Eastern & Oriental Express: Essence of Malaysia

Exterior | Eastern & Oriental Express

Highlights

Three nights aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express in a Pullman cabin

A cruise to Langkawi’s best snorkelling spot (Pulau Payar Marine Park)

A tour to Penang Island with choice of excursions

Retreat to the piano bar for a refreshing nightcap

Head to the Observation Car to enjoy the breeze and the ever-changing views

After a night of revelry, retire to your private cabin, decorated with intricate marquetry, delicate fabrics and vintage charm

4 days

From

AUD 6,148

per person, twin share

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All services are subject to availability.

Overview

A story 30 years in the making, the Eastern & Oriental Express has been narrating adventures since its inaugural journey from Bangkok to Singapore in 1993. After American businessman James B Sherwood purchased the luxury train carriages in Japan, these were remodelled in Singapore with elegance, echoing the spirit of ancient Indochina.

The signature cream and green exterior gives way to polished wood-panelled corridors and silken furnishings with a hint of multiple Asian designs. Once inside, take your seat at the Bar car where a jazz-club ambience reigns with music lingering in the air, while stewards serve champagne and signature cocktails.

Today, the Eastern & Oriental Express takes you on a grand journey in Southeast Asia to capture the heart of Malaysia.

Inclusions

3 nights aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express in a Pullman cabin

Daily continental breakfast served in your cabin

Daily three-course lunch and afternoon tea

Daily four-course dinner: Seasonal table d’hôte menu, including coffee, tea and petits fours

All house wines, house spirits and local beer is included throughout the journey. Premium drinks and drinks ordered to your cabin are an additional charge

Dedicated 24-hour steward service

Itinerary

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Day 1 Singapore to Malaysia

Board the handsome green and gold carriages of the Eastern & Oriental Express at Woodlands Station, Singapore, and settle into your air-conditioned cabin. Cherrywood panelling, Malaysian embroidery and Thai silks create the perfect sanctuary.

Admire the lush passing landscapes as your steward serves an exquisite afternoon tea in your cabin.

Soon, evening falls and it’s time to dress for dinner. Savour the flavours of locally inspired specialities in the Dining Car, followed by engaging entertainment on board.

Lunch, Dinner

Staff | Eastern & Oriental Express

Day 2 Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi

During breakfast in the dining car, soak up the vistas as the train courses past the rice paddies and timeless rural villages of western Malaysia. After lunch, alight at Alor Setar station for a 25-minute boat trip to Langkawi’s Pulau Payar Marine Park, renowned for its vibrant underwater life, from parrot fish and angel fish to moray eels and grouper.

Here, guests will be provided with a luxury picnic set and have an array of options to choose from. Unwind with wellness experiences such as a massage, meditation and tai chi, try paddle boarding and snorkelling or stride off on an island walk. With a friendly welcome from the locals and access to a bar for cocktails and a BBQ, this is a true glimpse of paradise.

Returning to the train, an evening of lively celebrations with local entertainers awaits in the Piano Bar, accompanied by a delicious dinner.

Overnight onboard The Eastern & Oriental Express

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Piano Bar Car | Eastern & Oriental Express

Day 3 West Coast Line Butterworth

Today you arrive in Penang Island, Malaysia’s cultural melting pot, where you have a choice of excursions.

The first is a discovery of the culinary art of Peranakan cooking, where you will visit a spice shop and traditional grocery stores to purchase herbs and vegetables, before trying your hand at making some enticing local dishes. The second suits those with a passion for culture and art, taking you to Georgetown Old Quarter to see stunning temples, a contemporary studio and an opera and puppet house. Lastly, you can choose to explore independently. Armed with a map, a tri-shaw and a driver, navigate Georgetown’s picturesque streets at your own pace. Your driver will take you anywhere you want to go, from grand attractions to hidden corners. Rejoin the train at Butterworth for lunch and a leisurely afternoon on board.

A final celebratory evening beckons with irresistible cuisine, entertainment and company. If you’re still up shortly after midnight, you’ll glimpse Kuala Lumpur as the train passes through.

Overnight onboard The Eastern & Oriental Express

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Kuala Lumpur

Day 4 Johor to Singapore

Enjoy breakfast in your cabin or the Dining car as you travel through the southernmost state of Johor, known for its beaches and rainforest. Soon afterwards, the train crosses the strait to Singapore, where you disembark with your magical memories.

