Ready for the ferry to departure!
Just in front of Kratie, accessible through a short boat ride, is one of the most relaxed and genuine tourist destinations in the whole country. A sort of ecotourism paradise, an island called Koh Trong filled with cozy home stays, rice fields, opportunities to meet friendly locals and get to know their lifestyle, or simply chill at the beach and swim on the beautiful Mekong river.
Ready for the ferry to departure!
After you visited the rest of attractions in Kratie (see our blog for an article on that), head to the road along the river and ask around for the boat pier. There are boats coming and going every half an hour or so, with the ticket being 1000 riel, plus 500 riel if you bring a bicycle or 1000 riel if you bring a motorbike. It’s highly recommended to bring a bicycle with you (available to rent on many places in Kratie for 1 dollar per day) because in the island there is a cycling track of around 9 km that goes around the island, perfect to calmly cycle and stop here and there for taking some pictures, talking with the locals or buying some snacks on the way. Here you will be able to see the traditional Cambodian houses, mostly made of wood and with farms around, places for keeping the cows or collect straw, old farming tools and, especially, smiley families with the elders chatting sited on the front door and the children playing outside.
We could definitely live here
Many plants and trees have signs with the species name – how pedagogical!
Other things to see are a couple of temples, one of them vietnamese due to the amount of population from vietnamese origin living in the region, a beach with great view to the jungle in the other side of the Mekong river, and a floating village where you can observe the traditional lifestyle of their inhabitants. Both the beach and the floating village can be found in the opposite side of the island comparing to the one facing Kratie, are definitely great spots to relax, take a swim or do a picnic. Just be mindful of the time, the last boat back to Kratie departs at around 5PM (but, you know, no time is fixed in Cambodia so better to ask around).
View over the floating village.
Or otherwise you can prolong your stay and sleep in one of the guesthouses or home stays in the island, a great way to mingle with the people and also help the community on this interesting ecotourism project. Some of the options available, depending on how much genuinity vs. luxury you are looking for are Koh Trong Community Based Tourism Homestays, Arun Mekong Guesthouse and Rajabori Villas.
A more genuine option and a great way to get to know the local lifestyle.
And a more fancy one… definitely gorgeous!
After cities like Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, hope you got excited to try the beautiful countryside of Cambodia, mingling with the locals and immersing yourself in their relaxed lifestyle. Enjoy your stay in Kratie and Koh Trong island!