Executive Destinations - Issue 1

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SPRING 2019 | ISSUE 1

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SPRING 2019 | ISSUE 1

Executive Destinations

TAIWAN

Why Taiwan is one of east Asia’s best places to do business

RWANDA

Ranked in the top five places to do business in Africa. Find out why...

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SPRING 2019 | ISSUE 1

Managing Director Ben Chambers ben@chambers.media Editor Toby Wilsdon toby@chambers.media

Welcome Launching a new magazine is an exciting prospect and we at Executive Destinations believe we have created a product that we can be proud of and you, the reader, will find of interest and value.

Executive Destinations has been nurtured by a dedicated team, committed to painting inspiring wordpictures of exotic destinations as well as providing a mixture of practical and interesting background information about the world of business travel.

The launch issue covers four continents with a combination of leisure and more business-based features. Our indepth feature on Taiwan covers all the cultural and recreational information you would expect – including features on local cuisine, hotels, landmarks and destinations across the country. Social niceties in Taiwan are also covered, with a

Feature Writer Michelle Dunn michelle@chambers.media

feature from Culturewise dealing with business etiquette.

We also cover a boutique hotel in Prague, a conference hotel in Las Vegas and broader features on Mauritius and Rwanda – giving a variety of angles on business/highend leisure travel.

Rwanda has made a remarkable recovery from the civil war and genocide of the 1990s.

This small central African country is now ranked in the top five places to do business in Africa in various surveys, not to mention having precious ecology in the form of mountain gorillas, which live in the cloud forests of the Volcanoes National Park.

Covering all the bases, we have interviews with travel industry and expat entrepreneurs on their experience launching enterprises to serve travellers and those doing business overseas. We very much hope you enjoy this launch issue and will come back for more.

‘Launching a new magazine is an exciting prospect’

Head of Sales Ben Cumberland ben.cumberland@chambers.media Sales Executive Charlotte Lane charlotte@chambers.media Production Assistant Aaron Lloyd aaron@chambers.media Designer Nicki Chambers nic@chambers.media Published by Chambers Media Ltd Suite 5 & 6, Chapel House Worthing West Sussex BN11 1EX Tel: +44 (0)1903 899 823 The information contained in this publication has been obtained from sources the proprietors believe to be correct. However, no legal liability can be accepted for any errors. No part of the publication can be reproduced without the prior consent of the publisher.

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Contents Interview 7

PrivateFly’s Carol Cork

Sri Lanka

10 Talalla Retreat, the open-air resort on Sri Lanka’s southern coast

Prague

14 The Alchymist Hotel and Spa is one of Prague’s premier hotels

18 Fine Dining – Field Restaurant

29 World Bank profile

Las Vegas

31 Business and pleasure at World of Concrete 2019

34 Culturewise

Mauritius

36 Introduction – Responsible Travel

20 Culturewise

38 Attractions

21 Václav Havel Airport

42 Festivals

Rwanda

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28 Culturewise

44 Culture and Cuisine

23 Introduction – Responsible Travel

46 Hotels and Spas

24 Attractions

50 Golfing in Mauritius

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51 The Lowdown

67 2019 Taiwan Trade Shows

52 World Bank profile

68 The Lowdown

Taiwan

Expat Business

54 Introduction 58 Hotels 60 Around Taiwan 62 Fine Dining in Taiwan 66 Culturewise

70 Expat interview – Jim Hill of People First Relocation

Adventure

72 Executive Decision:

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Image: Dassault Aviation

PrivateFly The co-founder of PrivateFly, Carol Cork meets our editor What was the genesis of PrivateFly? PrivateFly has just turned eleven and back in 2008, we were a disruptive startup. Our CEO, my co-founder and husband Adam Twidell had worked in the private jet industry for years as a pilot and consultant.

Together we saw the opportunity to make booking a private jet faster and easier, by creating an online booking platform to mirror the tech-focused aggregation that was transforming other parts of the travel industry.

What is the profile of your typical customer?

The typical private jet customer is not what many people imagine. While we do work with celebrities and sports stars, we also fly business people, families looking for a better travel experience or special occasion groups.

Do your customers tend to be very wealthy individuals or companies booking on behalf of their executives?

It’s a bit of both. These days, more and more high profile or wealthy clients make their own travel arrangements, particularly when a platform like ours makes it much faster and easier to compare and book. Or we might work with their assistant or PA. We also work closely with partners including travel management companies, premium travel agents, concierge groups and sports agents, who book private jet travel on behalf of their clients.

How has the sector developed over the years you’ve been involved?

It’s changed enormously over the past ten years. When we started out, private jet charter was offered through traditional phone-based brokers or through very expensive fractional ownership programs.

There was a lot of inefficiency and a lack of transparency to customers.

We launched at the start of the recession, which hit the private jet industry hard as it did many others.

But in fact, the economic conditions proved to be just as much a catalyst as a barrier for us. Our proposition – offering a more transparent and costeffective way to book on demand private jet charter – had strong ∧

How does the PrivateFly booking process work?

PrivateFly’s web and app platforms are integrated with 7,000+ private jet aircraft worldwide – from helicopters and light jets, to VIP converted airliners. We connect private jet customers and travel agents with the best placed aircraft for their trip – to give instant estimate pricing, expert advice and rapid response booking 24/7.

What does the company do that no one else does?

PrivateFly is unique in that we combine bespoke technology with an expert team, who are truly passionate about aviation.

In addition to Adam, who was in the RAF before becoming a private jet pilot, many of our team are pilots or have aviation degrees. Our customers know they are dealing with people who understand aircraft and, combined with the speed and efficiency of our platform, this creates a distinctive, customer-focused proposition, that sets us apart.

Each quarter we produce a report, Private Jet Charter Trends, which looks at our customer demographics and flight trends. In 2017 as a whole, our average client was 40 years old. As millennials continue to enter the workforce, they will become the next private jet clientele – demanding more choice, customisation and personalisation.

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Interview

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sense and when I met Adam aviation became a big part of my life. Now I can’t imagine working in any other sector.

appeal in a more cost-conscious climate. Thankfully 2017 saw the whole industry move back into growth, for the first time since 2008.

Do you see your product becoming more accessible or remaining exclusive?

More accessible for sure. While private jet travel is never going to compete with budget airlines on cost, there are a number of new business models, experimenting with private aviation propositions, opening up the market at entry level.

Of course, for some customers the exclusivity and luxury of private jet travel is all part of the appeal. So I think the market will continue to get broader.

What is the next big information technology innovation in the industry?

Payment transactions is an area ripe for disruption and blockchain financial technology has the potential to become a much more mainstream solution in our industry. Payment in bitcoin (and etherium and others) may

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still be niche, but its popularity is growing rapidly. PrivateFly was the world’s first private jet company to offer bitcoin payment back in 2014 and we have since seen demand grow significantly.

What are the challenges in PrivateFly’s business sector?

There are many challenges – including changing customer expectations, a shifting competitor landscape, and complex trading conditions, especially with Brexit on the horizon.

But we’re prepared for these and, as we have grown, we’ve remained agile. We like a challenge here at PrivateFly! Was aviation a natural fit in your career?

I didn’t set out to work in aviation at the start of my career, but I worked in sales and marketing roles within the luxury sector, which obviously is a good fit for PrivateFly. I have always been passionate about travel in a wider

What is your role within the company?

As marketing director, I head up the overall marketing strategy for PrivateFly, including our digital marketing, brand marketing and communications activity. I also sit on our board of directors, helping to steer PrivateFly’s growth strategy and development.

It’s incredibly varied, so I might be overseeing a new video project one day, pitching for a new business contract or travelling between our UK and US offices (we have bases in St Albans, just north of London and Fort Lauderdale, Florida).

What do flying and travel mean to you personally? Is there ever a danger of it becoming a busman’s holiday?

When you run a business, especially as a husband-and-wife team, you know that the lines between

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work and the rest of your life are going to be indistinct. But if anything, my work means I love to travel even more.

Last summer, Adam and I took an extended trip in Florida with our children. We spent some of the time working out of our Fort Lauderdale office and were also able to travel within the US. We have an eclectic approach to travel as a family. We’re just as likely to be found travelling by private jet as we are to be taking a campervan around Croatia or staying in a remote spot on a Scottish island. I love travel in all its many forms.

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What would make your ideal destination – one you have already been to or a potential experience?

There are so many. I fell in love with Jordan when we travelled there a few years ago. It was so diverse – the food, the history and the people all left a lasting impression.

Somewhere I’d love to visit as a family is Botswana. We have never been to Africa together and I’d love to do a safari Okavango Delta. ED

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Sri Lanka

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Living well

Talalla Wellness Retreat on the south coast of Sri Lanka is the perfect tonic to a high pressure lifestyle, writes Winnie Stubbs

Talalla Retreat, the open-air resort on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, delivers every element of luxury to the high-powered, time-poor executive. Expect to be pampered with good food; spas, treatments and activities; morning yoga classes in a beachfront shala; vast bedrooms with open-air showers; attentive staff and sunrise and sunset views from a perfect stretch of beach just steps from your private balcony. All this adds up to the ultimate commodity – health and wellbeing.

The seven-day Talalla Wellness Retreat I attended included twice daily yoga classes, surfing lessons,

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wellness assessments, pilates classes, sunrise meditations, workshops and demos and left me feeling more energised than ever before.

A week of wellness From the Sri Lankan capital, Columbo, the retreat can be accessed by an hour-long seaplane flight along the beautiful Sri Lankan coast with Cinnamon Air, or by one of the many chauffeur-driven limousine services available to make the three-hour road journey, including the resort’s own. Either way, this reflects the ethos of Talalla Retreat – Sri Lanka-luxe.

Jenna, Talalla’s wellness manager, welcomes us with goodie bags – cotton totes filled with organic scrubs, incense and chocolate – and talks us through what the week will entail.

We sit in the open-air restaurant overlooking the ocean and drinking freshly harvested coconut water.

Jenna trained as a pilates instructor, yoga teacher and reiki practitioner before creating her own exercise format – boxilates. Splitting her time between Sri Lanka and Australia, Jenna dedicates much of her life to running wellness retreats that don’t just help guests tone their tummies but tune in to what they want from life.

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Jenna is interrogated by one of the guests. “So what do you want us, as the consumer, to gain from this experience?” She responds: “I want to help you achieve more balance in your life. Balanced mind, balanced body, balanced lifestyle. It’s not about finding balance but creating it. Our philosophy is eat well, move more, live better.”

Breakfast is endless supplies of fresh fruit, pancakes, coffee and curry – pampering us in a way that combines luxury and virtue.

Surf On day two, we have our first surf lesson at Kadalana, a long stretch of beach with small sets rolling consistently to shore and nobody else making use of them. Shaun, our coach, has us all standing on our boards within ten minutes.

Those of us who have tried and failed to nail surfing in the past,

with less competent coaches and imperfect conditions, are blown away by just how much we can improve within two hours – how quickly Shaun spots and corrects our mistakes.

On the morning of day three, I take a paddle board out on to the water, spending breaks from paddling dozing on the board with my limbs dangling into the warm, crystal clear water.

Between classes, meditations, surf lessons, one-on-one wellness consultations and excursions ∧

Sunset over the sea On our first evening, I take a walk on the beach as the setting sun turns the ocean gold. One of the most magical things about Talalla Retreat is its proximity to Sri Lankan culture.

As the sun sinks behind the palm trees on the west side of the beach, I pass a multi-generational group of Sri Lankan men heaving in fishing nets – ten-year-old boys alongside frail, weathered figures. They ask me to help, so I grab the rope and join in.

On Wednesday morning, before our 6:30 boxilates class, I watch one of the other guests help a fisherman pull his boat onto the beach after a night on the water. “It’s incredibly humbling,” Mark tells me later. “It’s not like your typical resort holiday – this is luxury with real Sri Lankan life on your doorstep.”

Although our first class doesn’t generally start until six thirty, we’re all up with the sunrise every day – taking walks along the beach or doing lengths in the pool.

The first class of the day is always dynamic: an energetic boxilates class or slightly excruciating pilates sequence, but Jenna’s light-hearted approach and choice of music make them fun. Our morning burn is always followed by an optional ninety-minute vinyasa practice led by one of Talalla’s yoga instructors and set against a backdrop of the sparkling ocean.

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Sri Lanka

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(seeing the elephants at Udawalawe National Park or taking a bike ride around the local village) we spend our time by the pool, in the ocean or spa. Talalla Wellness Retreat packages include one treatment, but that doesn’t tend to stop guests from wending their way along the path to the indulgent sanctuary at least once a day.

After restorative yoga or sunset beach walks, evenings at Talalla involve incredible food – a mindblowing selection of curries and salads and the occasional party at a local bar.

On our final evening, after an afternoon surf and sunset cocktails in the nearby beach town of Hiriketiya, we close the retreat with a coconut ceremony – reflecting on our values, our aims and what practices best serve us.

Everything about Talalla Wellness Retreats, from the food to the schedule to the setting, is nourishing for body and mind. Active days end with cocktails overlooking picture-perfect beaches. After feasting on fresh, organic food packed with flavour, you retire to your bamboo bungalow or sea view villa, your path lit by fireflies. You rise with the sun, enjoy a coffee or a coconut as the world wakes up around you, and then you do it all again. ED

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Talalla is located on the southern tip of Sri Lanka near the city of Matara. It is well connected with public transport from all parts of Sri Lanka.

Airport pick-up (three hours, 15,000 RPS) Talalla Retreat offers a pickup service at the airport, 24 hours a day. The driver of the sixperson MPV will welcome you with a sign showing your name and Talalla Retreat. Remember to pre-book with reception: info@talallaretreat.com Taxi (four hours, 16,000 RPS) Taxis are available at the airport. Give Matara as a general destination point so that they know where they are heading and ensure they know exactly where Talalla is. If you take a private driver from the transport stands in the arrival terminal, make sure to bargain to get the best deal.

Train (six and a half hours, total 1,000 RPS) Sri Lanka is well known for its beautiful train rides through the local villages and coastal towns.

This is one of the longer options and will involve a tuk-tuk or taxi ride from the airport to the closest station. If you are after a bit of an adventure and would like to experience some of the local culture first hand, it is well worth it.

Take the train from Colombo Fort Station to Matara Train Station (approximately 200 RPS).

Then find a tuk-tuk to take you to Talalla Retreat outside the station, which should cost no more than 800 RPS. Bus (six to eight hours, total 5,000 RPS) Sri Lankan roads can be a bit overwhelming at first but if you are into adventure then this can be a wild experience. First take a taxi to Negombo bus station. From there, you can hop on a bus that utilises the new highway from Colombo to Matara and then a local bus from Matara to Talalla.

Cinnamon Air Sea Plane (one-hour flight, approximately 37,000 RPS) How fancy, right? Yes… Sea planes can be rented to fly from Colombo to a destination about 45 minutes from Talalla. Make sure you have your camera with you because the Sri Lankan coastal scenery is mindblowing. www.cinnamonair.com

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Prague

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The Alchymist Grand Hotel & Spa The Alchymist Grand Hotel and Spa provides an oasis in the centre of Prague, writes Ben Chambers but in a quiet and sophisticated neighbourhood, adjacent to the American embassy. The burly guardsman on the door made us feel extra safe, even if there was the slight annoyance of the taxi being searched on each journey. This by no means affected the majesty and experience, however.

