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Greece, the cradle of western civilisation, with a sun-drenched Mediterranean climate, is a perennially popular destination. The tavernas are welcoming and you can sip ouzo over ice with the locals. Greek food is fresh and uncomplicated and well suited to energy-hungry cyclists.

Cambodia has an ideal terrain for cycling, being very flat with some highland areas including the Cardomom Mountains in the southwest. However as one of the poorest countries in Asia the infrastructure is poor, albeit improving.

Not the easiest place to get to unless you're from Australia, New Zealand is well worth the extra travel. There is very little of the country not suitable for cycling and the level of services and facilities are among the best in the world - plus a big advantage for many is it is an English speaking country

Vietnam is probably the most popular country in Asia for bike tours with hundreds available. The legacy of the war is still an important factor particularly in Saigon, but there is so much more to this country.  November to April is the best time of year to tour to avoid the wettest and hottest weather.

A relatively small country in the extreme south-west of Europe, Portugal is off the beaten track and often overlooked by cyclists. However this very much stands in Portugal's favour. With a population of just over 10 million there are plenty of open spaces and get-away-from-it all places.

This morning our mountain bike tour takes us along hiking trails, which has not been feasible in many places. We follow the river, but higher up the hillsides and in between sweeping pine trees along local walking tracks.

Although we had climbed almost 1,000m in altitude on our mountain bikes, we aren't yet at the highest point of the tour. After a rest day at 3,700m in Muktinath we are ready to go up another 200m to the Lubra La pass to begin the long descent - and main selling point of the tour!

Today is the big day - despite the distance to be covered being only 12km. However we will climb almost 1,000m making this a much more challenging proposition.

Distances on this tour are not significant as the terrain and altitude are the main challenges. However today should be relatively easy with an earlyish scheduled arrival in Kagbeni, a good introduction to cycling at altitude.

Anything worth doing does not come easy, and starting a bike tour halfway up the Himalayas certainly isn't easy - but boy is it worth it!

This rail trail in northeast Victoria is amongst the best recreational cycle touring routes in Australia, and you can't go far wrong with Tour de Vines to guide you.

Your annual holidays are quickly approaching and you are searching for an idea for a holiday with a difference for all of the family.

Time off work to spend with the family? Too hot/cold to go out on your bike? Why not get everyone involved browsing through cycle tours to find one that suits you all? Or if you're the only cyclist, take your time, search and compare the best of what you find so you get the best out of your precious time and money!

More than any other there is one word that the vast majority of cycle tour operators use in their tour descriptions with the greatest of trepidation – hills.

What can we expect over the next 10 days? Korea is not a country that quickly springs to mind when thinking of cycle tours - but it probably should be.

It is a sad fact of life that there are many people who have abandoned plans to enjoy a cycle touring holiday just because they do not have a travelling partner. But this is totally unnecessary.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat, a moment when time pauses and the baton is passed from dark to light.  A new day is being born and the sun’s reappearance is heralded by an exquisitely choreographed crescendo of colour that calls us to the magical reawakening.

Without warning, my front wheel struck a bulldust-concealed dip in the track and I tumbled head first over the handlebars, landing with a spectacular face-plant into the ground.

THE time has finally come for you to start thinking about your preparation for your long-awaited organised cycling holiday, but what do you take?

Australian adventurer, Kate Leeming, is an extraordinary woman. The story of her astonishing 22,000-kilometre trek by bicycle across Africa is much more than a story of mental grit and physical endurance.