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World’s Top 25 Trains Luncheon at New York’s 21 Club April 1

25 Mar

Eleanor and Owen Hardy at Lake Baikal. The Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express is behind them. IRT Photo

Join Owen & Eleanor Hardy, owners of The Society of International Railway Travelers®, to get the latest on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express, India’s Toy Train and more. Please join us for a lovely and informative luncheon Friday, April 1 from noon to 2 p.m. at New York’s fabulous ’21 Club.’

Special guest and presenter: Ms. Marina Linke, of GW Travel, UK, whose company operates our tours through Russia, China, India, and the Silk Road route. Marina, born in Russia, has been with GW almost from the beginning and has been an integral factor in its success.

To get your invitation, click here.

Hope to see you in New York April 1.

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A Very Unusual Guest on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

18 Mar

Reporting from the Venice-Paris-Calais route of  Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Continued from Part One

The Hardys on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. IRT Photo

Following lunch in diner “L’Oriental,” our train glides northwards towards the Italian/Swiss border. Eleanor and I laze in our double compartment, sleeping, reading, gazing out our open window…

…and daydreaming how we meet the most interesting people on train trips.

My thoughts drift back to Venice, where we spent two glorious nights at the five-star Hotel Cipriani, and where we met a charming young Brit named Alan.

Cipriani garden. E. Hardy, IRT

We were relaxing on a bench in one of the hotel’s incredible gardens, when a young man waved to us.  We waved back.

Despite the metal stud in his lip, two more in his eyebrow, and his  unkempt hair and beard, he was dressed in a beautiful suit and tie. Friendly as he was, I took him to be a member of the Cipriani staff.

But he was a guest. And he was simply overwhelmed, he told us, to be at the Cipriani, where he’d arrived the day before from London on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. He and his new bride were spending five nights at the Cipriani before returning to London, again on the Orient-Express. They thought of the most wonderful thing they  might do for their honeymoon, and round trip on the Orient Express and five nights at this fabulous hotel was just the ticket.

The Hotel Cipriani, Venice. E. Hardy, IRT

He said he was in the process of selling his company, which provided security against credit card fraud.

Interesting business, we said, and we’re sure you’re busy. Oh very, he responded.

How did he happen into that line of work? we asked.

“I used to be engaged in credit-card fraud myself,” he explained cheerily. “Never did much at school. Dropped out when I was 16. I’ve been working ever since.”

Indeed, we said.

But then Alan got caught by the police and, apparently, served at least part of his sentence by teaching the authorities how to protect against people like himself. His services were sufficiently valuable that he founded his own company, which he was in the process of selling – at age 27. His clients included such multi-national corporations as SONY and American Express. From the sound of it, it seemed this would be the last work he would need to do.

Fortuny Restaurant, Hotel Cipriani. Eleanor Hardy, IRT

He was a charming young man, thrilled by the Orient-Express, thrilled by the Cipriani, and delighted to meet us.  He wanted to know if we had a dining recommendation. We spied him at dinner that night on the outdoor patio of the Fortuny restaurant, two tables away, with his young bride. He waved again.

Our dining reservation card on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Our dining reservation card on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

They looked like two children playing dress-up. They probably could buy us out many times over. I gave him our card (but not our credit card) and said I hoped he’d travel with The Society of International Railway Travelers some day.

Maybe we’ll meet again on the Paris-Istanbul Orient-Express for his fifth — and our 35th — wedding anniversary.

Or maybe we’ll wind up at Paris’ delightful Esprit Saint Germain hotel following the great train’s other annual extravaganza: Istanbul-Paris .

Wherever we meet, we wish him well and echo his appreciation of the world’s great luxury trains.

More pictures of the Cipriani.

Next time: Part 3 – Dinner in the Côte D’Azur

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Indolence—with Style—on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

11 Mar

 

 

Eleanor Hardy luxuriates at the VSOE's open window. Photo by Owen Hardy, IRT

Reporting from the Venice-Paris-Calais route of  Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Overcast day. Left Venice’ Santa Lucia Station at 11. Now we’re back from lunch, lounging in our “Cabin Suite,” as the VSOE calls two double compartments joined by a private, interior door. We gaze at high rocky crags, set against a cloud-filled sky punctuated by patches of blue.

Landscape is emerald green; hillsides covered with grape arbors and bright, orange-red poppies, which we’ve seen everywhere since we’ve been in Italy. We think we’re entering the Dolomites, but neither of us has made a move to consult our VSOE map. We’re resting, we tell ourselves.

