Cambodia has some spectacular opportunities for the more adventurous, active visitor. The mountainous northeast provinces of Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri are still largely forested and home to a number of tribal minority peoples, while the Cardamom Mountains of the southeast are considered to host the largest remaining contiguous block of rainforest on mainland South East Asia.

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.

Gently cruise the River of Kings, the Chao Phraya, between Bangkok and Ayutthaya, Thailand's former capital, aboard a beautifully converted teakwood rice barge, and watch history unfold.

If you have never visited Cambodia before and are limited on time, the highlights not to miss are the ancient, UNESCO World Heritage-listed temples of Angkor, including Angkor Wat, and the Mekong riverside capital of Phnom Penh, once regarded as the Venice of old French Indochina.