A special gourmand dinner is organised for the 8th March at the hotel’s magnificent Vietnamese Restaurant and is from (1400THB) or $AUD48 for two inclusive.

Whilst eating deep fried insects may not be everyone's cup of tea, there's something to suit every palate, and the Sofitel Raja Orchid Hotel offers a luxurious five star base, from which to enjoy the Master Class and all the sounds, colours and tastes northern Thailand has to offer.

Workshops revolving around the Festival include one aptly named - ‘Improbably Edible Cuisine’ which features the Isan custom of eating fried locust and lizard, and stir fried silk worm — not to mention the Isan/Lao specialty of ant egg soup!

The Isan Food Festival will also feature visiting chefs, guest lecturers, and the world's largest woven sticky rice basket, and celebrates Northeast Thailand's fabled cooking. Khon Kaen will be pulsing with activities planned from early in the morning til late at night for the ten days of the Festival.

But there’s more to the festival - there’s workshops galore featuring top gastronomic names conducting the activities -

These include:

• Vatch Bhumitchitr, London restaurateur and author of six best-selling Thai cookbooks in English;

• Somsak Wongdechanand, editor-in-chief- of Thailand's leading food magazine ‘Gourmet & Cuisine’ heads a workshop on Thai curries;

• Philip Cornwel Smith, author of the everyday culture book ‘Very Thai’ will speak on contemporary Isan trends in Bangkok;

• Morrison Polkinghorne, Australian based textile expert;

• Robert Carmack Australian based author of Thai and Vietnamese cookbooks and Fondue (Periplus), (one co-written by Didier Corlu of Sofitel Hanoi fame)

• Pramol Pimsen local Isan specialist and author;

• Dr. Chop Deesuankoke retired Khon Kaen university lecturer.

Plus there are regional food producers from sausage makers to fish sauce brewers, are on hand to give an introduction to their foodstuffs.

Globetrotting Gourmet is offering a 10-night deluxe Thailand packages including the Isan Festival 2 day masterclass; a stay at the luxury beach resort of Hua Hin; Bangkok - Asia’s shopping powerhouse, Thailand's dessert capital of Phetchaburi; and holy pilgrimage cities Nakhon Pathom and Nakhon Chaisi. You’ll stay at five-star Sofitel hotels throughout with guaranteed upgrades, most meals, cooking classes, market tours.

For those who still want more, a special day tour of Isan south of Khon Kaen is available on Monday 10 March.

www.isanfoodfestival.com