Kratié travel guide
Mekong dolphins at Kampi, island cycling and river sunsets
Kratie is a quiet Mekong town in north-east Cambodia, the base for boat trips to see Irrawaddy dolphins at Kampi and for cycling on Koh Trong island. Come between December and April, when the river is low. One or two nights is enough. It is a cheap stop, with Cambodian visas sold online or at the border.
Kratie is a small provincial capital on the east bank of the Mekong in north-east Cambodia. Most travellers stop for one reason: the rare Irrawaddy dolphins that live in the river at Kampi, a short ride north of town.
The town is a grid of French-era shophouses around the market, facing the river, and its old town is one of three in Cambodia being prepared for UNESCO nomination. Because it looks west across the water, the riverfront promenade gets the sunset every evening.
Opposite town, Koh Trong is a long, flat island of village houses and fruit gardens reached by a small ferry. Rent a bicycle and ride the loop in an afternoon. On the road to Kampi, the hilltop pagoda at Phnom Sambok is worth the climb for the view over the river.
Few people linger more than a couple of nights, and the town does not ask them to. It sits on the road between Phnom Penh and the far north-east, so it breaks the long ride to Stung Treng or Banlung neatly.
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Dolphin boats on the Mekong, a quiet island by bicycle and sunset from the riverfront.
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Best time to visit Kratié
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Dry days and a low river, when the dolphins gather in the deeper pools.
A high, fast river and heavy rain; boats still run but sightings vary.
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Getting there
By road along the Mekong
Fly into Techo International in Phnom Penh and take a bus or minivan north, usually via Kampong Cham, a long half-day; Kratie has no airport or railway. Services continue to Stung Treng, Banlung and the Laos border. Tuk-tuks and motodops meet arriving buses, but riverfront guesthouses are walkable with a light bag.
- From Phnom Penh
- Bus or minivan, usually via Kampong Cham
- From the north
- Services from Stung Treng and from Banlung in Ratanakiri
- Laos border
- Reached by continuing north through Stung Treng
- Nearest airport
- Techo International, Phnom Penh (KTI)
- Minivans are usually quicker than big buses but more cramped, so ask for a seat near the front.
- Aim to arrive by late afternoon so you are on the riverfront for sunset.
Where to stay
Facing the Mekong or among Koh Trong's fruit gardens
Nearly everyone sleeps on or just behind Kratie's riverfront, where guesthouses face the Mekong and the sunset, a short walk from the market and ferry. Rooms behind the market are cheaper and noisier at dawn, and village homestays on Koh Trong are very quiet, though the last ferry limits evenings in town.
- Riverfront
- Guesthouses facing the Mekong and the evening sky, a short walk from the market and the ferry
- Behind the market
- Plainer, cheaper rooms a block or two inland; no river view and more early-morning market noise
- Koh Trong
- Village homestays across the water, very quiet; the last ferry back limits evenings in town
- Ask for an upper-floor room on the riverfront; the view over the water to Koh Trong is the reason to stay there.
Getting around
On foot, by tuk-tuk, ferry and bicycle
The centre is a few blocks of shophouses between the market and the Mekong, and the promenade is best at dawn and dusk. For the dolphins at Kampi, take a tuk-tuk or motodop that can wait at Phnom Sambok on the way. A small ferry crosses to Koh Trong for its cycling loop, and guesthouses rent bicycles and motorbikes.
- Tuk-tuk or motodop
- To Kampi and back with a stop at Phnom Sambok; agree the waiting time in advance
- Ferry to Koh Trong
- Small boats from the town riverfront
- Bicycle
- For the Koh Trong loop and the quiet river road north of town
- Ride the river road to Kampi in the cool of early morning, when traffic is light and the water is calm.
Know before you go
What makes Kratié worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The dolphin boats at Kampi, small boats that cut their engines and drift near the pods.
- Cycling Koh Trong, on narrow lanes past stilt houses and fruit gardens.
- Sunset on the riverfront, with the sky going orange over the island.
- Phnom Sambok, a hilltop pagoda with views up and down the Mekong.
Good to know
- Go early or late for the dolphins, when the river is calmest and the light is softer.
- The Irrawaddy dolphin is endangered, so choose boatmen who keep their distance and switch the engine off.
- Bring enough cash, as card payments are rare.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Kratié, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Kratié are being researched.
Kampi pool at sunrise, Koh Trong by bicycle
Kratie's highlight is an early tuk-tuk to Kampi, stopping to climb to the pagoda at Phnom Sambok, then a small boat out to the deep pool where Irrawaddy dolphins surface; good boatmen cut the engine and drift. After lunch near the market, take the ferry to Koh Trong and cycle the flat island loop.
