SLOW COACH

There is a timeless allure to slowing down, to savouring the journey rather than rushing to the destination. With more travellers yearning for the unhurriedness and opulence of a bygone era, behold the renaissance of glamorous train journeys. Ahead, the most luxurious trips gaining steam

- JESSICA BAILEY

“The magic is in the details,” says model Gabriella Brooks as she recalls her time on board the Eastern & Oriental Express, A Belmond Train, Southeast Asia. The 16 plush Art Deco-inspired carriages returned to the rails this year after a four-year hiatus with seasonal journeys beginning in Singapore and winding through the palm-studded, verdant jungles of West Malaysia. For Brooks, whose mother and grandmother are Singaporean and who was travelling with her younger sister at the time, the three-day sojourn was a special one – and perhaps made all the more so by the glamorous atmosphere on board the train. One which truly transports its guests to a bygone era of unparalleled opulence.

“Our evenings were spent in the enchanting piano bar – my favourite part of the train – where we mingled with fellow guests and marvelled at the magician’s impossible card tricks,” Brooks recalls. “The bar’s velvet chairs and soft music created a sense of old-world charm. The pianist’s soothing melodies filled the air as the jungle landscape drifted by outside the window, while the dining car – with its fine china and crystal glasses – made every meal an exquisite experience,” she continues. “Later, we would retreat to our cabin and were lulled to sleep by the gentle sway of the train as it glided along the tracks.”

The romance of old-world train travel is nothing new. But after two centuries in operation, and despite the unstoppable force of innovation – aeroplanes, electric vehicles, self-driving cars – it’s the nostalgia for a past time, and some incredible carriage redesigns, that has seen vintage slow trains endure as the most elegant and sought-after way to travel abroad.

The Eastern & Oriental Express is the sister of the celebrated Venice Simplon-Orient- Express (VSOE), A Belmond Train, which has a storied history hosting famed parties and intriguing guests; spies, authors, ambassadors and royalty.