The backpacker routes of South-East Asia tend to wind through the three major countries of Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, but right there in the middle is the underrated paradise of Laos. Without a border on the ocean, less traffic makes their way through the mountainous country (no islands? What?), and a significantly lower population than its neighbors (just under 7 million) means there aren’t very many cities or large towns. The laid-back me...