Back in town by late morning, have lunch near the market, then cross on the small ferry to Koh Trong. Hire a bicycle and ride the island loop through the afternoon, past wooden stilt houses, fruit gardens and paddy fields, with the river always close on one side. If the island charms you, the homestays there make it easy to sleep over.
Return to the mainland before dark and walk the riverfront promenade for sunset, when the sky turns orange over Koh Trong. Dinner is at the food stalls that set up along the river in the evening.
Engines off to watch the Irrawaddy pods at Kampi
The Irrawaddy dolphins of the Mekong are among the rarest river dolphins anywhere, with only around a hundred left in the stretch between Kratie and the Laos border. The deep pool at Kampi is one of the most reliable places to see them, which is why the town has a visitor trade at all.
Pick a boat that keeps its distance. The best boatmen switch off the engine once they are near a group and let the boat drift, and they do not chase animals that move away. Keep voices low and leave the flash off. Patience works better than a long lens, since the dolphins surface briefly and then reappear somewhere else entirely.
Timing matters. Early morning and late afternoon are the calmest hours and the light is kinder for photographs. In the dry season, from December to April, low water concentrates the dolphins in the deeper pools and sightings are more dependable. In the wet months the river runs high and fast; boats still go out, but the animals are more scattered and harder to find.
A night between Kampong Cham and Stung Treng
Most travellers treat Kratie as an overnight stop on the road north from Phnom Penh through Kampong Cham to Stung Treng, the Laos border or Banlung. Arrive in the afternoon for sunset on the riverfront, see the dolphins the next morning, cycle Koh Trong in the afternoon and move on the following day.
The neat plan is to arrive in the afternoon, catch sunset on the riverfront, see the dolphins early the next morning and cycle Koh Trong in the afternoon, then move on the following day. Two nights also leaves time for an unhurried breakfast by the river, which is half the pleasure of the town.
With a spare day, rent a bicycle or motorbike and follow the quiet road north along the river beyond Kampi, or spend a night in a homestay on Koh Trong for a close look at village life on the Mekong.
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How we research our Kratié travel guide
Dolphin-watching rules, ferries and bus links in Kratie were checked against Cambodia's e-Visa portal and the sources below.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Kratié.
General
Sightings at the deep pool at Kampi, north of town, are fairly dependable, especially in the dry season. Small boats take visitors out and drift near the pods.
Yes, with an early start: Kampi in the morning, the Koh Trong ferry after lunch and the promenade at dusk. A second night simply makes it less rushed.
No. The island is flat and the loop is easy to ride in an afternoon on a hired bicycle, after a short ferry ride from town.
Kampi is on the Mekong a short tuk-tuk ride north of Kratie town, and the hilltop pagoda of Phnom Sambok is on the way.
Yes. Homestays on the island offer simple rooms in village houses, a quiet alternative to the riverfront guesthouses.
Yes. It sits on the road north and splits the long trip to Ratanakiri into two manageable days.
Early morning or late afternoon, when the water is calmest and the light is soft. Choose a boatman who turns off the engine near the dolphins.
The centre is a few blocks of shophouses between the market and the Mekong, and the promenade is best at dawn and dusk. For the dolphins at Kampi, take a tuk-tuk or motodop that can wait at Phnom Sambok on the way. A small ferry crosses to Koh Trong for its cycling loop, and guesthouses rent bicycles and motorbikes.
Kratié is best known for:
- The dolphin boats at Kampi, small boats that cut their engines and drift near the pods
- Cycling Koh Trong, on narrow lanes past stilt houses and fruit gardens
- Sunset on the riverfront, with the sky going orange over the island
- Phnom Sambok, a hilltop pagoda with views up and down the Mekong
Timing & weather
From December to April the river is low and the dolphins gather in the deeper pools, so they are easier to find. In the wet season the river runs high and fast and they scatter.
Getting there
Buses and minivans run from Phnom Penh, usually via Kampong Cham, and from Stung Treng and Banlung to the north.
Fly into Techo International in Phnom Penh and take a bus or minivan north, usually via Kampong Cham, a long half-day; Kratie has no airport or railway. Services continue to Stung Treng, Banlung and the Laos border. Tuk-tuks and motodops meet arriving buses, but riverfront guesthouses are walkable with a light bag.
Booking
Only around a hundred, living in the stretch between Kratie and the Laos border, which makes them one of the rarest river dolphins.
Visa & documents
Cambodia requires a visa for most visitors. A 30-day tourist e-Visa can be applied for online on the official government portal, or obtained on arrival at international airports and main land borders. Citizens of most ASEAN countries are exempt.
Health & safety
Bag and phone snatching from motorbikes is common in Phnom Penh, so hold bags away from the street side in tuk-tuks. Landmines remain in some rural areas, especially near the Thai border, so stay on marked paths. Call 117 for police, 119 for an ambulance or 118 for fire.
