United kingdom Daily news: Thailand train holidays: Soaring ruins and playful gibbons on a luxurious voyage fit for Poirot

Thailand train holidays: Soaring ruins and playful gibbons on a luxurious voyage fit for Poirot

By Arthur Martin

PUBLISHED: 07:39 EST, 30 May 2012 | UPDATED: 07:39 EST, 30 May 2012

Had Hercule Poirot been on board, he would certainly have approved.

From the fresh orchids in our cabins to the gastronomic delights served during our five-course dinners, the Belgian detective would have revelled in the attention to detail on our luxury train.

It is almost 80 years since Poirotâ€™s fictional exploits were first published in Agatha Christieâ€™s Murder on the Orient Express.

On track: Eastern Oriental has launched a railway voyage across Thailand

Since then, a variety of luxury train routes have sprung up around the world mimicking the style of the original Orient Express which ran from Paris to Constantinople.

Among these is Eastern Orientalâ€™s new six-night Chronicles of Thailand tour which takes passengers deep into the heart of the South East Asian country.

As I prepared to board the gleaming carriages for its maiden tour into the Thai heartlands, the passengers were entertained by a group of traditional dancers and drummers.

And once inside my teak-lined cabin I was immediately fussed over by my impeccably dressed-attendant Weenus.

As we chugged through the suburbs of Bangkok, he ensured my shirt was perfectly ironed and my shoes were buffed before I headed to the dining car for our first formal dinner of the trip. Again, Poirot would have approved.

Cooking for 60 guests in an impossibly-small kitchen, head-chef Yannis Martineau (who used to cook for the late French president FranÃ§ois Mitterrand) created numerous stunning five-course meals which would not be out of place in Londonâ€™s finest restaurants.

After each meal most passengers would decamp to the piano bar where fine cocktails and an excitable pianist would tempt many to stay long into the night.

Time travel: Many tourists don't reach Phanom Rung, but its 12th century ruins are some of the best-preserved Khmer architecture in Thailand

Our first stop was Maichanmuak, a tiny village hundreds of miles from the well-worn tourists routes.

Its inhabitants â€" who still produce clothes on traditional wooden weaving looms â€" had rarely seen Westerners before.

Given our intrusion on their territory, we were instructed by our guide to bow at the village elders with our hands in the prayer position as a mark of deference to their customs.

But before we could embark on our pre-prepared routine, the first group of locals we met started pointing and laughing at us.

After a moment of bemusement it dawned on me that we looked ridiculous. We were covered from head to toe in garish white ponchos, which had been handed out to us by the EO staff to protect us from the rain.

Clearly we looked nothing like the Hollywood stars they had seen on their TV sets.

But their laughter at our expense didnâ€™t last for long. The charming community in the north-eastern region of Isaan seemed genuinely fascinated to meet us and were happy for us to traipse through their homes, watching them at work all morning.

Within 24 hours of leaving Bangkok, life on the train fell into a familiar pattern. A continental breakfast would be served in our cabins at 7am before we left the train for our morning excursion.

We would return for a four-course lunch and (if the fine wines hadnâ€™t got the better of us) we would head off for another excursion in the afternoon.

At sunset, passengers would gather excitedly on the observation deck to chat about their day, with the obligatory cocktail in hand of course.

Embracing tradition: Arthur meets local dancers during a surprise show at the 11th-century ruins of Prasat Sikhoraphum

Our trip included excursions to at least two different temples, the best being Phanom Rung â€" an intact Khmer temple (it took 17 years to restore) built in the 12th century, perched on top of an extinct volcano and overlooking paddy fields below.

It is known as being one of the more difficult ruins to reach, but one of the most rewarding, so being delivered there as part of our train journey is a real boon.

Leaving Isaan behind us, we headed west back towards Bangkok before slowly climbing north to Chiang Mai.

The lush mountains on the approach to Chiang Mai were a stark contrast to the more barren landscape of the east.

Passengers were offered a variety of different excursions which included a trip to a elephant camp, a guided tour of the city or (for the golf obsessives like myself) nine holes around one of the best courses in the region.

In the afternoon I chose to saunter round the city with my travel companion, forgoing any of the organised tours.

This is well worth doing. Chiang Mai oozes culture and easy-going restaurants and is small enough to walk around in a couple of hours. While I felt I could easily have spent a week getting to know the city, an afternoon was a wonderful taster.

My disappointment at leaving Chiang Mai was tempered by our arrival at the Khao Yai National Park.
An early morning ride in a jeep took us into the heart of one of the largest intact monsoon forests in Asia.

Scenic escapes: The train cut through dramatic landscapes, arriving at Khoa Yai National Park, here gibbons and countless birds can be spotted as you trek through one of the largest monsoon forests in Asia

Birds tweeted incessantly as we wandered through among soaring trees and verdant undergrowth on the lookout for tigers or leopards.

Thanks to poachers and the encroachment of modern life such great animals of prey are seldom seen in the jungle â€" even by experienced guides.

More common are the gibbons which sit on the side of the roads, cackling as tourists clamour to take photographs of them.

On each excursion we were accompanied by guide book writers, environmentalists or cultural experts who, on the most part, made our trips much more fulfilling.

After a week on the train, I thought I was ready to get off and decamped to the comfort of the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok (three nights at this hotel are included in the deal). I woke up at night wondering for a few seconds why were werenâ€™t moving. Clearly train life had become a little more addictive that I realised.

Before leaving Thailand I couldnâ€™t resist a few days of rest and relaxation by a beach.
If you only have a few days left after the train trip and feel that the islands in the far south of Thailand are a tad far to get to, the resort of Hua Hin is well worth a look.

Within three hours of leaving Bangkok by car, I arrived at the Anantara Resort and Spa which sits on the townâ€™s four-mile beach. The hotel is best described as indulgent.

Its numerous restaurants cater for every whim and its spa treatments are well worth the money.

Many of the suites are situated amongst lily ponds which dragon flies hover over in the afternoon sun.

After two days of reminiscing about life on the train from the comfort of my deck chair I finally decided it was time to explore the town.

A bustling market which sells a selection of authentic souvenirs and not so genuine designer clothing acts as a natural hub where tourists start.

And after a long beach walk back to the hotel there was only one option â€" a cooling dip in my private pool at sunset.

Travel Facts

Kuoni (01306 747008, www.kuoni.co.uk) offers 10 nights in Thailand: staying three nightsâ€™ room only at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok and six nightsâ€™ full board, aboard the Eastern Oriental Express train on the 'Epic Thailand' journey, including flights with Thai Airways from Heathrow and private transfers. Prices for 2012 start from Â£5,784 per person based on two sharing. Prices for the Anantara Hua Hin Resort and Spa start at Â£75 per room per night.