Holiday in Isaan

What makes Isaan special as a destination?

Isaan is Thailand's least visited and simultaneously most authentic region — a vast plateau in the northeast bordered by Laos and Cambodia, covering almost a third of the country's area. Here lives a third of all Thais, yet hardly any tourists venture into this fascinating area, which has remained completely untouched by mass tourism. This is exactly what makes Isaan so special: authentic markets, warm-hearted people, and a spicy regional variant that is considered the true soul of Thai cuisine. Culinarily, Isaan is a heavyweight: Som Tam (green papaya salad), Larb (spicy meat salad), Gai Yang (grilled chicken), and Khao Niao (sticky rice) originally come from here and have long become national dishes. In Udon Thani, Khon Kän, and Korat, modern Thai life pulses without western tourist infrastructure. Historically, Isaan offers the impressive Khmer temple Prasat Hin Phimai, which is older than Angkor Wat, as well as the UNESCO-protected Ban Chiang with 5,000-year-old Bronze Age finds. The Mekong forms the northern border and can be crossed into Laos at Nong Khai via the Friendship Bridge. In Pha Täm National Park, sandstone cliffs rise 200 meters above the river and display prehistoric rock paintings. Isaan rewards travelers seeking the real Thailand — far from beach clichés and tourist traps.