Aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express: Southeast Asia's Most Luxurious Sleeper Train Through Malaysia

Save

Share 0

Kuala Lumpurluxury trainBelmond

It is gala night aboard the Belmond Eastern & Oriental Express, and guests gather in the gilded piano bar car dressed to the nines. A songstress takes a request and croons The Carpenters' classic as the train glides through the Malaysian night — the soft rumble of rails a constant, soothing companion.

【Attraction Tickets】Petronas Twin Towers Kuala Lumpur Ticket

Available 2026-09-05

HKD 41 Start

Book now

【Attraction Tickets】Legoland Malaysia Ticket

Available tomorrow

HKD 120 Start

Book now

This was the final evening of an enchanting three-day journey on what is widely considered Southeast Asia's most opulent sleeper train. The E&O Express, the younger sibling of the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient Express, first departed from Singapore's Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in 1993 bound for Bangkok. Rebuilt from New Zealand's Silver Star rolling stock, the train has since become an icon of luxury rail travel in the region.

Following a pandemic-induced pause in 2020, the elegant emerald-and-cream train made its triumphant return in late 2024, complete with refurbished cabins and new excursion programmes. Today, it traces two unhurried routes through central Malaysia — one branching at Gemas toward Merapoh and Butterworth, the other hugging the coastline toward Perlis.

The E&O Express experience starts the moment you leave home. A luxury car collects you and whisks you to Woodlands Checkpoint, where impeccably dressed Belmond porters handle your luggage and guide you through every step of customs and immigration — all conducted in a private area reserved exclusively for E&O Express passengers. It is an early taste of the flawless service that defines the entire journey.

We stayed in a State Cabin, one tier above the Pullman and second only to the presidential suite. The compact space is a jewel box of marine blues and greens, accented with glossy marquetry wood and dotted with tropical blooms — birds of paradise, dragonfruit — all bathed in natural light from two generous windows. Plush dressing gowns and impossibly soft slippers complete the experience. Unlike its Venice sibling, every cabin on this train features an en-suite bathroom — small but ingeniously designed to fit a toilet, sink and shower.

The train's leisurely pace is part of its magic. From the cabin window, Malaysia unfolds in a dreamy panorama: the dense fingers of Taman Negara rainforest, waving palm plantations, sleepy towns whose names we will never remember. When the scenery leaves you feeling pleasantly untethered, the fine dining by Chef Andre Chiang provides a welcome anchor.

Born in Taiwan, raised in Japan and trained in France, Chef Andre is the former head of three-Michelin-star Le Jardin des Sens and founder of Singapore's two-star Restaurant Andre. His onboard menu is refined yet unpretentious. Malaysian flavours appear in bold, surprising forms: kaffir lime consomme with lemongrass, bouillabaisse spiked with laksa spices, coconut blancmange with Nyonya chendol. The menu also draws from across Asia — miso-laced bisque, kimchi alongside seared tuna in a nicoise salad — a fitting tribute to Malaysia's cultural melting pot.

With at least four meals a day, you will never go hungry. Fortunately, you must walk seven carriages to reach the dining cars — a welcome bit of exercise. Daily excursions provide further opportunity to stretch your legs. Belmond has curated something for everyone: yoga before towering limestone cliffs, sound baths in cool jungle streams, tiger conservation walks with expert guides, and e-bike explorations of Merapoh's caves. Our guide Xin Wei chattered merrily about the wildlife of Taman Negara, pointing out whooping monkey calls, nesting birds and even elephant tracks along the way.

From the gleaming green exterior marked with the golden tiger insignia to the nightly surprises left by your carriage attendant — we particularly loved the anthology of Malaysian poems and short stories commissioned by Belmond — the Eastern & Oriental Express delivers a journey that feels less like train travel and more like stepping into a bygone era of glamour, one rail at a time.