It’s rained on and off, but the temperature is cooling. We’re feeling no pain.

Went through Verona during lunch. Our waiter mentioned it was the home of Romeo and Juliet. Knew that, but nice of him to remind us. Ah, romance. I drift off to sleep.

It’s overcast, as I said, but we like it that way. It makes our compartment quite comfortable. Mountains seem to be getting more massive as we continue north towards Switzerland. “Style of architecture looking more Swiss, less Italian,” I note, brilliantly, in my journal.

Our morning departure went off without a hitch. We left the Cipriani Hotel by private boat to the train station. People coming in on the Trenitalia trains, even the folks from the snazzy, high-speed ETR 600s, were green with envy. The platform swarmed with the curious, anxious to catch a glimpse and a photo or two of this train straight out of “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous.”

People crowded the windows to peer into the sleeping cars, and the VSOE staff graciously allowed themselves to be photographed with their many admirers. Even a group of Italian nuns got into the act.

A group of nuns, just arrived via local train, catch Orient-Express fever. Photo by Owen Hardy for IRT

Jake, a New Zealander and our compartment steward, welcomed us each with a glass of champagne in a distinctive VSOE flute on a doily and a nice “Happy Anniversary” card from the train manager. We’re taking this special trip to celebrate our 30th. And what better way for us to celebrate?

Now Eleanor is sound asleep, exhausted by all the amenities she’s been enjoying. The mountainsides are getting steeper as we move further into the Alps.

'L'Oriental" detail. O. Hardy

Lunch was in the diner “L’Oriental” — which we think looks like a Chinese black lacquered box. We ordered a half bottle of Campogiovanni Brunello Di Montalcino, 2004, an Italian red wine which went wonderfully with our set menu: monkfish, red pepper stuffed with basmati rice, a grilled fennel, dessert of mixed red berries—raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, drizzled with triple sec. With our coffee they gave us a little plate of macaroons, melt-in-your-mouth soft, and three little squares of chocolate.

VSOE delight. O. Hardy

Amazing how much we love those little touches—the chocolates had the swirling VSOE logo on them. We practically squealed with delight.

As my 94-year-old mother would say: “We could get used to this.”

Enjoy these pictures we have posted. You don’t have to be a Facebook member to enjoy them.

Next time: Part 2: A Very Unusual Guest on the Orient-Express

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Eastern & Oriental Express Staff: “Almost Like a Family”

7 Mar

Mr. Panupong Wrassamee, of Chiang Mai, Thailand-meticulous, yet warm and welcoming—a true professional. Photo by Eleanor Hardy, IRT

“Welcome on board, Madame Hardy!” was his warm welcome when I arrived.

And later: “Is everything all right, Madame Hardy? Air conditioning just right? Enough hot water?” And he never forgot that I like to wake up at 6 a.m., have my coffee — with skim milk — for half an hour while watching the world go by, then fruit and cereal or yogurt for breakfast. He decorated my every tray with an orchid. He always folded my robe into the traditional Thai greeting stance. And he always tidied my room—immaculately—before I returned for bed.

And this was just in my room. Throughout the train, in the restaurant and bar cars, the service was spectacular.

In truth, on the Epic Thailand journey on the Eastern & Oriental Express, the staff was the star of the show.

Thai symbol of hospitality-folded into E & O robe. Photo by Eleanor Hardy, IRT

My steward was Mr. Panupong Wrassamee, 41 . He was probably the best I have ever experienced on any train in the world—and I personally have ridden 18 of our World’s Top 25 Trains™. Mr. Wrassamee has worked on the Eastern & Oriental for 17 years. His English is excellent. His care was superior, attentive, friendly, and always spot-on. Sometimes, it was over the top. In Chiang Mai, where he lives, he brought me soup and strawberries from his family home.

More than 60 percent of the Eastern & Oriental staff has been with the train since it started in January, 1993—18 years.

Train Manager Ulf Buchert shares a laugh with E & O passengers. Photo by Eleanor Hardy, IRT

That special welcome starts at the top. Mr. Ulf Buchert, a native of Frankental, Germany, has been with the Eastern & Oriental since its inception. A resident of Bangkok for the past 11 years, he is witty, charming, friendly, welcoming and the essence of hospitality.