Arriving mid-morning, we were greeted with champagne and after a swift, professional check-in were shown to our beautiful room, which had all the facilities you would expect. Instant hot water, quality toiletries, robes, slippers and plenty of towels put us at ease; great wi-fi, a good TV and minibar dealt with entertainment; a comfortable, high quality mattress and blackout curtains made sleeping a dream, while good wardrobe space, wooden hangers and a safe took care of our belongings.

To top this, in the central European winter, the room was very warm indeed. It was cleaned every day, with a turndown service including chocolates at night.

Alongside this, a bottle of house ∧

The Alchymist Hotel and Spa is one of Prague’s premier hotels and I cannot speak more highly of it. On my first visit to Prague, I checked in with my partner for a flying visit.

The hotel is in an elegant old building made up of four mansions combined in a golden romantic rococo style. The regal decor is magnificent and enchanting throughout, to say it was opulent would be an understatement. It is a fairy-tale hotel.

Brocade, gold and crystal set the frame for this exceptional experience. Architecture, soft furnishings and sparkling chandeliers combined with a fitfor-royalty welcome to give a real Bohemian experience.

We were due to spend two nights in Prague. It was our first visit, so we were unfamiliar with neighbourhoods and accommodation but based on our research, we decided to give the Alchymist a try and I am so glad that we did.

Quietly tucked away in Mala Strana, it’s conveniently located

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champagne was delivered to our room later that evening.

There was an extensive choice of hot and cold breakfasts including cereals, homemade yoghurt and jam, fruit and vegetables, the full English and variations thereof and juices, coffee or tea to drink. We were spoilt for choice. The staff were very polite and attentive to our needs. Nothing was too much trouble for them, making our stay very special.

The evening meal at the hotel’s Aquarius restaurant was where the experience really came into its own. The 55-seat restaurant is well known for delicious Mediterranean and Italian cuisine and mediocre is not in executive chef Tomáš Sysel’s repertoire. If you really need to impress, bring your guests here.

There was a feast of five-star dishes and I was particularly impressed by the vast wine list,

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which featured more than 160 wines from the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Spain and Chile. All 160 were rather tasty, or so I believe. You can find the full menu at www.aquarius-prague.com.

There is a breathtaking spa in the cavernous wine cellars below – “Prague’s finest luxury spa,” according to the hotel’s website. Not having been to any others, who am I to judge, but if any of them match the Ecsotica Spa and Health Club for its ambience, personal care and attention, then I would like to see their reviews.

The spa offers all the treatments to be expected, including Thai, Swedish and the Alchymist’s own massage. I went for a combination of the three and I think my snoring that night was testament to a

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splendid, relaxing, experience.

Every afternoon there was a free wine tasting event, with cheeses and other products from the Czech Republic, all very tasty and of high quality. This proved a wonderful way to network and meet some of the other guests staying at the establishment.

The hotel is in a fantastic location, just a few steps from Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge and it is a refreshing departure from the big-name chain hotels. The hospitality of the staff truly raised the bar.

Take a short walk down the hill and you are in the centre of Prague, with its quaint shops, cafes,

churches and museums. You’re also right next door to St. Nicholas’ Church, which has been described as the most impressive example of Prague baroque. I also recommend the Lichtenstein Palace, just upstream of the Charles Bridge on the Vltava river, where I recommend you go to an ensemble concert.

All in all, The Alychimist was an unexpected delight and we can’t wait to go back. ED

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Prague

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The Field A quick online search of ‘fine dining, Prague’ prior to an endof-year business trip led me to the Field. The tantalising online menu then led me to book a table and I was glad that I had done as all tables were taken on the night we visited.

The Field is one of Prague’s Michelin three-star restaurants and I found it to be intimate yet modern and very welcoming.

The restaurant is close to the Vlatava river, in the medieval cobblestoned Old Town, where there were a lot of roadworks at that time, towards the end of 2018. If you can walk there, then do so as we were held up a fair bit in the taxi, and besides, Prague always makes for a pleasant stroll.

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Being December, I was looking forward to the winter seasonal menu and my wife and I went for the extravagant ten course Degustation menu paired with the ‘B’ selection of wines. The full menu can be found on the restaurant’s website, below.

The Field’s site tells us that executive chef Radek Kašpárek is “a big fan of modern cuisine, putting an emphasis on a straightforward and simplistic presentation of the ingredients.”

This was very evident, with a concoction of exotic food presentations, a variety of ingredients and food illusion. The menu also says he is not afraid to serve strong flavours and likes to

Executive chef Radek Kašpárek

surprise with his versions of wellknown dishes.

Again I can corroborate this, having tasted the delightful 45-dayaged beef, veal brain, celeriac and morel main course, which left a familiar but pleasantly but foreign aftertaste. Personally, I felt their style was very experimental and I see Radek as the Czech answer to Heston Blumenthal.

Given the almost overwhelming thought of digesting ten courses, they were cleverly well-spaced. Most importantly the taste of each dish was mesmerising.

The wine pairing was enpointe, with a brief but interesting explanation of the nature and reason behind each glass given by the friendly, knowledgeable waiting staff.

The service was not rushed but attentive enough to wait for

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an empty wine glass, a break in conversation or the natural passage of time between courses before topping up your glass, plate, or as the final course showcased, a mini picnic basket with drawers.

An interesting art point was the upturned wheelbarrow in the gentlemen’s toilet, an amusing talking point, clearly referring to the farm theme.

If your thing is classic Czech food with a modern twist, served as art and entertainment with taste and class, then when in Prague I highly recommend Field. ED www.fieldrestaurant.cz

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C U LT U R E W I S E

Czech Business Culture

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Given the Czech Republic’s geographical position it is hardly a surprise that Czechs are often seen as the most deal-oriented business people in east-central Europe.

Czechs share with their western neighbours a strong sense of privacy, punctuality and a preference for directness rather than indirectness in speech. Indeed, urban Czechs are almost as direct as the Germans, Dutch and Swiss-Germans.

The Czech communication style also tends to be more reserved than that of their more outgoing, expressive Polish and Hungarian neighbours. They rarely smile at people they do not know or as a gesture of social politeness. This is not a sign of unfriendliness, it is simply not expected. Czechs in fact are well-known for being quiet, calm and moderate with a dry and subtle sense of humour. Like Scandinavians and Germans, they tend to get down to business without the elaborate preliminaries expected in more relationship-oriented cultures.

Traditionally, only family members and close friends addressed each other by their first names. While young people are using first names more frequently, particularly those working in large global businesses, older business people may prefer to be called by their title or surname.

It is important to use professional titles when talking with lawyers, architects, engineers and

Prague other professionals. When speaking to people who do not have professional titles, it is a good idea to use Mr, Mrs, or Miss and the surname: • Mr Pan (pronounced “Pahn”) • Mrs (or Ms) Pani (“PAH-nee”) • Miss Slecna (“SLEH-chnah”) In many English-speaking cultures people add “how are you” after saying “hello”, even when meeting people for the first time. This is simply a greeting ritual. The Czechs, in common with many other Europeans, do not ask strangers how they are feeling. Your local counterpart may be a bit startled by such a personal question unless you already know each other.

While Czechs are known for their hospitality, they may take a lot of time to establish a close business relationship.

Historically, business meetings have been confined to offices. Business lunches were rare; the only meal one shared with a business associate was a celebratory dinner. A good way to get to know your colleagues is socialising after hours, in part because Czechs are structured and tend to compartmentalise work and friendship as very separate things.

Czechs usually prefer a low-key, non-confrontational approach to negotiations. Visitors need to read nonverbal signals to understand what is going on. As with Germans and Scandinavians, your opening offer should be realistic: the high-low tactic common in some business cultures is likely to backfire with the Czechs.

Patience and a soft-sell approach will get you the best results.

Those business visitors with a sense of humour, a down-to-earth mentality and obvious modesty are likely to make the best impression with potential new customers.

It is polite and expected to greet people you do not know when you walk into a meeting room, but not necessarily to engage in small talk.

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Václav Havel Airport Prague Airport is the biggest and most important international airport in the Czech Republic, handling almost 16.7m passengers in 2018, a nine per cent increase on 2017.

In the same year 69 carriers operated flights from Prague Airport, connecting the capital with 171 destinations around the world, including New York, Montreal, Toronto, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xian, Doha and Dubai.

It is one of the fastest growing airports in Europe and is currently the base or focus airport for three airlines – Czech Airlines, Smartwings and Ryanair.

The airport is about 30 minutes from the city centre by public transport and offers a wide selection of car rentals and parking facilities.

Aeroparking, a complex of the most convenient parking facilities, offers more than 6,300 parking spots for both long and short term parking.

There are more than 30 restaurants and cafes in a wide range of price categories, including five operating 24-hours a day.

The self-service Restaurant Praha offers up to 10 meals on a daily menu representing both Czech and international cuisine, with prices starting at 95 koruna.

IATA Code: PRG Carriers: 69 airlines Destinations: 171 in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America Time zone: CET (UTC +1), summer time – UTC +2 Passengers (2018): 16.7m Cargo (2017): 125,900t Aircraft movements (2018): 155,530 Website: prg.aero Facebook: @prague.airport.letiste.praha Twitter: @pragueairport Instagram: @pragueairport

Restaurants are situated on both sides of customs. On the land side, customers can sit on an open terrace in summer months and enjoy the view to the apron and aircraft, while on the air side guests will find a kids’ corner and small library.

Passengers can also enjoy three airport lounges – MasterCard Lounge at Terminal 1, ERSTE Premier Lounge at Terminal 2 and Raiffeisenbank Lounge with private check-in service also at Terminal 2. All lounges offer privacy and comfort in a unique and luxurious environment, allinclusive refreshment with a selfservice bar, wifi connection, daily press and TV, children’s area and working facilities.

For stress-free travel and luxury experience, passengers can use the VIP Service Club CONTINENTAL with separate access and parking, immediate check-in of both passengers and luggage, ultimate privacy, individual security checks and chauffeur driven transportation directly to and from the aircraft.

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www.culturewise.net

The result is more effective and productive working relationships with the Middle East.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? Doing Business in Middle East: Understanding Middle East Business Culture will benefit anyone with face-to-face or virtual contact with Middle East including expatriate assignees; international executives; global managers; virtual team leaders; negotiators; and global HR and training professionals.

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Rwanda

Visiting Rwanda is a bit like doing a triathlon. It’s challenging, exciting, tiring and emotional. It also has three important aspects: people and culture, national parks and gorilla watching. It is most celebrated for its gorilla populations and strictly managed safaris in Volcanoes National Park. However, Rwanda’s other two national parks are also habitat havens. Nyungwe boasts chimps and other primates and Akagera is a veritable ark.

It is the people, their history and culture that will make your heart skip a beat or two, however.

As you find out not only in the beyond moving

genocide memorials, but also by immersing yourself in the infectiously life-affirming culture, dancing in Kigale’s music hotspots or taking a walking tour in its Nyamirambo Muslim quarter. Head out on a night trip with the fishermen of Lake Kivu, listen to their “ekiovu” songs echoing across this mountain enveloped waterscape and you’ll get a medal if you aren’t moved to tears.

Overleaf we explore a few highlights of this beautiful country. www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/rwanda

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Rwanda

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Attractions

Kigali

Kigali is the dynamic capital at the heart of the country. Peacefully nestled along picturesque hilltops, it is a thriving African city notable for its cleanliness, orderliness and hospitality. The capital is a great place to begin or end any Rwanda journey as it’s conveniently located in the geographic centre of the country. It is clean and safe, with extremely welcoming people. Travellers will enjoy exploring the great cultural activities – including several award-winning museums, burgeoning music scene and some of east Africa’s most memorable dining experiences.

Lake Kivu Located in the western part of Rwanda, Karongi is a picturesque resort on the shores of Lake Kivu, with its deep emerald green waters and magnificent mountain surround. The lake covers a total surface area of 2,700 sq km and stands at a height of 1,460 metres above sea level.

Karongi is one of the most relaxing and romantic places in Rwanda. Ample beaches facilitate modern water sports, boat tours visiting Napoleon’s Island (home to a colony of fruit bats), dining at the Amahoro Island restaurants and even night fishing with locals.

Adventure awaits at Karongi with opportunities to hike and bike the Congo Nile Trail, visit the

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Congo-Nile Divide watershed, have a taste of the ‘crop to cup’ coffee and tea experiences within the local community or visit the moving Bisesero Genocide Memorial with breathtaking views of the lake.

Also on Lake Kivu is the waterfront town of Rubavu (also known as Gisenyi). At only an hour away from Volcanoes National Park, Rubavu is a great way to unwind after trekking adventures.

Rubavu marks the beginning of the Congo Nile Trail, which extends 227km to Rusizi and has plenty of biking and hiking trails to fulfil those who crave adventure.

Rubavu is also known for its agrotourism experiences, with many tea and coffee plantations nearby.

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Volcanoes National Park This breathtaking corner of north west Rwanda is a place where culture, adventure and conservation intersect.

The Parc National de Volcans (or PNV as it’s known by locals) lies along the Virunga Mountains, with eight ancient volcanoes shared by Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Just a two-hour drive from Kigali, the park is a central location for some distinctly Rwandan experiences. While a visit to the mountain gorillas is often at the top of visitors’ to do lists, the fascinating golden monkeys are another animal worth seeing and the dramatic landscape offers thrilling hiking.

PNV is one of Rwanda’s conservation centres, where many non-profit organisations base their operations. Visitors can pay homage to the legendary scientist and gorilla advocate Dian Fossey with a hike to her tomb or a visit to the Dian Fosse Gorilla Fund International in nearby Musanze, which continues her legacy of research and advocacy to this day.

The vibrant markets of Musanze are a place to immerse yourself in everyday Rwandan culture and one of the area’s newest attractions are Musanze’s caves, which allow you to travel deep into the earth.

Nyungwe National Park including 16 endemics. It is also home to 75 different species of mammal.

This majestic rainforest is filled with natural experiences.

Hiking or biking the beautiful terrain, tracking chimpanzees, experiencing the canopy walk, witnessing beautiful birds and relaxing by waterfalls are just a small number of activities that Nyungwe offers.

The sights and sounds of the park create a unique wildlife experience. Exploring the forest, travellers will witness the lush green mountains and cooling mist in a landscape that won’t be forgotten. ∧

Nyungwe National Park, in the south west corner of Rwanda, is an untouched rainforest filled with biodiversity.

Covering more than 1000 sq km, Nyungwe is surely one of the world’s most beautiful and pristine mountain rainforests. It is believed to be one of Africa’s oldest forests, staying green even through the ice age, a fact that explains its diversity.

