Because of my line of work I have been fortunate to be able to travel extensively all around the world. Sometimes it is places that you wouldn't necessarily choose to go to if you had a choice - a trip to Nigeria comes to mind - but mostly its new and interesting destinations. As far as great destinations to visit for work go, I think the first 6 months of 2019 are going to be hard to beat.
First up was Boracay. But before stepping on the plane almost all my trips start with a bowl of pho bo. My go to meal in Vietnam.
Boracay is one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines thanks to the white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and laid back island vibe. Boracay made it into international news headlines in 2018 when the government decided to close the island for 6 months to allow local businesses to clean up their act. All hotels are now required to be connected to the local sewerage system, the roads have been improved to be pedestrian friendly, the local tuk-tuks are moving from diesel to electric, and the police have clamped down on people drinking on the beaches and the local drug scene. Boracay has moved on from having a sleazy backpacker reputation to being a great destination for romantic getaways and family holidays. And its not a bad place for work trips either!
Getting to Boracay involves taking a small outrigger boat, called a banca, from Caticlan. The trip across takes just 10 minutes and boats leave every 5 minutes, 24 hours a day.
The easiest way to get to Caticlan is to fly in. Caticlan airport receives domestic flights from various parts of the Philippines. Alternatively there is also Kalibo airport which is about a 2 hour drive from Caticlan. This is a slightly larger airport with a number of daily international flights. For those on a tighter budget, or with time to spare, the RoRo (roll-on, roll-off) vessels are another option for getting around the Philippines and there are a number of shipping lines calling at Caticlan every day.
After returning from Boracay it was time to start getting ready for my next 'tough' assignment; Tonga. Tonga is a South Pacific Island, and getting there is not straight forward. From Vietnam the travel time, including layovers, is a bit more than 24 hours. This is not the kind of place you fly into for a one-day meeting. This trip was a full week in duration, and included one weekend where the team had a bit of time to get into tourist mode.
Visiting the local port.
And exploring the main island.
Tonga consists of more than 170 islands, with Tongatapu being the main island, and many of the other islands being uninhabited. The total population of Tonga is about 100,000 with approximately 70,000 living on Tongatapu. The Pacific Islands are some of the most beautiful places in the world, but not necessarily an easy place to live. Earthquakes, tsunamis and tropical cyclones are just part of life here. The islanders are also quite poor and rely heavily on support and grants from organisations such as Asian Development Bank and World Bank.
A team photo on our day off exploring Tongatapu.
We found a great spot to do some snorkeling
And even the local pooches come down to the beach to cool off
Some of the local brews
But the stand-out beer is Maka, which is actually made in NZ specifically for Tonga (or the Friendly Islands as Capt. Cook referred to them in 1773)
After Tonga my next trip was to Samoa. Another Pacific Island, another 24+ hours of travelling to get there.
Visiting another port
There wasn't much time for sight-seeing on this trip, but I was able to fit in a hike in the Mt Vaea Reserve and see the final resting place of Robert Louis Stevenson. The author of Treasure Island and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde spent his final years in Samoa. Although Robert is the most famous of the Stevensons, its the 14 lighthouses that his father, uncles and grandfather built in Scotland that appeals to the engineering side of me. The Lighthouse Stevensons is a great read about building lighthouses in inhospitable places without the modern technologies and construction practices of today. But getting back to Robert Louis Stevenson...
...and the view from his memorial
I was surprised to find how religious the Pacific Islanders are, with about 98% of people in both Tonga and Samoa identifying as Christian.
Next up on my work travel itinerary was the UK. This trip was extra special as I got to spend some time with Graham, Michelle, Josh and Dani.
The welcoming committee was on top form.
The first few days in London were spent at a Container Terminal Automation Conference, with the conference dinner hosted on the top floor of the iconic Gherkin. Not a bad view!
The main purpose of this trip was to attend a team building and company networking event in the Lake District. A beautiful part of the UK that I had not visited before, and we were extremely fortunate to have some amazing weather.
Hiking in the lake district
And then it was time for some final cuddles before heading back to Vietnam.
My final work trip for H1 2019 was to Singapore. Although I have transited through Changi Airport on numerous occasions, this was my first time leaving the airport and actually spending time in Singapore. I had heard a lot about how modern Singapore is, and it did not disappoint. The architecture was especially impressive.
Visiting PSA (the main port and container terminals):
View from the hotel over Marina Bay
The Merlion:
And finding that the outdoor food markets lived up to expectations :)
Right now, I have no work travel plans for H2 2019. The only thing I know for sure is that this will change. Now all I have to do is make sure that they live up to the standard that H1 set!
