Hanoi, Vietnam.
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The journey can be made in 16 hours, with a soft sleeper cabin through Vietnam. But it’s far better to break it up with side trips to China’s Tiger Leaping Gorge and the Stone Forest of petrified rock. The route then races downhill through the rice terraces of Sapa, Vietnam’s premier hiking territory, before barrelling through the working suburbs of Hanoi.
In addition, reunification express, Vietnam ranks 10th among top 10 best train journeys for 2018. The Reunification Express takes 36 hours to wind up Vietnam’s coast, connecting Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and all points in between.
However, one could spend a week using the line to hop off at silk towns like the coastal resort of Nha Trang and endless swathes of sand such as those at Da Nang, Vietnam’s third-largest city. The view is a 1,000-mile (1,600km) pastoral parade of pagodas, paddies and conical farmers hats. The sleeper is best booked in one of private operator Livitrans’ soft sleeper compartments with comfy bedding and a welcome pack with free beer.
Meanwhile, Jungle Train, Malaysia ranks the first place among top 10 best train journeys for 2018. The 300-mile (480km) Jungle Train was built by the British to harvest Malaysia’s tin, rubber and tea. It still weaves through defunct mines, rubber estates and vast tea plantations. There’s no dining car, but vendors dish out pandan leaf wraps of lamb curry for pennies.
The rural lifeline also transports dried fish, aubergine, tea and peppers plus the nation’s mail. The only remaining “jungle” section is in the north, where precipitous cliffs tumble into surging brown rivers. By night the 12-hour journey is magical. A vast communal sleeping car has comfy curtained-off bunks bolted to the wall.
