On Board the Eastern & Oriental Express: A Bygone Era of Travel Returns

"There's no need to take the languorous, four-day trip up the Malay Peninsula from Singapore's Woodlands station to the border of Thailand and back. After all, a flight would take a couple of hours. But that's the point: Sitting with a glass of champagne on the newly relaunched Belmond Eastern & Oriental (E&O) Express train as it pulls away from Singapore is a chance to linger in the moment and lean into the luxury of time."

"It's also a timely reminder that slow travel of this kind is increasingly popular. Take slow safaris, which emphasize walking rather than speeding over the landscape in a 4×4: off-road walks at South Africa's Londolozi and Chem Chem in Tanzania, perhaps, or a 10-day hike up the mountain with Ultimate Kilimanjaro. The operator introduced these longer luxury itineraries, up to double the typical timeframe of the past, in response to guests' requests. Yacht charters are slowing down and extending, too."

""Our pre-pandemic clients wanted to travel to multiple places in one trip, ticking off a lot of boxes and seeing as much as possible," says Catherine Heald of Remote Lands, which has particular expertise across Asia. "They now want to go deeper and truly immerse themselves into a destination to learn about the culture. We're seeing clients booking trips that are 20 percent longer.""

Passengers on the Belmond Eastern & Oriental Express can take a languorous four-day trip from Singapore toward the Thai border, enjoying champagne and the luxury of time rather than speed. Slow travel is growing in popularity across luxury sectors. Slow safaris prioritize walking and off-road walks at reserves like Londolozi and Chem Chem, while operators add longer luxury itineraries and extended hikes such as Ultimate Kilimanjaro’s 10-day ascent. Yacht charters are lengthening from traditional one-week bookings to multiweek and month-long charters, with five-percent month-plus bookings in 2019 having tripled since Covid. Travel agents report clients seeking deeper cultural immersion and trips about 20 percent longer.

Read at Elite Traveler