All Aboard The E&0

I had been told that the Eastern & Oriental Express was the most civilized way to travel in Southeast Asia, so I boarded the train at Singapore's Keppel Railway Station to if this was true. I spent the first hour of the journey in the observation car at the rear of the train to watch the landscape and the view of crossing the causeway that links Singapore to Malaysia. Just after leaving Johor Bahu I returned to my cabin in car C where my cabin steward Mon served Afternoon Tea on a large wooden tray lined with a immaculately starched white linen cloth. On the tray was a large silver teapot, milk jug and sugar bowl, a fine porcelain teacup and saucer and matching porcelain plate full of French pastries, a silver cake fork and of course, the immaculately starched and folded napkin. As I was soon to learn travelling on the E&0 is all about doing it in style.

After tea I had a short nap and then my way to the bar car in the middle of the train for pre-diner drinks and to meet some of my fellow travelers. The bar is run in a very civilized manner allowing guests to run up a tab throughout the journey and settle the account on the last afternoon prior to arriving into Bangkok. Both Lunch and Dinner are served in two sitting in either of the two restaurant cars. Lunch may be taken either at 1215pm or 2pm, likewise dinner at 6.30pm or 9.15pm and passenger are encouraged to dress up for meals adding to the civility of the experience, savouring the Golden Age of Travel.

Dinner prior to arriving into Kuala Lumpur was sushi of smoked fish with a pickled cucumber salad, followed by medallions of poached lamb and baby vegetables in a lemon grass bouillon, finishing a dessert of warm mixed fruit tart with a passion fruit sauce. The meal was rounded off with iced petit four and the choice of tea or coffee. An a la carte menu is also available with an additional supplement.

The place settings were immaculate. The E&0 chinaware was exclusively made by Ginori of Italy, the silverware by Orfeverie Chambly of France, and crystal by Spiegelau of Germany which was of course laid out of perefectly starched white linen. Everything was just right.

After dinner guest gathered in the bar car to be entertained by the on-board pianist and with the help of the two Singaporean barmen indulge in a little up market karaoke. After a very pleasant evening I returned to my cabin to my bed had been turned down with the E&O logo woven centrally into the bed sheet and a logoed Belgian chocolate waiting on the pillow. Some guests had commented that they had difficulty sleeping on their first night because of motion of the train, but I had no problem. The cabins are elegant and compact. The bathroom and shower were specifically designed to optimise space. Some fellow travellers a little unsympathetically did compare it to showering in a broom cupboard, but given the constraints of being, I felt that it was more than adequate.

A little after 7am the following morning I was woken by a gentle tap on my cabin door. Mon had brought another of his immaculate trays with a pot of breakfast tea, a bowl of yoghurt, some fresh pineapple and a basket of warm rolls and croissants with a selection of jams and butter. As I ate breakfast we were passing through Ipoh state, Malaysia's tea growing region.

After breakfast we stopped at Butterworth Station for a two and a half hour tour of George Town on Penang Island. Coaches with a tour guide were waiting to take us across the Straits by ferry for a city tour in a convoy of liveried E&0 sam-los. We passed the busy waterfront, passed the grand colonial E&O Hotel, same name as the train but a different owner, due to re-open as a re-furbished all suites luxury hotel and were given an insight into the town's colonial past. The tour ended at the ferry terminal were our coaches were waiting to take but to Butterworth to continue our journey of indulgence.

Shortly after leaving Butterworth lunch was served. A delicate lentil and okra soup followed by fillet of sea bass in crispy potato skins with a tomato and peanut salad. It intrigued me as to how meals for a 100 guest from wide ethnic and religious backgrounds were planned and prepared in the limited space of the train. "We are planning menus three months in advance," explained Executive Chef Kevin Cape " and to constraint tasting and fine tuning of every dish. Pork is not served out of respect for Muslim Malaysians. There is a high volume of American, European and Japanese passengers, each with different and demanding expectations. The majority of them are at an age where they have established which herbs and spices meet their taste range. Some meats such as duck. Fish and lobster can't be served as a main dinner course. Veal doesn't work. Chicken can't be served as a main dinner meal as it is seen as a cheap meat by the Japanese market. Game is not liked by the Asian market because of it's smell. Likewise, although the smell of roast lamb is popular in Europe, it is not so with the Asian market and can only be served odour-free as a poached meat. Having worked around all these consideration and constraints we can start to plan the menu. Having decided that we want to serve we photograph every dish as we have found this to be the best way to communicate to the kitchen staff the results the chef is trying to achieve."