Home to habituated chimpanzees and 12 other primate species (including a 400-strong troop of Ruwenzori black and white colobus), it’s also a bird watcher’s paradise with more than 300 species,

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Rwanda

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Akagera National Park

Akagera National Park is located in the north east of Rwanda along the border with Tanzania. Although founded in 1934, much of the park was reallocated as farms and in 1997 the park was reduced from more than 2,500 sq km (nearly 10% of the surface area of Rwanda) to 1,122 sq km. Since 2010, a joint venture with African Parks has seen Akagera return to its former glory.

The park is named after the Akagera River that flows along its eastern boundary and feeds into a labyrinth of lakes, the largest of which is Lake Ihema.

The forest-fringed lakes, papyrus swamps, savannah plains and rolling highlands combine to make Akagera among the most scenic of reserves anywhere in Africa. It has exceptional levels of biodiversity and forms the largest protected wetland in central Africa.

Akagera combines well with Nyungwe and the Volcanoes National Park to offer a great safari as it is home to many large plains game species as well as some

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restricted to the papyrus swamps, such as the sitatunga and the shoebill stork.

Notable plains animals include elephants, buffalo, topi, zebra, waterbuck, the roan antelope and eland. Other antelope are duiker, oribi, bohor reedbuck, klipspringer, bushbuck and impala. Of the primates, olive baboons, vervets and the secretive blue monkey can be seen during the day, with bushbabies often seen on night drives.

Larger predators such as leopards, hyena and side-striped jackals are present as well as the lion, which was reintroduced in 2017. Plans are also underway for the reintroduction of the black rhino, restoring Akagera’s ‘Big 5’ status.

Due to its variety of habitats, Akagera is an important ornithological site with nearly 500 bird species. The rare and elusive shoebill shares the papyrus with other rarities such as the exquisite papyrus gonolek and countless other water birds.

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Muhazi Long and shallow, Lake Muhazi twists and turns its way through a flooded valley for more than 40km before reaching its eastern shore, not far from the northern exit of eastern Rwanda’s crown jewel, Akagera National Park.

The eastern end of the lake sits on the road to Nyagatare and makes a perfect place to break the journey for a meal and a cold drink after long hours bumping along the park’s dirt roads. If you stick around after a freshly caught lunch, you’ll find live music at the lakeside bars, dozens of traditional villages along the shore and fantastic birdwatching and fishing to keep you entertained.

The hilltop town of Gahini sits opposite the lake’s east end and is a great place to soak up smalltown Rwandan life, especially on a Sunday, when services at the historic Gahini Anglican Cathedral can be heard from all around.

The brick-built cathedral dates to 1975 and still towers over the lowslung rooftops of Gahini, drawing in thousands of parishioners and pilgrims every year.

Most people in Gahini and other villages around the lake are either farmers or fishers, so don’t be surprised to see herds of the long-horned Inyambo cows around every corner.

No trip to the lake is complete without getting out on the water and any of the low-key guesthouses that dot the lake shore can help set up fishing and birding expeditions up and down the lake.

Wildlife lovers should keep their eyes out for the spottednecked otter while dedicated ornithologists can expect to check off the African fish eagle, malachite kingfisher, pied kingfisher, swamp flycatcher and many more.

Though it’s only some 50km long from east to west, there are more than a dozen meandering offshoots branching north and south of Lake Muhazi’s wide central valley. Tranquil agricultural villages and green, unspoilt coastline on either side of the lake wait to be explored. If you’ve got a 4×4, the little-travelled dirt roads north of the lake take you through an agricultural Eden, where terraced hillsides tumble down to the water’s edge.

The two largest towns near the lake shore are Gahini and Rwesero, both of which have guesthouses where you can arrange a variety of aquatic activities. Fishing, birding and boating trips are a highlight of any trip to Lake Muhazi but there’s always plenty of space for a cool dip just offshore if you don’t have time to get out on the water. ED

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C U LT U R E W I S E

Rwanda Business Culture

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Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa with the main concentrations of business people in the country’s central regions and along the shore of Lake Kivu in the west.

Rwandan business customs are not dissimilar to those elsewhere in central Africa, however there are some specific points to be aware of.

Firstly, unless you know your business contacts well you should avoid talking about ethnic origin or ethnic issues. Ethnicity has been at the heart of many serious national conflicts including the 1994 genocide, in which Rwandans murdered up to a million of their fellow citizens, including up to 75% of the Tutsi population. Any business visitor who brings up this subject without knowing the complex intricacies of Rwanda’s troubled history may offend others or cause unwanted conflict and suspicion.

For the same reasons avoid discussing Rwandan politics unless you are certain this theme is appropriate with the people you are meeting. Safe topics for social discussion include family – indeed you may find you are asked personal questions about partners and children that would be unusual elsewhere. Family is of paramount importance for Rwandans and they will often assume it has equal importance for business visitors.

Most business contacts are initiated with a handshake. You may find your hand is grasped throughout extended

Rwanda greetings and sometimes throughout an entire conversation when walking and talking. This usually occurs within the same sex, but occasionally happens between men and women. Hand-holding should be treated as a gesture of respect and is not designed to make you feel uncomfortable.

As with other countries in Africa, looking directly in a business contact’s eyes for as long as you might in Europe can sometimes be viewed as intrusive, especially when dealing with someone of high status. Avoiding eye-contact should generally be taken as a sign of respect rather than mistrust.

Public displays of disagreement are rare.

Rwandans, generally, remain calm and talk extensively when agreement is hard to reach. For this reason, meetings involving potentially conflictive or controversial themes can sometimes seem to meander a little.

Negotiations can also be lengthy with many people at a range of organisational levels involved in a final decision.

Consequently, oral commitments from one person should not always be considered as binding (even from government officials) as a final approval from someone further up may be required.

A direct no to a business proposal is rare, so you may need to read between the lines to find out what contacts really think of your pitch. It is sensible not to push for decisions too quickly in this type of ambiguous situation and ask for clarity only when you need it. If you have offended someone in business you may only hear about it later, second hand from someone who may not even have been involved in the discussion.

Aim to dress well in formal business attire, especially if you hold a senior position.

Business contacts are likely to judge you by your dress, your acquaintances and the formality and courtesy of your behaviour.

The system of hierarchy in Rwandan businesses can be opaque, with the proper people needing to be consulted in the proper order. If you are unsure, ask a local contact for assistance.

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The World Bank Small and landlocked, Rwanda is hilly and fertile with a densely packed population of about 12.2m in 2016. It borders the far larger and richer Democratic Republic of Congo as well as Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi. With the support of the IMF and World Bank, Rwanda has been able to make important economic and structural reforms and sustain its economic growth over the last decade

Political context Rwanda is a multi-party presidential republic and it has guarded its political stability since the genocide in 1994. Parliamentary elections in September 2018 saw women fill 64 per cent of the seats with the Rwandan Patriotic Front maintaining an absolute majority in the Chamber of Deputies and for the first time, two opposition parties, the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and Social Party Imberakuri, winning seats (two each) in the parliament An amendment to the constitution in December 2015 paved the way for the re-election of President Paul Kagame in August 2017 to a third seven-year term.

Economic overview Rwanda’s long-term development goals are defined in Vision 2020, a strategy that seeks to transform the country from a low income, agricultural economy to a knowledge based, service-oriented economy with middle income country status by 2020. To achieve this, the government has a mediumterm strategy.

The second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS 2) outlines its overarching goal of growth acceleration and poverty reduction through four themes: economic transformation, rural development, productivity and youth employment, and accountable governance.

The EDPRS 2 aims to raise GDP per capita to $1,000; reduce the percentage of the population living below the poverty line to less than 30 per cent and reduce the percentage of the population living in extreme poverty to less than nine per cent. These goals build on remarkable development successes over the last decade that include high growth, rapid poverty reduction and reduced inequality.

Between 2001 and 2015, real GDP growth averaged about eight per cent a year.

Development challenges Poor infrastructure and a lack of access to electricity are some of the major constraints to private investment. Investment relies heavily on foreign aid, with stable

inflows critical to keep the current investment rate high at about 25 per cent of GDP. Reducing dependence on foreign aid through domestic resource mobilisation and promoting domestic savings is viewed as critical.

Social context Rwanda met most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the end of 2015. Strong economic growth was accompanied by substantial improvements in living standards, with a two-thirds drop in child mortality and near universal primary school enrolment.

A strong focus on homegrown policies and initiatives has contributed to significant improvement in access to services and human development indicators.

The poverty rate dropped from 44 per cent in 2011 to 39 per cent in 2014, while inequality measured by the Gini coefficient fell from 0.49 to 0.45.

The World Bank www.worldbank.org/en/country/ rwanda/overview

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The impossible city Ben Chambers reviews his visit to the 2019 World of Concrete in the city in the desert

of coffee and burgers, allows for quite the afternoon and evening to enjoy oneself.

We stayed at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on Las Vegas Boulevard, two miles from the convention centre, from where we were helpfully shuttled each day along with the many delegates and attendees.

Our rooms overlooking the famous strip were high quality,

with helpful blackout curtains for when sleep was ultimately required – no matter how much it had been put off – after staring out in awe at the lights and goingson below.

Room service cost about 25 per cent more than you might expect, but this was a premium hotel. The food was five-star, genuinely delicious, but I would

∧

I went to Vegas a few years ago and it was a short but sweet pleasure trip that ten years on was quite a blur. My visit of January 2019 was business related, however, travelling as a guest of Informa exhibitions to the annual World of Concrete show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Five days of conversation, pitching, befriending and selling, not to mention copious amounts

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advise bringing your own water and supplies rather than taking advantage of the tempting array of treats adorning the room each day.

The journey to our rooms was like walking through a cross between Jurassic Park and a modern shopping mall. This walk always brought a smile to my face, celebrating Chinese New Year with giant animals and colourful paraphernalia alongside designer favourites such as Chanel, Dior and Louis Vuitton.

In the current climate I felt very secure, not least because there was security manning the doors of the elevator 24-7, asking for our room key.

The World of Concrete is the leading concrete and masonry show worldwide and jewel in the crown of Informa’s global events. It was introduced to the commercial construction industry in Houston in 1975 and boasts more than 1,500 exhibiting companies and almost 60,000 registered industry

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professionals within approximately 7,000 sq metres of exhibition space.

A large part of my business is within demolition, plant machinery and construction and as a media company we serve a worldwide audience with our magazines and online brands so walking from the shuttle stop to the main entrance of the convention centre was a little daunting, especially after having recently attended the UK equivalent at the significantly smaller Birmingham NEC. Having said that, the Americans do everything bigger, which is always fun and size was not a problem as we were ushered to the starting point, where familiar client logos and banners adorned the walls and

ceiling as far as the eye could see – a reassuring sign that we were in the right place.

Our go-to eatery was the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, which serves French cuisine by acclaimed chef J. Joho in a fine dining room. The other was also housed at the Paris, Las Vegas Hotel – The Hexx Kitchen, where even in late January we could dine outside with stunning views inside the Eiffel Tower and at the Bellagio fountains.

We attempted the journey to The Stratosphere, a good 15-minute drive along the strip, to sample the award-winning restaurant, the Top of The World, which is located 250 metres up.

Sadly I can’t review the food, service or view; my claustrophobia and acrophobia prevented that when told it was a four minute elevator ride.

As with any American destination, tipping is expected and with notes blending into one, striving not to be too generous was a constant problem.

Next year I would take $200-worth of fives and have them stashed, readily available in my jacket pocket.

On the last day of the exhibition I wanted to get my American contact, host and friend Jackie a little memento. Searching for an open boutique before 10am is a near impossibility and in the end banging on the window of the Swartzkey store to the shock and surprise the manager was my only way out. Great customer service that allowed us to bang down the door and make a deal on a pair of earrings in minutes didn’t go unnoticed. ED

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Bellagio Salone Suite I am regularly in Vegas for various conferences or events, most recently for World of Concrete, which was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

My hotel of choice for the past few years has been the Bellagio.

It really is a gorgeous hotel and cannot be faulted, its central location is useful but above all the class, aesthetics and ambience really do make it feel like home.

You genuinely do get the feeling you are really welcome there, with every single member of staff acknowledging you and it looks as though they are interested in being there to serve.

This January (2019) I was booked into the Salone Suite, though I must say that I am usually more than happy in a Deluxe room.

After short walk from the elevator of the 26th floor, I was in my absolutely beautiful Italianinspired renaissance period suite.

Immediately the impressive king-sized bed greets your eye at the back of a massive L-shaped room and then the stunning two views of Vegas from the cornerstyled room allow you to take breath at both the enormity of the city and to roughly gauge your position within the desert.

Housekeeping were really on the ball. They came twice a day and on a rare early night for me as I was reading they knocked

and left me chocolates and with a cheery “goodnight”.

With useful work spaces available as well as comfy sofas to sprawl upon and read and plenty of plug sockets and USB charging

areas, the Salone Suite is absolutely office ready.

For a luxurious experience to work, rest and play, I strongly suggest you take advantage of a Salone Suite at the Bellagio.

Tech and Room Features • • • • • • • • •

55” flat screen Samsung HDTVs and modern entertainment system with surround sound Ergonomic desk/workstation Convenient media-hubs with easy connectivity plugs Bedside iHome docking station Wireless high-speed internet access Private work station includes fax and multi-line phone with speaker Laptop-friendly nightstand safe Automatic drapery and sheet controls Lighted makeup mirror, hair dryer and scale

Comfort and Design • • • • • • •

Generously-stocked mini-bar 24-hour in-room dining Luxurious linens and robes Exclusive Bellagio Cashmere Super Pillow Top mattress with Advanced Comfort Quilt®, by Serta® Italian marble bath with soaking tub, glass-enclosed shower and personal sink Living area featuring sectional sofa with chaise Nightly turndown service

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C U LT U R E W I S E

US Business Culture

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The United States is known as a melting-pot of ethnic and cultural groups. Despite, or perhaps because of this diversity, the cultural values that distinguish the nation are perhaps more explicit than in any other nation on earth.

Americans tend to be direct. Meaning is conveyed in the words themselves, which tend to be efficient and concise. Relational information (feelings or attitudes), which in other cultures may be expressed in subtle body language and linguistic nuances, can sometimes be hard to access for those brought up in such a direct environment.

As a result, some Americans may miss the verbal and non-verbal cues that other cultures use and are then confused when things do not go the way they thought they had agreed.

Communication is also efficient, so little importance is placed on politeness or verbal niceties. The amount of background information needed to introduce a company or project can be much less than elsewhere.

For most Americans, events that took place more than three to five years ago are considered irrelevant and background information on a project is usually limited to the latest developments. By contrast, many Europeans often start the description of their company or project at the conception stage, no matter how long ago that took place.

As a result, miscommunication can occur during joint meetings where people from both sides make presentations.

Las Vegas American audiences often find European presentations uninteresting because they feel they contain too much superfluous information, while Europeans often find American presentations impressionistic and lacking context, making them difficult to follow.

Participants are expected to be direct.

This is not a nation where saving face is high on many people’s agenda. Disagreement is supported with facts and figures. Although one person will chair the meeting, egalitarian values imply that all are expected to participate if they have something useful or constructive to contribute.

US business culture tends to be informal, with an emphasis on getting things done.

Americans will usually get down to business quickly, leaving the small talk for lunch.

