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Great Asian Railway Journeys
Great Asian Railway Journeys Episodes
Series 1 (60-minute Versions): 10. Singapore
Michael Portillo’s south east Asian railway tour reaches its final stop - Singapore. The island city-state at the southern tip of Malaysia is one of Asia’s biggest s ...
23-03-2024
BBC 4
Series 1 (60-minute Versions): 9. Kuala Lumpur To Johor Bahru
Following his 1913 Bradshaw’s guidebook, Michael Portillo continues his exploration of the Malaysian peninsula. Beginning in its dynamic and diverse capital, Kuala Lumpur, ...
09-03-2024
BBC 4
Series 1 (60-minute Versions): 8. Penang To Cameron Highlands
Michael Portillo’s south east Asian travels reach Malaysia - once a British colony. Michael’s journey begins on the island of Penang, Britain’s first stronghol ...
09-12-2023
BBC 4
Series 1 (60-minute Versions): 7. Yogyakarta To Surabaya
Michael Portillo’s railway journey following his 1913 guidebook continues in Indonesia. Beginning in Java’s royal city, Yogyakarta, Michael visits the Sultan’s ...
25-11-2023
BBC 4
Series 1 (60-minute Versions): 6. Jakarta To Borobudur
Michael Portillo’s 2500-mile railway tour of south east Asia reaches its southern most point in Indonesia. Michael's journey begins on the island of Java at the heart of t ...
18-11-2023
BBC 4
Series 1 (60-minute Versions): 5. Hue To Halong Bay
Michael Portillo continues his thousand-mile journey aboard the Reunification Railway from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to the capital, Hanoi, and on to the vast northern port ...
11-11-2023
BBC 4
Series 1 (60-minute Versions): 4. Ho Chi Minh To Hoi An
Michael Portillo boards Vietnam’s spectacular Reunification Railway to make a 1,000-mile journey from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to the capital, Hanoi. Michael visits t ...
28-10-2023
BBC 4
Series 1 (60-minute Versions): 3. Bangkok To Hua Hin
Michael Portillo continues his exploration of Thailand by rail, steered by his 1913 Bradshaw’s guide. He steps into the ring under the guidance of champion trainer Master ...
21-10-2023
BBC 4
Series 1 (60-minute Versions): 2. Chiang Mai To The River Kwai
Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a two-part rail adventure through Thailand, from the northern city of Chiang Mai to Kanchanaburi on the R ...
14-10-2023
BBC 4
Series 1 (60-minute Versions): 1. Hong Kong
Michael Portillo is in south east Asia, armed with his 1913 Bradshaw’s Handbook. Published at the height of European imperialism, it leads Michael on a spectacular 2,500-m ...
07-10-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 20. Chinatown To Gardens By The Bay
Michael Portillo is in the island city state of Singapore on the last leg of his 2,500-mile exploration of south east Asia. In Tai Seng, Michael goes underground to marvel at th ...
11-05-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 19. Raffles Place To Botanic Gardens
Michael Portillo’s south east Asian railway tour reaches its final stop - the phenomenally successful island city state of Singapore. \n\nIn the historic centre, Michael d ...
10-05-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 18. Melaka To Johor Bahru
Michael Portillo is in Malaysia on a 2,500-mile tour of south east Asia. His 1913 Bradshaw’s Guide takes him to Melaka, for centuries one of the greatest trading ports in ...
09-05-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 17. Kuala Lumpur To Melaka
Michael Portillo continues his 2,500-mile rail tour of south east Asia. On this leg, he explores the phenomenal growth of Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, from muddy swam ...
08-05-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 16. Kuala Kangsar To Cameron Highlands
Michael Portillo’s rail exploration of south east Asia continues in Malaysia. His journey resumes in Kuala Kangsar, where he taps into the source of the lucrative rubber i ...
04-05-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 15. Penang To Kuala Kangsar
Michael Portillo’s 2,500-mile rail tour of south east Asia reaches Malaysia.\n\nOn the island of Penang, Michael traces the origins of the former British colony in Georget ...
03-05-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 14. Ambarawa To Surabaya
Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw’s guidebook on a 2,500-mile rail tour of south east Asia, Michael Portillo is in Indonesia, today one of the biggest coffee producers in the w ...
02-05-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 13. Yogyakarta To Ambarawa
Michael Portillo’s rail tour of south east Asia resumes in the southern archipelago of Indonesia. Michael is in Java’s Central province, travelling east towards Sura ...
01-05-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 12. Jakarta To Borobudur/kutoarjo
Michael continues his journey across the largest island of the Indonesian archipelago, from the capital, Jakarta. His seven-hour railway journey takes him through rainforests an ...
26-04-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 11. Jakarta To Bogor
Michael Portillo’s 2500-mile railway tour of south east Asia reaches its southern most point in Indonesia. His journey crosses the island of Java at the heart of this arch ...
25-04-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 10. Hanoi To Ha Long Bay
Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael continues his thousand-mile journey through what was then French Indochina and is today the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. \n ...
24-04-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 9. Hue To Ninh Binh
Michael Portillo continues his thousand-mile journey aboard the Unification Railway from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to the capital, Hanoi, and on to the vast northern port of ...
13-04-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 8. Da Nang To Hoi An
Michael Portillo continues his thousand-mile journey through Vietnam aboard the Unification Railway from Ho Chi Minh City to the capital, Hanoi.\n\nLeaving what locals still cal ...
12-04-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 7. Ho Chi Minh City To Phan Thiet
Armed with his 1913 Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael Portillo boards the Unification Railway for a thousand-mile journey from Ho Chi Minh City in the south to the northern capita ...
11-04-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 6. Bangkok To Hua Hin
Michael Portillo continues his exploration of Thailand by rail, steered by his 1913 Bradshaw’s guide. He steps into the ring under the guidance of champion trainer Master ...
10-04-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 5. Bangkok
Michael Portillo is in the Thai capital, Bangkok, midway through his rail tour of Thailand. He learns how the late 19th-century King Rama V built a grand palace and introduced r ...
06-04-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 4. Ayutthaya To River Kwai
Michael Portillo continues his rail journey through Thailand from Lampang, stopping to help at an elephant hospital, where they care for animals wounded by landmines.\n\nIn the ...
05-04-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 3. Chiang Mai To Lampang
Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael Portillo embarks on a four-part rail adventure through Thailand from the northern city of Chiang Mai to Kanchanaburi on the R ...
04-04-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 2. Hong Kong University To Lantau Island
Michael Portillo continues his exploration of Hong Kong aboard the impressive MTR metro system, which handles six million trips a day.\n\nIn Wan Chai, he discovers why Hong Kong ...
03-04-2023
BBC 4
Series 1: 1. Kowloon To Wan Chai
Michael Portillo is in south east Asia, armed with his 1913 Bradshaw’s Handbook. It leads him on a spectacular 2,500-mile railway adventure across six countries. Michael e ...
30-03-2023
BBC 4