This book describes the seventh of a series of long distance railway journeys through South East Asia. It covers two routes through Malaysia: the North Borneo Line from Tanjung Aru (Kota Kinabalu) to Tenom; and, along the western part of Peninsular Malaysia from Singapore to Alor Star (and on to Langkawi Island). The content is anecdotal and richly illustrated with photographs.
The purpose of the journey was to look at railway travel as a more leisurely means of tourism. More people who travel want to experience a genuine insight into foreign cultures or to see how local people live their lives. Railway travel provides a good way of doing this. There is also a greater desire to see environmental and social responsibility needs being met in the places that tourists stay in or visit. Added to this is the pursuit of 'slow tourism' where, instead of rushing from one place to another, people want to travel in a more leisurely manner. Railway travel has the potential to accommodate these requirements.
The travelogue style is intended to be anecdotal and illustrative (with photos) and to give the reader an idea of the sort of experiences (good and bad) that one could expect in undertaking the trip.