THERE are many benefits to being a pedal-pusher in a foreign country. For one, things feel far more immediate.

From behind a car or bus window, you can't smell the heady perfume of frangipani and the crimson and cerise bougainvillea that line the mighty Mekong River, or duck into a narrow dirt road where even Land Rovers fear to tread.

Should you decide to trade four wheels for two in your exploration of Asia's urban and very real jungles, however, you might quickly realise that your fantasy, where
you saunter past jade rice paddies and a jasmine-scented breeze
ruffles your hair, wasn't going to work out quite the way you planned.

Instead, you might dodge yapping dogs, bump over crater-like potholes, and hold your breath as you cross rickety bridges that creak with every step, while your shoes are caked with four inches of mud.

In other words, you'll sweat
(cycling annihilates curry calories); pray (Buddhist chants alongside
saffron-robed monks), and love every monsoon-soaked minute.

Start your cycling exploration of Asia in Phuket, basing yourself in the undiscovered gem of Phuket Old Quarter, which offers a glimpse of the Thai way of life and culture beyond the karaoke bars of Patong.

Cycling here is not for the fainthearted, but worth it for an up-close glimpse of the brightly coloured shophouses and Sino-Portuguese architecture. Particularly splendid is the area's former red-light district.

Many of the buildings are being restored after the government
declared the town a conservation zone.

Quench your thirst with a fresh mango shake from one of the many restaurants also on wheels. Thais love "sanook" or fun and celebrate New Year three times a year – Thai, Western and Chinese.

Get wet in April during Songkran, when locals soak
unfortunate passersby with water pistols. Although, after a few hours
of cycling, you might not mind.

After a day of path-pounding, limp over to a massage shack. The King of Thailand regally peers
from framed photographs on the walls as bodies get twisted, cracked, stretched and stood on by tiny
Thai ladies.

Pain will never feel so good.

From Phuket, catch a flight to Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand, and rent a bike. Highlights of cycling here include seeing villagers plant rice for the rainy season; discovering shrines built in hidden mountain caves; pipe-smoking gogos or whatever the equivalent is in Thai, and the most bizarre temple you have ever seen. Hint: it features Keanu Reeves.

Catch a tuk-tuk to Chiang Sean in Northern Chiang Rai. Here, explore the ruins of the ancient city, which overlooks the notorious opium region of The Golden Triangle.

From Chiang Saen, cross the
border to Laos. With its verdant valleys and towering limestone cliffs, the former kingdom retains a mythical air.

Laos has everything for the adventurous traveller. Weave around water buffalo, which are fortunately more placid than they appear, and duck into villages where local
women weave silk.

Parking your steel steeds for a while, hurtle yourself down-river
on rubber tubes and learn how to fish the traditional way using a chainmail net, roasting your catch on the riverbank.

After riding to caves where
soldiers escaped the Vietnam War bombing and trekking up mountains (the muddy descent turns into a foefie slide), journey to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Luang Prabang.

A former French colonial outpost, the town retains a charming old-world feel, with outdoor markets where you can pick up bargains for unique homemade items.

An array of quaint boutique
hotels with shuttered windows and teak balconies, not to mention cafes on every corner selling freshly-
baked baguettes to sate the hungry cyclist, will make you fall head over wheels with this town.