Northern Laos especially presents many great trekking opportunities. Not only is the terrain very mountainous and largely swathed in forest, it is also home to a dazzling array of highly colourful minority tribal people who still pursue the traditional slash and burn (swidden) farming methods, unchanged for a thousand years.

Trek through mountains and lush rainforests, encounter hilltribe minority villages, ride and elephant, try rock climbing on towering karst limestone cliffs, kayak or go white water rafting down pristine rivers, and explore the stunning ancient city of Luang Prabang, now a World Heritage site.

The nation of Indonesia stretches along an equatorial archipelago numbering nearly 18,000 islands in total. Encompassing several ecosystem types as well as straddling the boundaries between the Oriental and Australasian faunal regions, Indonesia is one of the most biodiverse nations on Earth.

The Indonesian island of Sulawesi is ideal for adventurous cyclists: this is for riders who want the physical challenge of tropical mountains, who are looking for cultural adventure in a traditional Asian society off the beaten track, and who view the unpredictability of travel in a developing country as something to be expected and enjoyed.