His staff of 44 includes the chef, two assistant train managers, restaurant manager, assistant restaurant manager, seven waiters, 14 kitchen staff in the two kitchens, 15 cabin stewards and two cleaners. On the regular, Singapore-Bangkok runs, which are done much of the year, they take care of 126 people. On the special Chronicles extended journeys,  like the one I took in February, the maximum is 60 persons in 28 “State” compartments and two presidential compartments.

“Somehow, it’s almost like a family,” says Mr. Buchert. “Here, you come on board, everybody is happy, everybody is helping.”

Mr. Chanyuth Techasawat, E & O restaurant manager. Photo by Eleanor Hardy, IRT

Restaurant manager Chanyuth Techasawat, 46, started as head waiter in 1993 and is now restaurant manager. His training in hotel school, plus five years as restaurant captain at the five-star Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok, has prepared him well. Every table is meticulously set with the fine china, crystal, silver and linens. The hours are long: he and his staff start at 8 a.m. and end about 11:30 p.m. after the last tall crystal wine glass is polished and put away.

But it’s a fabulous job, he says. “You get to see many places, see so many people, have a chance to go to different countries and not to stay at the same place, same time, every day.” Plus, echoing his boss, “we are much like family here.”

“The key is that you have people who really understand how to give great service,” said Eastern & Oriental Express general manager Leesa Lovelace, a native of San Jose, CA and now a Singapore resident.  “They are naturally attentive and kind and genuinely interested in looking after the guests and getting to know them.”

“It makes the journey,” she said.

Indeed it does.

What’s the best service you have experienced on an overnight train trip?

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Eastern & Oriental Express’s Rising New Star: Epic Thailand

3 Mar

Ulf Buchert, senior train manager of the Eastern & Oriental Express, visits with IRT's Eleanor Hardy (in dark blue) and other representatives from American tour operators. Behind Mrs. Hardy is Valerie Ottofaro, Director of Sales for Orient Express Trains & Cruises. Across from Mrs. Hardy is Elizabeth Calhoun of Orient Express.

It’s hard to contain my excitement: the gorgeous Eastern & Oriental Express will be my home for six nights. I’m on its first Epic Thailand itinerary—a 7-day escorted tour to jungles, tiny villages and temple-studded cities—and I am thrilled to be on board. Hualamphong station in Bangkok, Thailand, buzzed with activity as we boarded at about 3 p.m. on Feb. 20. A troop of young musicians and dancers dressed in bright yellow and red led us on board.

But now all is quiet, and our train, readied for departure, is a haven of peace and beauty. I open my cabin door and am amazed:

My state cabin on the Eastern & Oriental Express was roomy and comfortable with plenty of storage. All photos by Eleanor Hardy for IRT

Spacious and cool, my state compartment contains a long sofa, upholstered chair and velvet chair and matching ottoman. The sofa and upholstered chair make up into comfy twin-sized beds at night. In the middle is a small table and lovely lamp. Along the two large picture windows is a long, folding table. On it is an orchid-filled silver vase and a light green Celadon porcelain dish full of fresh fruit.

“Welcome on board, Madame Hardy!” says my steward.

I admire the details:  silk curtains, embroidered valance, marquetry in light blond and dark wood, whose border around the top of the room picks up the theme of a medallion on the wall: lotus blossoms and jungle vines. It’s a light, fresh look of the orient.

I admire the ensuite bathroom: mahogany seat, granite-topped sink, mirror,  and cabinet with four shelves; Bulgari shower gel, shampoo and soap; large fluffy white towels with E&O logo. The foot-wide closet with padded hangers has two shelves at the bottom. Another cupboard has a safe and two shelves, plus two brass luggage racks.

The fabric on the sofa and upholstered chair is a rich combination of rose and green, coordinating beautifully with the rose velvet. And the lamps and light fixtures pick up those colors, not only in my cabin but throughout the train. They are lovely.

Despite my excitement, I’m determined to unpack. I stack shirts on one brass shelf, pants on another. I hang dresses in the closet and cram my underwear in a cupboard which also contains a safe. My steward whisks my suitcase away. (I can have it back whenever I want, he promises.) In this little home away from home, there is a place for everything. Even the ottoman opens for storage. And hooray! There are two great plugs for recharging, complete with converters to match my equipment.

This tray arrived daily about 5 p.m., always decorated with an orchid.

Soon, the train is rolling out of Bangkok, and it’s tea time. My steward arrives with a lovely tray: a crisp linen cloth is laid with a silver tea set, decorated with a ginko leaf pattern. The porcelain cups and plates are pale green, and the little linen napkin sports the E&O logo. A basket of traditional Thai sweets tempts. Tucked into the sweets: a bright fuchsia orchid blossom .

