Kratie
is dolphin-spotting in the Mekong
Welcome to Kratie
A supremely mellow riverside town, Kratie (ក្រចេះ, pronounced kra-cheh) has an expansive riverfront and some of the best Mekong sunsets in Cambodia. It is the most popular place in the country to see Irrawaddy dolphins, which live in the Mekong River in ever-diminishing numbers. There is a rich legacy of French-era architecture, as it was spared the wartime bombing that destroyed so many other provincial centres.
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Kratie activities
Kratie Classic Lifestyle Day Trip Including Dolphin Cruise
Start your day at 9am by traveling on a motorbike out of Kratie on the Old River Road, passing through a Vietnamese and Wat Rokakandal towards the ferry crossing point. As you wait for the ferry you can enjoy looking over to a floating village on the Mekong. Having arrived on the west bank, visit attractions such as tobacco building, seasonal crops, and a local Wat; learn how palm sugar is being produced in the season and relax alongside beautiful rice paddies, the perfect opportunity for photos. You might be able to try some delicious, freshly pressed sugar cane juice, a must for those with a sweet tooth.Then, you'll visit a local family's home, where you can experience true rural Cambodian life living on the banks of the Mekong. You'll try traditional Cambodian food, home cooked over a wood fire. The meal will be cooked with local delicious fresh ingredients from the surrounding area, and fruit straight from our orchard. After lunch take time to relax and ask any questions you might have about Cambodian life, while sitting inside a traditional stilted wooden home. Before returning to another ferry crossing, there are also opportunities to experience Khmer noodle and rice whisky making. Then, you'll catch the Rusey Cha ferry across the Mekong and head to Kampi, one of the many deep pools where the rare river dolphins gather to feed. Board a local boat and cruise out into the mighty Mekong for a chance encounter with these gentle mammals. Viewing is guaranteed. After enjoying an hour or more of dolphin viewing, you'll travel back to Kratie for the end of your tour.
Mekong Dolphin Spotting
You will be picked up by your guide and local remok (tuk tuk) or motor bike from the hotel in Kratie and travel on the old national route 7 along the river bank towards Kampi. One of the many deep pools where the rare river dolphins gather to feed. Along the way, we journey pass through a village that produces the delicious snacks, famous sticky rice packed in bamboo (krolan) and pickle raw fish in banana leaf (Nhem). Thma Kreae village is particularly famous for Krolan. This tasty snack is famous all over Cambodia and locals would never leave Kratie Province without buying a stock for relatives and friends back home. A must to try at least once.Having arrived to Kampi, we board a local boat and cruise out into the mighty Mekong for a chance encounter with these gentle mammals. Viewing is guaranteed. Tour boats will take you closer to these shy and sensitive mammals. If you listen carefully you might hear the dolphin breath through the blowhole on the top of its head. After enjoying an hour or more of dolphin viewing, we travel back to Kratie.*This itinerary is written based on our tour research expeditions. It should be read in order to get a good general impression and NOT as a detailed hour by hour itinerary. As we care about your safety and always want to increase customer’s experience, Cambodian Pride’s team can change parts of the tour due to weather terrain conditions depending on the season and customer requests. If the program is changed upon customer’s request, possible additional costs will be charged directly to customers.