The informality and approachability that characterises many American leaders can sometimes seriously mislead. A glance at some of the heroes of American business demonstrates that a lack of formality and the use of first-name terms rarely indicates more than a passing interest in group harmony.

Where the individual is placed above the company or community, establishing a personal identity as a leader can often mean imposing your own beliefs on others.

As a result, individualistic American leaders rarely spend much time seeking consensus and irreverence towards a leader or senior figure, particularly of the type sometimes seen in UK workplaces, is rarely appreciated. An important task for visitors can be to understand the office hierarchy and learn the ranks and titles of all members of the organisation.

With first names commonly used, US business people generally live up to their reputation as informal and approachable, but close or intimate business relationships – at least in the Asian and Latin understanding of the term – are not part of US business.

It is not that Americans do not want to build personal or professional relationships; it is merely that the relationship is usually secondary to the business at hand.

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Part of this is down to time – relationships take time to develop and Americans are in a hurry to get the job done. It is also a matter of priorities and the ability to compartmentalise their lives. Whereas many Asians and southern Europeans will try to develop relationships with business partners, to most Americans this is unnecessary. They are also pragmatic – it does not matter if you get on, you just need to get the job done.

Because Americans are informal but do not follow up with substantial demonstrations of friendship, they are often considered superficial. It would be more accurate to say they have different types of friendships.

They may have church friends, golf friends and neighbourhood friends who are friends only in the context of that environment.

Another aspect of American communication that can surprise foreigners is accepted topics of conversation. Europeans and Asians may feel quite comfortable discussing politics, religion or philosophy with counterparts, while these may be deemed too personal for their US colleagues.

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Mauritius Despite attracting sun seekers from across the globe, Mauritius has managed to maintain its tropical island appeal with warm shallow lagoons, spice-filled trade winds and a wild untamed south coast. There have been some casualties, with Port Louis, Grand Baie and the north coast, especially, experiencing much of the pirate plundering although you’ll find plenty of sleepy beach villages to appreciate what attracted travellers in the first place. Catamaran cruises to surrounding islands, such as Deux Cocos and Ile aux Cerfs, offer just enough exhilaration to rid you of rum hangovers although there’s nothing like a morning’s hike up Le Morne Mountain to see the world from a much clearer perspective.

Snorkelling, sega dancing and seafood Creole curries should all be compulsory for anyone visiting Mauritius; it is the perfect place to hop across to and wind down for a few days after a holiday or business trip in the wild national parks and exciting cities of South Africa. www.responsibletravel.com/ holidays/mauritius

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Mauritius

Attractions An opportunity for adventure

A world biodiversity hotspot known for its natural beauty and for being the home of the dodo, Mauritius is on a crusade to reduce its eco-footprint while driving up visitor numbers.

Volcanic mountains, savannah-style plains and pockets of ancient forest with endemic plants and wildlife offer plenty of opportunity for green adventure, from birding, quad-biking and zip-lining to fishing and nature treks. Mauritius hosts a plethora of activities for all fitness and ability levels on land, sea and air and these can easily be arranged through resorts or tourist hubs.

Sweet heritage Sugar estates or domaines have been opening as eco-adventure parks offering nature treks, quad-biking, horse riding, mountain biking and 4x4 safaris to spot deer, monkeys and wild boar in vast swathes of Mauritius’ countryside. One of the favourites is Domaine L’Etoile on the east coast, where a Mauritian meal is served in a pretty thatched cottage, once the setting for the film of 18th century French author Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre’s novel, Paul et Virginie.

Meanwhile, L’Aventure du Sucre, the interactive museum nearby

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explores the island’s multi-cultural history as well as offering rum tastings.

Also close to the gardens is the latest eco-park, Domaine de Rambouillet in La Nicoliére, offering quad biking, mountain biking, hiking and archery.

Flora and fauna The Talipot Palm, which blooms once in a lifetime and then dies, is just one tree with a story in the popular Pamplemousses Botanical Gardens in the north, the third oldest botanical garden in the world.

Picturesque volcanic peaks and wilderness areas, including

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on unforgettable walks through the greenery as they encounter giant tortoises and view crocodiles.

Active exploration Horse riding is becoming increasingly popular and exciting rides can be found along the beach at Riambel, through the Mont Choisy Sugar Estate and up to the summit of Le Morne Brabant. The sugar plantations turned eco-adventure parks Domaine de L’Etoile in the east and Heritage Resorts’ Frédérica Nature Reserve on the Domaine de Bel Ombre are home to exciting quad biking and mountain biking trails.

Cycling is an excellent way to discover Mauritius and an opportunity to taste some of its culinary delights.

There are a number of companies promoting this healthy, sustainable and rewarding means of exploring the island.

Outrigger Beach Resort is working in partnership with Electrobike Discovery, allowing guests to

more easily discover its beautiful surroundings, nestled in a nature reserve in the south of Mauritius.

Guests can also arrange guided excursions to discover the many attractions of the area.

Electrobike Discovery’s goal is to enable as many as possible to have an authentic experience of Mauritius on one of its wide range of power-assisted bikes. This 100 per cent Mauritian company allows travellers to visit unexpected natural areas with a host of excursions, from Chamarel to Le Morne Brabant or Souillac.

In a similar vein, My Moris is a touring company born of a passion for the culture, history and heritage of Mauritius. The company aims to help visitors discover the heart of the island through its history, religions, languages, crafts and cuisine. The Exploration of Port-Louis’ Street Food tour allows visitors to explore Mauritius’ culinary history on foot while The Sweet Life of Poudre d’Or offers the chance to discover the heart of a Mauritian village by bicycle and on foot, with its cotton and indigo plantations and the stone-built architectural relics. ∧

the Black River Gorges National Park and La Vallée de Ferney, offer fantastic opportunities for hiking and experiencing the island’s unique environment. The well-marked trails of the park lead to rare birds such as the echo parakeet among the endemic ebony trees.

A guided tour around the tiny rocky wildlife sanctuary of Ile aux Aigrettes in the southeast is a chance to see the island’s famous pink pigeon, which, along with the Mauritius kestrel, echo parakeet and Mauritius skink, has been pulled back from the brink of extinction with the help of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Aldabra tortoises, have also been reintroduced on Ile aux Aigrettes, can be seen in all stages of development at La Vanille Reserve Des Mascareignes – the world’s only breeding centre – as well as the endangered Mauritius Fruit Bat. The island is also thought to be the dodo’s final resting place.

Set in a beautiful rainforest valley with natural freshwater springs, the Crocodile and Giant Tortoises Park offers an insight into how some of the island’s more unusual residents live. A local guide will take visitors

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Mauritius

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A shot of adrenalin The cliffs of the rugged south-west coast offer great rock climbing, while visitors wanting a bird’s eye view of the canopy can fly over the treetops on the longest zipline in the Indian Ocean at Casela Nature and Leisure Park. The park is also home to two new canyoning circuits as well as eco-friendly Segway tours.

Vertical World offers mountain and rock climbing too. More extreme adrenalin junkies can take a tandem skydive from 4,500 metres with SkyDive Austral at Riviere du Rempart, 20 minutes from Grand Baie. There is also the spectacular 90-metre abseil at Chamarel Falls and the opportunity to go cliffjumping at Tamarin Falls.

For something even more active, Yemaya Adventures offers Bras d’Eau National Park, which includes a peek into lava caves and sea kayaking expeditions to the northern Ile d’Ambre.

Seabound adventure The warm waters of the Indian Ocean and the island’s coral reef also provide a playground for adventure lovers. Larger resorts offer free non-motorised watersports equipment, including standup paddle boards, windsurf boards and kayaks, with many of the main tourist centres offering jet ski rental and parasailing. Seakarting, a homegrown sport, involves a unique hybrid combining the speed and

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excitement of a jet ski with the safety and comfort of an inflatable boat, giving riders the chance to explore the breathtaking coastline from Flic en Flac to Le Morne.

Surfers should also head to the south of the island to catch the best breaks, while the calmer waters of Kite Lagoon on the western side of Le Morne peninsula are better suited to kite surfing. The breezy east coast is a favourite with windsurfers and the exclusive Club Mistral Prestige caters for all levels at St. Regis Resort Mauritius in the southwest.

One Eye on Le Morne Peninsula has been voted the third best kitesurfing spot on earth and is a fixture on the annual Kite Surfing Pro World Champion Tour.

Rental yachts and catamarans for sailing and fishing expeditions offer hands on experience, while nonsailors can join a cruise to explore the coastal islets, often with lunch on the beach included.

With turtles, sharks and dive sites from canyons to submerged wrecks, Mauritius is known as one of the best diving spots in the Indian

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Ocean. Leading resorts have PADI dive centres, with sites for novice to experienced divers. The fringing reef, which lies a few hundred metres from the shore, provides a calm, safe training spot for novices while numerous shipwrecks and vast caverns like The Cathedral offer an unforgettable adventure for the wellpracticed. A variety of exotic species including parrot fish, angelfish, trumpet and clownfish make the reef an Aladdin’s Cave for snorkellers, too.

Strong currents and winds render the south and parts of the east coast unsuitable for diving, so most activity focuses on the west in the summer months, when the warm waters attract an abundance of marine life.

Blue Safari Submarine offers leisure rides to a depth of 35 metres while and Solar Sea Walk gives visitors a rare opportunity to walk on the ocean floor, among the corals and fish of the north’s crystal clear, shallow lagoon. Sea walkers wear a special helmet connected to breathing apparatus, meaning they don’t even have to remove their glasses.

Cultural attractions Visitors can get a sense of the multifaith nature of Mauritius by gazing over the churches, mosques and temples from the Citadel of Port Louis, above the eponymous capital.

On Le Caudan Waterfront below is The Blue Penny Museum, which hosts the world’s first colonial stamp while not far away, the Natural History Museum counts a unique dodo skeleton among its exhibits.

For a sense of Mauritius’ colonial past, head to French mansions island wide. Eureka Maison, framed by the Moka Mountains and with its 109 doors and wraparound balcony, is a feat of engineering. On the tea route, Saint Aubin’s Bois Cheri vanilla tea is the island’s best brew and Mahebourg, built on the shore of the immense bay of Grand Port, is one of the main fishing villages on the island.

One of Mauritius’ most famous attractions, La Vallee des Couleurs

Nature Park fascinates locals as much as it does tourists. The main attraction is the stunning 23-coloured volcanic rock dating back millions of years and there is a range of natural landscapes, including plateaus, mountains, valleys, craters and crater-lakes, filled with a variety of fauna and flora. The area is home to tortoises, monkeys, stags, fish, and birds – including the famous pink pigeon.

Similarly, in the south is the curious seven coloured earths of Chamarel, one of the most visited sites on the island, with rum tastings at Rhumerie de Chamarel nearby.

Runaway slaves once hid on the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Le Morne Mountain, at Mauritius’ south-western tip, where an early morning climb is rewarded with absolutely spectacular views over the coral gardens.

Mauritius has a fine mix of culture, distinct cuisine, natural attractions and adventure, making it a great place for travellers to relax, experience and explore. ED

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Chinese New Year Mauritian Chinese celebrate the new year in January or February, according to the lunar calendar. The festival is dominated by the colour red which symbolises happiness and extended family get-togethers are very important in Chinese communities worldwide. Expect firecrackers, edible treats and street festivities, especially in the Chinatown area of St Louis.

Chinese New Year was on 5 February 2019, though the celebration period extends beyond New Year’s Day itself.

Maha Shivaratree This festival is also called The Great Night of Shiva and is celebrated by a pilgrimage to Grand Bassin, a natural lake on the central plateau. Generally held in February, though in 2019 the festival was celebrated on 4 March, pilgrims dressed in white proceed to Grand Bassin carrying a bamboo contraption on their shoulders as a sign of sacrifice.

Mauritius National Day Mauritius’ National Day is celebrated on 12 March and 2018 marked the 50th anniversary of the island’s independence. The island was awash with celebrations throughout the year, bringing out the best of the culture, heritage and history, from bustling Port Louis to the traditional villages of Chamarel.

Cavadee This religious festival is celebrated mostly by Indians of Tamil origin and is quite a sight. After a period of fasting, participants go to the temple with their offerings on their back. There is also a fire-walking ceremony that is performed by these Indo-Mauritians of south Indian origin. In 2019 this was celebrated on 21 January.

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Festivals

Mauritius spans the cultural spectrum in terms of religion, with Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists co-existing harmoniously. This melting pot lends itself to a diverse experience for the traveller, who can witness centuries of beliefs and traditions at the various festivals throughout the year

Divali Divali, the festival of light, is celebrated by all Indo-Mauritians and a number of other communities. It was originally an Indian festival celebrating the victory of Lord Rama over the devil, as depicted in the epic poem, Ramayana. Many Mauritians decorate their homes with small oil lamps or electric bulbs and cakes are cooked and shared amongst neighbours and parents. The festival will fall on 27 October in 2019.

Eid-Ul-Fitr This festival is celebrated at the end of the month of Ramadan, during which time Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. All Muslims celebrate the day with prayers at the mosques and unsurprisingly food plays its part in this breaking of the daylight fast period, with cakes and other delights being shared with neighbours, friends and the poor.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It varies throughout the western solar year and in 2019 Eid will fall on 5 June.

FIK (Festival International Kreol) Every year, the International Creole Day is celebrated to showcase the authenticity of the creole culture through local music, arts, language and cuisine. The festival takes place in November.

Christian Festivals Mauritius has a large, mostly Catholic, Christian community. Most Christian celebrations such as Easter and Christmas are celebrated with some of the same traditions as in Europe.

At Easter, you will find the traditional Easter chocolate eggs on sale everywhere on the island. For Christmas, living rooms are decorated with Christmas trees and gifts are offered to the children. The sight of Father Christmas on a tropical island is an interesting experience for those from northerly latitudes.

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Culture and Cuisine The Mauritian gourmet experience reflects the country’s rich fusion of Indian, French, Creole and Chinese influences, offering an eclectic mix of flavours. Heading out to experience the local entertainment is a must to gain an understanding of this special country and its people One of the treasures of Mauritius is its street food and Port Louis or Mahébourg markets have food stalls on every corner.

In the village of Moka just outside the capital lies the Flying Dodo Brewery. It is the first and only brewery in Mauritius serving a full flavour blonde, a smooth semi-sweet amber, a Belgian-style wit and an experimental IPA. To keep you coming back, the brewery creates a new beer every month.

Treasures of the night In contrast to some Indian Ocean destinations where it’s a challenge to find anything open after 10pm, Mauritians are often found enjoying ‘sega’ – a popular style of local music and dance – into the early hours. Visitors can take a sega lesson at the Veranda Resorts and Angsana Balaclava or watch the experts at a show on the beach.

A large variety of night-time entertainment can be found at Grand Baie, where bars and clubs such as Red Cat Beach Lounge, Les Enfants Terribles and Banana Beach bar line the beach. Also,

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worth visiting are the Bombara Bar and Nightclub at Long Beach, C Beach Club in Domaine de Bel Ombre and the various bars including La Vida at Flic en Flac.

