Laos is a backpackers' favorite for its untouched beauty and cheerful people. Muang La, a rural village in the North, is everything we love about this country. It's a good 5-hour drive from Luang Prabang, one of the most remote spots you can imagine. Yet, Northern Laos' pristine beauty and …

The unknown small island nation off the Atlantic coast of Central Africa is called São Tomé and Príncipe. The extraordinary islands are veritable tropical paradises, that were uninhabited before colonization by the Portuguese in the late 15th century. A sparse population of just 210 thousand people and very few tourists …