S$22,000 luxury train ride from S'pore to Penang has plush cabins, fine dining & piano bar

A bit fancier than the MRT.

Joshua Lee | July 25, 2023, 05:03 PM

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If you love train rides and and don't mind splurging a little, then you might want to check out the Eastern & Oriental Express.

This is a luxury train that travels from Singapore and up the Malaysian Peninsula.

The ticket price? Starting at a very cool S$9,000 and going up to S$22,800 per cabin.

The train cabins

The Eastern & Oriental Express features three different types of cabins: The Presidential Suite, the State Cabin, and the Pullman Cabin.

All cabins are luxurious spaces that convert into sleeping quarters at night.

The Presidential Suite, which is the most spacious of them all, has a wide sofa that unfolds into twin adjacent beds at night.

It costs at least US$17,200 (S$22,848) per cabin.

Services include free-flowing champagne, caviar, a fruit basket, luxury toiletries, and a 24-hour onboard service.

The smallest cabin, the Pullman Cabin, feature upper and lower berths.

It costs at least US$6,820 (S$9,059) per cabin.

Dining

The train has two restaurant cars decorated in floral motifs reflecting the culture of the region.

They feature either elm panels with light-wood design inlays or rosewood with decorative lacquered panels hand-painted with flowers.

Guests can have their breakfasts and afternoon tea served in the restaurant cars or in their cabins.

3-course lunches and 4-course dinners are taken in the restaurant cars.

They serve Peranakan cuisine as well as signature cocktails inspired by Malaysia's vibrant cities and landscapes, with names like Hills of Perlis and Royal Nightcap.

Activities

The Eastern & Oriental Express has an Observation Car at the rear. Decked out with panelled walls and teak floors, the Observation Car provides a stunning view of the Malaysian landscape.

Post-dinner, guests can retreat to the piano bar which has a "musical curator" who will entertain them with nostalgic melodies.

There is a selection of off-board experiences and activities, including a stint in Merapoh to learn how volunteers are working to save the critically-endangered Malayan Tiger, a Peranakan cooking class, and a tour of Georgetown in Penang.

On its website, there are two different 4-day-3-night itineraries to choose from.

The first is Wild Malaysia, where guests travel from Singapore to the Taman Negara National Park before disembarking to visit Penang Island . Then guests will reboard the train at Butterworth in the evening and travel back to Johor and then Singapore.

The second programme, Essence of Malaysia, brings guests from Singapore to Alor Setar where they will alight and travel to Pulau Payar Marine Park in Langkawi.

The train will also visit Penang Island before continuing to Johor and Singapore.

For more information on the Eastern & Oriental Express, you can visit its website here.

All images: Eastern & Oriental Express