Laos, the land of a thousand white elephants, is separated from its big brother Thailand by the mighty Mekong River, and resembles Thailand as it was 50 years ago. It suffered much during the Vietnam-war and the country is still covered with landmines and metalscrap. If you are willing to cut down on comfort you will have an amazing time in this beautiful country that has everything (except the beaches!) which Thailand offers, but without the commercial hustle.