Ride the Eastern & Oriental Express through Malaysia

The Eastern & Oriental Express is Belmond’s luxury sleeper train in Southeast Asia. Since it returned to the rails in February 2024, it has run round trips of three nights from Singapore that stay within Malaysia, on two routes that change with the season.

What the experience is

The train has 15 carriages: eight sleeping cars, two restaurant cars, a Piano Bar Car and an open-air Observation Car at the rear. Cabins come in three categories, Pullman, State and Presidential, all air-conditioned and with a private bathroom, and are finished with marquetry, Malaysian embroidery and silk. Meals are served in the restaurant cars and draw on Peranakan cooking, the cuisine born of Chinese, Malay and other Southeast Asian influences.

Essence of Malaysia follows the west of the peninsula, from Singapore through Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi and Penang, with a boat excursion and snorkelling in the Pulau Payar Marine Park and a day in George Town. Wild Malaysia turns inland on the line known as the Jungle Railway and visits Taman Negara National Park, one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world, before continuing to Penang. The second route was devised with the conservation organisation Save Wild Tigers.

In both cases the pleasure is the train itself: forest, plantations and small stations seen from the open deck at the back, dinner in a panelled dining car, and a cabin made up for the night while you are at the bar.

When to go

The route decides the date. Essence of Malaysia runs from November to February, Wild Malaysia from March to October.

Getting there

Both journeys start and end at Woodlands station, in the north of Singapore. Departures are limited and are booked directly with Belmond or through a travel adviser.

Why OKYTO recommends it

Because it is one of the few true luxury sleeper trains in Asia, and because its new routes use the train to reach places, the interior of the peninsula above all, that most visitors to Malaysia never see.