Things to do in Kratie
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Kratie
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months, cool and dry, with dolphins concentrated in the pools and clear sunsets.
Still good for dolphins but increasingly hot.
Hottest month, and Khmer New Year fills temples, transport and hotels in mid April.
Hot shoulder season with a rising river, afternoon storms and an empty town.
Wet season, when the flooded forest kayak is at its best and dolphins are more dispersed.
Peak rain and flood, with muddy island tracks and the hardest dolphin viewing of the year.
What's on
- Pomelo season on Koh Trong peaks around November
The island famous fruit is at its best, sold from orchard stalls around the cycling loop.
- Bon Om Touk (Water Festival) 23 to 25 November in 2026, lunar dates shift yearly
Cambodia great river festival marks the end of the rains, with a full riverfront in Kratie.
- Khmer New Year (Chaol Chnam Thmey) mid April, about 13 to 16 April
Temple celebrations across the province, booked out transport and a local party visitors are welcomed into.
- Pchum Ben 15 days culminating late September to early October
Ancestors festival, when pagodas are most alive at dawn and many businesses close or short staff.
Best things to do in Kratie
Dolphin Kratie
The Kampi boat trip to watch Irrawaddy dolphins surface in a deep Mekong pool, best at dawn in the dry season.
Koh Trong
A car free island of stilt houses, orchards and pomelo opposite town, best explored slowly by bicycle.
Phnom Sambok Pagoda
A forested pilgrimage hill of staircases, statues and murals, with the best Mekong view near town.
Wat Sorsor Muoy Roy
The 100 column pagoda at Sambor, a vast white vihara filled floor to ceiling with coloured murals.
Mekong Turtle Conservation Center
A head starting project for Cantor giant softshell turtles at the 100 column pagoda, when it is open.
Wat Rokar Kandal
A rare surviving wooden pagoda south of town, with stencilled pillars and traditional houses nearby.
Mekong River
The riverfront promenade at sunset, when the whole town comes out to walk, snack and watch the sun drop.
Kratie Market
The working heart of town, best at dawn for fish and breakfast stalls and again for night stalls.
Where to stay in Kratie
Kratie riverfront and town centre
first trip, walkable base
Walk to the Koh Trong ferry, the market, the main cafes and the sunset promenade.
Koh Trong island
quiet, rural nights
Car free island living with homestays and one resort, five minutes by ferry from town.
Chhlong
a hotel as the destination
A village 30 to 40 minutes south of Kratie that is worth it for Le Relais alone.
Think twice about
- Highway hotels south of the centre
They sit on a dark, fast road with no pavement, so you must tuk tuk everywhere including dinner.
- Chhlong as a touring base
It is 30 to 40 minutes from Kratie and the dolphins, so it only works if the hotel itself is the plan.
- Koh Trong for a town evening
After the last ferry the island is isolated, with homestay food or nothing, which traps anyone expecting nightlife.
Best restaurants in Kratie
Le Tonlé Restaurant and Guesthouse
A hospitality training restaurant on the riverfront terrace, serving good Khmer food at budget prices.
Sorya Cafe
The kayak cafe for pumpkin bread breakfasts, easy pizza dinners and a rooftop sunset over the Mekong.
Street Three Eatery Kratie
A small fusion kitchen on Street 3 that locals champion, for green mango salad, crispy tofu and coffee.
Mekong MoJo Restaurant & Bar Kratie
The town favourite by rating, with careful vegan cooking alongside Khmer dishes and a river view.
Jasmine Boat Restaurant
Go for a sunset drink on the quay and order Khmer mains carefully, because the food record is mixed.
Kralan Thma Krae
Bamboo tubes of sticky rice roasted over fire in Thma Krae village, best eaten warm off the coals.
Outdoor things to do in Kratie
Sorya Kayaking Adventures
A half day paddle through flooded forest and sand islands to watch dolphins from a silent kayak.
Dolphin Kayaking Adventures
A small, owner guided kayak trip with Lucky, with an island swim stop and time in the dolphin pool.
Mekong Discovery Trail
A guided cycling day linking Phnom Sambok, the Kampi dolphins and the Koh Trong loop by ferry.
Sorya Overnight Dolphin Tour
An overnight camp on a Mekong sand island with a dawn kayak into the dolphin pool at feeding time.
Mekong Sunset Boat
An unscripted local boat hour around Koh Trong and the sandbars as the light changes over the river.
Best hotels in Kratie
Le Relais de Chhlong
A restored 1916 colonial mansion with a pool and gardens on the Mekong, the one true luxury stay here.
Soriyabori Villas Resort
The island resort of stilt villas, gardens and a pool on Koh Trong, also listed as Rajabori Villas.
Sorya Guesthouse
Rooms inside the Sorya kayak operation, with a rooftop restaurant and the best sunset view in town.
Pomelo Homestay
A traditional stilt homestay on Koh Trong where host Vireak lends bikes and cooks remarkable meals.
Arun Mekong Guesthouse
Rustic bungalows and hammocks on Koh Trong, a peaceful island escape with home cooking.
Le Tonlé
A training guesthouse in a wooden riverfront house, with clean rooms and strong value for solo travellers.
Is Kratie expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | KHR 73,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | KHR 183,000 a person |
| Splurge | KHR 447,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Sorya Kayaking Adventures: a few days ahead
- Dolphin Kayaking Adventures: a few days ahead
- Mekong Discovery Trail: a few days ahead
- Sorya Overnight Dolphin Tour: a few days ahead
- Le Relais de Chhlong: weeks ahead
- Soriyabori Villas Resort: a few days ahead
- Sorya Guesthouse: a few days ahead
- Pomelo Homestay: a few days ahead
- Book kayak tours a day or two ahead in December to February, and the overnight camping trip days ahead.
- Book Pomelo Homestay, the better Le Tonle rooms and Le Relais suites as soon as dates are fixed.
- Book onward buses first around Khmer New Year and Pchum Ben, when the whole country travels.
- The Kampi motorboats need no booking, so just arrive at the ticket office in the morning.
Is Kratie safe?
- Swim only where local families swim, at Kampi shallows in the dry season and on guided kayak stops.
- Never swim off the town riverfront, at night or after rain, as the Mekong current is lethal.
- Cycle the Kampi and Sambor roads in daylight only, and climb Phnom Sambok before 9am in hot months.
- Use mosquito repellent at dusk on the river, as dengue exists in Cambodia.
Kratie travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- A midday dolphin day trip from Phnom Penh means six hours each way for the worst viewing slot.
- Any operator who guarantees a close dolphin encounter is promising to harass wildlife.
- Do not travel to Sambor only for the turtle centre without checking it is open that week.
- Check that older guidebook restaurants still exist before walking across town for them.
Getting around Kratie: public transport and more
- Walk the riverfront, market and ferry area, which all sit within about fifteen flat minutes.
- Take a tuk tuk with waiting time to Kampi and Phnom Sambok, and agree the full price before leaving.
- The Koh Trong ferry leaves when it fills, so confirm the last crossing for that day.
- Agree every tuk tuk and boat price in full before each journey, as there are no meters.
Who Kratie suits
| Solo travellers | Great |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Kratie your trip
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