"Onboard we have two kitchens with restricted working space." Kevin goes onto explain. "Each is run by three chefs, supported by three kitchen porters. Organization is the key to the kitchen working successfully as the staff cannot move freely and must remain static through the meal service."

" All items are brought onto the train as raw ingredients" he adds. "Careful planning of storeage is another key factor. Calibration of the refrigerators to -1C allows for maximization of freshness without the risk of freezing the goods. Given 48 hours notice almost any catering request can be met, the only restriction being the size of the item being requested.

What does it take to organize and run a train with 21 carriages and look after anywhere up to 100 passengers. I met with Christopher Charles Byatt, Train Manager of E&0 to find out. "I am very lucky if not priviledged to have this incredible job that brings me into contact with so many people from every walk of." Christopher explained. " I regard it as my duty to identify the needs of each and every passenger and to ensure that my team and I meet it. 70% of the staff on the train are Thai (all the cabin and restaurant staff) the remaining 30% are Malay and Singaporean working either in the kitchens or the bar. There is no staff turnover and the whole team appear to be extremely satisfied with their job."

With showers in every compartment and all those dishes to wash, the train is a very big user of water. Each sleeper car can store 1,200 litres of water and each service car 1,700 litres. The tanks need to be re-filled four times between Singapore and Bangkok. There are no laundry facilities onboard the train, so all the bedding and linen has to hidden away until the train reaches Bangkok. Intentionally there are no communications facilities on the train for guests, much appreciated by the ladies who have dragged their husbands away from the office to spend quality time together without interuptions. Regrettably the narrow corridors and the rolling motion of the train mean that diabled passengers or those with walking difficulities are unable to travel on the E&0.

Dinner on the final night was salad of grilled sea scallop with chicken and black bean dressing, followed by medallion of beef with Szechuan peppercorn sauce and deep fried bouquet of vegetables, finished with a delicious chocolate and hazelnut gateau.

On the final morning I woke at about 5 am as we passed through a dark and rainy Hua Hin. Just after daybreak, Mon tapped on the door with my breakfast tray. The E&0 pulled to halt at Kanchanaburi station at 11am for our excursion to the JEATH museum and the POW cemetery at Chungkai. The train was then waiting for us to re-board at Wang Po station to travel on the elevated cliff hanging section through Tham Kasae viaduct. From the observation car we had the opportunity to take some memorable photos as the train snakes its way through the mountains before crossing the River Kwai Bridge. We made a brief stop at Kanchanaburi station after which lunch was served. Tempura of Tuna with a tomato and ginger dressing, followed by medallions of Kashmiri chicken with spinach sauce finishing with tropical fruit spring rolls. Passing through Nakom Pathom , Mon the ever attentive cabin served me Afternoon Tea for the last time. I was reluctant to leave this priveledged and pampered world and enquired if the need a Travel Writer in Residence. One can but dream

Eastern & Oriental Express, Sea Tours, # 88-92 Phayathai Plaza, 128 Phayathai Rd, Rajthavee, Bangkok 10400 (662-216 5783) Singapore Office (65) 392 3500 or e-mail Resvns.Singapore@orient-express.com

Fares valid until 31 August 2000, in US$ per person based on twin-share, Bangkok - Singapore or vice versa from US$1,350 per person, Bangkok - Chiang Mai from US$830 per person.

Summer Promotion
Offers Reserve a compartment for two persons for the full journey between Bangkok and Singapore or vice versa and receive complimentary hotel accommodation at the Oriental Hotel Bangkok or Singapore. Valid 17 April - 20 September 2000. Conditions apply.

In addition to the Journey Bangkok to Singapore the E&O also operates Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Departing on Friday from Bangkok Hualampong - 7.30pm during the journey dinner is served. The following morning arriving Lampang at 10.10am with breakfast prior to arrival . There is a temple tour in Lampang before departing 11.30am after which lunch is served prior to arrival into Chiang Mai 2.45pm. The return departs 6pm again with dinner being served. The following morning arriving into Lopburi at 9.20am. There a tour of Lopburi before departing at 11am. Lunch is then served with an arrival into Bangkok at 2.30am. Departure dates from Bangkok in 2000 are Jan 21, Feb 4, 18, Mar 3, 17, 31, Apr 14, 28 Sep 22, Oct 6, 20, Nov 3, 17, Dec 1, 22. The service is not possible May-Aug, due to the rainy season, the water ladden soil could not support the weight of the train.

Cambodia Extensions 2000
In the future its hoped that the railway link to Cambodia will be restored. Until then excursions are an additional option, flying to Siem Reap with Bangkok Airways with either a one or two night stay to explore the Temples of Angkor.