We were our own little Transit of Venus – a tiny blob

We were our own little Transit of Venus – a tiny blob of activity traversing a corner of one of the wonders of creation. Thai Airways (020-7491 7953; airways.co.uk) offers flights from Heathrow to Bangkok from £657 in November.. During your 17 days you will have the chance to visit Luang Prabang, with its exquisite Buddhist temples, take a boat journey through the mist, see crafts at a night market and visit the capital, Vientiane.Get cycling: Red Spokes (020-7502 7252; ) offers Laos – Lost in Time from £649 per person, based on two sharing, including 16 nights’ accommodation, all food apart from two lunches and two dinners, internal flights, vehicle support and guide Flights cost extra. This tour takes you on tough mountain climbs, through thick jungle and along the Mekong river.

Although Red Spokes tries to accommodate varying levels of ability, this requires fitness and cycling experience. 10 Adventure playground, Laos Starting in northern Thailand, this tour crosses into Laos, a country still relatively untouched by Western influences. All stays are in top-class hotels.Get cycling: Trek Travel (001 920 478 4672; ) offers this tour from $2,275 (£1,239) per person, based on two sharing, including five nights’ accommodation, most meals, snacks and drinks on rides, evening receptions, bike hire, guides, route support, private tours and tastings, all entrance fees, transfers, luggage transfers and gratuities Departures in September and October. Included is a private dinner and tasting at the Michel-Schlumberger Winery near Healdsburg and a chance to view modern art at the Hess Collection Winery You can also opt for a day to unwind at the Vintage Inn Spa. 9 Wine on wheels, California Cycle through the hills and valleys of California’s wine country, stopping to sample the area’s most famous vintages. Trek Travel’s California Wine Country tour involves leisurely cycling in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, taking in the pretty towns of Sonoma, Calistoga and Yountville, and some of the area’s smaller wineries. Other highlights include an overnight stop in Nadudvar, famous for its black pottery.

The distances and level of cycling make this a good choice for beginners.Get cycling: Scottish Cycling Holidays (01250 876100; ) offers the Spa Tour Through the Puszta from £480 per person, based on two sharing, including seven nights’ b&b in hotels or pensions, all evening meals (two with wine), bike hire, luggage transport, vehicle support and guide, most sightseeing excursions, including one to Budapest, and entrance to five thermal spas Flights cost extra. This trip allows time to take in the area’s natural beauty.Get cycling: Sherpa Expeditions (020-8577 2717; ) offers the Finland Archipelago Island Hopping tour from £867 per person, based on two sharing, including flights, six nights’ b&b, two evening meals, bike and helmet hire, support serviceand route notes Departures until 21 August. Most accommodation is in small guest houses or hotels, including overnights in a converted airport building, manor house and lighthouse. Sherpa Expeditions’ self-guided cycling tour traces a loop from Turku, Finland’s oldest city, to the islands and back, via a system of ferries. The company advises guests to fly into Vienna (transfers £18).