SINGAPORE TO BANGKOK RAIL ODYSSEY

Day 1: Welcome to Singapore

Welcome to Singapore! Are you ready to travel over three different countries by rail? You’ll get there all in good time, but first, your guide will be ready to whisk you through Singapore’s futuristic cityscape to your hotel. Unpack if you’d like – you’ll be here for the next two nights – and relax before a welcome dinner to remember, alongside the Mag Rail crew. This is just a taste of what you can expect over the next 23 days! You can bet it’s going to be brimming with flavour.

Accommodation: Village Hotel Albert Court or similar
Included: Dinner

Day 2: Botanical Gardens

It’s your first full day in the Lion City and you’re skipping the “must-see” sights in favour of something a little more unique. Explore the Singapore Botanic Gardens this morning with a specialist guide who will reveal the secrets behind the city’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Orchid Garden is home to thousands of gorgeous blossoms, while the Ethnobotany Garden takes a deeper look at the unbreakable tie between humans and plants.

This afternoon, you’re headed out on your first introduction to train travel—and even better, it’s centred around food! You couldn’t leave Singapore without delighting your tastebuds with bits of smoky Char Kway Teow and the slurp of spicy Chili Crab. The sleek Singapore MRT network weaves its way through the city’s skyscrapers and leafy green spaces, and you’ll be hopping on this bad boy to get around for your food tour. We hope you packed your stretchy pants! 

Accommodation: Village Hotel Albert Court or similar
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 3: Melaka

Malaysia, here you come! It’s only day three, but you’ll already be saying “Hai!” to country number two. Travelling from Singapore to Malaysia might not be as straightforward as you’d think, which is why we’ve decided to forgo the three trains it takes to get there. Even the most avid Rail junkies will agree that hauling luggage across platforms is no fun. Instead, you’ll hop on the group’s private bus, making the four-hour journey in style—and air con! Soon you’ll reach the colourful UNESCO city of Melaka, cross-hatched with waterways that were used when the city was a buzzing trade hub.

Drop your bags at Hotel Puri Melaka, a boutique property and carefully restored traditional Peranakan home. Have fun seeking out dinner tonight with your fellow MagRailers. Sometimes the best meals are discovered by total chance and hawker stalls aren’t a bad place to start.

Accommodation: Hotel Puri Melaka
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Peranakan Culture

The Peranakan peoples are a diverse community with distinctive cultures that stretch across the Malay Peninsula. The term “Peranakan” comes from the Malay word for child and essentially means a person that was born in Malaysia but who also has ancestry from elsewhere in the world. In the 1800s, immigrants were drawn to the Strait of Melaka and its bustling trade ports from as far as Europe and the Middle East, with an extra large influx coming from China. This mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Arab, and European heritage has translated into its own culture with delicious cuisine and a bunch of languages, – even its own unique fashion style!

Day 4: Melaka Heritage

Today is all about getting to know the melting pot of Melaka. This city’s heritage is a delightful blend of Portuguese, Dutch, English, Chinese, and Malay, too, of course! Once a critical crossroads between Europe and Asia, you’ll explore more of Melaka’s mix of the two on foot with a local guide. Together with the other MagRailers, you’ll uncover traces of the port city’s colonial past and Asian heritage at wow-worthy places like the Portuguese fortress A’Famosa, Kampung Kling Mosque, and the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple. 

You spent the night in a Peranakan home last night, keep discovering more about this mix of cultures at Kampung Morten. In contrast to the modern buildings that surround it, Kampung Morten is a preserved Peranakan village with a cluster of over a hundred traditional homes. Many people still live here, and you’ll be invited inside to try your hand at making onde-onde, dumplings filled with sweet palm sugar.

Accommodation: Hotel Puri Melaka
Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 5: Kuala Lumpur

Savour a leisurely breakfast this morning, munching on yummy traditional food like nasi lemak, before heading for the Pulau Sebang Railway Station. There’s no train that runs directly from Melaka, an unfortunate leftover from WWII. The Japanese army dismantled it, sending the tracks north where they were laid as part of the Burmese Death Railway. 

Instead, you’ll make your way one hour by bus before hopping aboard a comfy train for another three hours to the sparkling capital of Kuala Lumpur. Get your first taste of the city at dinner, where you’ll have the chance to feast on more Malaysian specialities like peanutty satay and Hokkien mee, a noodle party in your mouth, in the shadow of towering skyscrapers.