Mekong Explorer Tour Package
Day 1: Siem Reap to Preah Rumkel. (-/L/D) We pick you up from your Siem Reap hotel at 7.30 AM and hit the road to the greater Mekong region. Having arrived to Preah Rumkel in the afternoon, you will be welcomed by leader of Preah Rumkel Community Base Ecotourism and have a short break. In the late afternoon, we survey Sopheakmet Waterfall; that thwarted the grand designs of French imperialists (and which now mark the Lao border). Sunset here is some of the most beautiful sunsets across the Mekong River. Tonight, you will stay in a traditional Cambodian home under mosquito net at one of the local family who live on the bank of the Mekong River; experience bucket shower like Khmer people. + O/N: Hotel in Stung Treng Day 2: Kayaking Through Mekong Flooded Forests. (B/L/-)Enjoy a short boat trip down to O’Svay where we will start our paddling tours to explore the Ramsar Wetlands area. It stretches south along the Mekong River from the border with Laos to Stung Treng. Only accessible by boat, it is a haven for critically endangered mammals, birds and fish and a unique riverine flooded forest system that is a photographer’s dream. With only birdcalls announcing our presence. + O/N: Hotel in Stung Treng Day 3: Stung Treng to Kratie. Cycling on Koh Trong. (B/-/-)Morning, drive to Kratie. Visit the famous 100 pillars pagoda and learn its fascinating history as a place of pilgrimage for residents of Kratie and the Mekong Turtle Conservation Centre and see one of the most endangered Mekong softsell turtles. Afternoon, we take a local ferry across the Mekong River and go for a 9km cycling on Koh Trong. + O/N: Hotel in Kratie Day 4: Kratie Rural Lifestyle & Dolphin Watching. (B/L/-) We visit the central Market of Kratie where you will see the local trades. Then, we go off the beaten track to the rural villages where you will experience of true rural Cambodian life; seasonal crops, rice whisky making and noodle making. Be welcomed into the home of a village family and share a delicious homemade meal featuring local products and specialties. Watch Mekong dolphins by boat at Kampi.+ O/N: Hotel in Kratie Day 5: Kratie to Phnom Penh. (B/-/-) Today, we will transfer you to Cambodia capital city of Phnom Penh. We pass through Kampong Cham where we visit the bamboo bridge built across the mighty Mekong River connecting mainland to Koh Pen Island (dry season between Jan-May only). Stop at Skuon, affectionately known as ‘Spiderville’, where it is possible to sample the local delicacy of deep fried tarantula. Have lunch on the road, returning to your Phnom Penh hotel between 3 and 5pm, depending on weather and traffic.
Kratie Culture and Wildlife
We start the day at 9:00AM by travelling north on the old National Highway 7. We make our first stop at mediated of Phnom Sambok, a small mountain which has two peaks, one dull and the other pointed, and has a lush forest filled with birds and some monkeys. A concrete staircase makes the mountaintop accessible. Once at the top, we are rewarded with a beautiful panoramic view of the countryside, especially the Mekong River. We then head up along the Mekong River towards Sambor.After a traditional lunch overlooking to the Mekong view, we visit the famous 100 pillars pagoda and learn its fascinating history and as a place of pilgrimage for residents of Kratie. It was first built in the 16th century by King Chann Reachea. The pagoda included 100 wooden columns to commemorate the memory of his daughter Vorakpheak who was killed by Mekong crocodile. Afterwards we encounter the Mekong Turtle Conservation Center, see one of the most endangered Mekong softsell turtle. The project looks after baby turtle until they become big enough to protect themselves from big fish, snack, etc.The highlight of our day is a visit to one of the many deep pools where the rare river dolphins gather to feed. We board a local boat and cruise out into the mighty Mekong for a chance encounter with these gentle mammals. Viewing is guaranteed. After enjoying an hour or more of dolphin viewing, we travel back to Kratie.What to bring: Mosquito repellent, sun cream and hat.Dress standard: Dress respectfully for visiting in the local community. Trousers/skirt or knee length shorts and shirt/t-shirt that covers your shoulders are appropriate. Comfortable shoes or sandals suitable for walking are also recommended.**This itinerary is written based on our tour research expeditions. It should be read in order to get a good general impression and NOT as a detailed hour by hour itinerary. Cambodian Pride Tours works with the local people; we can change parts of the tour due to weather terrain conditions depending on the season and customer requests.
