We took Southeast Asia's most luxurious sleeper train – here is what it's like

Time Out

2 days ago

It's gala night aboard Belmond's Eastern & Oriental Express. Guests are gathered in the gilded piano bar car dressed in their best slinky gowns, pressed suits, and a fur coat or two. We're here for one final night of entertainment. Bathed in the warm golden glow of vintage-style lamps, our songstress takes an audience request and swings into 'Top of the World' by the Carpenters, her husky tones gliding over the tinkling piano keys – and always, the soft rush of rails under our feet.
It's been an enchanting three days on Southeast Asia's most luxurious sleeper train. The E&O Express is the younger Southeast Asian sibling of the Venice Simplon-Orient Express, itself descended from the legendary Orient Express of 1883. Refashioned and regauged from New Zealand's Silver Star stock, the E&O Express first pulled out of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station in Singapore in 1993, plying a route to Bangkok, Thailand.
After a brief hiatus thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the emerald-and-cream beauty resumed operations in late 2024 with refurbished cabins and refreshed excursions. It now traces two languorous routes through central Malaysia: one forks at Gemas with endpoints in Merapoh and Butterworth, and the other hugs the coast en route to Perlis.
We'd seen the pictures on social media: sumptuous interiors dripping with vintage glamour. They catapulted the E&O Express to the top of our bucket list – reserved, we thought, for our retirement years or a miraculous windfall. So, when the chance arose to ride the first route, Wild Malaysia, we packed our flashiest outfits and hopped aboard.
First impressions: rolling out the red carpet
The E&O Express experience begins right at our doorstep. A luxury car collects us from home, and we pick over the selection of local drinks and snacks to last us the 20-minute ride to Woodlands Checkpoint. There, smartly dressed Belmond porters whisk away our luggage and greet us through every step of customs and immigration (which, by the way, takes place in an area specially cordoned off for E&O Express passengers). It's an early taste of the immaculate service we receive throughout the rest of the journey.
Our first glimpse of the train comes through the hazy glass of the checkpoint holding area. The train's far end tails off into a vanishing point, it being much longer than we expected. After a quick photo of its gleaming green exterior, marked with the golden tiger insignia, we're helped onto carriage H – farthest from the dining cars but conveniently near the bar and observation car, we're told consolingly.
The cabins: compact stunners with, yes, ensuite bathrooms
We stay in a state cabin, a tier above the Pullman cabin and second only to the presidential suite. It's a jewel box of marine blues and greens inspired by Penang's seaside locale, which pop against glossy, marquetry wood walls. The tables bloom with tropical plants and fruits – birds of paradise, dragonfruit – all washed in natural light pouring in from two generous windows. There are silky soft dressing gowns and slippers so plush that I often forget to switch them out for proper shoes when leaving the cabin.
Every time we're off at dinner, our lovely carriage attendant, Navein, squirrels in to draw the cream curtains and convert the seats into two cosy beds, complete with linens embroidered with the E&O Express logo. He leaves surprises behind every day: our favourite is an anthology of poems and short stories commissioned by Belmond, a literary romp through the untold stories of Malaysia.
Unlike the Venice Simplon-Orient Express, every cabin on this train comes with an en-suite bathroom. It's snug – even for two fairly petite ladies like us – but admirably designed to fit a toilet, sink, and shower, with thoughtfully placed hooks and storage compartments. It's a good idea to grip the handlebars while showering to avoid potentially gnarly slips. We swipe some of the luxury toiletries at the end of the trip – in fact, we're encouraged to.
The dining: fine dining fusion fare by Chef Andre Chiang
Part of the E&O Express's charm is its leisurely pace: we spend blissful downtime in our cabin watching Malaysia's landscape sweep by as the train snakes through the snatching fingers of Taman Negara National Park's lush forest, past waving palm plantations, and by numerous towns we've never heard of. But if watching all this life flash by leaves us feeling a little untethered at times, then Chef André Chiang's fine dining fare is a welcome grounding force.
Born in Taiwan, raised in Japan, and trained in France, Chef André is the former head of the three-Michelin-star Le Jardin des Sens and founder of the two-star Restaurant André in Singapore. His onboard menu was expectedly refined, comfortingly unpretentious, and so very delicious.
Amidst the rattle of linen-covered tables laden with hand-cut crystalware and fine china, familiar Malaysian flavours show up in bold, surprising forms: refreshing kaffir lime consommé stirred with a stick of lemongrass, bouillabaisse jazzed up with laksa spices, and coconut blancmange with Nyonya chendol. Chef André plucks flavours from other Asian cuisines too, lacing a shrimp and clam bisque with miso, and nestling kimchi alongside delicately seared tuna in an unassuming nicoise salad. A good representation of Malaysia's cultural melting pot.
Everything else: hyperlocal excursions in the heart of Malaysia
We should add that you'll be very, very stuffed from (at least) four meals a day. Good for us then, that we have to trot at least seven carriages down to the two dining cars for meals. Nevertheless, we welcomed the daily excursions – an opportunity to stretch our legs and check out the locality.
Belmond has curated something for everyone: the nature nuts, the wellness seekers, the foodies, the artsy fartsy. We flow through yoga poses in front of a towering limestone cliff in Taman Negara National Park before laying in a flat, wide stream for a sound bath experience. Throughout the experience, our guide, Xin Wei from The Habitat Group, chatters merrily about the wildlife of the national park, pointing out whooping monkey calls, pretty nesting birds, and even elephant poop. Others follow a tiger conservationist to walk in the footsteps of the elusive felines, and yet more zip off on e-bikes to explore Merapoh's caves.
In Penang, we trade the sweltering city centre for the cool climes at the peak of Penang Hill, cooking Chinese and Indian snacks in the shade of a gorgeous villa. Other guests hop onto Vespas for an art tour of Georgetown or into rickshaws for a self-guided tour of the UNESCO Historic Site.
Downtime is spent in our private cabins or bar cars – easily the train's most visually striking. We witness many a fast friendship made over free-flowing champagne and cocktails, picked from a whimsical, tropical-themed menu with storybook-like pop-ups and cutouts. Other entertainment: coffee tasting sessions, mindful mandala-colouring workshops, or wind-in-your-hair moments in the observation car, particularly thrilling while the train whizzes through the thickest parts of the Malaysian jungle.
Is it worth it?
Here's the deal: a journey on the E&O Express starts at US$4,650 for a 4D3N trip in the Pullman cabin – and only goes up from there. Friends and family in Singapore are bewildered: 'Wait, that much just to go to Penang?'
We understand. Those based in Asia don't expect to drop more than a couple of hundred dollars on a trip to Malaysia. But we'd argue that a journey on the E&O Express is more than just "going to Penang". It's aspirational travel at its finest, offering an immersive, high-style homage to the golden age of train travel, an opportunity to live out the fantasy of the Orient Express, and to really slow down and savour the journey (not just the destination). Pepper in some Malaysian charm – in the food, the exclusive excursions, and the distinct warmth of the local crew – and you've got a winner.
Whether it's worth cashing out on the fantasy still comes down to your budget and travel style. But as we step off the train in Singapore — like slipping back through the wardrobe from Narnia – it crosses our mind: we'll be back, sometime, somehow.