Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition September 2019

Welcome to the September 2019 issue of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific. I hope you all had a great summer and managed to get some well-earned down time. Haven’t had a chance to actually take any holiday yet? Well, look no further than our luxury resorts guide on page 40. Perhaps you’ll find some inspiration there for a post-summer break. For this issue, I visited Hanoi, Vietnam’s booming capital city. All eyes tend to be on China these days when we talk about economic powerhouses, but Vietnam – albeit with a much smaller population of around 97 million compared with China’s nearly 1.4 billion – is just as impressive. See page 24 for my in-depth destination report on Hanoi. We also take a look at another unsung city in Australia. Canberra, dogged by image problems…

4 HOURS IN PHNOM PENH Cambodia’s capital is a lively thrum of markets, temples and people watching; we show you five great places to visit (page 38) BARS OF BEIJING With many independent bars closing down, hotel bars are emerging as some of the Chinese capital’s trendiest drinking spots (page 56) A350 ULTRA LONG RANGE Here’s what it’s like flying for 18 hours from New York to Singapore on Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350-900 ULR (page 66) SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL We share our tips on how to simply and easily reduce your impact on the environment when travelling for work (page 70)…

DEREK PICOT Veteran hotelier Derek has worked in senior positions on five continents, most recently as regional vice president for Jumeirah’s hotels and resorts in Europe. He now consults for hotel owners and luxury developers, advising on design and trends in hospitality. On page 63, he explores the growing trend towards mixing business and leisure – known as “bleisure”. DELIA YIN Delia Yin has been a travel journalist for more than 15 years and is the editor of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific’s sister publication Business Traveller China. In addition to foreign destinations, her year-round business travel within China has given her a wealth of insight into the varied cultures and lifestyles of its diverse regions. On page 56, she looks at some of the best bars Beijing has to offer. JOHN STEPEK John Stepek is executive…

You’ve sunbathed on pristine palm-fringed beaches, danced at the Full Moon party and eaten your body weight in Pad Thai – what’s next? If you’re looking for rich cultural experiences, scintillating sporting action and stunning natural scenery, then start planning your adventure to Isan: Thailand’s largest region in the north east of the country. A one-hour flight will whisk you from the capital Bangkok to Buriram Airport: the perfect base to start your exploration. For starters, you could join 50,000 spectators on October 6 to watch the daring escapades of the world’s top motorcycle racers in the 2019 Buriram Moto GP at the Chang International Circuit. Last year 400 million fans tuned in to watch Marc Marquez race to his seventh win of the season, while making history as the first MotoGP…

AA MULLS FIRST CLASS TOKYO-LA EXTENSION PASSENGERS travelling between Tokyo and Los Angeles on American Airlines (AA) got the option of flying in a first class cabin from June 6 after the US carrier switched from a three-class B787-9 Dreamliner to a four-class B777-300ER. The first class cabin is only set to be available until October 27, but an AA executive told Business Traveller Asia-Pacific that “all signs look positive” for extending the service beyond that date. “At this stage we do not plan to extend the 777-300ER service beyond October 27, but this is of course under review. All signs look positive at this stage,” said Shane Hodges, vice president, Asia Pacific. An AA spokesperson, seeking to clarify Hodges’ comments, said that the airline is “cautiously optimistic” about extending the first class B777-300ER…

ASCENT QANTAS is upgrading to a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its Sydney-Santiago route from late June 2020. The airline will also add an additional three return flights per week between the two cities. CATHAY DRAGON is adding a new twice-weekly service to Niigata, on Japan’s Honshu Island, starting October 30, using a two-class Airbus A330. Meanwhile, the airline’s seasonal service to Tokushima, launched last winter, will return on December 11 and be operated using a two-class A320. ANA and JAL are both launching flights between Tokyo and Vladivostok. Japan Airlines will offer a daily non-stop service operated by a Boeing 737-800 starting in summer next year. ANA will start flights from March 2020, though the aircraft type and flight frequency remain unconfirmed. STARLUX AIRLINES, a start-up carrier in Taiwan, has received approval for 13…