Mighty Mekong River Fishing Adventure
Day 1: Private Transfer to Stung Treng.Our driver will pick you up from your hotel at 8:00am (Siem Reap or Phnom Penh)/ Cambodia-Laos Border. Then, the day starts with a transfer to Stung Treng (stopping for lunch in Kratie), having arrived to Stung Treng, our expert friendly fishing guide will welcome you at your arrival to the hotel. (Accommodation: Hotel)Day 2: Preah Rumkel Fishing.Travel north by car to Vouen Kam (Anlong Morokot) where we will board a boat and head up river to Preah Rumkel on Laos border, a rocky stretch of river distinguished by its deep water pools and numerous islands. We will spend much of the day fishing this excellent location. Further up river, a powerful waterfall creates a natural barrier to fish movement and we will find numerous fish species in the region downriver from this. We will set up camp on a sandy beach and enjoy dinner around a campfire on a small island. Though during wet season it might be flooded, if so, homestay is another option. (Accommodation: Homestay/Tent, meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner)Day 3: O’Svay Kayaking and Fishing.We will awake to the sounds of rare freshwater dolphins surfacing around the island. The island is located just off from a deep water pool where the dolphins are based and various other large freshwater species of fish lurk. After breakfast, we will begin a kayaking trip down river through the remote flooded forests of the Mekong, Ramsa wetlands. It stretches south along the Mekong River from the border with Laos to Stung Treng. After lunch, we will travel into the Mekong Wetlands, one of the most bio diverse river regions in the world, and begin fishing for Freshwater giant stingray and Catfish throughout the day and evening. (Accommodation: Tent, meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner)Day 4: Mekong Wetlands and O’Talas Fishing.We will awake to the sounds of birds as here there are the most bird species in the whole Mekong including Great cormorants and Darters. After an early morning breakfast it is time to continue downstream. We will fish most of the day over a 20 kilometer stretch of the river where, with some patience, it is possible to catch some very large fish. This is a part of the river known for numerous fish species that are found nowhere else and prized for their quality and size. (Accommodation: Hotel, meal: breakfast and lunch)Day 5: Stung Treng to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap by a private transfer.After morning breakfast it is time to make your return journey back to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. Have lunch at stops on the road, returning to your hotel between 2 and 5pm, depending on weather and traffic. (Meal: breakfast and lunch)
3-Day Mekong Explorer Tour from Phnom Penh
Day 1: Phnom Penh – Kampong Cham – Kratie – Stung Treng (D) Meet our guide and we drive to Kratie, a sleepy Mekong port and gateway to an encounter with the rare freshwater Irrawaddy dolphin that inhabit the upper reaches of the Mekong in Cambodia. Stop at Skuon, where it is possible to sample the local delicacy of deep fried tarantula. We continue to Kampi and we start the day with a trip on a traditional fishermen boat which takes you on a one hour cruise of the dolphin pool of Kampi. This is the largest dolphin pool on the Mekong River and the natural habitat of the critically endangered Mekong Dolphin (Irrawaddy Dolphin). We continue to Stung Treng. Steung Treng is a province of Cambodia located in the northeast. It borders the provinces of Ratanakiri to the east, Mondulkiri and Kratie to the south and Kampong Thom and Preah Vihear to the west. Overnight in Mekong Bird Resort (Bungalow). Day 2: Stung Treng – Preah Vihear (B/L) Morning, we enjoy a short boat trip up to O'Svay where we will start our paddling tours to explore the remote flooded forests of the Mekong, Ramsa wetlands. It stretches south along the Mekong River from the border with Laos to Stung Treng. Only accessible by boat, it is a haven for critically endangered mammals, birds and fish and a unique riverine flooded forest system that is a photographer's dream. With only bird calls announcing our presence, we maneuvered our way leisurely downstream for a couple of hours. We continue to Preah Vihear, our journey through jungle and local village. This good track literate hills along the northern border of the country. Overnight in Preah Vihear Boutique Hotel (Deluxe room). Day 3: Preah Vihear – Koh Ker – Peuong Komnu – Beng Mealea – Siem Reap (B/L) We drive up to Preah Vihear which sits at the top of the Dangrek Mountains. Preah Vihear is known as the Temple Mountain which was built at the beginning of the 10th century as a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. We continue our trip to Siem Reap. Our first stop at Koh Ker group is a group of many temples in the forest. We arrive Svay Leu Village and start hikking into the bamboo forest from the village to Peuong Komnu, is a series of Angkorian reliefs carved into the southern cliff of Phnom Kulen. We also visit Beng Mealea is an overgrown ruin 90mn away from Siem Reap. It is huge, but little known and largely untouched. Besides this temple, we see a small quarry where sandstone was cut to build the temple. Drop off your hotel in Siem Reap.