A guest at the open observation-car window of the Eastern & Oriental Express, looking out over Malaysian wetlands and distant hills.
Three nights on the E&O
Singapore to Penang by rail
Three nights by rail
Three nights on the E&O
Singapore to Penang by rail
E&O Express, Malaysia
Cabin suite aboard the E&O
Eastern & Oriental Express
The observation car
Taman Negara jungle walk
Colonial Georgetown
Northbound from Singapore
Eastern & Oriental Express
E&O Express observation car
Cabin suite, E&O Express
Taman Negara jungle walk
Colonial Georgetown
The E&O Express in Malaysia
Eastern & Oriental Express
Cabin suite on board
The observation car
Jungle walk, Taman Negara
Colonial Georgetown
Taman Negara National Park
Eastern & Oriental Express
Cabin suite aboard the E&O
Jungle walk, Taman Negara
Colonial Georgetown
The observation car

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Travel & Culture

Essence of Malaysia: Eastern & Oriental Express

Island days around Langkawi, then colonial Georgetown, aboard the E&O Express.

Tue 20 Apr - Tue 27 Apr 2027

Clients single out the food, service, and the pace through Langkawi and Georgetown.

Three nights on the E&O
Three nights by rail
Singapore to Penang by rail

4.8

(11)

Read reviews

Your rail journey

The Eastern & Oriental Express, a sleeper train that carries you through the Malaysian interior.

Exterior view of Eastern & Oriental Express
Thu 22 Apr - Sun 25 Apr
Luxe selection

Eastern & Oriental Express

A Belmond train across Malaysia, four days in deep green and gold carriages.

Rated 4.8Belmond trainArt Deco cabinsSilver-service

Choose your cabin

Three cabin grades aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express: the Pullman Cabin, the State Cabin, or the top Presidential Suite.

Included activities

Two off-train excursions: a day at Langkawi and a stop on Penang Island.

Turquoise water and forested limestone islands off the coast of Langkawi, Malaysia.
Excursion to Langkawi
Aerial view of George Town and the Chew Jetty in Penang, Malaysia
Excursion to Penang Island

Your hotel

A double or twin room for your hotel night alongside the rail journey.

Exterior view of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore
21-22 Apr · 25-26 Apr

Marina Bay Sands

Three towers on Singapore's Marina Bay, linked up top by the SkyPark. Five-star.

Rated 4.7Swimming poolOn-site restaurant

Your room

Double or Twin at Marina Bay Sands
Double or Twin

What’s included

Included as standard

  • Return flights, London to Singapore

  • Group coach transfers in Singapore

    Between the airport, Marina Bay Sands and Woodlands station.

  • 2 nights at Marina Bay Sands

    Twin or double, one night before and one after the journey.

  • 3 nights aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express

    Your chosen cabin with 24-hour steward service.

  • All meals on board

    Continental breakfast, 3-course lunch, afternoon tea and 4-course dinner daily.

  • Complimentary onboard bar

    Selected beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks throughout the journey.

Stratocumulus and cumulus cloud formation over a wide blue sky

Singapore

27°

Frequent showers

H: 30°L: 24°

Our best tips

Weather

The Eastern & Oriental Express runs through Malaysia in tropical heat. Expect 28–32°C, high humidity, and brief afternoon thunderstorms most days. Pack light cottons, a wide-brim hat, and a packable poncho for the platform stops.

Dress code

Smart casual is the typical standard for our hospitality events. Your booking confirmation will include any specific dress requirements.

Getting you on track

With Imperial Corporate Events

Concierge agent at a desk

Completely hands-off from start to finish

Tell us what you're after and we'll plan the rest. All you have to do is show up.

Hand holding a phone with the Imperial app

Everything you need at your fingertips

Store all your event information, tickets, and contact details in one convenient place

Get it on Google Play
Download on the App Store
Person enjoying a hotel suite
Late checkout
Tasting menu
Restaurant reservation
Birthday surprise
Flight upgrades
Trip extension
Champagne on arrival
Spa treatment
Private chef
Anniversary cake
Helicopter transfer
Private tour

Add personal touches to your trip

Make a request and our team will do everything they can to make it happen

On-site team

Your host walks the paddock with you. One person, one number, the whole weekend.

Seamless booking process

Pick the experience, pick the tier, pick the day. Your account manager handles the rest.

What our guests say

Don't just take our word for it

Unforgettable Eastern and Oriental Express trip

We’ve recently done a trip organised by Imperial Corporate Events to Singapore - to take the one and only Eastern and Oriental Express through Malaysia. What a memorable time it was - from staying in the iconic Marina Bay Sands with the biggest infinity pool, to the once in a lifetime experience of traveling for 3 nights in the most atmospheric and luxurious train. The Imperial staff were amazing - Chloe and Charlotte were brilliant and went above and beyond to make the whole journey smooth and enjoyable. And the train staff members made our stay unforgettable - including the chef, the bar tenders, waiting staff and carriage stewards. Everyone put their heart and soul to make this trip very special and memorable. K & S

Kira B22 Jul 2026

Eastern & Oriental Express

We had a wonderful trip on the Eastern & Oriental Express. We had some last minute logistical challenges and Chloe was so helpful in accommodating us and making sure we got from A to B on time. The train, food and overall experience was fabulous!

