Michael Portillo begins his journey in Hong Kong. Michael’s railway highlights include the cable funicular to the top of Hong Kong’s highest mountain and the enviably efficient mass transit system.

Michael helps out at an elephant hospital and tries his hand at umbrella-making. 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 River Kwai and from Bangkok to the southern beach resort of 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 Toddy to learn muay Thai boxing. Can he perfect the cobra-inspired right hook? Michael confronts his fear of snakes to assist in a surgical operation on a deadly venomous king cobra. He discovers the life-saving work of Bangkok’s Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, established at the time of his guide by the royal family after the death of a young princess. Beginning in the capital, Michael learns how the late-19th-century King Rama V founded the city on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, built a grand palace and introduced railways to his country. Michael discovers the fine terminus commissioned by the king and meets a historian and designer who shares family roots with the present royal dynasty. Michael learns that King Rama V’s love of steam engines was inspired by Queen Victoria. At the colossal new station under construction in the city, Michael hears how its four levels and 24 platforms will transform Thailand’s transport infrastructure. He circles the Grand Palace by tuk tuk then boards the 21st-century Skytrain for a wonderful view of the city. Michael dines on the water in a floating market, where purchases are made from boat to boat. Following in the footsteps of writers such as Joseph Conrad, Graham Greene and John Le Carre, Michael checks into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, built just before his guide. Striking south to the resort of Hua Hin, Michael learns the history of the Southern Railway and hears how royal patronage kickstarted today’s Thai tourist industry. He meets the niece of the present king, Rama X, at the Palace of Love and Hope, created by their ancestor, King Rama VI.

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 the vast container port of Haiphong and finishes in the turquoise waters of Halong Bay. Michael’s 1913 Bradshaw’s Guide unlocks for him the traumatic 20th-century history of today’s Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a former French colony. On this leg, he braves the streets of Saigon - as locals still call Ho Chi Minh City - on a motorbike, one of 8.5 million to do so daily. He attempts the national sport, da cau, and samples French-Vietnamese fusion food. Michael discovers how to make the quintessential Vietnamese condiment of fish sauce and joins modern Vietnamese people on holiday in a replica medieval French village in the Annamite Mountains. In the tailoring capital of Hoi An, Michael learns how the region’s silkworms feed on the Champa mulberry tree and how the Cham people weave their distinctive brocade.

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 of Haiphong. He finishes amid the limestone islets in the turquoise waters of Halong Bay. Steered by his 1913 Bradshaw’s Guide, Michael travels through what was French Indochina and is today the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. En route, he tours the formidable imperial city of Hue and in a village nearby, Michael meets milliner Mrs Ngo, who tries to teach him how to make the iconic conical hat. Back on track, Michael crosses the former Demilitarized Zone, which once separated North from South Vietnam. A ten-hour journey lies ahead, but the friendliness of fellow passengers and supper on board makes up for the bunk beds, and by daybreak he is in the beautiful province of Ninh Binh. In the Red River Delta, Michael takes a boat ride to join farmer Mr Vinh to learn how to make a Ninh Binh speciality, com chay. Approaching Hanoi, Michael passes the famous train street, where the locomotive passes within centimetres of the houses either side of the tracks. Checking into the capital’s famous Metropole Hotel, built at the time of his guidebook, Michael discovers a bunker, where guests sheltered from American bombardment during the Vietnam War. And at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Michael hears about the nationalist leader and his struggle for independence for Vietnam. Egg coffee is a new experience in the Old Quarter, and a water puppet show is a hit. At a former Soviet factory which once supplied military uniforms to the North Vietnamese army and Viet Cong, Michael discovers a progressive new manufacturer, which supplies sportswear to the United States Olympic team. Michael works out with the workers. The vast container port of Haiphong offers Michael an insight into Vietnam’s future. He ends his journey amid the spectacular limestone islets and turquoise waters of Halong Bay.

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 this archipelago nation, the world’s fourth most populous. In the heaving megacity of Jakarta, the capital, Michael uncovers Indonesia’s colonial past as part of a Dutch empire and its rich history as a port and centre of the spice trade. He negotiates the city’s infamous traffic, takes a ride on the newly launched MRT metro and dines like a local on Jakarta’s famous street food. On a trip out of the city, Michael finds out how Bogor’s Botanical Gardens, now a centre of research and conservation, were developed by Englishman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, once governor of Java. Leaving the capital on a seven-hour railway journey past rainforests and paddy fields, Michael heads to the volcanic heart of Java’s central province. He visits the island’s most dangerous volcano, Mount Merapi, and learns how its deadly eruption in 2010 killed over 300 people. Nearby in the village of Bendo, Michael tries his hand at the art of traditional noodle making. This leg of his journey ends at the country’s greatest ancient wonder and Indonesia’s most visited monument, the Borobudur Temple. Michael marvels at how the world’s largest Buddhist shrine lay hidden for centuries under volcanic ash.

