Ever thought of booking the Eastern & Oriental Express? Well, if that’s you, then make sure to read our full lowdown on what it’s like to travel on the Eastern & Oriental Express on a trip through Malaysia, from Singapore. The Eastern & Oriental Express is an absolutely amazing train to experience and perfect for a trip around Malaysia.
Not only will you experience the beauty of places within Malaysia, but you’ll also get to experience the world-class service and beauty of the train’s carriages. It is honestly incredible.
So, if you’re thinking of booking a place on board this incredible train, read on! We want to give you the full lowdown on what to expect, when to book, what to do and elements we hadn’t thought about before booking our travel on the Eastern & Oriental Express.
Okay, so let’s start with destinations. We took the train from Singapore. This is the starting point for any travel on the Eastern & Oriental Express. You actually board at the border station between Singapore and Malaysia at Woodlands Train Station (and checkpoint). This is where you will undertake immigration checks before boarding your journey on this iconic train.
Pre-departure logistics for the Eastern & Oriental Express
Now, one of the great things about Belmond, in our experience, is that they think of everything for you. Every detail is considered, easy and seamless.
This is even true before we boarded the train. For instance, the onboard concierge called us about a month before our trip to organise specific excursions and book any Dior Spa services onboard. We did all this in advance, and it helped as certain experiences (especially the Spa) have limited availability.
Where do you board the Eastern & Oriental Express?
Also, as we were staying in Singapore (after flying from London) a few days before our trip, the team organised a private pickup from our hotel to Woodlands Train checkpoint (Google Maps link), where the Eastern and Oriental Express departs. It was amazing and so easy.
Of course, you do pay a premium for all of this, but it’s honestly worth it.
The transfer was around 25 minutes from downtown Singapore, and within no time at all, we were whisked through Malaysian immigration and onto the station platform. Here, we were greeted by the amazing Eastern & Oriental Express team – all waiting for us to arrive. It felt so special.
What I love most about the staff on board the Eastern & Oriental Express is that they are all so welcoming and warm. There’s no stuffiness or anything like that. Everyone is so friendly and helpful.
Luggage onboard the Eastern & Oriental Express
Now, one word of advice when it comes to luggage, the cabins are cosy – as you’d expect from any train travel. To make things easier, the Eastern & Oriental Express train team will store your larger bags in a secure cabin, which you can retrieve once you have finished your journey onboard.
This way, you can take a smaller bag onto the train itself and have much more room in the cabin. So, if you’re travelling internationally to Singapore, make sure to take a small, hand luggage-style bag you can take on board the train too.
What are the sleeping cabins like on the Eastern & Oriental Express?
This is where the magic truly happens! As you board the Eastern & Oriental Express, you are taken to your cabin by your butler. They will be with you every step of the way on your trip.
Now, with the Eastern & Oriental Express, there are three bookable cabins you can choose from. The Pullman Cabin, State Cabin and the Presidential Suite – with the price increasing, depending on which cabin you choose. The Pullman Cabin is the smallest of the cabins, with bunk-style beds and an ensuite shower room. Next, the one we booked is the State Cabin. This has two convertible single beds that transform into sofas for lounging in the daytime. Finally, the Presidential Suite is the largest of all the cabins.
With each of the rooms, the beds and remade every single night (and put away) by your Butler whilst you’re enjoying breakfast. There’s no hassle, and clean, crisp sheets and beds are waiting for you once you finish dinner in the evenings.
Communal carriages on board the Eastern & Oriental Express
Regardless of the cabin category you book, you have free rein of the whole train. Each and every person can enjoy every aspect of the Eastern & Oriental Express. So, don’t worry about having to book a certain category of room and thinking you might miss out on certain aspects of the train.
After settling in, unpacking and enjoying some bubbles, you’ll get to wander around the train for about 60 minutes before departure to Malaysia. We took this opportunity to get our bearings and really understand the layout of the cabin.
