Kratié

Introduction

Irrawadi delfiin Mekongil, Kratie

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Kratié is situated on the banks of the Mekong River in Cambodia and is known for being the home of the rare fresh water dolphin, the Irrawaddy. The best time to spot these unique creatures is early in the morning or at the end of the afternoon. Go out and look for a local scooter driver to take you to the best spots near the small islands in the Mekong. You could also arrange a boat to take you out for a closer look at the dolphins. Since Kratié was spared during the war, you can enjoy a walk past the historic Khmer houses on the edge of the Mekong.

Sights and Activities

Most people visit the region to try and spot the Irrawaddy Dolphin.

Events and Festivals

Getting There

By Car

The quickest way to get from Phnom Penh to Kratie is by share taxi, which takes around 5 hours. These can often be rather cramped though.

By Bus

Buses from Phnom Penh take around 6-7 hours and depart at 07:30am. Buses from Kompong Cham take around 3 hours and depart at 10:30am.

By Boat

Boats from Kompong Cham take around 3-4 hours and depart at 07:30am between July and December.

By Plane

By Train

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

There are motodops (motorcycle taxis) vying for your business not for intracity travel, but to take you to see the river dolphins or other sites around town.

By Foot

Kratie is a very easy town to walk around, as it is quite small and has very little traffic.

By Bike

Eat

Red Sun Falling offers a variety of Western and Asian selections. Not to be missed though is whatever the daily special is, as it usually comes from the American owner, Joe's, collection of American recipes. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but closes during the afternoon between lunch and dinner.

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Keep Connected

Internet

Most of the guesthouses offer some type of internet service, which may include wireless internet. Some will charge you for it, others won't, ask in advance.
Internet bars are starting to appear in most major towns in Cambodia. Connection speeds vary as does the quality of the computers. The best places to go online definately are Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and outside of these centers it's generally also more expensive. In general prices are not much more than US1-2 an hour. Remember to take off your shoes when you enter as a sign of respect and to watch out for small shrines that are on the ground.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The country code of Cambodia is 855. To call out of Cambodia, dial 001 followed by the country code and telephone number of the other party. Many of the internet bars also have international calling options and you can also arrange calls at post offices. Services are usually run by the governmental telecommunication network Camintel. You can find telephone cards in many shops, starting from serveral US dollars to around US$50. Samart, Mobitel and Shinawrata are the main mobile phone providers, with Mobitel offering the best and most widespread services, although calling from outside towns (countryside) is still tricky.

Post

Cambodia's national postal service offers a wide range of services, though in general things go slowly and are not always very reliable. That said, things have been getting better over the years, and you can expect for your postcard or letter to finally arrive after 5-10, depending from where you send it (avoid small towns) and to where you send it. Prices are around 2000-2,500 Riel to countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, and it's slightly more expensive sending it from more remote places in the provinces. Post offices in Cambodia generally are open from around 8:00am to 5:00pm, with some regional variations. Sendings parcels is only possible from the capital Phnom Penh and it's very expensive as well. You might be better to send it from Thailand, or otherwise check private companies like DHL, TNT or UPS, which are more reliable and might even be cheaper!