Accommodation: Capri by Fraser or similar
Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 6: Orang Asli Village and Batu Caves

Today, you’ll travel by road to reach the Orang Asli Village. Tucked away on the outskirts of KL, the Orang Asli have preserved their traditional way of life and live in harmony with nature. Your visit here is just one of the ways this ethnic minority supports themselves and you’ll be an honoured guest. Follow the chief to get a better understanding of the group’s unique culture including everyday activities like hunting, farming, and crafts. 

It’s on to the Batu Caves this afternoon. As one of the most popular sites in KL, we promise that this particular tourist attraction is so much more than its photo-worthy reputation. These Hindu shrine caves are hidden inside limestone rock formations, beneath a waterfall of leaves. If you’re up for a challenge, trek up the 272 rainbow-hued steps to the shrine. Or you can admire it from afar! Wrap up the day with a local train back to the centre of Kuala Lumpur.

Accommodation: Capri by Fraser or similar
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 7: Kuala Lumpur Back Streets

It might be hard to resist another delicious plate of nasi lemak this morning, but go easy on breakfast. You’ll want to save some stomach space because today will be filled with bites, both savoury and sweet! Pop on a pair of comfy sandals because this also happens to be a walking tour. Explore the backstreets and Malaysia’s diverse religious history with your local guide, who will take you from food stall to steaming food stall and all the temples and shrines in between.

Back at the hotel this afternoon there will be plenty of time for some R&R before dinner. Might we recommend taking a dip in your hotel’s rooftop, saltwater pool? It comes with dazzling views!

Accommodation: Capri by Fraser or similar
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 8: Cameron Highlands

Day eight begins in the best way – with a train ride of course! Head over to the KL Sentral Train Station to catch your ride to Ipoh, perched on the edge of the Cameron Highlands. Malaysian trains are modern, clean, and spacious. You might even feel like you’ve been momentarily transported to Europe – that is, until you look out the window, passing by palm-fringed villages. Once you arrive, its road transfers from here, but take a second to admire the station’s British architecture – a stark contrast to the modern stations back in KL.

The rolling hills you see in the distance will be your home tonight. Head deeper into the hills, arriving just in time for a steamboat dinner. But this is no downriver cruise, a steamboat is similar to a Chinese hotpot. Dig in with your fellow rail lovers – that open pot brimming with burbling and boiling broth, meat, and veggies is a fragrant taste bud teaser!

Accommodation: Strawberry Park or similar
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 9: Teatime & The Mossy Forest

Wake up to cool mountain air to peer outside your window. More often than not, the mornings here bring scenes of mist curling out from the terraced steps of the tea plantations. You’ll be exploring more of this fairy-tale scenery with a local guide today. Learn about the tea-making process, brought to the country in the early 1900s by British colonists – as you walk the manicured rows. Grab a piping hot cuppa and a pastry or two to enjoy with panoramic views. 

You’ll also have the chance to see more of the surrounding landscape on a walk in the Mossy Forest, thought to be the oldest in Malaysia. Be sure to don some anti-slip shoes for this experience because you’ll be walking among the clouds and where there’s moss, there’s bound to be a little moisture! If you’re lucky, you might even spot a rare rafflesia flower, the largest in the world. Chill out at your mountain retreat this evening. 

Accommodation: Strawberry Park or similar
Included: Breakfast

Day 10: Road, Train & Ferry to Penang

Your break from the heat ends here as you head back down the mountain roads. Today, you’re headed for Penang. Also known as George Town, this city is widely regarded as the culinary capital of Malaysia – which means you’re in for some seriously delicious eats! To get there, you’ll travel by train from Ipoh Station, but not before a quick nibble. 

We couldn’t let you miss the chance to try Ipoh’s signature dish, Tauge chicken rice, also known as nga choi kai. With bellies full, it’s time to grab the train. Your luggage will continue on by road so that you can stay footloose and fancy-free. Next stop, Penang! As you make your way through the city, you might wonder what it’s like inside the colourful homes, and you’re about to find out. Hidden in the old town, this pre-war colonial hotel is your dreamy nest for the next few days.

Accommodation: Citadines Hotel
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 11: Colonial Georgetown & Funicular Views

Sure, you’ve probably ridden in a rickshaw before. But what about a trishaw? Set out on this centuries-old, human-powered mode of transportation as you tramp through Penang on a food-hounding mission. You’ll whizz past more colonial facades and lantern-strung side streets in search of can’t-miss nibbles like asam laksa, a spicy noodle dish, and oyster omelettes. Of course, you’ll learn more about the city along the way, including its secret societies.

