October 2011 - Royal Automobile Club

Cocktail hour can be a
precarious business on
board the Eastern &
Oriental Express. There’s a
risk of losing great splashes of your G&T
overboard with every sway of the train.
But standing on the open sided
observation deck at sunset, passing by
the verdant scenery of South East Asia,
is worth any effort incurred. And of
course being a passenger on a luxury
train is really no effort at all.
Our journey had begun in
Singapore where we spent the night at
Raffles, a white wedding cake of
colonial architecture encasing dark
wood, ceiling fans and antique furniture
within. Singapore Slings (the hotel’s
own creation) on the veranda followed
by a curry buffet of northern Indian
specialities in the stunning Tiffin Room
took us back to a more gracious era.
Perfect before boarding the E&O for a
three-day journey through Malaysia
and into Thailand.
Now, 24 hours later, we are deep
into the Malaysian countryside. And
with darkness swallowing up the last of
the view, it’s time to dress for dinner.
The E&O is owned by the famous
Orient-Express company and as such
features exquisite marquetry and
fabrics. Unlike the Venice Simplon train
that runs through Europe, the carriages
are not Art Deco originals. But what
they lack in authenticity they make up
for in modern comforts – ensuite
bathrooms and a reading room (home
to a resident reflexologist and a fortune
teller). There’s also the bonus of some
pit stops along the way.
The first takes place just before
dinner when we pull in to Kuala
Lumpur station. It’s fun to walk up and
Club Travel
down the platform in our finery, but the
best bit is to come. As we leave the
station, tucking into our first course of
goose liver with pumpkin and coconut
veloute, we spot the Petronas Towers
sparkling in the darkness. In the bar car
after dinner the gregarious pianist,
Peter, keeps playing until the last guest
goes to bed. On this occasion, not us -
we are out stayed by a young couple
from the UK. When we return to our
State cabin it has been transformed into
a bedroom, the sofa and lounge chair
magically turned into twin beds.
‘Did you sleep well?’ enquires our
steward, Sarawut, as he brings us
breakfast in our cabin the next
morning. When we sheepishly reply in
the negative he is not that surprised.
‘Some people don’t on the first night. It’s
like sleeping through an earthquake.’ At
8.35am we pull into Butterworth
station. All the passengers set off on the
first of our excursions to the island of
Penang. Georgetown, the capital, has
UNESCO heritage status on account of
its abundance of historical buildings.
We are all now settled into trishaws and
are pedalled around the ancient streets.
Had I known it was an unofficial race I
might have chosen a younger cyclist
– the task of propelling both me and my
husband seems a little much for ours.
But the leisurely pace means we get a
good view of the beautiful buildings
from old merchants’ houses to Chinese
temples filled with red lanterns or
bright pink firecrackers. We pass
through Little India, China Town and
the Street of Harmony (so called
because it’s home to a church, a temple
and a mosque) and make a promise to
return for a longer stay.
Back on board it’s time for lunch.
October 2011 | Issue 136 | 59