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A Unique Thailand Holiday in “Isan”

Crunchy Insects, Ant Eggs & Infectious Smiles!

Enjoy a Thailand Villa Holiday & Discover Isan –the Rural Heart of the KingdomOff the Beaten Path

Thailand

is known globally asa major tourist destinationattracting millions of visitorseach year, where the vastmajority of visitors follow well-trodden circuits to a limitednumber of city, resortand beach destinations. Yetthe nation's northeast (knownlocally as

Isan

) to this dayremains well off thebeaten path. This, despite thefact that Isan accounts foralmost a third of the land massof Thailand (making the regionaround four times the size of Switzerland), and is thebirthplace of the majority of Thailand's inhabitants. For those seeking a more authenticexperience of Thailand, a week or more in Isan will be a fascinating eye opener.

Isan - A General Background

Isan is the area to the north and eastof the teeming capital Bangkok,stretching over to the Lao andCambodian borders on the Mekongriver. Beyond borders, Isan shares itsculture, food and dialects withLaos andCambodia, itsformer overlords. The gateway to Isan is via Nakorn Ratchasima,often referred to as Korat, and its major cities include Khon Kaen,Udon Thani and Ubon Ratchathani. The plains of Isan are patchworkedwith rice paddies and typical villages focussed on agriculture.Fascinating remnants of the ancient Khmer civilization are scatteredthroughout the region and comprise some of the least well known yetbest preserved and visually breathtaking ruins in Southeast Asia,including important Bronze Age sites, and the sites at Phimai andPhanom Rung.

Isan - The People

The inhabitants of Isan are renownedfor their easy-going nature, sparklinghospitality, warmth, and graciousness.Whilst foreigners outnumber Thais inthe tourist resorts elsewhere in thecountry, foreign visitors are an unusualsight off the beaten path inIsan villages, where intrepid visitorswill be greeted with open armsand inquisitiveness.

Isan and Economic Migration

Isan is rooted in agricultural smallholdings involved in rice farming, cassava, sugarcaneand, increasingly, rubber plantations. Apart from arduous work in the fields, employmentopportunities are limited, and millions of Isan natives are obliged to migrate to otherprovinces or even overseas to seek work. The chances are high that your taxi driver inBangkok, room maid in Phuket, construction worker in Samui and welder in Kuwait orLibya is from Isan.

Isan - Getting There

Ironically, as many Isan natives work out of the region, the area is easy to access. Mainroad arteries lead up to Nong Khai on the Lao border from Bangkok, and across to Ubonfrom the capital. Trains serve the major cities, again from Bangkok. There arealso numerous flights from the capital to the major cities, serviced by the nationalcarrier

Thai Airways

and by the inexpensive domestic airlineswww.nokair.com andwww.airasia.com

Isan - Where to Stay

The major cities and towns of Isan offer numerous places to stay, with most propertiesbeing geared to domestic travelers. Inexpensive rooms can easily be found, whilst thelarger cities will also have four star business type hotels. Yet to experience Isan and tomeet its people in their heartlands, you will need to get out into the smallfarming villages and more remote rural areas, where accommodation is generally eithervery limited or non-existent. There are, however, certain exceptions.TheThailand holiday rental

Gecko Villa

wasone of the first properties in Thailand toestablish the concept of a fully catered, privatepool villa offering guests the chance to exploreThailand off the beaten track. Welcomed by aThai family living a couple of kilometers fromthis tranquil rural getaway, among the ricepaddies and plantations of Udon Thaniprovince,guests enjoy fully catered holidays withspecially prepared Thai dishes. Experiencingthe local ways of life is easy and encouraged, and activities may include visits to the locallotus lake, helping out with a rice harvest,learning to drive a tuk-tuk, negotiatinglocal wet markets or giving alms tomonks from rural temples,discovering how silk is woven on old-fashioned wooden looms, and visitingthe UNESCO World Heritage site at BanChiang with its striking pottery.Of course, you may also choose to simplylie back by the private pool with a longcool drink before indulging in atraditional Thai massage. With a focusonresponsible tourism, guests contributedirectly to the well-being of the local Thaivillagers and families involved in this project.