Day 1
After a bright and early departure from Hong Kong, we arrived in one of my favourite cities, Bangkok, and made our way to our beautiful hotel, The Siam, where a classic black and white colour palette sets the scene for period elegance. We explored the extensive collection of artworks and artefacts displayed throughout, before it was time for our adventure to begin.
Guests and ambassadors of Save Wild Tigers mingled over delicious cocktails featuring local ingredients prepared by drinks brand D1 London Spirits, and we were then serenaded with a performance by talented singer Stephanie van Driesen. Save Wild Tigers’ founder Simon Clinton marked the official start of our trip with a welcome speech that contained some sobering facts and figures about the staggering decline in wild tiger populations globally over the last few decades.
New friends were made and our mission was established – spread the word and save wild tigers! As the crowd dispersed, myself, my husband and fellow ambassadors, designer Kim Jones, singer Melanie Blatt and actress Jaime Winstone, headed out on the town to enjoy one of the great party cities.
Day 2
All aboard the Tiger Express! After a leisurely morning and a delicious lunch at The Siam, we gathered at Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Station. Here, we saw the unveiling of Chinese artist and Save Wild Tigers ambassador Jacky Tsai’s original artwork, spread over two carriages of the gorgeous Eastern & Oriental Express train. To a soundtrack of dance music and a backdrop of disco lights, the carriages were revealed and Jacky’s amazing, vibrant imagery lit up the platform.
Five years ago, Jacky collaborated with Shanghai Tang to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the brand so it was fantastic for us to join together as ambassadors of the Save Wild Tigers cause and see another of Jacky’s creations come to life.
Once on board we settled into our beautiful wood-panelled cabin and our attendant showed us the secret compartments for storing our luggage. We relaxed in cosy comfort over cocktails and a delicious welcome dinner in the bar and dining carriages.
Day 3
Overnight we travelled to the rural Kanchanaburi region, and the site of our first excursion – the famous ‘Bridge Over the River Kwai’. We prepared for the day with a delicious silver-service breakfast in our cabin before disembarking bright and early to learn about the history of the Thai – Burma railway.
We took a raft trip downriver from the famous bridge built during the Second World War and visited a museum dedicated to the memory of the tens of thousands of allied prisoners of war and labourers who lost their lives in the construction of the railway. We paid our respects to the fallen at the beautifully maintained Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, walking through the cemetery and noting how young so many of the victims are. As 2019 marks 80 years since the start of WW2, it felt like a very poignant time to honour the sacrifices made by so many in the past.
Back on board the train, we rolled south and spent the afternoon relaxing and admiring the views of rice fields and mountain ranges, and waving at the local children and families whose houses and land bordered the railway line – everywhere we looked we saw smiles and the sun shone on the train’s exquisite carriages.
「Tiger Express」火車廂內擁有美麗的木飾牆板房間。
Photo: Philip North-Coombes for Save Wild Tigers
Day 4
From Thailand, we crossed the border into Malaysia. Our morning was packed full of photo shoots with myself and fellow Save Wild Tigers ambassadors Kim Jones, Melanie Blatt and Jaime Winstone, decked out in pieces from the Shanghai Tang Tiger Collection. As the tiger has featured prominently in Chinese culture, and Shanghai Tang’s own inspiration, we partnered with Save Wild Tigers to donate a portion of the Tiger Collection sales proceeds to the charity until 24 October 2019.
As creative director of the brand, it’s very important for me to look at opportunities where we can make a positive impact, whether through raising awareness or raising funds, for causes we believe in. Save Wild Tigers is definitely a charity worth supporting and I hope we can all take steps to preserve these incredible animals and their habitats.
In the afternoon, we visited a rural village and sampled delicious local fruits, picked fresh from our hosts’ garden.
Dinner was a real treat. UK Masterchef winner and Save Wild Tigers ambassador Ping Coombes created a feast that featured flavours from throughout our journey.
Day 5
On our final leg, we travelled from lush jungle to urban jungle as we passed through Johor and arrived at our final destination, Singapore. Although sad to disembark and bid farewell to the lovely crew onboard the Eastern & Oriental Tiger Express, we were happy to settle into the comfortable surroundings of the newly refurbished Raffles Hotel.
Our itinerary was packed as we hosted VIPs, friends and guests at our Shanghai Tang Raffles City store to showcase our Tiger Range and raise more funds and awareness for the mission of Save Wild Tigers. In the evening, Simon Clinton and the Save Wild Tigers team held a fundraising farewell cocktail party that featured the auctioning of Jacky Tsai’s amazing original artwork, Tigers in Wonderland.
For our final night, we finished as we started, with myself, Kim, Mel and Jaime heading out in Singapore to celebrate Kim’s birthday – a wonderful way to end the trip of a lifetime.
Editor
Victoria TangCredit
Lead photo: Philip North-Coombes for Save Wild Tigers