You’ve seen the city from the ground level this morning, now it’s time to get a bird’s eye view, riding into the forest on the funicular up to Penang Hill. Ascending almost two kilometres up the mountainside, you’ll feel like you’ve emerged in another world. With a perspective like this, it’s easy to feel like your head is in the clouds!

Accommodation: Citadines Hotel or similar
Included: Breakfast

Day 12: Hello Thailand!

Before the day is out, you’ll be in Thailand! Your third and final country of the trip. You’ll be spending the next 10 days discovering why they call this country the “Land of Smiles”. We won’t sugarcoat it – it’s a journey to reach Phatthalung. Grab the train from Penang’s Tasek Gelugor Station to reach Padang Besar, the border town that straddles the Thai-Malay border. 

Clear customs and walk across the border with your luggage to your next mode of transportation, a road transfer. Unfortunately, the train timetables aren’t friendly, and you don’t want to waste your day waiting around. Bid your Malaysian guide a sad farewell and say, “Sawasdee!” to your Thai guide. For all the uncomfortable moments of today, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief tonight at the Sri Pakpra Boutique Resort. Rest up, grab dinner at a local restaurant, and enjoy views out over the Thale Noi Wetlands and its iconic fishing platforms. 

Accommodation: SriPakpra Boutique Resort or similar
Included: Dinner

Day 13: Beach Front Khanom

This secluded and oft-forgotten region of Thailand is just waking up, and so are you. In a country like this, where it can be a little more difficult to step off the beaten tourist trail, this feels like a true hidden gem. Watch the water come alive with sunrise hues and the simple back and forth of fishermen at work.

After a magical morning on the water, you’ll spend the rest of the day reaching your next destination. It’s all aboard your first Thai train, and it’s as local as it gets. What it lacks in aircon it more than makes up for in local charm and leafy countryside passing out your open window. While you might have felt like you woke up in a far-flung corner of Asia this morning, you’ll rest your head in a spot that’s a bit more frequented. Go ahead and unpack because you’ll be in this beachfront paradise for the next two nights. 

Accommodation: Aava Resort & Spa or similar
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 14: Khanom

Pink dolphins, deserted islands, and stalagmites. Today is an all-out adventure around Khanom, starting with you, a local expert, and a traditional longtail boat. Putter along the open water in search of pink dolphins, who are as elusive as they sound. With a little luck and your guide’s expertise, you might snag a peek at these rosy, finned friends slipping through the water. But the adventure doesn’t end there. Grab lunch on a deserted island before discovering stalagmites galore by spelunking in a local cave.

Accommodation: Aava Resort & Spa or similar
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 15: Elephants

You’ve been exploring SE Asia for two weeks now, and you’re nowhere close to slowing things down. In fact, today might hold one of the experiences you’ve been waiting for. It’s another road transfer, a quick two hours, heading deeper into this region’s interior. Check into your jungle home in Khao Sok National Park for the next few nights and grab lunch – you’ll want to be fueled up for your next experience. You’re off to see the elephants!

Follow along with the mahouts, learning about their generational knowledge of the human-elephant connection. You’ll help take care of these gentle giants by feeding them and watching as they take their daily river baths. If you can’t stop smiling in these goofy guys’ presence, we won’t blame you! Dinner is another treat, learning to cook over an open fire and boiling water in bamboo. You’ll sleep like a baby with the sounds of the jungle outside your window tonight.

Accommodation: Anurak Community Lodge or similar
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 16: Khao Sok National Park

Continue exploring Khao Sok National Park today, uncovering more of its hidden gems. Duck inside the Pra Kai Petch cave system, revealing coral formations along with stalactites and stalagmites before re-emerging back into the sunlight.

This afternoon is all about being a little lazy – while continuing to gawk at the incredible scenery of course! Lounge around on the shore of Cheow Lan Lake, admiring the limestone towers that jut straight out from the forest canopy. Whether you choose to sleep off the day’s adventures or paddle around by canoe, there’s no wrong way to experience it. Soak up one last dinner jungle tonight with specialities like kai yad sai, and stuffed omelettes.

