Lao (Laos), Thailand's neighbor to the east, is considered one of the "unspoiled" Asian countries to experience. Though Lao is one of the poorest countries in the world, governed under Communist rule, westernization is slowly finding its way to this generally tranquil and peaceful nation. I was, however, happy to see that after six years (when I was here last) I found that whatever changes that have been made (with regards to the look and feel of the country), were not drastic.

Luang Prabang in the north is a sleepy little former French Colonial town which hosts some of Lao's oldest and best preserved Buddhist temples. This mellow hamlet rests on a peninsula, sandwiched between the Mekong and Nam Khan rives. Being that it is a Unesco World Heritage Site, there's some assurance that it will not become too commercialized too soon. And though there are far more hotels, guest houses and restaurants than ever, and many of the locals now treat visitors too much like cash cows, it's still one of the best places I know of to spend a week or two in.

Vang Vien, in the central part of Lao, is a beautiful rural spot that has obviously seen more than its fair share of backpacker tourists (many whom would, unfortunately, rather watch noisy re-runs of "Friends" at the many open-air cafes than enjoy the exquisite views of the Nam Song river, its hills and emerald-colored rice fields). Vang Vien is the only sizable town before arriving to Vientiane.

Vientiane is Lao's capital. Happily, this city is nowhere near as congested, loud or polluted as other Southeast Asian cities like Bangkok or Saigon. Here, ancient temples compete with French Colonial period structures (there's even a Arc de Triomphe styled archway in the center of town) and Communist no-nonsense designed buildings, which gives it a very pleasant, somewhat odd, provincial atmosphere. The market places here have everything from snake medicine to DVDs; the people are kind, and if you don't like Lao food, you could easily have Indian, Italian, Japanese and, of course, French.