Cook it yourself You can’t beat following the locals at lunchtime for authentic Mauritian cuisine. Try traditional specialties vindaye poisson (seasoned grilled fish), rougaille saucisses (wild boar sausages in a spicy tomato sauce) and chicken kalya (cooked with yoghurt and spiced with saffron) at local restaurants or table d’hotes. Or have lunch at a domaine (sugar plantation) where island delicacies are on offer.

Not only can you taste Mauritian cuisine, but guests can learn how to cook it with Creole cooking lessons at resorts including Zilwa Attitude. ‘Field to fork’ cooking classes are offered yearround at Maradiva Villas Resort and Spa and in Epicurean Delight at Angsana Balaclava, guests learn to cook an ayurvedic tri-dosha meal, after visiting the market.

Recommended restaurants • Chez Tante Athalie near Pamplemousses Gardens, north Mauritius • Chez Tino, Trou d’Eau Douce, east Mauritius • Le Case du Pecheur, Vieux Grand Port, south-east Mauritius • Le Table de Château, Château Labourdonnais, north Mauritius • Varangue sur Morne, Chamarel, south-west Mauritius • Les Copains d’Abord, Mahébourg, south-east Mauritius • Le Palais de Barbizon, Chamarel, south-west Mauritius

Learning to cook Mauritianstyle is one of the ‘Touching Senses’ experiences at The Oberoi Mauritius, and fish curry and Lychee desert are on the menu of new cooking lessons at The Residence Mauritius. ED

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Mauritius

Hotels and spas

With the 50th anniversary of independence in 2018, many of Mauritius’ luxury hotels have undergone extensive refurbishments and include luxury spa facilities. We review a number of the options here

LUX* Grand Gaube

A pioneering vision from British interior designer Kelly Hoppen delivers a sophisticated but informal retro-chic lifestyle. Amid lush tropical gardens, LUX* Grand Gaube is enveloped by undulating coves, calm lagoons and two tranquil beaches.

Generously proportioned rooms with balconies or terraces and showstopper villas with private pools and gardens all come with Indian Ocean vistas. Fabulous restaurants and bars offer a traditional Creole smokehouse with rum treehouse, open sushi kitchen, a Pisco bar and a buzzy beach club.

There’s an abundance of places to relax or refuel and extensive sports and wellness facilities including two spectacular pools, a sensational new spa, fitness, tennis academy, golf and water sports. You can also take inspirational classes and expert-led workshops.

The LUX* Me’s three-day vitality experience combines spa treatments with fitness, relaxation, nutrition and healthy eating, while LUX* Me Zhengliao healing practice, developed by the Chinese Clinic Daoji, encompasses all aspects of health and wellbeing.

The 25-cabin Nira Spa at Shanti Maurice has added the Magnesium Sleep Therapy treatment to its range. With magnesium-infused oil which releases melatonin – the body’s sleep hormone – and aromatherapy oils, this treatment lulls guests into peaceful slumber.

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One&Only Le Saint Géran The One&Only Saint Géran was fully refurbished in 2017, with brand new suites, pool areas, fitness and spa offerings and culinary experiences. The stunning resort on the Belle Mare Peninsula is perfect for guests seeking luxury accommodation with incredible service and a colonial style.

Beautiful suites face either the Indian Ocean or lagoon, with gardens running down to the edge of the coral sand beach.

With new and transformed restaurants, dining is an experience to remember. A water sports pavilion offers a variety of activities from small catamarans to glass-bottom boat trips while a state-of-the-art fitness centre, two Padel Courts, tennis, mini-golf, football, a spinning room and a multi-activity room are available for those wishing to keep fit.

The One&Only Spa has serene private gardens and relaxing treatment rooms and three swimming pools, including one stunning example at the tip of the peninsula.

Maritim Mauritius

∧

At a prime location on the sunny and sheltered north west coast, the hotel is set within a historic 25ha estate and has 212 luxurious rooms and suites, as well as an exclusive villa, all sea-facing.

There are five restaurants and two bars, ranging from feet in the sand beach venues to Asian fusion and the fine dining Château Mon Désir.

Maritim Mauritius offers a range of land and water sports including horse riding, golf, archery, water skiing, diving and more.

The award-winning Tropical Flower Spa uses essential oils and elixirs of flowers and plants grown on the estate, offering a tranquility area where guests can relax behind a cascading waterfall.

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Attitude hotels and resorts Attitude runs seven hotels and resorts in Mauritius, several of which have recently been fully refurbished. Coin de Mire Attitude reopened in October 2017 after a threemonth renovation. The hotel now has 122 newly decorated rooms including nine family apartments. The refurbishment also brings the addition of the Mauritius Kot Nou restaurant, allowing travellers to taste the typical fresh and spicy local cuisine.

The Spa Attitude offers massages, body care and facials, with two single and one double treatment rooms,

Heritage Resorts Heritage Le Telfair reopened in September 2017 as Heritage Le Telfair Golf and Wellness Resort, a tropical island escape with redesigned common areas, suites and rooms, all with a dedicated butler and personal beach attendants. A clef d’or concierge is available to ensure every customer request is not only met, but expectations are exceeded.

Heritage The Villas is set in the sumptuous 2500ha Domaine de Bel Ombre, in the unspoilt southern part of Mauritius with views of the serene tropical landscaped gardens, the

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Fréderica Nature Reserve and the Indian Ocean. Families, groups of friends and golfers will enjoy the independence and privacy of a villa. Villa guests have access to the services and amenities of Heritage Le Telfair and Heritage Awali and the award-winning Heritage Golf Course.

The Seven Colours Spa Village offers personalised fitness programmes inspired by chakra philosophy, including treks in the beautiful surroundings of Frédérica Nature Reserve. It draws on the island’s natural richness as well as local knowhow and multicultural influences. More than a spa experience, Seven Colours Spa Village offers a holistic approach to wellness with each guest being treated with personalised care and guidance. ED

one of which has an effusion shower. Treatments are based on Mauritius’ sun, sea, soil, and plants. Natural products and essential oils are used in all beauty treatments.

Staff tailor treatments according to guests’ wishes, needs and emotions and Spa Attitude offers a complete range of massages, body care and facials together with its four signature treatments: Earth Attitude, Sea Attitude, Sun Attitude and Flora Attitude.

In September 2017, Tropical Attitude welcomed its first guests after its extensive renovation into an adult-only 3*+ Boutique Hotel. The refurbishment introduces a new bar lounge, renovated swimming pool area, contemporary and luminous decoration. The 58 seaview rooms are uncluttered, refined and spacious with white, minimal and natural colours.

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Golfing As the third country in the world to hold a golf match, Mauritius has become a first-class golfing destination in recent years. Both Alize Resorts (Casuarina Resort and Spa and Le Cardinal Exclusive Resort) are affiliate hotels of the new Mont Choisy Le Golf course, the only 18-hole golf course in the north of Mauritius. Guests receive preferential rates on golf rounds, lessons and equipment rental.

Mauritius has no less than eight high-quality 18-hole championship golf courses and three nine-hole courses to

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accommodate all players. The majority of courses in Mauritius are linked to luxury resorts, with many offering golfing packages or unlimited green fees for hotel residents. For non-residents, fees range from £50-150, including the use of a golf cart.

With world class courses around the island, it is no wonder that the island plays host to the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. The AfrAsia Mauritius Open is the first ever trisanctioned tournament endorsed by European and Asian Tours.

Set in the breathtaking landscape of Domaine de Bel Ombre, the Heritage Golf Club has one of the island’s most beautiful courses and boasts the world’s only 5-star, all-inclusive golf resort, the Heritage Awali Golf and Spa. Meanwhile, on the west coast, the Tamarina Golf, Spa and Beach Resort is the island’s only residential golf estate.

Mauritius also has some excellent academies for adults and children, such as the

Beachcomber Paradis Hotel and Golf Club and the Four Seasons Resort at Anahita. Heritage’s The Academy offers courses led by certified PGA professionals guaranteed to improve your swing.

Guests of Maritim Crystals Beach Hotel Mauritius and Maritim Resort and Spa Mauritius benefit from free green fees at the unique nine-hole Maritim Golf Course, which was designed by the renowned Australian professional golfer, Graham Marsh.

Located along the Turtle Bay within an estate of 25ha with countless palm trees and tropical flowers, the golf course gives guests an excellent opportunity to practise at various skill levels. Each hole can be played from two different tees.

Lessons for all levels as well as night golf sessions are available.

Maritim Resort and Spa Mauritius offers an urban golf course for amateur players. Also known as street golf or cross golf it involves playing on a building site or even the streets with a special and very light ball placed on a mat.

Guests hit the ball throughout the resort’s exceptional 25ha estate, starting near the spa and ending spectacularly at the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, Château Mon Désir.

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Official name: Capital: Time: Area: Population: Government: Economy: Major industries: Nominal GDP (2017): GDP per capita (2017): Currency: Rate as of 12/03/19:

Republic of Mauritius Port Louis GMT +4 2,040 sq km 1.3m Parliamentary republic Free market Tourism, sugar, textile and the service sector $13.34bn $10,186 Mauritian Rupee (Rs/MUR) 1 USD = 35 MUR 1 GBP = 46 MUR

LOWDOWN

World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index 2017: 20th 2017 Human Development Index: 0.79 (65th in world) Climate:

Summer months between November and April are warm and dry with average highs of 30 to 32 degrees Celsius. The winter months between May and October are cooler, with highs of around 26 to 30 degrees. The wettest months are December to March with monthly rainfall of 85mm in December to 160mm in February.

Working days:

Monday to Friday

Public Holidays 01 & 02 Jan: 21 Jan (2019): 01 Feb: 05 Feb (2019): 04 Mar (2019): 12 Mar: 06 Apr (2019): 01 May: 05 Jun: 15 Aug: 03 Sept (2019):

27 Oct: 01 Nov: 02 Nov: 25 Dec:

New Year Thaipoosam Cavadee (full moon in the Tamil month of Thai) Abolition of slavery Chinese New Year Maha Shivaratree (13th night & 14th day of the Hindu month of Magha) Independence Day Ugadi (first day of the Hindu month of Chaitra) Labor Day Eid al-Fitr (the first day after the month of Ramadan) Assumption Ganesh Chaturthi (the fourth day of the waxing moon period of the Hindu month of Bhaadrapada) Diwali (15th day of the Hindu month of Kartik) All Saints Day Arrival of Indentured Labor Christmas

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The World Bank

Mauritius has made great strides since independence in 1968 and is now an upper middle-income economy. Key challenges include tackling inequality, which remains at moderate levels but is increasing, and adapting to the impact of climate change

Political context Mauritius is a stable, multiparty, parliamentary democracy with ceremonial president and executive prime minister. Legislative elections held in December 2014 were won by the Alliance Lepep, a coalition comprising the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), the Mauritian Social Democrat Party (PMSD), and the Liberation Movement, with 53 out of 69 seats.

The MSM founder, Anerood Jugnauth, became prime minister.

In January 2017, following Jugnauth’s resignation, his son Pravind Jugnauth became prime minister. The next elections are due by the end of 2019. President Ameenah Gurib, appointed in 2015, resigned in March 2018 following allegations of financial impropriety and the vice president, Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory is currently the acting president.

Recent economic developments Real GDP growth reached four per cent in 2017. The main drivers were the service sector, especially finance and the trade and accommodation services. Tourist arrivals increased by 5.2 per cent in 2017 to reach 1.34m.

Inflation hit 6.9 per cent in February 2018, compared to 1.3 per cent a year earlier. However, core inflation, excluding volatile items

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such as food, remained under control at 2.9 per cent in January 2018.

Fiscal policy has been stable with an overall budget balance of -3.2 per cent of GDP for the fiscal year 201718, with similar figures predicted for 2018/19. Public sector debt levels are substantial, at approximately 56 per cent of GDP. Mauritius’ external balances continue to be supported by abundant financial and capital inflows, including net inflows to the large offshore corporate sector. The overall balance of payments remains moderately in surplus and gross international reserves rose to $6.1bn in January 2018.

Outlook The baseline scenario is for economic conditions to remain buoyant on the back of favourable external conditions and the pickup in public investment, notably Mauritius’s sizable road decongestion programme. Economic growth is projected to remain in the 3.5 to four per cent range, and this could even accelerate if the government’s ambitious public infrastructure programme gathers pace and stimulates more private investment.

The economy’s external financing position should benefit from continued strength in services exports (mainly tourism) and brighter

prospects for goods exports due to stronger economic growth in Mauritius’ key trading partners.

Development challenges Having overcome extreme poverty, Mauritius’s key development challenge is to foster more inclusive growth and boost shared prosperity.

While inequality in household consumption was stable between 2007 and 2012, income-based inequality has increased rapidly.

Mauritius’s relatively large offshore financial sector is grappling with the need to adapt to a fast-changing global regulatory environment and there are ambitious plans to reposition Mauritius as a regional financial hub. Future developments in the sector are critical to the overall economic outlook for Mauritius as it contributes significantly to jobs and income and to the country’s external financing position.

Mauritius faces the challenge of sustaining its model of historically inclusive growth as it progresses toward its government’s goal of becoming a high-income economy by the 2020s. The realisation of this ambition will hinge on improving the education system and addressing constraints to labour participation and productivity.

Strengthening the role of, and opportunities for, women in the economy could significantly help since, despite relatively strong female educational attainment, the female participation rate in the labour market is low (32 per cent lower than men in 2015) and the gender wage gap remains large at about 30 per cent in the private sector.

The World Bank www.worldbank.org/en/country/ mauritius/overview

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Taiwan

Taiwan

With strong links to Asia, North America and Europe, and a highly educated workforce, Taiwan is a great place to do business. Less well known is its stunning natural beauty and tourist activities, writes Toby Wilsdon The island nation of Taiwan lies 100 miles off the south-east coast of China and the country, officially known as The Republic of China (ROC), was one of the four original Asian Tiger economies (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Korea) that developed rapidly through the 1960s, ’70s ’80s and ’90s. Alongside this economic growth Taiwan peacefully evolved from a post (Japanese) colonial territory occupied by the Chinese (ROC) government in 1945 to a vibrant liberal democracy and mature economy.

This transformation, economic and political, was hard fought over many years. On 28 February 1947, the Taiwanese rebelled against perceived corruption and misrule of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KuoMinTang or KMT) and the rebellion was violently put down, resulting in around 10,000 deaths over the following months and beginning the period known as the White Terror. In 1949, in the wake of the 2-2-8 incident (February 28) the KMT government imposed martial law, which lasted until 1987.

The Taiwanese people gradually appropriated the ROC machinery of state through the ending of martial law, legalisation of opposition parties in 1991 and first direct presidential election in 1996. By

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can be taken care of in the same way – by burning paper models of whatever it is they should need from DVD players to Mercedes Benzes.

For many years Taiwan has been one of east Asia’s best places to do business. The country benefits from a combination of a highly educated workforce, very low poverty rates, an enterprise culture and relatively low personal taxation. Social and familial bonds are strong, with multiple generations often living together and sharing responsibilities.

The economy is export led – with the sector accounting for around 70 per cent of GDP. Electronics, information and communications equipment and components make up approaching half of this.

