THE SECRETS OF BURIRAM

Located in Thailand’s vast northeastern region of Isan, Buriram is a town and province packed with hidden treasures. Thais from elsewhere in the country have long known about the place because of its high-flying football team, but Buriram remains blissfully off the tourist trail. Travelers who make the effort to come here will be rewarded with sincere Thai hospitality, authentic Isan cuisine, as well as uncrowded Khmer temple sites. And with the debut of the MotoGP in Thailand this October, there’s no reason why Buriram shouldn’t be added to your Southeast Asian wish list.

ANCIENT HERITAGE

If you’re a history buff, make sure to rise early for the hour-long drive outside town to visit a pair of exquisite Angkor-style Khmer temples crowns an extinct volcano of the same name, and represents Mount Kailash, said to be Shiva’s heavenly abode. The dramatic approach includes an enormous processional walkway, steep flights of steps, and bridges adorned with fearsome five-headed naga serpents. Phanom Rung is regarded as the finest example of Khmer temple architecture in Thailand thanks to the quality of its intricate reliefs. Once inside, look out for a dancing Shiva on the pediment and below it, the reclining Vishnu lintel that was famously stolen in the 1960s before being smuggled abroad. Its eventual return in 1988 from the Art Institute of Chicago marked the end of a 17-year-long restoration by the Thai Department of Fine Arts.