Sue18 May 2026

Fun in the Jungle

The 3 day trip on the Eastern & Oriental Express was hugely enjoyable and extremely well organised, with fabulous food, enjoyable excursions, great company and meticulous attention to detail. Highly recommended.

customer15 May 2026

Oriental Express. The food on the train was outstanding…

The food on the train was outstanding as was the service. All the staff were brilliant headed by Kent our butler. The bunk beds were a surprise and for the investment we paid would have liked one of the rooms where I didn’t have to climb into a bunk bed, they are not comfortable and easy to get in and out of. What was worse the people who had the better rooms did nothing but rib us about it. The bunk bed rooms should defo be less money. Sleeping was difficult up there so ended up being knackered. Chloe and Charlotte were brilliant and were let down by the MBS, the check in was over an hour late and had us waiting about. The suite was awesome. Altogether the trip was a huge success but youShould defo let your customers about the bunk beds, one old fella must have been 75 really did struggle.I enjoyed the excursions but a few guests moaned about them but certainlyMore info on each one would be good.

Dave18 May 2026

The trip was fantastic and would…

The Singapore Eastern and Orient Train trip was fantastic and would deserve 5 stars except for the time "wasted" hanging around at Marina Bay Sands Hotel waiting for room allocation or transport to arrive. Maybe organising some event at the hotel to fill in the time may provide a truly 5 star experience. I have to praise the team on the ground - Chloe and Charlotte - who were amazing and so helpful and fun.

Mandy T14 May 2026

Well organised

Well organised, quality accommodation. Staff excellent, Chloe and Charlotte.

Neil E14 May 2026

Eastern oriental express

Wonderful organisation - providing seamless service making the whole experience superb

Sally S13 May 2026

A really well put together luxury trip

A really well put together luxury trip, from the accommodation, the food and the whole experience was 5 Star Plus :-)

Geoff F13 May 2026

Another great holiday with ICE.

Another great holiday with ICE.From start to finish everything was made so easy for us & the itinerary was perfect.Two nights in the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore & three nights on the Belmond Eastern & Oriental train to Malaysia with excursions, what an experience.Our only complaint was that it wasn’t long enough but that just means we will need to revisit!

Susan J11 May 2026

Well…

Well…. What an amazing adventure Everything was perfect from start to finish. Chloe and Charlotte you were a major part of our life experiences and we thank you both from the bottom of our hearts. Hotel perfect. Train perfect. People amazing. Wonderful time had by all. Thank you Chloe and Charlotte for being part of our history 🐝

Kathy M11 May 2026

An amazing 5 night trip to the Orient

We have just come back from ICE’s first venture into the Orient. We stayed either end of the trip at the amazing Marina Bay Sands Hotel - the one in Singapore right by the Gardens in the Bay with the ‘surfboard’ pool on top. The service there is amazing- there was even a couple of staff at the airport at departure to help us check in with the machines. We had 3 days of fabulous food and service on the Belmond Eastern Oriental Express as it wound its way through the Malaysian jungle to Penang. We chose a great excursion walking into the jungle with a nature guide. Then in George Town we had the best experience ever riding pillion on scooters ridden by the Vespa club. Giving us an art based view of the colonial streets. Others chose the option to wander by themselves, have a Trishaw cultural Tour or head to an old colonial mansion for a cooking experience. Everyone came back to the specially chartered ferry buzzing with their experiences. Be prepared for a bumpy train ride at times as it is a splendidly refurbished but old train. However, every cabin had a tiny en-suite. Despite packing restrictions everyone managed to look smart casual at the 3 course lunches on board and we all made a special effort to dress for dinner in the evenings. We were not the only ones suggesting we have an extra day at the beginning to explore Singapore and enjoy the sky pool. Furthermore, as some already mentioned after the Abu Dhabi GP, for long-haul trips perhaps premium economy class flights should be the minimum comfort offered, with business class as an alternative. It was an amazing trip and we would like to heap praise on the ICE reps as they were fantastic. Everything was ‘spot on’!

Lisa F09 May 2026

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The history of Wild Malaysia: Eastern & Oriental Express

The history of Essence of Malaysia: Eastern & Oriental Express

The Eastern & Oriental Express is really two things at once. There are the old railway lines, laid across the Malay Peninsula more than a century ago, and there's the much later idea of turning them into a train journey worth taking for its own sake. The tracks were cut through jungle for tin and rubber. The teak carriages came afterwards. What hasn't changed much is the view from the window. The Essence of Malaysia run leans west, trading the deep rainforest for the islands and old port cities of the coast, with Langkawi and Penang at the heart of it.