‘Doing business in Taiwan is relatively easy’

Not only were the chips in your devices likely made by Taiwanese companies, but if you own a decent bike, it is highly probable that it and most of its components were manufactured in Taiwan too.

Ninety-eight per cent of businesses are SMEs, making 31 per cent of all sales and employing 78 per cent of workers (source ROC Ministry of Economic Affairs). As is common in advanced industrial nations, the service sector has been growing as a proportion of the economy since the 1980s, now accounting for 62 per cent of GDP (CIA World Factbook).

Doing business in Taiwan is relatively easy as English is commonly spoken, particularly in professional environments. The cities feel remarkably safe, even in the small hours of the morning, and there certainly aren’t any no-go areas for foreigners. In nine years living in Taiwan, I can say I never felt truly threatened – even when confronted by a knife-wielding young “gangster” in a road rage incident on a busy street. Profuse apologies in Chinese and the calming influence of the angry ∧

the 2000s, Taiwan had had multiple democratic exchanges of power and was among the 30 richest countries in the world, as well as being one of the most liberal countries in Asia.

One indication of this is that in May 2017 the Judicial Yuan, Taiwan’s highest court, ruled that under the constitution same sex couples have the right to marry and gave the parliament two years to bring legislation in line with the constitution. As and when this occurs, Taiwan will be the first country in Asia to recognise same sex marriage.

While in some ways the liberallyminded democracy has long-since diverged from mainland China, in others Taiwan’s Chinese heritage is never far from the surface, with temples and family shrines common on the streets.

Among the many unfamiliar sights you will see throughout the city, is the burning of “ghost money” – imitation money that is incinerated at temples and outside homes in order to keep the ancestors in pocket. By extension of the concept that ghosts have financial needs, their material requirements

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young man’s girlfriend seemed to do the trick.

Taxis are cheap and easy. They are prolific at all hours and many drivers will speak English or at least recognise the names of major hotels, venues or attractions. Failing this, the business card of your hotel will get you home.

Taipei has a large number of international business hotels and endless choices of places to eat – from fine Chinese cuisine, international-style restaurants and bars, to local noodle bars, hotpot outfits, buffets, street food and night markets. All of these are worth trying and we have further details of fine dining on page 62.

Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2007, has a five-storey shopping mall including many western outlets and brands. The lifts are also record breakers. At a peak of a little over 60km/h, the two storey elevators were until 2016 the fastest in the world. They lead to an indoor observatory on the 88th-89th floors including the 660-tonne tuned mass damper. Together with advanced aerodynamics, foundations driven 80m into the ground and a flexible construction, Taipei 101 is designed to withstand winds of 130mph and one in 2,500 year earthquakes. All this makes it one of the most stable tall buildings in the world.

While Taiwanese cities are mostly modern and not exactly picturesque, there are a number of historic streets within cities as well as in small towns. These include DiHua Jie (Dihua Street) and HuaXi night market in Taipei, Lugang in Changhua County and the one-time capital Tainan in the south. There is little in the way of architecture that is over 150

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years old, however, and historic buildings often date from the Japanese colonial period – during which time the Japanese were exploring western influences.

The country’s mountainous interior is very different from the functional cities dominated by concrete, steel and glass. Taipei is surrounded by forested mountains, including the dormant volcano at the centre of Yangmingshan National Park, where you can find spas, volcanic hot spring resorts, teahouses and trails. In the hills a short drive or train ride to the east of Taipei lies the town of Pingxi, famous for its sky lantern festival and snack (xiao-che or small eat) lined old street. On the mountain road to the south-east of the capital is Pinglin with its tea plantations and museum. On the river a short distance to the south-west is Yingge, famous for its pottery.

A mountain range runs almost the entire length of Taiwan dividing the industrial west coastal plain from the stunning east, where the mountains drop directly into the Pacific Ocean. One of the beauties of Taiwan from a travel and business point of view is that it’s not very large and has excellent transport links, including the north-south High Speed Rail, which makes getting around really easy. Beyond the Taipei region, the stunning Taroko Gorge and Sun Moon Lake are must-sees for those who have the time, ensuring the right balance of natural charm and modern magic.

With its infrastructure, educated workforce and hi-tech industry Taipei is a great place to do business.

Less well known is its diverse range of tourist opportunities and we hope to give you some idea of these over the following pages. ED

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Far Eastern Plaza Hotel

201 Dunhua South Road Section 2, Taipei City 10675 Tel: +886 2 2378 8888 reservations.tpe@shangri-la.com www.shangri-la.com/taipei

Situated on the tree-lined Dunhua South Road, the hotel soars 43 storeys above Taipei’s business district and is five minutes from the Taipei World Trade Convention and Exhibition Center, 15 minutes from Taipei Songshan Airport and 45 minutes from Taoyuan International Airport. Liuzhangli and Technology Building MRT stations are both around 10 minutes’ walk away while a main bus stop is right outside the hotel. Extensive shopping and entertainment facilities are nearby.

Dining facilities include Shanghai Pavilion (Shanghainese), Marco Polo Restaurant (modern Italian), ibuki by TAKAGI

KAZUO (Japanese Teppanyaki, Kyoto, Sushi and Tempura), Shang Palace (Cantonese) and Cafeé at Far Eastern (all-day dining and buffet). Marco Polo Lounge (live DJ and cocktails) and Lobby Court (live performance and gins) feature beverage selections, afternoon tea and light snacks, while Li Bai Lounge (live jazz, whiskies and wines) provides a wide selection of delicacies and drinks.

The hotel boasts an outdoor summer swimming pool on the sixth floor and a year-round heated rooftop pool overlooking the city, Taipei 101 and the surrounding mountains.

Far Eastern Plaza Hotel

Grand View Resort Beitou 30 Youya Road, Beitou, Taipei City 112 Tel: 886 2 2898 8888 rsvn@gvrb.com.tw www.gvrb.com.tw Grand View Resort stands at the foot of YangMing mountain in the Beitou hot springs resort and is the only 5-star hotel in the district.

C.Y. Lee, the architect of Taipei 101, was responsible for the planning of the buildings, using logs and stones together with titanium plated metal and natural plants and ingeniously integrated natural landscape with architectural concept to present modest, timeless and remarkable characteristics through the combination of nature and human culture.

Grand View Resort has 66 top-class rooms, delicate Chinese and French

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cuisine, 16 private hot spring rooms, two public hot springs and spa service.

Every room is at least 50 square metres with great mountain views.

In both the Chinese and western restaurants, chefs cook certified fresh local ingredients to present delicacies that are a feast for the eyes and taste buds.

The hot spring has the first flow from Yangmingshan National Park’s Longfeng sulphur valley (Liuhuanggu).

Warm, nourishing white sulphur springs in private space surrounded by mountains help you relax physically, psychologically and spiritually.

SPRING 2019 | ISSUE 1

Howard Plaza Hotel Taipei 160 Renai Road Section 3, Taipei City 10657 Tel: +886 2 2700 2323 www.howard-hotels.com.tw/en/taipei/home

The Howard Hotels Resorts Suites has 13 properties in Taiwan, including five in Taipei, making it the largest 5-star hotel chain in Taiwan.

The Howard Plaza Hotel, Taipei, is the group’s flagship hotel, located in Xinyi, the city’s financial and government district. It is five minutes’ walk from Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station, shopping and entertainment areas and 10 minutes’ drive from Taipei 101, the Taipei World Trade Center and the Taipei International Convention Center.

It has 606 rooms and suites featuring traditional Chinese Rosewood furniture and incorporates the latest technology, with individually controlled air conditioning, broadband, pay-perview movies, dual line telephones, voicemail, personal safe and tea and coffee making facilities.

The Rosewood Club Lounge, with its private meeting room, offers Rosewood Club Business Suites guests a professional and personalised service. The 700-seat Howard Ballroom has an additional 12 meeting rooms, all supported by state-ofthe art audio-visual equipment and a team of experienced personnel.

The Garraud Paris Beauty Center and the Health Center feature the most modern fitness equipment, aerobics studio, steam and dry sauna and hair beauty salon, while the greenery and soothing environment of the ground floor outdoor swimming pool is perfect for those who love to swim.

There are seven restaurants offering various cuisines, from American to Shanghainese and authentic TaiwaneseChinese dining and a high-class underground shopping arcade.

Miramar Garden Hotel 83 Civic Boulevard Section 3, Taipei City 10491 Tel: +886 2 8772 8800 info@miramargarden.com.tw http://miramargarden.com.tw Miramar Garden Taipei boasts a classic European architectural design.

The high-ceilinged lobby, spacious guest rooms, varied cuisine and fitness facilities, including a Vigor Health Club, swimming pool and meeting and conference rooms, go a long way towards satisfying the demands of the holidaymaker and the business traveller.

You can enjoy Miramar Garden Taipei’s buffet at Rain Forest restaurant or try delicious and creative cuisines prepared at Light Café. JIU BAR provides a comfortable environment

for socialising and relaxation. TicTic-Tac-Toe Bakery offers some unique desserts.

Miramar Garden Taipei is located at the intersection of Civic Boulevard and Jianguo South Road in the heart of the commercial district, eight minutes’ and 15 minutes’ walk to Zhongxiao-Xinsheng and Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT Stations respectively.

The hotel is 40 minutes from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, 15 minutes from Taipei Songshan Airport and 10 minutes from the Taipei World Trade Center and other shopping areas by car.

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Taiwan

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Beyond Taipei, the High Speed Rail makes travel from north to south simple, via the major cities of Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung.

The route is 350km long, trains run at up to 300km/h and end-toend, the journey can take as little as one hour and 45 minutes.

Taiwan is located at the convergence of four tectonic plates, resulting in high mountain ranges down the length of the island. On the east coast, these drop steeply into the Pacific Ocean while the flat west coast is home to all of the country’s major cities. There are 272 peaks of at least 3,000m and the 3,952m Yushan (Jade Mountain) is the tallest mountain in north-east Asia.

Around Taiwan

Tea The country’s landscape and

climate have created perfect conditions for tea cultivation, with crops processed into green, oolong and black teas – unoxidised, semi-oxidised and fully oxidised respectively. Famous teas include Wenshan Pouchong, Emei Oriental Beauty, Yuchi Assam, Alishan High Mountain and Ruisui Honey Black.

In both cities and mountains you will find tea houses where you can enjoy a wide variety of teas presented in the traditional manner of a tea ceremony. It is also possible to visit plantations and pick tea.

Hot springs Taiwan has more than 100 hot

spring areas, many of which have special therapeutic qualities and a number of these are easily accessible from Taipei.

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Wulai, to the south of Taipei City has springs rich in sodium bicarbonate, known as a superb natural skin lubricant, whereas those at Yangmingshan and Beitou to the north are sulphur infused. Jinshan,

on the north east coast, has pure water springs, which are gentle on the skin. Hot spring resorts will usually have adjoining restaurants where you can enjoy traditional Taiwanese dining.

SPRING 2019 | ISSUE 1

North coast Taipei itself sits in a bowl,

surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the Tamsui (Danshui) river leading to the eponymous port to the north-west. Directly north is Yangmingshan National Park on the dormant volcano YangMing mountain. There are many walking trails on the 1100 metre mountain and semi-wild Taiwanese water buffalo and Japanese Tajima cattle can be found wandering in some areas of the park. Seismic activity means there are ample hot springs in the area, particularly at Beitou.

Beitou and Tamsui are easily accessed by MRT on the Tamsui (red) line – travel north on any red line train and you can’t go wrong. By this point the metro

runs overground, often elevated, continuing alongside the river to Tamsui, where it terminates.

The historic port is a popular seaside destination with markets, restaurants and shopping streets.

Another attraction is Fort San Domingo, built by the Spanish in 1629 to overlook the mouth of the river during their brief colonisation of Taiwan.

The coast road runs from Tamsui, around the northern tip of the island to the container port of Keelung, 55km away. This route is popular with cyclists and makes a good day ride, with the option to take the train back to Taipei or ride the last 25km through the hills.

Towards the end of the coastal journey, the road passes the fantastical Yehliu rock formations, which are well worth a visit. Buses run hourly on weekdays and every half hour at the weekend.

Alternatively, you could hire a car or take a taxi on the 55km scenic journey. The direct route back to Taipei via the Sun Yat-Sen Freeway is a mere 20km.

The east coast For anyone with a little more time

to spare, taking the east coast highway south of Keelung is a must.

The SuHua section, which runs from Suao to Hualian, is dominated by the steeply sloped mountains that drop directly into the Pacific Ocean. Tunnels are hewn out of rocky outcrops with spectacular vistas across the bays between them. The QingShui cliffs provide a particularly dramatic view. The route is also accessible by train, although with more tunnels, this is less picturesque than the road.

At the end of this section, Hualian lies at the foot of the spectacular Taroko Gorge, a rift in central Taiwan that leads to the 3400 metre HeHuanShan. The 19km-long canyon and eponymous national park is the world’s deepest marble canyon, making it is a major tourist attraction.

The interior With a few days free, a couple of

nights at Sun Moon Lake in the mountainous centre of the island is well worthwhile. The lake is renowned for its natural beauty and there are many high-end hotels at the destination, mostly clustered in the towns of Shuishe and Yuchi.

The Sun Moon Lake bike path has been listed by international travel network CNNGo as one of the 10 most beautiful cycling tracks in the world. ED

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Taiwan

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Fine Dining Taipei

Here we feature our favourite five Taiwanese restaurants, including the only three Michelin starred restaurant, Le Palais and the twostarred RyuGin and The Guest House.

A further 17 restaurants were rewarded with onestar status in the 2018 list and we showcase two of these in Golden Formosa and RAW.

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Le Palais *** Tel: +886 2 2181 9985/9986 www.palaisdechinehotel.com

Chef Chan moved to Taiwan from Macau nearly 20 years ago and specialises in Cantonese cuisine of the highest quality. The lavishly furnished dining room feels modern and chic, but with nice traditional touches such as ceramic art, calligraphy and paintings.

The cooking is truly outstanding, with the Cantonese-style crispy roast duck, the tofu dishes and the baked egg custard tarts especially impressive; consider pre-ordering the roast baby duck. Service is thoughtful and friendly.

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Three Michelin stars • Le Palais Two Michelin stars • RyuGin • The Guest House One Michelin star • Da-Wan • Danny’s Steakhouse • Golden Formosa • Ken An Ho • Kitcho • L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon • La Cocotte by Fabien Verge • Longtail • Ming Fu • MUME • RAW • Sushi Nomura • Sushi Ryu • Tairroir • Three Coins • Tien Hsiang Lo • Ya Ge

RyuGin ** Tel: +886 2 8501 5808

www.nihonryori-ryugin.com

∧

Sister to the world-renowned RyuGin in Tokyo, this restaurant delivers similarly creative, modern Japanese cuisine but uses the best of the island’s ingredients and introduces subtle elements of Taiwanese gastronomy to the dishes. These ingredients are superb, the cooking is technically accomplished and the contrasts in texture perfectly judged. The seven and 10 course menus, well matched wine pairings and exceptional service make for a memorable experience.