“This train,” I think as we edge out of Bangkok, “well deserves to be in our pantheon of the World’s Top 25 Trains.”  But, at this point, little do I know the main reason why.

Here is the link to our photo album. https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=39059&id=146283798751515

If you have been on the train or to Thailand, let us know about your favorite experiences.

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Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta ride the Orient Express

19 Feb

Detail from "L'Oriental" restaurant car on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

The Orient-Express just arrived: at New York Fashion Week. “Oscar de la Renta must be lusting for travel,” says Hannah Elliott, of Forbes.com. “Watching his fall 2011 runway show was like watching landscape change through the window of the Orient Express.”

The metaphor was picked up by  Vogue’s Hamish Bowles, in her description of Ralph Lauren’s styles: “Seemed to guarantee an invitation to the captain’s table on the SS Normandie, or a first class berth on the Orient Express.” The Examiner.com came to the same conclusion: “Ralph Lauren fall 2011 collection rides the Orient Express.”

Ralph Lauren creations

Ralph Lauren designs from New York Fashion Week

Oscar de la Renta design-straight out of "The Lady Vanishes?"

Even to my untrained eye, the fashions do seem to evoke the 1930s atmosphere so carefully reconstructed on the present-day Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

Here’s Ralph Lauren on his new fall collection: “I have always loved the glamor and sophistication of the 1930s and its Art Deco and Chinoiserie influences.”

We may not be fashionistas, but we have this much in common with Mr. Lauren: our favorite diner on the VSOE is “L’Oriental,” which to us looks just like a beautiful, black lacquered Chinese box–or maybe a richly hued Ralph Lauren designer dress.

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Elephants, ceramics, markets: Which would you choose?

9 Feb
Eastern & Oriental Express

View from Eastern & Oriental Express compartment window. Photo by Jim Butkus

I knew I was going to like the Epic Thailand journey we are offering next year on the Eastern & Oriental Express.  But little did I know the incredible array of choices our travelers will enjoy. In Chiang Mai alone, there are two all-day choices and 10  half-day options. Each sounds more tantalizing than the next.

I leave next Thursday for Bangkok to prepare for our 2012  Owners’ Choice Epic Thailand journey (Feb. 26-March 3). Which of these included off-train experiences would you choose if you were doing this trip?

This is just a partial list:

  • A full-day visit to the Pang Song Nature Trails Project, a new collaboration between tourism interests and a local village working to protect the stunning Mae Lai Community Forest
  • A Day at the Mandarin Orient Dhara Dhevi Resort, with its spa and two swimming pools
  • Antiques and textile shopping
  • An introduction to Thai ceramics, meeting a ceramics expert John Shaw, educated at Oxford and a lecturer at Chiang Mai University, at his home and viewing his personal and private collection
  • A visit to an elephant camp, where visitors can see them at work – or even ride one
  • Tour of Doi Suthep Temple, an important monastery and symbolic landmark of Chiang Mai.
  • Tour of Pak Chong “wet market,” a truly “authentic” institution that is giving way to supermarkets and convenience stores, says the ground operator in Thailand “But be prepared for some strong smells and sights: all parts of animal produce will be on display.  This is ideal for those who wish to see a slice of daily rural life in Thailand. Due to lack of refrigeration in the old days, most Asians do daily marketing at the wet markets.”
  • Khao Yai National Park will be the obvious choice for nature and adventure seekers,. Khao Yai was Thailand’s first national park. Today, it is the second largest in Thailand, and along with the surrounding mountains was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This will include hiking one of three trails, each lead by a highly qualified park guide.

What would you choose?

Of course, the Eastern & Oriental Express is one of our World’s Top 25 Trains™ — and reason enough to go by itself — as shown in this short, experiential video: [wpvideo Uwm1S0aE]

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Railway Journeys 2011: “Wish Book” for World’s Top 25 Trains

2 Feb

Society President Eleanor Hardy on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

The 60-page, all-color IRT Society’s Best-Loved Railway Journeys 2011™ is out the door, and I must say, we’re proud parents. (Download a PDF copy here.)

New for 2011:

We hope you’ll love the detail and photographs — 85% of them are from our staff and members.  We also hope you love the reporting, the detail, the facts. Enjoy!

