Great Asian Railway Journeys

I love Michael Portillo's railway journeys in general, but Asia series is one of the best! In addition to showing the beautiful scenery and grand historical places, he also makes great interviews with historians, artists or locals which help you to learn more about the places he travels through. It was great to learn more about the whole history of Southeast Asian countries he's been to, how they became colonies and how they declared their independency eventually. I also enjoyed watching cultural activities, listening to local music and seeing the local food. It's not only enjoying but also informative.

This is a very beautifully shot series with a lot of great scenery and historical information.

Michael is certainly easy to spot in any distant shot of a crowd, standing out in his pastel colours. Curious though that he never gets on or off a train carrying any luggage, not even a water bottle, though sometimes with an umbrella.