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Taiwan

www.executivedestinations.net

The Guest House ** Tel: +886 2 2321 1818 www.sheratongrandtaipei.com

Formerly a members-only dining club, it impresses not with its décor, but with its food. Impressive skills transform seemingly simple dishes into tasteful presentations revealing great textures and taste. The menu is largely Hunan and Sichuan in origin, but with a Taiwanese twist. Signature dishes include doublesteamed soups, chicken rice with sesame oil, pork tail braised in red yeast rice, and millefeuille tofu skin.

Golden Formosa * Tel: +886 2 2871 1517 www.goldenformosa.com

In the 1960s, the family started serving heavily seasoned bar food to go with alcoholic drinks. The third-generation owner still follows the same family recipes from the old days. Their signature deep-fried pork ribs are made with local pork, fried twice to seal in the juices and to crisp up the crust. Try also Buddha Jumps Over The Wall, a chicken soup with 10-plus gourmet ingredients for ultimate richness and an array of complex flavours.

RAW * Tel: +886 2 8501 5800 www.raw.com.tw

The owner-chef of the world-famous Restaurant André in Singapore opened RAW in his home town in 2014. The strikingly futuristic Weijenberg-designed interior features two gigantic pine wood organic forms that lend the faux-industrial space a back-to-nature feel. The eight course prix-fixe menu showcases chef Chiang’s creative take on Taiwanese cuisine with the occasional street food influence – expect modern presentation and a stimulating blend of flavours, textures and temperatures. ED

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C U LT U R E W I S E

Taiwan Business Culture

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To understand Taiwanese business culture, it is helpful to understand some of the core cultural values that exist across China. These are attitudes towards status and hierarchy; the issue of face; and the idea of harmony.

For thousands of years Chinese society was pyramid shaped. There was one ruler at the top (the emperor), a variety of officials administering the country in the middle and families at the bottom. These relationships were based on a set of mutual responsibilities between people of different social status.

The belief was that hierarchically ordered personal relationships of this type would lead to a harmonious social system from which conflict would largely be absent.

This principle of strict hierarchical differentiation applied outside the family and within. At work, lower classes automatically respected those above them; one’s superiors meriting respect purely by rank. A person’s place was not necessarily fixed – he or she could rise or fall within the ranks – but the ranks themselves continued unchanged.

Within the family, each person had a clearly defined relationship to the others and a person’s identity was in part established by his or her role within the group.

Compared to many western cultures, Taiwan remains a highly structured society where the position one occupies in the hierarchy, and the close support of the family and groups one belongs to, is extremely important.

The focus on status and hierarchy means that decision-making in Taiwanese companies

Taiwan

is still sometimes centred right at the top of the organisation. Typically, the chairman, CEO or deputy CEO must sign off all major decisions, even when negotiations have taken place at more junior levels.

Many individuals still automatically defer to those above them in their workplace as well as in society in general. So, if you find yourself in a meeting where the more junior people in the room continually defer to the senior figure present, or you are not getting the direct feedback you need, you may need to find strategies for finding out what they really think. One-to-one social situations can be useful for this type of information gathering.

Taiwanese society places great importance on belonging, whether to work unit, family, school or community. In these circumstances retaining the respect and support of one’s peers and of people of higher and lower social status is vital. This type of respect can be labelled “face”. Face essentially means having personal dignity in the eyes of the people around us. Having face means having a high status in the eyes of the people that matter. It is a mark of personal worth. Many Taiwanese are acutely sensitive to having and maintaining face in all aspects of social and business life. You should always be aware of the face factor in your dealings with customers or colleagues and never do or say anything that could cause someone to lose face in front of coworkers or other work groups.

The easiest way to cause someone to lose face is to criticise him or her in front others.

Another way is to treat someone in a way that does not match his or her status in the organisation. Find out the relative rank of the person you are dealing with and respect it.

There is significant value attached to the idea that everyone in society should play his or her proper role, compromise where necessary and fulfil their mutual responsibilities.

In practical terms you should strive to maintain harmony in all your dealings. For example, you may need to look carefully at your strategies for giving feedback or for dealing with potentially conflictive situations.

SPRING 2019 | ISSUE 1

TIMTOS 1 ● 3 ●

1

2

March 4-9

Taipei Int'l Machine Tool Show

March 27-30 1

2

Taipei Int'l Cycle Show

TaiSPO 1 ● 3 ●

March 28-30

Taipei Int'l Sporting Goods Show

SPOMODE 1 ● 3 ●

March 28-30

Taipei Int'l Sports Textile & Accessory Expo

DiWaS 1 ● 3 ●

March 28-30

Taiwan Int’l Diving & Water Sports Show

Giftionery Taipei 1 ●

April 18-21

Taipei Int'l Gift & Stationery Show

Houseware Taiwan 1 ●

April 18-21

Taiwan Houseware & Home Décor Show

TAIWAN SOUVENIR 1 ●

April 18-21

Taiwan Souvenir & Handicraft Show

TAIPEI AMPA 1

2

April 24-27

Taipei Int'l Auto Parts & Accessories Show

AutoTronics Taipei 1

April 24-27

Taipei Int'l Automobile Electronics Show

1 ●

Taiwan ITS

April 24-27

Taiwan Int'l Intelligent Transportation Show

2

April 25-28

Taiwan Int'l Car Tuning & Car Care Show

April 25-28

Taiwan Int’l Motorcycle Industry Show

May 8-10

Taiwan Int'l Lighting Show

1

2

May 28 - June 1

●

May 29-31

Discover Advanced Trends in E-commerce

1

June 19-22

Taipei Int’l Food Show

2

Taiwan Innotech Expo AMPA MYANMAR

June 19-22

Taipei Int’l Food Processing & Pharm. Machinery Show

TAIPEI PACK 2

June 19-22

Taipei Int’l Packaging Industry Show

Taiwan HORECA

June 19-22

Taiwan Int’l Hotel, Restaurant & Catering Show

June 19-22

Taiwan Int’l HALAL Expo

TAITRONICS

June 27-30

Taiwan Int'l Medical & Healthcare Expo

AIoT Taiwan

July 5-8 Taichung Int’l Tea, Coffee & Bakery Show

TADTE

August 15-17

October 16-18

Circular Economy Taiwan

October 16-18

Kaohsiung Food Show

October 24-27

Kaohsiung Horeca

Kaohsiung HALAL ■

October 24-27

Kaohsiung Int’l Hotel, Restaurant, Baking & Catering Show

October 24-27

Kaohsiung Int'l HALAL Expo

Venues:

Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA)

1 TWTC Exhibition Hall 1 ●

5, Xinyi Rd., Sec. 5, Xinyi District, Taipei 11011, Taiwan Tel: 886-2-2725-5200 www.taitra.org.tw Fax: 886-2-2725-1314 E-mail: exhibit@taitra.org.tw

3 TWTC Exhibition Hall 3 ●

*Please Check Website for Updated Information. 2018.08(Ver.1)

Energy Taiwan

■

Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition

Organizer:

October 8-11

Taiwan Int’l AIoT Show

■

Taichung Int’l Expo Center

1 ●

October 8-11

Taipei Int'l Electronics Show

1

MEDICAL TAIWAN 1 ●

September 26-29

1

HALAL TAIWAN 1 ●

September 26-29

Myanmar Int’l Electrical, Electronics & Electric Power Equipment Fair

1

2

September 26-28

Yangon Convention Center

1

1

September 26-28

Taiwan Int'l Fisheries & Seafood Show

Yangon Convention Center

Foodtech & Pharmatech TAIPEI 1

Taiwan Fishery

POWER EXPO MYANMAR

FOOD TAIPEI 1 ●

August 21-24

Taiwan Int'l Plastics, Rubber & Composites Show

Myanmar Int'l Auto Parts, Accessories & Motor Show

DATE 1 ●

PLASCOM TAIWAN

1 ●

COMPUTEX TAIPEI 1 ●

August 21-23

■

TILS 1

Aqua Taiwan

■

MOTORCYCLE TAIWAN 2

August 15-17

Taiwan Int’l Drone Show

Taiwan Int’l Water Show

Taiwan Car Tuning 2

DRONE TAIWAN

5, Xinyi Rd., Sec. 5, Xinyi District, Taipei 11011, Taiwan 6, Songshou Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei 11051, Taiwan 1

Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 1 1, Jingmao 2nd Rd., Nangang District, Taipei 11568, Taiwan

2

Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 2 1, Jingmao 2nd Rd., Nangang District, Taipei 11568, Taiwan

● Taipei International Convention Center 1, Xinyi Rd., Sec. 5, Xinyi District, Taipei 11049, Taiwan

■ Kaohsiung Exhibition Center 39, Chenggong 2nd Road, Qianzhen Dist., Kaohsiung 80661, Taiwan

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Official name: Capital: Time: Area: Population: Government: Economy: Major industries: Nominal GDP (2017): GDP per capita (2017): Currency: Rate as of 12/03/19:

Taiwan

Republic of China Taipei GMT +8 36,197 sq km 23.6m Semi-presidential democracy Free market Electronics, communications and information technology $579bn $25,534 New Taiwan Dollar, (NT$/ TWD) 1 USD = 31 TWD 1 GBP = 41 TWD

LOWDOWN

World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index 2017: 13th 2017 Human Development Index: 0.907 (theoretical 20th in the world)

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Climate:

Taiwan sits on the Tropic of Cancer and the summer is hot and humid, with average highs of 30 to 35 degrees Celsius from May to September. In winter, average highs range from 20 to 25 degrees, with lows occasionally falling below 10. Bursts of heavy rain are common all year round with monthly rainfall ranging from 350mm in September to 75mm in December. The typhoon season is June to October.

Working days:

Monday to Friday (some companies work Saturday mornings)

Public Holidays 01 Jan Founding of Republic of China (also New Year’s day) 04-09 Feb (2019) Chinese New Year (Last day of 12th lunar month to 3rd

working day of 1st month) 28 Feb

228 (Two Two Eight Memorial Day commemorates the

February 28 incident of 1948) 04 Apr Children’s Day/Women’s Day 05 Apr (2019) Tomb Sweeping Day (15th day after spring equinox) 01 May Labor Day 07 Jun (2019) Dragon Boat festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month) 10 Oct 10:10 day. National Day (commemorates Wuchang Uprising of 1911) 13 Sept (2019) Mid-autumn Festival (15th day of the 8th lunar month)

A 5 star stay in barefoot glamour

The Azia Resort & Spa, the 5-star hotel in Paphos that has been voted and chosen as one of the best hotels in the World in the categories of Spa, Design, Families and Luxury in publications such as:

CONDE NAST TRAVELLER, ELLE, GRAZIA, WORLD LUXURY SPA AWARDS, TRIPADVISOR, ZOOVER etc.

THE TIMES with a raving article that says 'It is like entering a capsule of tranquility. Azia manages to do luxury without snootiness or class ostentation, a rarity these days.'

ELLE magazine in the UK included the Azia in “the best for stylish holidays” at the category short-haul destinations.

THE INDEPENDENT “…The Azia is five-star but not formal. So take the baby and relax…”

The travel bible CONDE NAST TRAVELLER in the UK honoured the Azia with a 10-page article exclusively on the resort: “The place that ticks all the boxes is the Azia Resort & Spa” “luxury category …. is just the right combination of glossy and unpretentious … no glitz but lots of chic … the gardens are extraordinary…” “…spa would be a perfect place for one of those recuperative holidays” HOUSE & GARDEN listed the Azia as one of the “most exciting hotels in the world” in its worldwide Hotels by Design edition THE SUNDAY TIMES TRAVEL magazine included the Azia in its “Readers Reveal the Best in the World” THE MAIL adored the Spa and gave it top rating for: Celebrities at the resort, Staff Attentiveness, Pamper rating and Luxury for Money.

TRIPADVISOR awarded the Azia with 2 awards in 2014 WORLD LUXURY HOTELS AWARDS awarded the Azia for a second time Information| Reservations: Tel: 00357-26845100 | e-mail: info@aziaresort.com Pafos - Cyprus

www.aziaresort.com

Expat Business

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People First American executive Jim Hill meets with our editor to speak about setting up shop in Taiwan

Jim Hill came to Taiwan from the United States in 2003 with a job for a Taiwanese relocation company, Crown Van Lines. After a short time there, he progressed to managing the Taipei office of Hong Kong-based Santa Fe Relocation, moving foreign businesspeople in and out of Taiwan, finding accommodation, schools, services and all the other requirements for a smooth transition.

After 10 years at Sante Fe, he decided it was time to branch out on his own and set up employee-owned company, People First Relocation.

Having taken this step, he is well established in Taiwan and knows all the practicalities of setting up and running a business, as well as living in one of the most vibrant, businessfriendly yet socially harmonious countries in the world.

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What were the initial challenges working in Taiwan?

Language and communication style.

How long did it take to get up to speed?

After six months it started to get a little easier.

Were you well supported by your company and, where needed, by local authorities?

My first employer, Crown Van Lines gave little support. They were a Taiwanese family business and had no training on international relations. Santa Fe gave little support either, but I was more experienced then and able to adapt quicker. They also paid me a lot more to just get on with it.

How did it feel when you started?

At Crown I was very confused, nobody guided me on what to do.

In the first few months they gave me a desk and computer. Nothing else. At Santa Fe it took a few years before I felt really comfortable.

Were you confident that Taiwan would work out for you?

Initially, no. I started to look for other jobs. As time went on at Crown I became better at what I did, which made it easier when working with colleagues.

What were the networking opportunities like?

At Crown very few, also I did not have a good understanding of how to approach networking in Taiwan.

At Santa Fe I started to understand

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the power of engaging in the chambers of commerce and other expat organisations.

Was the international business community supportive?

It was ambivalent initially. As they got to know me better relationships were forged, a lot of referral business, people I would go to for advice.

How did you generate business?

As I was not a strong networker at that time, I focused on oneon-one relationships. Most business came from word of mouth from previous customers.

How was the initial experience of fitting into local culture?

There were lots of frustrations, mostly with language as it hindered a lot of what I was trying to do.

Was it easy to find social networks within the business community and ex-pat circles?

Not at that stage in my career.

Is Taipei a good place to hang out?

Younger people may be disappointed by the nightlife but there are many other activities to take in.

And what about opportunities beyond the capital city?

Work-wise, there are not so many but as far as recreation is concerned there many things to see and do.

How challenging was setting up a company as a foreigner?

It was very easy since as I already had my APRC (Alien Permanent Resident Certificate) I did not require the company to support my residence visa. There was no minimum amount of money required. Taiwan is getting well known as a start-hub in Asia.

What skills and experience did you bring from your prior work in Taiwan, in terms of setting up a business?

I guess you could say I knew a lot of the shortcuts. For example, how to find a good CPA (Certified Public Accountant) to get the business license. I also knew which accounts to focus on and where to spend my small marketing budget.

Are there any special considerations regarding ownership of businesses or foreigners setting up businesses?

You need to consult with a CPA to figure out what business entity is best for you. For example, limited liability, representative office, etc. All have pros and cons.

Once they know your business model they can recommend one for you.