Observation Car
Our State cabin was right next to the Observation Car at the back of the train. This was a welcome treat as we were right next to the cocktail bar, lounge and outdoor observation deck, which we visited multiple times a day.
It’s a great place to come in the evening for a quieter drink, and it’s such a peaceful area of the train. Plus, the views are amazing as you travel through Malaysia.
Malaya & Adisorn Cars
These are the two restaurant cars onboard the Eastern & Oriental Express. Throughout your travel on the Eastern & Oriental Express, you will dine in both of these carriages, in different seats and carriages at various mealtimes. There are seats for two people and seats for four people.
Each day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you will be given a table alongside various other travellers onboard. It’s a great way to make friends, and honestly, by the end of the trip, every guest knows everyone, and it’s like one big friends group – which we loved.
Though, don’t fret if you don’t fancy a chat. You can always ask to sit on the two-seater tables if it suits you best.
The Piano Car
This is another gem of a carriage that you’ll frequent many times whilst you travel on the Eastern & Oriental Express. In the daytime, the Piano Car Bar is open and offers every type of cocktail, champagne and hot drinks you could ever want. Plus, you can have things like afternoon tea and snacks when you board the train after your daily excursions.
Also, in the evening, you will have live musicians performing, singing and entertaining in the carriage. It’s so lovely, and we often stayed here until the wee hours of the morning.
Dior Spa Car
The Dior Spa has a dedicated carriage onboard the Eastern & Oriental Express, along with a small shop selling Eastern & Oriental Express merchandise. At the shop, you can buy crockery, champagne flutes, tiffin boxes and other items you use throughout your journey onboard the train.
Naturally, we bought a few things to take back to London, including a tiffin box and the champagne flutes. Though I would say to buy your souvenirs early in your trip, they tend to sell out, and there is much less availability as the tour draws to a close.
The Dior Spa has two spa rooms, both of which we used and loved. We booked in for a Dior massage in the evening after a day exploring Langkawi, and it was so lovely. The rooms are stunning, and it’s so surreal having a massage as you’re travelling through Malaysia by train.
Which journey should you travel on the Eastern & Oriental Express?
This is entirely personal to each traveller. There is are range of seasonal journeys, specific focus journeys and routes that show off some of the best things in Malaysia itself. We chose to book the ‘Essence of Malaysia‘ journey. This took in places like Langkawi, Penang and the historic city of Ipoh along the way. We loved it.
Now, be aware that prices and availability can vary greatly depending on seasonality. Book well in advance to get the best choice as we noticed quite a few of the dates sell out.
Are Excursions included when you travel on the Eastern & Oriental Express?
The easy answer is yes! You’ve paid a premium to experience the Eastern & Oriental Express, and all excursions are included in the price. Best of all, there are different excursions at each stop along the way. Like I said before, the onboard concierge will call and email you with regards to the daily excursions so they can book your place before you board the train.
Each of the excursions is different, meaning that there really is something for everyone. From tours, beach days, cooking classes, you name it – they have a heap to choose from.
Is it difficult to sleep on the Eastern & Oriental Express?
Honestly, no. The only slight thing I’d say is that if you’re a light sleeper, you may wake up a little more in the night. Na1turally, you’re travelling by train and this can move around as you travel through Malaysia. Noise was never an issue for us, and our cabin was always super quiet.
For us, we were quite tired once we finished our travel on the Eastern & Oriental Express. The main reason was that we were burning the candle at both ends and had total FOMO on all the amazingness that is the Eastern & Oriental Express train. This meant we had quite late nights and early mornings… but this was all our own doing.
Are there other trains to take?
Yeah! Don’t forget you have Belmond’s Orient Express (in mainland Europe), the new Britannic Explorer and British Pullman (England and Wales), the Royal Scotsman (Scotland), the Andean Explorer and Hiram Bingham train (in Peru). All of these offer slightly different packages, from day trips to larger journeys.
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