In your first few days in Thailand, you are bound to learn a few things - mostly unflattering - about Isaan. That it is where most taxi drivers and bar girls come from. That it is where horrible - looking insects and other crawlies are eaten. That it is the poorest, most disheveled side of the country.

There may be a ring of truth to some of these. But often there's a gulf between public image and the real picture.

There is more to Isan than its stone - broke rural image. Despite its dusty landscape, it has some of the country's most beautiful terrains - intriguing cliffs, plateaus, caves, rivers, waterfalls and woodlands.

What it lacks in material wealth is more than made up by its rich culture and tradition, and the sterling quality of its people. A gentle people of Laotian decent living in the northeast of Thailand along the meandering Mekong River, Isaan are known throughout the country as hard - working, hard - playing, hard - luck people who have a sturdy sense of independence. Named after Phra Isuan (Shiva), the Hindu god of destruction, they have a distinct dialect, social class and eating habits.

Isaan folks are mostly rice farmers. Those in the provinces of Khon Kaen, Roiet, Surin and Korat are famous for their silk weaving skills, making an especially beautiful type of silk known as "mud mee."

An interesting place in Isaan, a region of 19 provinces, is Ban Chiang, beyond the provincial capital of Sakhon Phanom, where a treasure trove of artifacts, dating as far back as 6,000 years, had been unearthed. Burial sites also yielded large pottery vessels of ornate designs used in funerals, evidence of a thriving ancient culture of proto Khmer tradition.

Of course, Isaan's major contribution to Thai culture is its delightfully spicy cuisine fore most of which is the popular "som tam," or shredded papaya. Isaan cooking in fact has come to characterize the distinct taste of Thai food as known through out the world.

Isaan may not have the idyllic beaches shown in most tourist brochures, but it certainly offers far more interesting and intriguing places to explore, particularly religious sites. On an extinct volcano in Buri Ram, for example, you can find the Khao Angkhan Temple, among the largest Buddhist monasteries in the country. Artifacts abound here, including ancient sandstone temple boundary markers dating back to the Dvaravati period. The buildings in the compound are of architectural designs reflecting various eras.

Another great religious site to visit is Prang - Ku, an ancient laterite site in Chaiyaphum, built between 782-1220A.D. It houses a Buddha image from the ancient Dvaravati era.

In Mukdahan, you can find the Wat Song Khon Sanctuary, said to be the biggest and most beautiful Buddhist temple of Southeast Asia. Located on the bank of the Mekong River, it is home to waxed replicas of seven blessed martyrs whose remains are buried on the ground.

Apart from its spiritually enriching cultural and religious sites, there are natural wonders as interesting as in other parts of the country. There is the Tat Tone Waterfall, also in Chaiyaphum, one of the tallest and most scenic waterfalls in the Northeast. It has a beautiful stone terrace and a year - round flow of water coming from the equally breathtaking Lankha mountain range around it..

In Loei, one must - visit place is the Phu Kradung National Park on a high plateau. Lush and fertile, it is home to many types of wildlife. About 70 km from the Loei town proper, it can be reached via the Khon Khaen - Loei Highway.

Another Loei attraction is the Kaeng Khut Khu rapid in the middle of the Mekong River at Amphoe Chiang Khan. It's a narrow part of the river with extremely swift current. Immersed in and smoothed by the rushing water for countless years, the rocks produce multicolored hues that are beautifully unique.

In Roi Et, the popular tourist destination is the Phalanchai Lake located in the heart of the heart of the town, In the middle of the lake is an island about 200,000 square meters in size. The leafy island has flower gardens all over, making it one of the most stunning landscapes in the region.

There's a lot more to see and enjoy in the region, things you won't get to experience in the more popular tourist destinations in the country. Isaan really deserves a discovery tour to help you find out the rich and beautiful side of it.

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