Did this influence the structure of People First?

Yes, also as services is our whole business we want to get/retain the best people. Therefore

we’ve structured it as an employee owned company.

Is it easy to get good, educated, skilled staff?

Yes, Taiwan has arguably some of the best workforce on the planet.

What is your experience of working alongside Taiwanese people, as well as doing business with them?

It’s a true pleasure working alongside my Taiwanese colleagues.

Cohesiveness is important in Chinese culture and we work collectively very well. As a customer there can be challenges because they value things differently from our western customers. I lean on our Taiwanese staff for their advice on selling to local customers.

How was regulation and taxation?

Taxation is fairly straightforward, I do recommend getting a CPA for end of year filing.

Was government an enabler?

If you asked me five years ago I’d probably say no, but we have seen a change. You can now see the government being very supportive of foreign companies setting up business in Taiwan.

How do you see the future for People First?

Our business model is very conducive to north Asia. We may grow a little more in Taiwan but look at expanding in other cities in the region.

You’ve been in Taiwan for 15 years.

Is there anything that would drag you away?

Summer heat here can be difficult.

As I get older, I may want to find a cooler place for these months. ED

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Adventure

www.executivedestinations.net

Executive Decision When was the last time you felt completely free? When did you last go to bed at night wondering what would happen to you the next day, who you would meet, what you would see? When did you last experience the kindness of strangers? And when was the last time you made a brave decision that truly changed your life?

For most of us, entirely new experiences and the freedom to discover them are rare. But it is often the case that making the decision to act is far harder than the action itself.

In the wake of a string of personal and professional setbacks, I had a job, but no career; friends but not much of a social life and no particular direction.

Travel had always been a love of mine, from family camping holidays driving from site to site on the beaches and mountains of Europe to the classic commercial overland journey from London to

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Kathmandu I’d taken aged 18. If I was to settle down, it seemed I should have one more big trip in me first.

Unbroken land journeys offer the chance to experience the incremental changes in environment and culture that are impossible to find jetting in and out of any given location. One is more likely to encounter local people in everyday situations and thus more likely to experience the unprompted, non-transactional kindness of strangers, that natural generosity that people display when given no reason to mistrust.

What’s more, overland journeys offered the absolute freedom to stop wherever and whenever one wanted, at whichever beach, village or place of interest that announced its presence to you; places that had no reason to be in the tourist guide but were potentially well worth your attention.

With time on my hands and the internet at my disposal, I discovered there were many people traversing the globe by bike. These were normal people, not superheroes, the only thing that distinguished them was that they had made the choice to do something remarkable.

Everything else followed from there.

In March 2001 I discovered Andy Ganner on a travel forum, asking if anyone was “crazy enough” to cycle with him from his home in Stoke-on-Trent to Singapore. With the road to Vladivostok yet to be built, Singapore was the furthest place you could ride to on the Eurasian continent. This seemed an opportunity too good to be missed.

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every inch of the way to increase my chances of making it to Singapore.

In the cold light of day, it wasn’t hard. If I was to need recovery time or even treatment, western Europe was the place to get it. I decided to be prudent and take a train to our next major stop, Dusseldorf.

While it was a disappointment to have capitulated so soon, I knew it was the right choice. Travelling alone was a liberation. A fully loaded touring bike is a great icebreaker and I met a number of interesting characters along the way.

After a few days R&R in Dusseldorf we were on the road again, heading up the often-forested Rhein valley towards Heidelberg. I seemed fully recovered at first but after a cold night I woke unable to move my knee – a frightening prospect at this stage. Gently easing it back and forth, I recovered movement but within a kilometre the pain was back. There was no question of going on so I made my way back to the station to travel on to Prague, where I would be about a week ahead of the others.

This felt like the last chance. If my knee didn’t recover this time, there was no reason to believe it would do after a further rest. ∧

“So, Toby. Do you have any ‘bikepacking’ experience?” Andy said on the phone.

“Er, no.”

“Do you have a valid passport?”

“Yes – but it expires in June, I think I can get one in time.”

Andy had his doubts but within a couple of months I was as prepared as I’d ever be. I met up with him in Stoke a couple of times; Scott Zentack flew in from Texas a week before departure and Rory

James joined us in person just the night before we left. As he walked into Andy’s parents’ house grinning from ear to ear, the connection was there and the team was complete.

We left Stoke on the first of June, making our way down the backbone of England, staying at Rory’s house in Leicester, his parents’ place in London and my home near Brighton. Reaching Romney Marsh on our last night in England, we were unable to find somewhere to pitch our tents. With the sun setting Rory piped up, “We could camp in a pub garden.”

Without hesitation I walked into the Royal Oak and explained our predicament. “We’re four thirsty cyclists on our way to Singapore and we don’t have anywhere to stay, could we could camp in your beer garden?” The implicit deal was simple. They would provide a spot to camp; we would spend on food and drink. For the first time we relied on the kindness of strangers.

Two weeks in, riding through the low countries just as the group was beginning to gel, I developed a pain deep in my knee that showed no sign of going away. I was faced with a tough choice; soldier on and risk it getting worse, or abandon cycling

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Beyond the fear that my knee might be irreparably damaged, my greatest concern now was that the others would form bonds that made it difficult for me to reintegrate.

Either way, I was determined to take advantage of the Czech Republic’s greatest gift to humanity – pilsner, which originated in the town of Pilsen in 1842.

After a few days looking around Prague, I was reunited with Andy, Rory and Scott and was relieved to have no trouble reintegrating with the group. We exchanged travellers’ tales and prepared for the next leg of the trip. As we left Prague, it felt like a watershed moment, moving beyond our western European hinterland towards the less familiar countries of Hungary, Romania and the former Soviet Union.

Riding south across Slovakia we wild camped for the first time, making our way up a track that led away from the main road. We pitched our tents with a Dutch couple we’d met on the road and fired up our noisy Dragonfly petrol stoves to cook our regular rice and chopped veg followed by cherries we’d scrumped earlier in the day.

As we ate, drank and talked in the twilight, a shadowy figure approached with a gun over his shoulder. There was little we could do but let him advance. We sized each other up before he set

the standpipes we encountered. As we approached Romania there was a sense of trepidation. Our image of that country was coloured by images of the 1989 revolutions and the subsequent revelation of children abandoned in orphanages.

The Hungarians did not help. As was our experience on every border, the locals would warn us off the following country saying it was dangerous and the people there were uncivilised.

As ever, these fears proved unfounded.

If anything, Romania was friendlier than any of the countries we’d yet experienced.

The country was beautiful with forested mountains and deep river valleys but it presented my biggest challenge yet. Having gone to bed with a slight fever, I quickly fell behind on the first morning in the country. Inexplicably tired, I tried to convince myself it was about attitude and will power. I couldn’t and it wasn’t. There was something wrong.

The Carpathians was the first major mountain range we’d encountered and the coincidence with my exhaustion couldn’t have been less opportune. I lagged behind all day and felt little sympathy from the others riding at their own pace.

I was drained when we stopped for provisions in the evening so, taking control of the situation, I asked a Romanian if he knew of anywhere to camp. He said he thought there might be somewhere about 50 miles away, but we could pitch our tents at the Baptist summer camp he ran a few kilometres away.

‘A shadowy figure approached with a gun over his shoulder’

∧

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off on his way again, most likely as keen to be discreet as we were. It was a salutary reminder – there were people out there who would take an interest in us, but at the same time the vast majority would wish us no ill.

A few days later we found ourselves looking for somewhere to pitch our tents again when what seemed like a perfect opportunity arose. Set back from the road was a large abandoned house in expansive grounds.

Doors and windows were open so we did what came naturally and went inside to explore.

There was a deathly quiet about the place but there were signs of recent activity. The carcasses of decommissioned one-armed bandits filled one room while others were stacked with the intimate documentation of people’s lives, official papers, children’s toys and exercise books and most sinisterly, personal photographs – the kind of thing not normally left behind.

People’s lives were laid out in front of us, apparently abandoned with no time to spare. We shelved any plans we had to sleep inside and retreated to pitch our tents in the grounds.

There was a distinct change in the environment as we rode east across Hungary; the pace of life slowed, horse drawn carts piled with hay were common and we regularly filled our bottles from

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When we arrived at the camp I lay down, wanting only to meld into the ground rather than pitch my tent. I forced myself to put the tent up before joining the others in the traditional timber framed barn built from mud and straw bricks. I gorged myself on whatever food I could find, desperate to replenish my energy.

It was the last night of the camp and this was being celebrated with a bonfire unlike anything we’d seen before. At its centre was the trunk of a birch tree, driven like into the ground like a stake and towering above the fire itself. As it burned, sparks flying from the crackling leaves, it appeared ever more insecure, as if it was a game of spin the bottle with added jeopardy.

A day or so later, and with me still suffering from exhaustion, we met Allessio, a well groomed

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Italian with a small timber mill where he manufactured parts for prefabricated buildings. It was situated in a field on a hillside, where he lived in a large caravan while his nightwatchman, Tibor, came from the nearby village. Again, we asked the leading question, “Do you know of anywhere to pitch our tents?” After cooking up a meal considerably better than our regular pasta/rice/noodles and veg, he showed us round the plant, before we turned in.

In the early hours, Andy went to relieve himself on the misty hillside and was confronted by Tibor, dressed in leather jacket and gloves.

This image – exaggerated in Andy’s imagination to wearing bondage gear – became a running joke as we built a comic narrative to fill the time on the long, open roads of Siberia. His ridiculous image was exacerbated by

the sight of him chasing a chicken around the field in the morning and then climbing down the well to retrieve his power tool, which a love rival had dropped down.

I was never the fastest to get going in the mornings – or at any time to be honest. Andy believed in living by the sun and getting going promptly after sunrise and Rory and Scott, both engineers, had a nononsense efficiency when needed.

Combined with my exhaustion, my timekeeping was causing tension in the group.

On the last day in Romania, we drank a celebratory beer in a cafe at the top of a mountain pass.

Feeling hot, I took off my watch and left it on the table before going to find the toilets. I thought nothing of it at the time and soon we were sweeping down the hill towards our next destination.

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The border post at the crossing into the ex-Soviet state of Moldova was quiet, but somewhat bureaucratic. We passed our bags through an unwieldy industrial-style x-ray that looked like it dated from the 1950s and then negotiated a 48-hour visa to get us across the country. As it happened, leaving the country would not be a problem, but we didn’t know that at that point.

Agriculture in the former Soviet state was more mechanised than in Romania and the roads were of a better quality. We stopped soon after the border at a covered market to replenish supplies, buying bread, cheese and apricots from green and white tiled stands reminiscent of a 1940s hospital. As ever, and contrary to what Romanians had told us, the people were at least as friendly as anywhere else.

We camped in a cornfield that night, fairly well concealed but with the uncertainty of our first night in the country, not to

∧

mention Moldova being the most alien country yet, we agreed that we should move promptly the following morning.

Aware of the frustration at my tardiness, I made sure I woke in good time.

No one else was up yet so once I’d got my bags together, confident that I would not be the last to be ready, I went about waking them.

They were initially unresponsive before telling me to leave it some time. An hour to be precise. Having been rudely awaken by me at dawn, Andy, Scott and Rory were forced to admit that they had put my watch forward an hour in the hopes of speeding me up.

Stopping at a well later that day, a passing truck driver gave us ice cream from his refrigerated cargo and, using the usual gestures to communicate, invited us to call his grandfather in the country’s capital, Chisinau. Given the time constraints of our visa, it was never likely that we would take him up on this but it was important that we were open to people’s generosity and recognised that this hospitality without ulterior motive was the norm.

Later, we were stocking up as we left Chisinau, when we were

engaged by Victor, a white haired ex-Soviet scientist with the skin of one who enjoyed a drink. He was a hydrologist with 25 patents to his name, but no support to develop them. He was sufficiently interesting that when he invited us to his home we joined him in what looked like a particularly decrepit block of flats fashioned out of crumbling Soviet concrete with exposed wiring and rusting mailboxes hanging from the walls. Inside his apartment was another story – immaculately kept with a polished tile floor and soft furnishings. Victor offered to cook for us but with limited time, we reluctantly declined.

Back on the road, we soon met Andrei and Vladimir a couple of triathletes training to represent their country at the Olympic Games. We asked about places to camp and they led us to a site that had obviously been used before. After clearing away the beer cans, they led Rory to Andrei’s parents’ dacha to collect supplies. He was shown off to the neighbours before they returned laden with bounteous apricots, peaches, carrots, cabbages, parsley and jam, all from the garden.

Like many more we would meet in the former Soviet Union – particularly in Russia – Andrei lamented the fall of the Soviet Union and the stability brought by being a part of a major political and economic power. Living standards had yet to recover from the collapse of the USSR and talk of the selfevident benefits of capitalism must

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have sounded hollow to those still waiting for things to improve.

Early the following afternoon we encountered the self-declared Republic of Transnistria, unfinished business from the fall of the Soviet Union. On a straight, flat road, lined by tall, thin trees, with none of the usual indications of a border there stood a portacabin masquerading as a checkpoint to a country that didn’t exist.

With Moldova not recognising the existence of a border, there was no exit post to stamp us out at this point. Instead, we moved straight to the Transnistrian entry point, which consisted of a portacabin where a senior looking official sitting behind a desk dealt with us.

It felt rather like a military operation in the field with a bed made up behind the desk giving it a transitory feeling, like toy soldiers playing at being a state.

After filling in the forms and paying our dues, we were given a visa on a piece of paper stapled into our passports to prevent awkward questions should we ever return to Moldova.

It was a mere 50km across the pseudo-state, via its capital, Tiraspol, where we stopped for beers in the park, surrounded by overbearing steel and concrete Soviet iconography alongside a dilapidated looking amusement park with swings, merry-go-rounds and paddling pools, none of them serviceable.

We made it to the Ukrainian border in the early evening, hoping

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that we may even get to Odessa before sundown. The first part was easy – there was no Moldovan exit post due to their lack of access to their own border. The Transnistrians stamped us out quickly and I wondered whether with no diplomatic relations to worry about, they

did not need to take things too seriously.

Just as we were ready to proceed to the Ukrainian side, a guard pulled us aside and asked to look at the passports again. Maybe they were the type to take their jobs seriously after all. With no reason to be concerned, we handed them over nonchalantly, thinking he’d have another quick look and we’d be on our way.

He flipped through the batch, settling on Rory’s. Pulling it out of the pile, he opened it and politely pointed to the dates that indicated Rory’s Ukrainian visa had expired the previous week.

My first thought was that it must be a mistake, perhaps he’d misread the date. Why he’d suddenly decided to take another look was a mystery to us, but there was no doubt, Rory’s visa, applied for in London, was invalid.

Rory appeared visibly shaken and all possibilities ran through our minds.

Would he be allowed to return to Chisinau to get a new visa? Could we call on our new contacts there? No doubt they would have done all they could to help. Or would Rory have to bypass Ukraine all together?

Rory went off to ring Victor, as if given his statutory phone call at the police station, unsure what would happen if the former scientist did pick up, or if he did not.

To be continued.

ED