Start Location: Singapore; End Location: Singapore
Duration: 4 Days
Travel Season: March to October (Best: June to August)
Train: Belmond - Eastern & Oriental Express
Gleaming emerald-green carriages and opulent wood-panelled interiors glide through ancient rainforests and tropical landscapes. Wind through untamed jungle, limestone peaks and coastal plains, then venture off the train into Taman Negara - and sip cocktails from the open-air observation car as the sun sets over the peninsula.
Highlights at a Glance
• Taman Negara: One of the oldest rainforests on earth, over 130 million years old - older than the Amazon and the Congo.
• The train: Teak-panelled restored carriages, an open-air observation car at the rear with the jungle a metre away, and the region's first Dior spa on rails.
• The country: Limestone karst peaks, paddy fields, plantation country and the peninsula's interior - none of it visible from a road.
Itinerary
2°N4°N6°N100°E102°E104°EMedanKuala LumpurPekanbaruIpohMalaccaKota BharuPenangTaman NegaraSingapore1·4·523200 km
1·5 Singapore · 2 Taman Negara · 3 Penang · 4 Johor Bahru
Day 1Singapore — departure for the interior
Gather at Woodlands Station in Singapore and board the Eastern & Oriental Express at 15:00, where your steward shows you to a cabin panelled in cherrywood, Thai silk and Malaysian embroidery. Settle in with afternoon tea and a welcome cocktail in the Piano Bar as the train crosses the causeway into Johor and heads north into the Malaysian interior. Dinner is a four-course menu in the Malaya or Adisorn dining cars, followed by live Malaysian jazz.
Day 2Taman Negara National Park
The train arrives at Merapoh Station in the early morning at the edge of Taman Negara, a rainforest reckoned at some 130 million years old and among the oldest on earth. Choose your guided excursion: a Malayan tiger conservation experience with rangers, a nature photography and wildlife immersion, an e-bicycle ride to the limestone caves, or wellness in the forest with sunrise yoga, forest bathing and sound meditation. Return aboard for lunch and an afternoon watching jungle and kampung scenery from the Observation Car, then dinner and Piano Bar entertainment.
Day 3West-coast line to Penang
After breakfast in your cabin the train crosses to the west-coast line and you transfer to Penang Island for a cultural immersion of your choosing. Options include a Vespa tour of George Town's old quarter with artist studio visits, a cooking lesson in an Art Deco bungalow on Penang Hill preceded by a spice market visit, or self-guided trishaw exploration. Back aboard, book an Asian-inspired treatment at the Dior Spa or stretch your legs on the optional Ipoh city stroll before a celebratory final dinner.
Day 4Johor and return to Singapore
A leisurely breakfast in the dining car as the train runs south through Johor's beaches, plantations and rainforest. Watch the last of the Malaysian landscape from the open-air Observation Car before crossing back into Singapore. Dismissal at Woodlands Station at 10:20, with a complimentary transfer to your Singapore accommodation.
Train
Belmond - Eastern & Oriental Express. Presidential Suite - 11.6 sq m, two suites aboard; State Cabin - 7.8 sq m, 20 cabins aboard; Pullman Cabin - 5.8 sq m, 10 cabins aboard; All cabins en-suite, with cherrywood panelling, Thai silks and Malaysian embroidery; Malaya Dining Car; Adisorn Dining Car; Piano Bar; Observation Car - open-air rear deck; Dior Spa - the first Dior Spa in Southeast Asia; Onboard boutique.
All-Inclusive Benefits
• Complimentary transfers between your Singapore accommodation and Woodlands Station, both directions
• Three nights aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express in an en-suite cabin
• Round-the-clock cabin steward service
• All meals aboard: daily four-course dinner, continental breakfast served in your cabin, three-course lunch and afternoon tea
• Dining curated by chef Andre Chiang, with sommelier-selected wines
• All house wine, house spirits and local beer throughout the journey
• Guided excursion into Taman Negara National Park with expert local guides
• Excursion to Penang Island with a choice of cultural immersions
• Live music and onboard entertainment, including the Piano Bar
• Access to the open-air Observation Car and both dining cars
• Fully air-conditioned cabins and public carriages
• Presidential Suite guests: a Dior Spa treatment included
Not Included
• International flights to and from Singapore
• Hotel accommodation in Singapore before and after the journey
• Travel insurance
• Dior Spa treatments (except where included with the Presidential Suite)
• Premium and vintage wines, champagnes and spirits outside the house selection
Image 1 of 20
Image 2 of 20
Image 3 of 20
Image 4 of 20
Image 5 of 20
Image 6 of 20
Image 7 of 20
Image 8 of 20
Image 9 of 20
Image 10 of 20
Image 11 of 20
Image 12 of 20
Image 13 of 20
Image 14 of 20
Image 15 of 20
Image 16 of 20
Image 17 of 20
Image 18 of 20
Image 19 of 20
Image 20 of 20
