Ask most tourists what they know about Isan, and you’ll get a blank look. Thailand’s northeast — a vast plateau stretching to the Mekong River — receives a fraction of the visitors that Chiang Mai or Phuket do. That is precisely why it remains one of Thailand’s most authentic and rewarding travel regions.

Khmer Temples That Rival Angkor

Phanom Rung Historical Park in Buriram province is the finest Khmer temple complex in Thailand — a 10th-century sanctuary perched atop an extinct volcano with an extraordinary stone causeway and prangs aligned to the sunrise four times a year. The crowds that gather for the annual sunrise alignment festival in April are the only time this place is busy.

Prasat Hin Phimai, near Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), is Thailand’s largest Khmer ruin. Built in the 11th century, it predates Angkor Wat and gives a profound sense of the civilisation that once dominated mainland Southeast Asia.

The Mekong and Nong Khai

The town of Nong Khai on the Mekong River is one of Thailand’s most agreeable small towns — a row of riverside bars and restaurants looking across to Laos, a floating restaurant at sunset, and the bizarre Sala Kaew Ku sculpture park just outside town (Hindu and Buddhist giant statues created by the mystic Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat).

The Food

You have already eaten Isan food — som tam (papaya salad), larb (spiced meat salad) and kai yang (grilled chicken) are the cuisines that defined Thailand’s street food culture. In Isan, they taste better. The papaya is sharper, the fermented fish sauce more complex, the grilled meats more fragrant. Visit a local market at 7 am and eat breakfast with the locals — this alone makes the trip worthwhile.

Best Time to Visit

October to February is ideal — the rainy season has passed, rivers are full and the countryside is green. The Candle Festival in Ubon Ratchathani each July is spectacular if you don’t mind the humidity.