Once you take a look, please let us know what you think. Is it useful, beautiful, inspiring?

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Want to visit the best of Central Europe?

19 Jan
I loved seeing these young dancers at their portrait session

The little dancers pose at the Krakow Royal Palace

I arrived in Dresden in snowfall, having a remarkable conversation with a fellow traveler on the ICE. I came to scout Dresden for our Society of IRT tours. She, in silk scarf and dramatic cape, came to bury her husband, an opera star at Dresden’s Semperoper. You’ll never forget Dresden, she confided.  The train rounded the bend, the city shined before us.

And that is why I am delighted the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express has decided to do a tour which includes overnights in Dresden, as well as Krakow. The train has organized in these two cities five-star hotels, transfers and some fantastic, guided outings and events for the lucky few guests. But the train has wisely left plenty of free time for guests to explore on their own. I think the mix is just about perfect.

In Dresden, the Frauenkirche, is a powerful symbol of reconciliation. When I saw it, the rubble, caused by Allied bombing in 1945, lay in huge, numbered piles.  The rebuilding began in 1994; it was reconsecrated in 2005, with the help of donations from around the world. Now it is busy with services, tours and concerts.

Dresden’s river front is  gorgeous…Just walking around, visiting the art galleries, the palace, cafes, the opera, is a ball.  The Dresden Semperoper has tours during many days to visit the amazing building itself.

You also won’t forget Krakow.

Krakow, whose entire historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is another great wandering place.  The memorable Cathedral,  Wawel Royal Castle on the hill, the wall around the city. A Polish military band, 50 at least, decked out in fabulous red and blue costumes, first grimaced for their portrait, then filled the square with their music.  A battalion of young dancers decked out in their costumes posing for photographs in the courtyard of the castle charmed all who were lucky enough to see them.

All of these experiences just happened on their own. Dresden, Germany and Krakow, Poland, are just two of the cities in the region that are so worthy to visit. You can get to both of them from major city centers by regular train. But in the one itinerary with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express this summer, they are linked by luxury train and plenty of time on your own in between.

Do  you have favorite memories visiting either of these two wonderful places?

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Opera & Ballet Deluxe Rail Tours in Russia/Ukraine; Mongolia

17 Dec

We were thrilled to welcome Iain Dacre and Georgina Sprunt of GW Travel in Manchester, England, to the Society of IRT  this week. GW operates deluxe railway journeys in Russia, China and India on four of our World’s Top 25 Trains: Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian, Shangri-La Express, Deccan Odyssey and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. We hosted them at one of our great locally owned restaurants, and learned what’s new for next year and 2012:

Holding IRT's recently presented Magellan Awards are, from left: Angela Walker, VP-Operations, IRT; Owen Hardy, CEO/Publisher, IRT; Eleanor Hardy, President, IRT; Georgina Sprunt, Sales Manager, N. America, GW; Iain Dacre, Managing Director, GW.

Opera & Ballet Deluxe Train Tour: Since Owen and I are big-time opera fans, this “Dr. Zhivago-style” winter-wonderland tour through Russia and the Ukraine really appeals. So many times, we travel to places when the opera is not in season, a huge disappointment. Instead, book now for a deluxe hotel-on-wheels adventure combining opera and ballet tickets (including entrance to the Bolshoi and Mariinksy Theatres) with all meals, all gratuities, all transfers, all hotels needed. Imagine trying to do this on your own; with this program, all you do is show up and enjoy!

Pricing: It had to happen. Prices for most GW tours will going up by as much as 15%, with the first increases coming in the next few months. So book now to guarantee your price for 2011 and 2012.  Does your “bucket list” include the Trans-Siberian Express, the Trans-Mongolian (see below), the Silk Road, Tibet, China or India? If so, you’d be wise to call us now. (800-478-4881 in the U.S.; 502-454-0277 elsewhere). Or email: tourdesk@irtsociety.com.  About pricing: remember all GW trips include all arrival/departure transfers, all gratuities, all meals, all drinks with lunch and dinner. This makes their trips a true vacation: you don’t have to worry about a thing.

Trans-Mongolian: If you enjoyed the Trans-Siberian Express from Moscow to Vladivostok, consider the new Trans-Mongolian itinerary: Beijing-Ulaan Baatar-Moscow. This one’s going on our bucket list. (Well, OK, in addition to the opera/ballet tour.)

So let us know what you think about these itineraries. Is opera  your thing? What about the Trans-Mongolian?

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