Following a four-year pandemic-induced pause, the Eastern & Oriental Express train plans to relaunch its service in February with two new seasonal routes between Singapore and Malaysia. From November to February, one three-day journey will travel west from Singapore to the city of Kuala Lumpur and the islands of Langkawi (where you can go snorkeling at the Pulau Payar Marine Park) and Penang, accessible via private ferry transfer. Then, from March to October, another three-day itinerary heads toward the eastern side of the peninsula, stopping at the Taman Negara National Park, home to tigers, leopards and Asian elephants. The train line’s 15 carriages have been redesigned and now come decked out with traditional Malaysian embroidery and silks. For dinner, the chef André Chiang serves a menu that highlights the different cultures of the region with dishes such as laksa bouillabaisse, black-bone chicken consommé and tea-smoked duck breast. Three-night trips on the Eastern & Oriental Express, a Belmond Train, Southeast Asia start from approximately $5,206 per person, belmond.com.
Add a Luxurious Train Trip Through Malaysia for Your 2024 Travel Bucket List
Eastern & Oriental Express train plans to relaunch its service in February with two new seasonal routes between Singapore and Malaysia.
The state cabins aboard the newly restyled Eastern & Oriental Express reflect the nature of the island of Penang with a bright blue-and-green colour palette, cherry wood paneling and traditional Malaysian fabrics. Photograph by Ludovic Balay for Belmond. 