The Eastern and Oriental Express

Precisely at 11.30am the Eastern and Oriental Express slides out of Singapore’s Keppel Road Station, its 22 carriages sparkling in the midday sun. This opulent train journey links three of Southeast Asia’s capitals and provides luxury service, cuisine and accommodation. The carriages, adorned with golden emblems and brass fittings, were to be our home for the next two nights and three days.

Our state compartment was much larger than we had imagined. The cabin was in its daytime trim with one of the beds stowed away to provide space for a comfortable sitting area. This trip oozes decadent living that is almost indecent. This is a journey that demands to be enjoyed and even the world’s most fastidious traveller must be stunned by the train’s exquisite interior.

As the train shudders along the narrow gauge railway we move to the bar car to sip champagne and we cross the causeway of the Straits of Johor into Malaysia. Minutes later it is time for lunch. Every meal aboard was a gastronomic delight created by French master chef Yannis Martineau.  

As we headed north to the Malay capital we spent time in the open air observation car at the rear of the train watching the tropical landscape slip by. Afternoon tea was served in our compartment, all very English, with fine china and fruit cake. Sipping our cup of Boh tea from the Cameron Highlands we examined the delightful décor of the compartment which was panelled with cherry wood and elm burr, with marquetry friezes and intricate design inlays. The delicate embroidery work on the pelmets was hand crafted in Malaysia and the carpet was hand-tufted in Thailand, a mega project you would appreciate if you’ve every hand hooked a small rug. Can you imagine taking on an entire train!

Dressing for dinner was easy compared to an earlier trip on the Venice Simplon Orient-Express. The European express had cramped quarters and one of us had to wait in the corridor while the other dressed. Today we had ample space and there was the added luxury of a complete en suite bathroom. There was an adequate shower and another luxury touch were the toiletries from the house of Bulgari. We enjoyed cocktails in the bar car in the company of the resident pianist before another gourmet meal, this time we dined in the splendour of the Singapura restaurant dining car, with its rosewood and decorative lacquered panels hand-painted with delicate flowers. Shortly after dinner there was a 90-minute stop at Kuala Lumpur’s magnificent Moorish-style station time for a stroll but not sufficient to enjoy this dynamic capital city. When we returned to the train our cabin had been transformed into a cosy bedroom.

Our bunks were inviting with crisp white linens and an orchid placed on the pillows. And so to bed. We have to admit it was not the best night’s sleep we ever had. The strange surroundings and the shuddering of the train made it a night of naps rather than continuous sleep. We wonder how people survive on the less luxurious trains which lack the suspension system below us on that narrow gauge track. Hopefully we will not have to find out.

The steaming jug of hot coffee, Colombia’s finest, and a pot of tea on the breakfast tray are a welcome sight as we close in on Butterworth. Within seconds the compartment becomes a sitting room again and dressed in Eastern Oriental Express robes we munch on freshly baked croissants with lashings of butter and preserves.

It’s time now for our first tour away from the train. Coaches take us to colonial Georgetown, capital of Penang, on the local ferry. We visit pre-World War II mosques, elaborately-roofed temples, churches, bazaars and colourful shop-houses. We return to the train for another excellent lunch and the express crosses into Thailand.

The Thai train system is mostly single track. Having to wait for trains coming in the opposite direction is the main reason that the journey times are longer than one would expect. The country stations are beautifully maintained with stunning gardens ablaze with color and sweet smelling blooms. They are great meeting spots, not necessarily for rail travellers but for local people looking for a pleasant place to congregate. We can thank King Chulalongkorn, the son of King Mongkut of Anna and the King fame, for Thailand’s rail system. He had traveled to Europe and saw for himself the benefits that a railway would bring. He was fearful of colonization of the kingdom. He knew that a railway would help unite his country and bring far reaching economic benefits.

Land travel was by oxen carts or riding in a howdah strapped to the back of an elephant. Travelling along rivers was laborious, particularly if you had to paddle against the flow. He knew a railroad was the solution. Not only would it enable him to visit his subjects more easily but it would open up the country’s natural resources of teak, rice, tin and rubber to the rest of the world.

The Royal State Railways of Siam was first established in 1890 and its present narrow gauge makes it compatible with its neighbours in Cambodia and Malaysia. In its earlier years all the trains were hauled by wood-burning steam locomotives. Now everything is powered by diesel locomotives and the railroad employs over 26,000 people.

The carriages themselves have a little history. They were first built in Japan in 1972 by Nippon Sharyo and Hitachi and operated as the Silver Train in New Zealand. They were shipped to the Oriental Express workshops in Singapore where the same crew that transformed the magnificent rolling stock for the Venice-Simplon Orient Express began the laborious task of converting them into the exquisite carriages they are today. It wasn’t just the luxury interiors that were created. Air conditioning systems had to be developed to cope with the tropical heat and humidity. Panoramic windows installed to allow passengers better views of the countryside. And they had to fit abeam the narrow rails of Southeast Asia.

The afternoon went quickly as the train passed the southern Thai rubber plantations and miles of tropical jungle. Dinner again was another magical meal. We slept better on our second night aboard and awoke as the train pulled into Kanchanaburi, home of the Bridge over the River Kwai. Here we took to the river for a cruise along the Kwai Yai River, passing under the Bridge. Then there were there was a coach trip to the North Temple and Chinese Cemetery and the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre. Take the time to visit the Don Rak War Cemetery and you will feel an eerie sense of gratitude as you wander between the manicured lawns and grave stones that are the resting place of just some of 150,000 men and women who gave their lives building the railway from hell.

All too soon we fell under the halo of pollution that is as much a symbol of Bangkok as are its magnificent temple spires and our journey was at end. Words failed us as we passed through the slums of Bangkok, its inhabitants eking out a living alongside polluted canals or streets strewn with garbage, such a stark contrast to the luxury life we had enjoyed since departing Singapore.

The pictures show:  Top: Paddy field workers seem unimpressed with the passing train. Center  left: The authors enjoy splendid cuisine. Center right: The train crosses the River Kwai. Left: Station shopping stop with eager sellers and buyers. 

Prices are per person and range from €1,700 for a Pullman cabin, to €2,410 for a state cabin and €3,390 for the top of the line president suite. The trip is available at the same price in the opposite direction and includes an extra night on board. Other trains trips are available and include visits to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand and Laos.