The unknown Thailand
A journey to discover life, people, and culture with Shadà in the Isaan region.
Author’s Journeys
“Author’s journeys” —those trendy words we hear so often.
And it’s not that I disagree, quite the opposite: rediscovering the joy that once moved people to explore new worlds, countries, cultures, languages, and cuisines seems to me a wonderful thing.
Or maybe these weren’t the reasons for exploring the planet in the past?
My Arrival in Thailand
That’s what brought me here — to live in this surprising country.
I could call it beautiful, marvellous, fantastic — and it is — but the word that keeps coming to mind is surprising.
Yes, I know, everything new feels surprising, and I completely agree: discovering new cultures always is.
Touristic Thailand is truly beautiful, impressive, even spectacular: the landscapes, the temples, the cuisine… all surrounded by a serene sense of mysticism, often mixed with the kindness of its people, their famous smiles, and that overwhelming explosion of color.
I don’t know if it’s happened to you, but when I’ve visited a temple in Bangkok, for instance, that explosion of beauty makes me look everywhere and nowhere at once.
It’s so breathtakingly beautiful that it leaves you still.
If you haven’t been there yet, trust me — it will happen to you too.
A Different Way to Travel
But that’s not really what I wanted to talk about — I wanted to talk about ways of traveling, and especially the way I love.
When I first arrived in Thailand, I spent a few months in Koh Tao with my son, while he was taking a diving course. Koh Tao is a curious place, a tiny island, beautiful if you love exploring underwater life. The dives are spectacular, the variety of marine life impressive.
On the other hand, there’s something that wasn’t for me: the nightlife. Many young travellers come not for the underwater world, but for the night scene. For me, that was the downside.
Why am I telling you this? Because in those very touristic places, it’s hard to get to know the real country — the Thailand of the Thai people, of the men and women who have shaped it over time.
Discovering the Northeast
When my son left, I decided to move on. I headed northeast, thinking of crossing into Laos to visit Vientiane and Luang Prabang. I already knew the south: the 4000 Islands of the Mekong, Pakse… a beautiful place, by the way.
I stopped in a little-known city in the province of Loei — Chiang Khan.
A small town on the banks of the Mekong, a river that fascinates me.
There —that is, here, where I live now— I met Shadà, and we began a relationship.
That was the moment I truly began to discover the Thailand of the Thai people, particularly in the vast and little-known region of Isaan, in Loei province.
Learning the Life, the Culture, the People
Here I’ve learned how people live, feel, laugh, cry, eat, what they enjoy, and how they see foreigners.
I’ve immersed myself in a culture full of curious, generous, kind people, with strong character, deep family roots, and great respect for the elderly.
I especially remember one moment: during my first days with Shadà, we walked along the Mekong, on a peaceful, car-free path.
We talked — I don’t recall exactly about what — and from time to time she would pick a leaf and have me taste it, or hand me some seeds from a plant with a strange, lovely smell that tasted even better than it smelled.
There were banana trees, papayas along the path that you could pick and eat. She told me which dishes they made from each leaf, herb, and root.
That was the moment I realised that, during my six months in Koh Tao, I hadn’t truly discovered Thailand.
And that’s why I wholeheartedly recommend that, if you want to know the real Thailand, come and meet Shadà.
Shadà’s Gift for Sharing
Shadà has a natural gift for sharing her culture and opening the door to Thai life in its most authentic form.
She loves to have you taste the typical dishes of the Isaan region —so different from the rest of Thailand—: the chili heat rather than ginger spice, the fish sauces, the insects, the mangos.
She enjoys teaching how to cook, sharing family meals on the floor and with the hands, as locals do.
Her parents’ crafts, weaving and basket-making; her sister and brother-in-law’s rubber plantation; and her large extended family — where you can even visit rice fields.
An Invitation from the Heart
Whether you’ve already been to Thailand or not yet, here’s your chance to discover it from within, surrounded by kind people who love sharing their craft, their language — their culture.
👉 Discover the two-, four-, or six-day experiences with Shadà at thailoeileife.com and let yourself be surprised by the most authentic Thailand.