On the tracks: Belmond’s Eastern & Oriental Express
Return to the golden age of rail travel on the restyled Eastern & Oriental Express.
Credit: Ludovic Balay
It’s Southeast Asia’s answer to the original luxury train: the Orient Express, and after a four year break, this famous sleeper trainer has a new look and new itineraries. It whisks passengers from the bright lights of Singapore into Malaysia’s heartland, complete with first-class service and redesigned cabins for guests to rest their heads.
Incredible itineraries
Belmond has added four exciting new three-night journeys to choose from, including Wild Malaysia, which transports guests into the Malaysian jungle and more specifically, Taman Negara, one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world. Essence of Malaysia also takes in UNESCO-listed Georgetown and Langkawi.
Not forgetting the holiday season, book either Festive Malaysia, a December experience that includes a Christmas celebration in Penang, or Malaysia Celebration, an incredible New Year’s Eve trip through Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Penang with champagne, fireworks and more to ring in 2025.
Credit: Eurthe
Luxury in motion
As for what to expect while onboard, it’s a stylish trip back in time. 15 sleek wood compartments make up the train, with Pullman cabins providing a comfortable sofa (which staff helpfully turn into upper and lower berths), and ensuite bathrooms.
Staterooms add a separate sofa and cushy armchair, with ready-made twin beds that ensure you don’t have to scale any ladders. The two Presidential Suites aboard the train are equally impressive, containing similar luxury amenities and extra space. All cabins are void of TVs but have a handy bell to ring for any service guests desire.
Credit: Ludovic Balay
As tea plantations turn to thick rainforest outside the window, guests can expect only the best to fuel the adventure, thanks to culinary creations by Chef André Chiang. There are two dining carriages, Malaya and Adisorn, decked out in elm panelling and floral designs, for enjoying dinner each evening.
The food fuses Southeast Asian and Western flavours, taking favourites to new heights with regional herbs and spices, such as laksa bouillabaisse and clam miso bisque. The cocktails are inventive, champagne is on tap and everyone is dressed to the nines.
Credit: Frankie Lin
Into the wild
Whichever journey guests settle on, each is immersive, with a host of off-train experiences that show Malaysia’s dazzling colours. Spot elephants, rhinos and leopards from an open-top jeep in Taman Negara National Park or learn to cook traditional Peranakan dishes, take a vespa around the historic sights of Georgetown or go on a private snorkelling trip in the sparkling waters of Pulau Payar Marine Park.
As they say, the journey is often more important than the destination, which is why guests can also unwind in the bar, piano bar car or the saloon car, all just as lavish with panelled walls, low lighting and music carrying the party into the evening.
Credit: Eurthe
Oh, and did we mention the train also holds Southeast Asia’s first Dior Spa? There are two treatment cabins, adorned with the brand’s instantly recognisable Toile de Jouy motif, and soft seating areas for enjoying the views post-massage. Treatments are Asian-inspired, combining massages, facials and meditation, rounded off with a selection of refreshing teas.
Elsewhere onboard, take in the sight of coastal villages and distant hills from the Observation Car, complete with an open-air deck and lounge, where tea and nibbles keep things firmly in the golden era of rail travel.