Kratie

 

Lying on the banks of the Mekong River, Kratie is a quiet town with a rather small population. In spite of not being busy but this town is beautiful with sands and islands bends in the Mekong River. There is a nice river boulevard which is a great place for visitors to chill out or enjoy the sunset by the riverfront. In the North of the river, traveling about 20km from the Kratie town, you will have the opportunity to see rare Irrawaddy dolphins, one of the endangered animals, in the village of Kampi.

Coming to Kratie town, you can find French architecture and traces of the war years on the roads. There are also Khmer style homes scattered about in the town. This is also a gateway for visitors to experience the peaceful atmosphere of pretty villages, lush paddy and polished stilted wooden homes shaded by palms.

Some other attractions to visit in Kratie including Phnom Sombok, a small temple located on a hill north of town with steps lead into a pavilion that features detailed photos of afterlife punishments to those who have sinned in the present life, Wat Roka Kandal, a pagoda with an ancient Lao style ‘Stupa’, the Cham weaving village and so on…

 

From Phnom Penh capital, you can reach Kampong Cham by car, it takes about 4-5 hours. Besides, you can get transfer from Kampong Cham or Stung Treng, only about 2 hours driving or 4 hour driving from Ban Lung. If you are in Siem Reap, you can visit Stung Treng, Kampong Cham or Ban Lung before coming to Kratie. These are routes which often offer for visitors. Kratie is a nice destination for you to stay 1 day or 2 days to explore.