Michael Portillo’s railway journey following his 1913 guidebook continues in Indonesia. Beginning in Java’s royal city, Yogyakarta, Michael visits the Sultan’s Palace and witnesses the ancient art of shadow puppetry, known as wayang. This revered form of storytelling was instrumental in the spread of Islam across the Indonesian archipelago. Michael traces the origins of batik, a highly decorative and intricate textile technique that has earned it Unesco world heritage status. Moving north to the town of Ambarawa, Michael boards a scenic heritage line constructed by the Dutch to exploit the natural resources of the island and which is now a restored relic of the colonial era, cherished by Javanese tourists. In the era Michael's Bradshaw’s guidebook was published, Java became the centre of Dutch trade routes across the world and a major gateway for exports. Michael heads for the mountainous interior to find out how the island remains one of the world’s biggest coffee producers today. At the city of Semarang, the headquarters of the Dutch East Indies Railway company, Michael visits the Great Mosque, whose sheer scale is a reminder that there are more Muslims in Indonesia than in any other country. Journey’s end is at the port of Surabaya, where Michael hears the story of how Indonesia finally won its independence.

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 stronghold in the region. Here he rides one of the steepest, fastest and most exhilarating funicular railways in the world and steps into a tropical paradise as he releases exotic specimens at Malaysia’s first butterfly sanctuary. Travelling on Malaysia’s modern, hi-tech railway network, Michael visits Taiping, known as the wettest town in the country, where betting on the rain is a local pastime. Here Michael learns how the discovery of tin made this land a desirable possession for the British. Moving south along the Malay Peninsula, the next stop is the regal town of Kuala Kangsar, home to the Sultan of Perak and one of the country’s most prestigious schools, dubbed the Eton of the east. Michael tries his hand at the school’s chosen sport, Eton fives. Michael learns of Malaysia’s lucrative rubber industry that boomed at the turn of the 20th century due to the demand for car and bicycle tyres. He discovers the skilful technique in extracting rubber from the tree and observes how the material is used today to give railway passengers a smooth ride. At the cosmopolitan, foody town of Ipoh, Michael helps bake a popular Chinese treat at a famous Malaysian bakery and experiences a dragon dance of epic proportions. Finally, Michael makes for the Cameron Highlands, where the majority of the nation’s tea is grown. At a colonial-era hill station, Michael visits a plantation and tastes this most British staple.

Following his 1913 Bradshaw’s guidebook, Michael Portillo continues his exploration of the Malaysian peninsula. Beginning in its dynamic and diverse capital, Kuala Lumpur, Michael's railway journey heads to the very southern tip of Malaysia and the historic city of Johor Bahru, the gateway to Singapore. In KL, as it is universally known, Michael tries the ancient art of pewter smithing and learns how the discovery of tin transformed a muddy estuary into Malaysia’s thriving capital - one of the world’s fastest-growing cities. Michael sees for himself how breakneck development is putting pressure on the city’s historic Malay settlement, Kampung Baru. Michael heads south to Melaka, whose history as one of the greatest trading ports in the world has resulted in a surprising mix of cultures and faiths. Michael tastes the spicy cuisine of the Kristang community, who are descendants of Portuguese settlers and local Malays. Continuing to Kluang among some of Malaysia’s most fertile farmland, Michael lends a hand with the pineapple harvest and discovers how the combination of tin cans and tropical fruit played their part in creating a global market in food. Arriving in Johor Bahru, Michael visits the palace of Sultan Abu Bakar, a canny and well-travelled monarch who became friends with Queen Victoria and used what he learned to modernise his realm. Yet, as Michael discovers, he failed in one thing: his attempt to create Malaysia’s first ever railway was defeated by an implacable foe – the termite!

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 success stories. Travelling on the extensive MRT - or mass rapid transit - rail network to the west side of the island, Michael visits a vast construction site that is to become the world’s largest fully automated container port which is taking shape on land reclaimed from the sea. The grand project reflects Singapore’s towering economic ambition. Back in the centre, Michael hears of the nation’s maritime roots and how Englishman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles established the first port here in 1819. On a boat trip along the Singapore River, Michael discovers how trade flourished under British colonial rule and, at the iconic Raffles Hotel, he takes a seat in the famous Long Bar and treats himself to its signature cocktail, a Singapore Sling. On his second day in the city, Michael walks the streets of Chinatown with a local artist and uncovers the history of the Chinese community, who make up three quarters of the population here. At the historic Singapore Botanic Gardens, Michael sees how a piece of rainforest which once covered this part of Asia has been preserved for future generations. In Tai Seng, Michael goes underground to marvel at the world’s largest subterranean rail depot where self-driving MRT trains are maintained. On Singapore’s south coast, Michael takes a cable car to Fort Siloso, on the island of Sentosa, where he hears of Britain’s worst military defeat in 1942 and Japan’s subsequent brutal occupation. Downtown, over a coffee with the head of the Singapore Stock Exchange, Michael learns about the island’s astonishing success as a financial centre and, in the residential district of Ang Mo Kio, he visits one of a new breed of urban farms, looking to the future to feed the increasing population by growing fruit and veg on a car park roof. His tour ends in the centre of the city