During my Abidjan survey this past February, I found Ivorians to be friendly, often greeting me with “Bonjour Monsieur!” Shopping malls are expanding as new brands arrive in the Ivory Coast market, and good security provides safe areas for expatriate shopping.

I surveyed Yaoundé in January of this year and found it to be a city that over time is growing to better meet the needs of expatriates, with expanding supermarkets and international construction companies slowly building new malls, infrastructure, and housing complexes. Nevertheless, the capital continues to face socio-political pressures on multiple fronts, including conflicts between anglophone and francophone regions and peoples, and the continued presence of Boko Haram in the northern areas of the country

During a recent survey quarter, I had the pleasure of surveying Athens, Greece. While I was on-site, I encountered several protests and demonstrations, which allowed me to really feel like an assignee, navigating the change of social disruption.

Traveling, working, or living abroad and need to know the most cost-effective means of getting around? AIRINC has developed a calculator to help you make an informed decision.

Western rideshare apps have struggled in Turkey. Protests by taxi drivers and government opposition have left these ridesharing companies in a state of uncertainty over the last year. On my recent trip to Ankara and Istanbul, I experienced this firsthand. In Ankara, I tried to use a popular local rideshare app but gave up because it was only available in Turkish despite claims that they support English-speaking users. Apart from the local rideshare app, there was no other rideshare presence in Ankara, and I was entirely reliant on local taxis.

The Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, referred to by many as BKC, has continued to develop and is fast becoming the new business and residential heart of Mumbai. Originally intended to serve as an alternate business district to help decongest south Mumbai, commercial office stock has increased at phenomenal rates in the past five years. BKC now houses India’s Stock Exchange and the Indian headquarters of many large multinational companies.

Mumbai has long been known as a city with high levels of air pollution from the choking congestion and horrendous traffic conditions. During my recent survey, I confirmed that this reputation has yet to change! The construction of the elevated lines of the Mumbai Metro project continues to aggravate traffic problems along SV Road in the expat areas of Bandra, Santa Cruz, and Khar. Additionally, rush-hour gridlock in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is being impacted by the work on the BKC Metro station project where there will be a new Metro Line 3 and 2B interchange.

Transportation in Mauritius can be challenging for new assignees. Driving is a necessary part of life here as traveling across the island for meetings and activities is common.

From Hong Kong to Banjul and everywhere in-between At home in Hong Kong, getting around the city is simple due to our modern subway. When traveling for survey, I get the opportunity to experience the wide spectrum of ease and difficulty found in the world’s transportation systems

Singapore can be one of the most expensive places in the world to purchase a vehicle because of the Certificate of Entitlement (COE), which is required for purchasing a car and allows for ownership for a period of ten years. Singapore uses a Vehicle Quota System (VQS) to determine the number of COEs made available to the public.