Where to begin! Upon entering the platform, I was greeted by the welcoming smiles of the staff who proceeded to guide me to my cabin for the next three nights. I stepped on board to be met with beautiful traditional style decor, complete with wood panelling and golden finishes. My cabin did not disappoint either. The attention to detail was incredible even down to tiny details such as embossed print on the welcome pack items; not a big deal to a lot maybe but its these tiny additional efforts made that really begin to show what a special few days I had ahead. A great effort had gone into the design and execution of the EOE.

Shortly after I was met by my carriage's attendant, who was always readily available if I needed any assistance. Soon after we were on our way with the first experience being afternoon tea. But more about that later…

As the evening progressed it was time to change into our formal wear for dinner, followed by live music with the exceptionally talented on-board pianist, Grace, accompanied by a saxophonist. The drinks flowed, the other guests and I got to chat and get to know each other better. Until finally it was time to retire for the night to be up early for breakfast and our first day’s excursions.

On each of the full days there were choices for off board excursions, each tailored to try and cater for a variety of tastes and interests. Whether you want to be active and on the move through the rainforests of Perlis, or simply relax on the beaches of Langkawi with a delicious cocktail, or perhaps engrossing yourself in local art and culture and trying your hand at the traditional art form of Batik, there's something for everyone. A personal highlight of my own was an art and culture tour of Georgetown on Penang as my day two excursion. The tour had to move on without me as I was enjoying exploring a local artists studio with the artist while discussing each of our practices and sharing ideas. I recommend any art lovers out there to check him out on socials: Thomas Powell. 

Each evening had live music before and after dinner, with Grace solo on piano on the second night and then accompanied by the euphonious singer Lin on our final night. The staff and musicians all had time to get involved and chat and joke with us and other guests, creating a very relaxed and fun atmosphere.

Now back to a big part of the experience, the food! Whether you board the train as a foodie or not you'll certainly disembark as one. From the first bite of afternoon tea to the final crumb of our last breakfast, every morsel of food put before us was on a level I've never experienced and likely never will again. Attention to detail, personalisation to suit certain dietary preferences and requirements, presentation, even portion size was perfectly balanced to allow us all to enjoy each course without either feeling hungry afterwards, or being too full to enjoy the next course. I hope you like to eat because the flow of meals and courses seemed almost constant. However, as such an intrinsic part of the experience and it never felt like too much. 

The real stars of the show were the staff, and the level of excellence and service they provided from start to finish is second to none. If I had enough time to do so I could write an article for each of them one by one to express how much they enhanced the experience. Even the smallest of tasks they would go above and beyond to ensure the greatest possible service and attention to detail was achieved in assisting. Not only that, but they created a very personal touch to everything, always addressing all the guests by name, taking time to converse and get to know everyone, as well as sharing expert advice and guidance on any queries relating to every element of the trip and beyond. It would be remiss of me not to give a special shout out to Hakeem who served our carriage and truly left a lasting impression with me through his personality, dedication, and masterful care he applied to ensuring everything was perfect. So, if you find yourself boarding this incredible experience, it's worth giving him a nod if your paths cross.

All good things do sadly have to come to an end and by late morning of the final day we arrived back to Woodland station in Northern Singapore to say farewell and part ways with the many friends I had made on board, both fellow passengers and staff alike. The whole trip felt like being in another world and I walk away with lasting memories of a once in a lifetime experience. If anyone were to ask me for a rail holiday now this will be the first thing I think of. It is so much more than just a rail trip. It taps into every sense of the body, with stunning panoramas, Michelin star meals, and a cacophony of sound, from the shunting of the train to the howls of the rainforest and the flowing of lively music. There’s exceptional comfort found on every surface, seat, bed, and fixture on board, and the fragrances of local coffees, teas, spices, and herbs used to create the masterpieces we were consistently served. It strikes the perfect balance in its pacing of elements from meals to activities to downtime without ever feeling like you would need more but without it feeling like too much. I could not recommend this trip more to anyone.

For more inspiration, take a look at our Eastern & Oriental Express, A Belmond Train page.