Road Warrior provides travel tips from those who know best: busy executives and other globetrotters. See previous columns.
Oanda
Rajesh Yohannan is the managing director and CEO of foreign-exchange trading firm Oanda Asia Pacific.
The Singapore-based Indian national spoke to the Journal about learning other cultures through food, Hong Kong’s coffee shops and the nostalgia of India’s trains.
How often do you travel?
Two or three times a month.
Where do you go most?
Our North America headquarters in Toronto, which has no direct flights from Singapore. I also go to New York, Hong Kong, Japan and Australia.
Favorite airline?
Singapore Airlines. It sounds trifling when you’re based in Singapore, but I have flown multiple airlines in difference geographies. When I see Singapore Air in an unknown airport, I feel like I’m at home.
Best airport?
Changi [in Singapore]. It’s got amazing things most airports don’t have, and it doesn’t feel like an airport. It feels like a place to relax and has something for everyone. Even my kids like it.
Which city has the best taxis?
Hong Kong and New York. New York, especially in Manhattan, because they’re very effective and you can get taxis at any time, day or night. It’s the same for Hong Kong. You might struggle a bit with the language, but they’re effective.
Favorite hotel?
The W Hotel on Lexington Avenue in New York. It’s in the middle of the city and has an amazing bar. It’s small but at same time cozy and convenient.
I also like the Hyatt Regency in Toronto, which is in the same building as my office. The staff there know me well. When I walk in for breakfast, I don’t have to say what I need, they just know.
Which country has the best food?
In Hong Kong, I like the small coffee shops, especially for breakfast.
The best coffee?
I come from a coffee-growing state in India, so South Indian filter coffee reminds me a lot of home. The only thing I’m fussed about is I want warm milk.
How do you fight jet lag?
I assume I’m in the same time zone of my destination once I get on the plane. So if it’s afternoon in New York when I get on the plane, I won’t sleep for the next four or five hours.
What are your packing essentials?
Technology-related stuff: chargers, a Wi-Fi device. I hate being in a situation where my communication devices are low on battery or can’t connect.
What’s your packing strategy?
I detest checking in luggage because I feel it will get lost, so I try to keep it to a minimum. I have two of everything—two shaving kits, two sets of attire—so I don’t need to pack. I’m always ready to go.
Favored luggage?
Tumi is my bag. It’s a little bit heavy but very sturdy and reliable.
How do you exercise on the road?
I take a stretch band wherever I go. Before I start the day, I do a 30-minute stretching routine in my hotel.
Where haven’t you been you’d like to go?
South America. I’d love to go but more from a holiday perspective than for work.
What’s your travel advice?
I’ve seen a lot of people traveling who are reluctant to explore food, but it’s the best window to a culture. The moment you taste someone’s food, you have taken one step closer to understanding that culture. I advise people traveling, especially for leisure, to be more adventurous. Don’t look for the exact same thing you are having at home.
Worst travel experience?
One time I had food poisoning at the Helsinki airport. I had a terrible tummy ache and a headache in a place I wasn’t familiar with, and the flight was delayed. I don’t recall how but somehow I eventually made it to my Oslo hotel room.
Best travel experience?
As a child growing up in India, I have vivid memories of the train system. My home was three days by train to my father’s ancestral home, and it was an amazing experience being on those trains. It was a whole community—you made new friends, tried foods you weren’t familiar with. Even now when I have the opportunity to travel by train, I do.
–Edited from an interview by Brittany Hite
Food Is a Window to Other Cultures
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