Accommodation: Anurak Community Lodge or similar
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 17: Hua Hin

Time to swap the jungle for another stretch of the irresistible Thai coast. You’re back on the train but this time, there’s aircon! You might even feel a little snoozy on this five-and-a-half-hour ride through the countryside. Pull to a stop at the Hua Hin Station, one of Thailand’s oldest rail depots. You’ll hop off here, admiring the irresistibly charming architecture of the waiting room and its ruby-red eaves. Hua Hin itself is a seaside stunner and you’ll kick off your well-earned resort time at dinner tonight.

Accommodation: Centara Grand Beach Resort or similar
Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 18: Relax at the Old Railway Hotel

You’ve been on the road, travelling by both road and rail, for the last 18 days. Take your opportunity for some leisure time, lazing at the resort. We didn’t choose just any old digs for your stay in Hua Hin. The Centara Grand Beach Resort was once The Railway Hotel where weary travellers from as far as Padang Besar in Malaysia (where you came from!) would rest their heads. Check out the 100-year-old elephant topiary, soak up the sun at the beach club, or book a Thai massage. Your only appointments today are lunch at the hotel and dinner with the MagRailer crew this evening. Make sure you’re early to bed tonight – tomorrow’s an important day!

Accommodation: Centara Grand Beach Resort or similar
Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 19: The Death Railway

Rise and shine early this morning. It’s time for the road trip and train ride that you’ve been waiting for – Kanchanaburi and the infamous Burma Railway. Board the train at Tha Kilen Train Station and ride to Nam Tok. But not before travelling by commuter train to Kanchanaburi. After breaking for lunch, your historic journey continues when you walk the Hellfire Pass trail. It wasn’t until the 1980s when the site was reclaimed back from the jungle, that it began a new journey as an emotionally significant ANZAC memorial for the hardship that thousands of POWs and local labourers endured. 

After a day of sombre history, you’ll be grateful for the peaceful respite as you end the day at Hintok River Camp. This is glamping at its finest and each canvas tent has a private bathroom, plush bedding and even spacious terrace to call your own. 

Accommodation: Hintok River Camp, or similar
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 20: Ruins of Ayutthaya

It might be hard to pull yourself away from the morning calm you’ll find at camp, but you’re headed for a mind-boggling site today. Hit the road early this morning. It’s a four-hour drive but you’ll break up the journey with lunch and a few pit stops along the way. Before you know it, Ayutthaya will start to appear on the horizon. Founded in 1350, this sprawling site was once the capital of the Siamese Kingdom. Yes, this might be a bit touristy, but most visitors only come for the day. You get to spend the night!

Settle into your low-key, local-style accommodation before getting a bit gussied up. You have a date with a teak rice barge tonight. Sit down to a feast of traditional Thai dishes while you watch riverfront scenes of Ayutthaya’s temples and golden-dipped stupas slip past as you make your way down the Chao Phraya River.

Accommodation: Pludhaya Resort & Spa or similar
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 21: Bangkok

Your cruise last night was just an appetiser, today is the main course! Explore Ayutthaya with a local guide who will reveal this ancient city and its magnificent sites. Stroll past Wat Phra Mahathat, known for its Buddha head shrouded in banyan roots, Wat Ratcha Burana and its distinctive Khmer architecture and the monastery at Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon. 

River views and ancient ruins will slowly give way to a cosmopolitan skyline this afternoon. It’s time to grab the local train to your final destination of the trip – Bangkok!

Accommodation: Casa Vimaya Hotel or similar
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 22: The Old Quarter

Welcome to the “Big Mango”! You’ll shake hands with the Thai capital on an eclectic morning tour through Bangkok’s Old Quarter, travelling both on foot and by the city’s tangle of public transportation. River ferries, trains, and tuk-tuk! Oh my! We’re making sure that your last day with your fellow MagRailers is extra memorable.

What better way to sign off on an incredible three-week rail trip than by dining inside a train carriage? Tonight is a farewell dinner to remember at Burapa Eastern Thai Cuisine Restaurant. Cheers to your amazing journey, travelling over a thousand miles by both rail and road. Soak up this moment and savour the Eastern Thai specialities that are known for being extra spicy. Don’t worry if you can’t handle the heat – you can always request they take the chilli down a notch.

Accommodation: Casa Vimaya Hotel or similar
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 23: Farewell Friends

Can you believe you made it all the way from Singapore to Bangkok? This adventure will definitely be one to tell your friends about! Say your heartfelt goodbyes to your guide and hug the MagRail gang tight. It’s been 23 days of memory-making and rail riding, and you’re bound to have some memories – and photos – to share. Wave goodbye as the sprawl of Bangkok disappears out your window. 

Included: Breakfast