Golden age

Time travel may not be possible but JOANNA HUNKIN discovers the next best thing when she pairs the Eastern & Oriental Express with a journey through Veuve Clicquot's private cellar.

- JOANNA HUNKIN

It sounds like a riddle my grandfather might have posed: What takes three days and spans decades and continents? The answer, in this case, is a Solaire Journey aboard the Eastern & Oriental Express, which recently resumed service after a four-year hiatus.

My grandfather is on my mind as I am transported back in time. He used to ride this train back when it was known as the Silver Star – a luxury sleeper service that ran between Auckland and Wellington in the 1970s. His is just one of thousands of lives and stories tied to this piece of living history, which is now bedecked in the opulence you would expect from the sister of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

It begins the moment you board the platform at Woodlands Station in Singapore, stepping out of reality and into a jewel-toned world of decadent intimacy, where every considered detail promises to delight. From the elaborate floral carpets, which change colour between carriages, to the wood panelling and marquetry that line every wall, the craftsmanship of the fit-out will stop you in your tracks. Push on, and you will arrive at your cabin, a small but perfectly formed sanctuary that defies modern standards of luxury, which demand excessive space and seclusion, instead,  cosseting you in a beguiling oasis of warmth and comfort.