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Clickety-clack tours, posh in BKK and slow trains...

Eastern & Oriental Express rolls out a Malaysia adventure (sans murders) while another luxe Bangkok address takes shape. And Vietnam beckons.

Eastern & Oriental Express comes up with a Malaysia escape

No murders on this Orient Express

Eastern & Oriental Express (www.belmond.com) launches a Malaysia surprise to transport passengers in hushed wood-panelled interiors littered with silken sink-in sofas as stewards flit about pouring Champagne. Presumably they won't spill it on you but, well, this is expensive fizzy. All the while there's that comforting clickety-clack of the rails for insomniacs. The train's March 2023 Wild Malaysia transports of delight include a dip into the steaming Taman Negara National Park with wildlife photography excursions, cave exploration and notes on the endangered Malayan tiger. Passengers and pick from these activities. Also pamper yourself with two nights at The Datai in Langkawi, a rainforest lodge extraordinaire.


The 52-suite Aman Nai Lert Bangkok (above left, www.aman.com) opens third quarter of 2024 with its signature minimalist design, an armload of Japanese menus, Italian dining, and a wellness retreat. Also find 39 Aman Residences from floors 11 to 36. This will get you substantial open views though the towering Park Hyatt is right next door. As with Amanpuri, which started the residence-let-out trend in Phuket, flat owners offer unused residences to Aman to lease to guests. This site was the former British Ambassador's residence and the grounds are mature. One niggle is the Nai Lert location. It's tough for access when traffic builds up on this one-way road. Meanwhile in Vietnam's Cam Ranh, The Anam (www.theanam.com) has rolled out out two secluded honeymoon villas with 40sq m private pools for the shy and retiring newly-wed sorts. Also expect a Jacuzzi, steam room, romantic Indochine dercor, Sealy mattresses, and themed afternoon teas. The resort has a good spa on site.

Train pulls into Samut Sakhon Market - Photo: Richard Barrow


Singapore to Bangkok by train...

From indefatigable wanderer and train buff Richard Barrow, a series of Thailand train guides available as free PDFs. Accompanied by good photographs, timetables and useful tips, Barrow's guides include the much romanced Singapore-to-Bangkok train trip (in several sections as there is no single through train), northern 'rapid' routes, excursion trains, and the Mae Klong market run from Bangkok to Samut Sakhon and then, after a boat ride across the river, on to Samut Songhram. Writes Barrow: "Many people rave about the market on the train tracks in Samut Songkhram (Mae Klong) but I actually prefer the one in Samut Sakhon (Maha Chai) as it's more open and rarely has any tourists." The Singapore-Bangkok run can be done in four stages. Barrow did in a more leisurely five, preferring to take in the cities and sights along the way, including Johor Bahru, Gemas, Kuala Lumpur, Butterworth, Penang, and Padang Besar. More on SE Asian trains.

Aman Nai Lert Bangkok arrives Q3 2024 Anam offers new private Honeymoon Villas

On 1 September 2023 Bhutan (above left, bhutan.travel/) brought the daily Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) down to US$100. The levy is valid until September 2027. Young children get special concessions too. In early 2023 the government opted to drop all-inclusive tour fees (US$250) and began charging a flat US$200 per head for foreigners (with a special Rs1,200 rate for Indians). The freebie was over. Hotels and tour operators complained that this was killing tourism as foreigners now had to pay the $200 personal fee and fork out separately for hotels, transport, and meals. This resulted in the cut. Indians don't require a Bhutan visa. Maldivians and Bangladeshis are also exempt from visas. Meanwhile up in Nepal, an hour's drive from Kathmandu with grand panoramic mountain views, the Dusit Thani Himalayan Resort Dhulikhel (above right, www.dusit.com/dusitthani-himalayannepal/) opened in July 2023 bringing a fusion of Thai-Nepalese decor and service with an arsenal of wellness options, yoga, and space for a cosy wedding or a small corporate meeting.

Bhutan cuts visitor levies September 2023 Dusit Thani Himalayan Resort Dhulikhel Nepal

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