Luxury rail experience
The Orient Express was a train that changed the way people thought about travel. It wasn't about getting from A to B. It was about the journey itself.
James B. SherwoodFounder, Orient-Express Hotels (now Belmond)
Vintage steam locomotive on railway tracks, evoking the golden age of rail travel
There is something about a train journey that reconnects you with the landscape. You see the world at a human pace.
Arnaud ChampenoisSenior Vice President, Belmond
1885

The first railway tracks are laid in British Malaya.

Vintage steam locomotive on railway tracks, evoking the golden age of rail travel

Tracks cut through the planet's densest rainforest for tin; the Eastern & Oriental Express inherited them.

British colonial administrators began constructing railway lines across the Malay Peninsula in 1885, initially to serve the tin mining industry. The Federated Malay States Railways gradually expanded its network, connecting Kuala Lumpur to the coast and, eventually, linking Singapore in the south to the Thai border in the north. These metre-gauge tracks, carved through some of the densest tropical rainforest on the planet, would one day carry the Eastern & Oriental Express.

1923

The Singapore to Bangkok rail link is completed.

The Eastern & Oriental Express passing through the Malaysian landscape

Singapore to Bangkok by rail, at last; the corridor that the Eastern & Oriental Express would one day make legendary was open for business.

By the early 1920s, the railway networks of British Malaya and Siam were finally connected, making it possible to travel by train from Singapore all the way to Bangkok. The journey took several days and required changes, but the continuous rail corridor through the Malay Peninsula, across the Causeway, and up through Thailand established the route that the Eastern & Oriental Express would later make famous.

1993

The Eastern & Oriental Express makes its maiden voyage.

Interior of an Eastern & Oriental Express State Cabin with elegant wood panelling

Japanese carriages built in 1972, dressed in Thai silk and Malaysian embroidery, departed Singapore for Bangkok on 19 September 1993.

On 19 September 1993, the Eastern & Oriental Express departed on its inaugural journey from Singapore to Bangkok. The brainchild of James B. Sherwood, the American entrepreneur who had already revived the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Europe, the train brought the same philosophy of golden-age rail travel to Southeast Asia. The carriages were originally built in Japan in 1972 and extensively refurbished with cherry and elm panelling, Thai silk upholstery, and Malaysian embroidery.

1990s

The E&O Express establishes itself as Asia's premier luxury train.

The Presidential Suite aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express

Three days, two nights, 1,262 miles; the jungle unspooling from the observation car with a gin and tonic firmly in hand.

Through the 1990s, the Eastern & Oriental Express built its reputation as the definitive luxury rail experience in Asia. The classic route between Singapore and Bangkok, covering 1,262 miles over three days and two nights, became a bucket-list journey. Passengers dined on dishes that shifted from Malay to Thai as the train crossed borders, and the open-air observation car at the rear became the train's signature space: a place to watch the jungle slip past with a gin and tonic in hand.

2014

LVMH acquires the Belmond brand, including the E&O Express.

Pullman Cabin interior aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express

At $3.2 billion, LVMH didn't buy a train; it bought a travelling destination.

Orient-Express Hotels rebranded as Belmond in 2014, bringing the Eastern & Oriental Express under a new identity while preserving its character. The rebrand signalled a broader ambition: Belmond positioned the train not just as transport between two cities, but as a destination experience in its own right. In 2019, LVMH completed its acquisition of Belmond for $3.2 billion, placing the E&O Express within the world's largest luxury group alongside Louis Vuitton and Dior.

2020

The pandemic halts operations; a reinvention begins.

The Eastern & Oriental Express train exterior in the Malaysian landscape

For the first time in its history, the train simply stopped; and that stillness changed everything.

COVID-19 brought the Eastern & Oriental Express to a standstill. Cross-border travel between Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand became impossible, and the train sat idle for the first time in its history. But the enforced pause gave Belmond the opportunity to rethink the offering entirely. Rather than simply resume the classic Singapore-Bangkok route, the team began developing shorter, more focused itineraries that explored single countries in greater depth.

2024

The E&O returns to the rails with new Malaysia itineraries.

Canopy walkway through the ancient rainforest of Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia

Singapore at the centre, with routes fanning out across the peninsula; Essence of Malaysia among them.

The Eastern & Oriental Express came back after a four-year pause with a fresh slate of Malaysia-focused journeys. The Essence of Malaysia run heads up the west coast from Singapore, built around the islands of Langkawi and the streets of Penang rather than the inland jungle.

2025

A new chapter for Southeast Asia's most storied train.

Guests enjoying an experience aboard the Wild Malaysia Eastern & Oriental Express journey

Some corners of Malaysia's rainforest are reachable only by sleeper car.

The Eastern & Oriental Express now operates multiple itineraries across Peninsular Malaysia, including the Essence of Malaysia and Wild Malaysia routes. Under Belmond's stewardship, the train has been positioned as a gateway to experiences that would be difficult or impossible to access independently: private wildlife encounters, exclusive cultural performances, and meals prepared by guest chefs using ingredients sourced from the regions the train passes through. The Wild Malaysia journey, in particular, has drawn attention for its focus on conservation and responsible tourism in one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots.