The town of the Irrawaddy dolphins, which you watch by boat at Kampi, a little to the north. Across from the colonial waterfront, Koh Trong island is explored by bike, between orchards and wooden houses.
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Kratie lines its yellow and white colonial shophouses along Preah Soramarith Quay, facing the Mekong and Koh Trong island. This is the town of the Irrawaddy dolphins: at Kampi, 15 km north, you watch them by boat in a deep pool of the river. Since 2023, 120 km of the Mekong between Kratie and Stung Treng have formed a dolphin management area; Cambodia counted 118 in April 2026, with no recorded deaths since 2024.
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15 km north, boats take you out to watch the dolphins in a deep pool of the Mekong: about $10 per person for one or two, $8 for three or more. One hour from November to May, an hour and a half in the rainy season; early morning and late afternoon are best.
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Across from town, five minutes by ferry for 1,000 riel: a 9 km loop between pomelo orchards and wooden houses, down to a Vietnamese pagoda at the southern tip. Bikes for hire on the island, homestays at the community centre from $4.
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A hill about ten kilometres north on the Kampi road: a working monastery, long flights of steps up to a pavilion painted with scenes of hell, and views over the Mekong plain. Free entry.
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About 35 km north, on the site of Sambhupura, a pre-Angkorian capital: Wat Sorsor Moi Roi and its murals. A conservation centre for Cantor's giant softshell turtles opened there in 2011.
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High ceilings and louvred shutters: the yellow and white shophouses of Preah Soramarith Quay recall the river port of French times. In the evening, people watch the sun set across the river.
The dolphin zone: since February 27, 2023, 120 km of river between Kratie and Stung Treng have been protected: fishing banned, boats limited to 30 km/h. River guards seized 11 km of gillnets in the first half of 2025. Near the dolphins, engines go off and nobody swims.
A historic hotel in the centre, a waterfront guesthouse with a restaurant, and a budget homestay, also on the waterfront.
Photo: Privada Lodge
A historic hotel with a garden, two restaurants and a bar; air-conditioned rooms with terraces, tour desk.
≈ $55 a night
Photo: Le Tonle
A guesthouse on the waterfront with a Cambodian and European restaurant; air-conditioned rooms, some for families.
≈ $23 a night
Photo: Tonle Mekong Homestay
A homestay on the waterfront, with a terrace and breakfast.
≈ $6 a night
Booking affiliate links · average nightly price checked in October 2026
Minibus or bus · 4.25 to 5.75 hours
About twenty departures a day, from 6:30 am to 11 pm, €6 to €15: Virak Buntham, Airbus and Lana Express, among others.
Tickets and times on 12Go Affiliate linkMinibus · 2 to 3 hours from Stung Treng
Departures from 7:30 am to 9:30 pm, €5 to €15. From Don Det, allow a full day including the border.
Minibus · 6 to 8 hours, or 3.25 to 4 hours
Morning minibuses to Siem Reap, €12 to €17; Sen Monorom in Mondulkiri at 2 pm or 3:15 pm, €7 to €9.
No scheduled boats
Passenger boats no longer run down the Mekong: continue by Road 7 to Kampong Cham or Phnom Penh, 4 to 5 hours.
Buses and times on 12Go Affiliate linkTimes and prices checked on October 11, 2026 on 12Go: check again before you travel.
December and January are the most pleasant: 31 to 32 °C in the afternoon, 22 °C at night, and low water gathers the dolphins in the deep pools. March and April approach 35 °C. The monsoon runs from May to October, peaking in September (286 mm); in August 2026 forecasts put the Kratie gauge at 22.6 m, above the 22 m alert level.
| Month | J (current month) | F (current month) | M (current month) | A (current month) | M (current month) | J (current month) | J (current month) | A (current month) | S (current month) | O (current month) | N (current month) | D (current month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airhigh / low | ||||||||||||
| Rainmm | ||||||||||||
| Daysof rain | 1 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 23 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 21 | 8 | 3 |
| Mekonglevel | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Rising | High | High | High | Falling | Low |
| Our take | Ideal | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Difficult | Fair | Good | Ideal |
| Month | Low – high | mm | River |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan (current month) | 7 | Low | |
| Feb (current month) | 9 | Low | |
| Mar (current month) | 46 | Low | |
| Apr (current month) | 96 | Low | |
| May (current month) | 177 | Low | |
| Jun (current month) | 198 | Low | |
| Jul (current month) | 237 | Rising | |
| Aug (current month) | 247 | High | |
| Sep (current month) | 286 | High | |
| Oct (current month) | 195 | High | |
| Nov (current month) | 71 | Falling | |
| Dec (current month) | 20 | Low |
4 tours to book in Kratie
Affiliate links GetYourGuide · Prices checked October 8, 2026
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AvailabilitySources: climate, Open-Meteo (ERA5 archive, 1991-2020 averages); dolphins, Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture via the Phnom Penh Post (April 2026), WWF-Cambodia (2025) and FISHBIO (2023-2025); Kampi, Cambodianess and Hello Angkor; Koh Trong, CambodgeMag (January 2026) and Hello Angkor; Phnom Sambok and Sambor, Hello Angkor, Lonely Planet and AP (2011); flooding, Mekong River Commission (Kratie station); health and safety, WHO (2025) and FCDO (2026); transport, 12Go (checked October 11, 2026); activities, GetYourGuide (checked October 8 and 11, 2026). Updated on October 12, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.
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