Could This Be the Most Luxurious Way to Explore Malaysia?
Embark on a romantic train journey in the sultry tropics of South-East Asia.
A gentle swish of silk and a trail of delicate perfume greet me when I step from my state cabin on the Belmond Eastern & Oriental Express as it leaves Singapore’s Woodlands Station on the three-night Wild Malaysia itinerary. Fellow guest Patrick, who has rocked on the tracks on many grand train journeys, explains how to manage the narrow corridors as we sashay to pre-dinner drinks: “If you see someone coming your way, just do a quick step to the left or right, turn sideways, smile and voila – your toes are saved.”
At the elegant piano bar, with its plush gold velvet seats, plump tiger-motif cushions and bobbled, braided and tasselled curtains, we’re welcomed by the rhythmic rattle of a cocktail shaker. It seems fitting to order something from the Wild Malaysian menu so I choose the Baobab Tree, a refreshing concoction of gin, dehydrated baobab fruit and pomelo liqueur, and settle in to watch Singaporean magician Ming Da, whose tricks are leaving everyone guessing. A retired British financier on a six-week world trip with his wife and two teenage children wants Da to spill his secrets. “We all know that if he did,” quips another guest, “there would be consequences...” After all, Belmond’s sister train is the star of Agatha Christie’s famous whodunnit Murder on the Orient Express.
After a four-year hiatus, our 16-carriage train has been relaunched with polished bells and shiny whistles. It’s now home to a Dior Spa – the first in South-East Asia – that’s decorated with a tiger-patterned toile de Jouy in a nod to the sacred big cats native to this part of the world. The two converted cabins with Malaysian-inspired canework and Dior signature rose carpet offer soothing facials and invigorating massages (be sure to book early). “There’s something so exotic about being pampered on such a luxurious train,” says Melissa from Tasmania, who is onboard celebrating a milestone birthday. She emerges completely chilled-out after her signature D-Jungle deep-tissue treatment, which targets energy points.
Dining is an adventure through innovative, spice-centric dishes by Taiwanese-born superstar chef André Chiang, who has helmed multiple Michelin-starred restaurants, including Raw in Taipei and Le Jardin des Sens in France. Meals take place in the Adisorn car, which is dressed in green florals, and the amber-hued Malaya car; every evening, restaurant manager Angie drops a handwritten card to our cabin that lists our dinner venue, table number and reservation time. My husband and I take our seats at Adisorn on the first night, where a small bistro lamp is dimmed and crystal and silverware gleam as the train click-clacks along at 90 kilometres per hour.
For another dinner, we join new friends at Malaya for delicate shrimp and clam miso bisque followed by steamed red snapper in ginger with pickled wild Chinese olives and spring onion and coriander pesto. The grand finale? Chiang’s secret jungle-spiced Guanaja ganache and cardamom milk with a parting treat of petit fours that taste even better than they look. Back in the Bar car, singer Z Yan and pianist Ee Jeng entertain a rapt audience (morning-after chatter reveals that karaoke carried on into the wee hours, with French fizz flowing).
We skip the singing and head back to our cabin, decked out in teal velvet and marquetry, with a small mosaic-floor ensuite that just fits a marble sink and a tiny shower that requires skilled maneuvering. The ever-smiling Farhan rotates our digs between day and night mode and we’re rocked to sleep in comfy, compact single beds. Continental breakfast with scrambled egg one day and a quiche the next are delivered at 7am for the first two mornings and we’re treated to three-course lunches and afternoon teas in the dining cars.
From the Observation car, with its open sections, steamy air brushes my cheek as lush plantations and tangled jungle flash by. On the second day, we take an excursion to Taman Negara National Park, where screeching gibbons swing from treetops. The next, we're in Penang, saddling up on shiny Vespas (with drivers) to explore George Town’s colourful Old Quarter.
Each evening a small gift is left on our beds; one is a little wooden music box that plays a traditional Malaysian folk song, Rasa Sayang, about gratitude and joy. When we disembark in Singapore, back where the adventure began, that sentiment captures exactly how I feel.