Breakfast

Accommodation

The Eastern & Oriental Express

Upgrade available

A paradise of vintage charm, the twin bed setting of the Pullman cabins dazzles and delights. Relax onto plush seating by day as your cabin is flooded with light, courtesy of the two large windows. After the stars emerge, enjoy upper and lower berths cosy with crisp linens. Pullman cabins are fully air-conditioned and fitted with ensuite shower and WC.

Room Upgrades

State Cabin

The light, airy State Cabins of the Eastern & Oriental Express connect you to the passing landscapes outside. Recline in spacious elegance by day; toast the day’s adventures with a nightcap before settling into two single lower-level beds at night. Marvel at the unique designs of the State Cabins, as Malaysia rushes by. State cabins are fully air-conditioned and fitted with ensuite shower and WC.

Prices are dynamic based on travel dates. Please proceed to Book Now or Contact Us for details.

Presidental Suites

The Presidential Suite offers supreme space with extra luxury touches and a large bathroom with enhanced amenities. Use the Wi-Fi onboard and set the ambience with your own music as you recline in the plush seating area. Presidential Suites are fully air-conditioned and fitted with ensuite shower and WC.

Prices are dynamic based on travel dates. Please proceed to Book Now or Contact Us for details.

Additional information

Excluded

International airfares and taxes
Domestic airfares and taxes, unless otherwise specified in our holiday package
Visa expenses, processing and issuance fees
Meals other than as specified in our holiday package
Travel Insurance or expenses of a personal nature (mini-bar, phone call, laundry, etc.),
Tips or gratuities to guides, drivers, porters, hotel, restaurant or boat staff, etc.
Or any other travel expense that has not been included in our holiday package (Entrance tickets to sites and museums)

FAQs

Who are Entire Travel Group?

Welcome to Entire Travel Group. We offer exceptional travel experiences across our extensive range of Entire Holiday Packages, Entire Group Journeys, Entire Rail Journeys, and Entire Cruise Journeys. With our industry-leading Peace of Mind Booking Plan, you can Book Now with flexibility and confidence.

Entire Travel Group is celebrating over 50 years of passionately delivering unique and memorable travel experiences. We are an Australian, family-owned, award-winning business with a friendly team ready to match your expectations to the perfect holiday experience.

Entire Travel Group used to be known by the individual brands shown in the footer of the website. The company has not changed, but we have amalgamated under one brand - Entire Travel Group.

For more details please visit - About Us | Entire Travel Group

Is Entire Travel Group Australian owned and operated?

Entire Travel Group is proudly Australian family owned and operated and as it stands today represents 50 years of experience, progress, and evolution. We proudly support the community with our long-term commitment to many important charity organisations. We were awarded the best operator in our class at the most recent National Travel Industry Awards.

Is Entire Travel Group industry accredited?

Entire Travel Group is both ATAS and CATO Accredited. ATAS is actively administered by the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA). The Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) is the trade association representing the land supply sector of the Australian Travel Industry.

Does Entire Travel Group have industry awards?

Entire Travel Group was honoured at the 2023 National Travel Industry Awards with Most Oustanding Wholesaler - Product / Service.

As our team works tirelessly to deliver exceptional holiday experiences, it was exciting to have this acknowledged with the highest recognition. The award is also a testament to the quality of our partners around the globe, and we take this opportunity to thank them for their tremendous support of our customers.

Are the Entire Travel Group holiday packages exclusive?

In some cases, we are the sole representative in Australia for the overseas travel operator. In other circumstances the product developed has been exclusively built for Entire Travel Group and can’t be found elsewhere.

What’s unique about Entire Travel Group Holiday Packages?

They are not group tours with set departures - they are pre-designed, purpose built, independent holiday packages full of unique and memorable experiences.
Our holiday packages have been exclusively built for us in collaboration with our handpicked suppliers, who also offer full on-ground support for the clients.
We are offering unique travel experiences which cannot be found elsewhere.
Many packages include our “Freedom of Choice” options which allow you to tailor the holiday experience. Like a sommelier matching wine to a meal, we have used our experience to carefully select and offer the right experiences in each location.
They include our Peace of Mind Booking Plan.
A wide selection of our packages are compliant with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Covid Safe Travels.

Our motto for Independent Holiday Packages is start your holiday when and with who you want!

