after the gleaming high-speed train departs from smog-smothered Urumqi, China’s northwestern province of Xinjiang spills out into an empty, alien landscape. Martian red earth stretches for miles to the distant flaming mountains, interrupted only by flocks of white wind turbines with swan-like blades that turn gracefully. This is a far-flung corner of China that, despite being rich in key resources such as oil and natural gas, has for decades been notoriously difficult to access by land. In 2014, however, the groundbreaking Lanzhou to Xinjiang high-speed rail (HSR) line linked this remote region to China’s ever-growing high-speed rail network, which now has tentacles from Harbin in the northeast to Kunming in the southwest. The 2,000-kilometre journey from Urumqi to Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, now takes just nine…

What stole the show was a “flickering candle”. The clever light bulb in paper illusion was a lovely touch remarked upon by several passengers BACKGROUND Turkish Airlines (TK) currently flies to 121 countries – the largest number served by any single carrier. A recent order will see 60 widebody B787-9 Dreamliners and A350-900 aircraft join the fleet starting from next year. CHECK-IN I arrived at Hong Kong International Airport at 2100 for the 2300 flight to Istanbul. As a business class passenger I was invited to Plaza Premium lounges in Hong Kong (of which there are four in Terminal 1). I headed to the newly renovated Plaza Premium East Lounge but found a large queue of 40-odd people, so decided to skip the lounge entirely. BOARDING I arrived at the…

A MATTER OF COURSE CATHAY PACIFIC has begun rolling out its new long-haul business class dining concept to give more options to premium travellers. Business class passengers will be served plated meals from an à la carte menu, which will feature up to three appetiser choices and six mains. Smaller “supper plates” will also be available for those wanting a lighter bite. IN FOR THE LONG-HAUL ASIA’S competitive aviation market looks set to gain two new contenders, with start-up airlines Starlux Airlines from Taiwan and Bamboo Airways from Vietnam firming up big orders for new long-haul aircraft. Full-service carrier Starlux, scheduled to launch in 2019, has placed an order for 12 of Airbus’s new A350-1000 aircraft as well as five of its predecessor, the A350-900, with the hopes of operating…

TRAVELLERS to Bhutan will soon have a choice of five new boutique lodges, which form the new Six Senses Bhutan. Located across the western and central valleys of Bhutan, each lodge offers a unique character, environment and experience. Six Senses Thimphu (opening in October) is the largest of the five lodges and is designed in a dzong (fortress) architectural style, while Six Senses Punakha (opening in October), takes its inspiration from the farms and vegetable terraces along the low-lying Punakha valley. These will be joined by the pine forest-setting of Six Senses Paro (also opening in October), the bird-watching paradise of Six Senses Gangtey (opening early 2019) in the glacial valley of Phobjikha, and Six Senses Bumthang (opening early 2019). sixsenses.com…

With stylish guestrooms, a spectacular rooftop pool and the only bar and terrace on Victoria Harbour, Harbour Grand Kowloon has everything you need for a memorable stay… but things are about to get even better, as the hotel undergoes a total transformation. First to be completed is the stylish new lobby, which boasts smart new reception facilities and an exquisite centrepiece named the “Prisms of Light” – a giant 15-metre chandelier glittering with 150,000 Swarovski Element Strass crystals. This bold statement of contemporary style and elegance offers a grand welcome and sets the tone for the hotel’s revamp. Two of the hotel’s dining outlets are also complete. Waterfront Bar & Terrace has kept its sensational harbour backdrop and gained a fresh new look. The gorgeous outdoor patio has proven a…

Despite being one of the strongest ASEAN members – it boasts the second-highest GDP after Indonesia according to the International Monetary Fund – Thailand has found itself stuck in the “middle-income trap”. The kingdom has watched its economic growth rates slow in comparison to emerging rivals, especially the CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam), who’ve stepped up competition for traditional industrial and manufacturing areas. According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Thailand has grown just 2.7 per cent over the past five years, placing it an uncomfortable ninth out of the ten ASEAN members. In 2016, the government responded with “Thailand 4.0” – the tagline for a wave of investment and initiatives set to dominate the economic landscape for the next 20 years and drive the country into a high-value…

As well as treating yourself to a weekend break to see more of the city you’re visiting or live in, another reason for a weekend staycation in a city hotel is the opportunity to hunt down some incredible deals as the hotels try to fill rooms left vacant by their usual Monday to Friday guests. Following are a selection of packages worth investigating: ANANTARA SIAM BANGKOK HOTEL Package: Morning Wellness at Anantara Siam (ongoing) Highlight: 45-minute Light Energy Session – Chinese Qi Gong, meditation, yoga or Pranayama Price: From THB8,500 (US$254) anantara.com ANDAZ SINGAPORE Package: Staycation Highlight: Complimentary minibar (replenished daily), all-day refreshments at Sunroom and Andaz Lounge Hour (5-7pm) with complimentary wine and beer Price: From S$243 (US$178) andaz.hyatt.com FAIRMONT JAKARTA Package: A Luxurious Flycation Highlight: 15-minute flight-seeing tour…

BACKGROUND With much fanfare (including a brand ambassador in the shape of Hollywood actor Alexander Skarsgård) Tumi launched its Latitude collection earlier this year. Hyped as the brand’s lightest luggage collection to date, the hard-shell collection claims to “defy durability and engineering standards” with its signature ballistic nylon material. Included in the collection are the International Carry-On Case, a Short Trip Packing Case and an Extended Trip Packing Case, available in black, navy and silver. STYLE Tumi has managed to keep the look sleek and stylish. A ridged wave effect covering the surface offers a distinctive design feature, which is further enhanced by a more discreet textured square pattern. As usual, Tumi has steered clear of obvious logo placement, opting instead for a subtle brand name embossed on the handles…