Our Independent Holiday Packages are NOT group tours with set departure dates. Group Tours have specific set departure dates, and of course, you are travelling with unknown passengers in a coach. These tours are great for certain travellers and there are many reputable tour operators providing a wide range of options around the world.

At Entire Travel Group, our focus is Independent Holiday Packages. Available daily, they are pre-designed, purpose built, packaged itineraries full of memorable experiences delivered by our hand-picked local partners.

Our holidays suit every demographic, from couples to singles, to retirees to families and everyone else in between.

Why travel with Entire Travel Group?

Of Entire Travel Group's attributes, we have settled on "When Experience Matters" as the quality we believe adds the most value to our customers. We have the experience to ensure your itinerary makes the dream holiday possible. Our continually enhanced technology allows our team to provide a quality customer service experience, and our partnerships with outstanding operators ensure we are confident of the on-ground experience for our customers.

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How does the Peace of Mind Booking Plan work?

Our Peace of Mind Booking Plan allows you to book with confidence in the new international travel environment. With low deposits, a cooling off period and a flexibility period where you can cancel and rebook later, we really do have you covered.

For more details please visit - Peace of Mind Booking Plan | Entire Travel Group

Is there a cooling-off period?

Look for packages with our Peace of Mind Booking Plan logo on the website.

We understand that occasionally plans may change, so we give you the confidence to proceed with a cooling off period.
You may cancel for any reason within 7 days, where you will receive a 100% refund of your $100 per person deposit.

For more details please visit - Peace of Mind Booking Plan | Entire Travel Group

What is Freedom of Choice?

At Entire Travel Group we understand that our customers have their own personal tastes and interests - so throughout our packages look for “Freedom of Choice” which gives you the ability to tailor your holiday from the various experiences offered on selected days. Like a sommelier matching wine to a meal, we have used our experience to carefully select and offer the right experiences in each location.

The Freedom of Choice options are included in the package price, and the price remains the same regardless of the choice you make on each day.

Our Freedom of Choice program offers flexibility, by allowing you to choose from different options on pre-selected days in the itinerary.

Our per person price includes one tour on each Freedom of Choice day in the itinerary.
The price of the package remains the same regardless of the choice you make on each day.

For more details please visit - Freedom of Choice | Entire Travel Group

What is Book Now?

Book Now offers you the ability to make a reservation on our website for Holiday Packages that include our Peace of Mind Booking Plan. But it’s not just a static offer – you have complete flexibility from travel dates, passenger numbers, single supplements, room upgrades, optional extras, flexible booking terms and more.

Our team will contact our overseas suppliers and confirm all arrangements.
A Confirmation from our reservation system will be sent in the coming days.
The Booking Number on this confirmation supersedes the website reference.

What forms of payment can be used at Entire Travel Group?

To confirm a booking using our on-line Book Now process, a credit card must be used to pay the refundable deposit.
For additional payments on the booking, Entire Travel Group supports bank transfer, credit card, TravelPay B2B, PaymentGate.
For further details please visit our Payments page.

How secure is the Entire Travel Group's on-line payment portal?

Entire Travel Group have partnered with TravelPay to ensure secure on-line credit card payments.
TravelPay is a level 1 PCI DSS compliant, which gives you peace of mind that your payment card data is in safe hands.
Entire Travel Group does not store any credit card information.

For more details please visit - Security and Compliance - TravelPay

Can you book my international airfares?

On some Islands Holiday Packages (e.g. Fiji), it is practical to include flights, so where we have done this it is indicated by the plane icon.

However, on the majority of our Holiday Packages, we do not include international flights.

We found that many customers may prefer to:

Travel on a specific airline of their choice
Have the flexibility to book flights with Frequent Flyer points
Select flight dates that may be different to our Holiday Package start/end dates
Use a Travel Credit already held with the airline
Use their travel agent for this service

We are able to assist with flights on any Holiday Package, so please just notify us during the Book Now process or contact our team.

Should I take travel insurance?

Travel insurance is strongly recommended. During the Book Now process please confirm you require assistance, and our team will be in contact with you.

What should I do before travelling?

Before you travel it is your responsibility to ensure you have the appropriate documentation including visas. If you are travelling on a passport other than Australian or New Zealand, you will require a permit to re-enter Australia. It is your responsibility as the traveller and/or travel booker to meet all government entry requirements.

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How do I start a Booking?