This is another double destination post as Kratie is only worth stopping at for a day and only if you’re passionate about animals. Kratie is a home to a small population of a rare species of river dolphins and while you can also see them in Laos, the population of the Irrawaddy dolphin is much bigger on the Cambodian side and it’s pretty much guaranteed that you will see them.
First of all, if you plan to cross the border from Laos to Cambodia and like us you want to make the journey from Don Det to Kratie, there are a few things worth highlighting here. To say that the journey was an experience would be an understatement. The tickets to Cambodia are advertised by all travel agents in Don Det and it says the journey will start at 8am and you will be in Kratie by 14.30. We were also told we will need to change the vans on the Cambodian side which is also understandable. Well…the journey was a nightmare! The boat transported us from Don Det to the mainland first of all, where we had to wait for the van for over an hour. The van was packed, 4 people per 3 seats, bags squeezed between your legs etc. After an hour or so we made it to the border and cleared it fairly quickly (apart from me having to redo my Visa as they liked my Polish passport better!). Once on the other side we waited a further hour or so for a new van to pick us up. At this point, it got to midday and the temperature was about 38 degrees. Once in the new van we were told that it will take us to Stung Treng where we have to change again. Upon arrival in Stung Treng – which I can diplomatically describe as a very dirty place – we had to wait a further hour for the next transport. When it eventually arrived, it was impossibly hot inside and the seats were half the size of normal ones, so by the time we reached Kratie 9 HOURS after leaving Don Det, I must have lost my body weight in sweat. In addition to all of that, the last leg of the journey also featured the most awful local music being played very loudly. The worst thing of all was that some people had to change again in Kratie to continue to Phnom Penh for another 4 hours! With my limited patience I probably would have cried at that point 😂 Oh, did I mention the state of toilets on route? They were non existent, literally some places had no running water. All in all, very memorable journey but for the wrong reasons. The joy of travelling! The whole thing cost $16 and it is the budget option for sure. If you have more money to burn I’d advise to fly from Pakse to Phnom Penh and save yourself the drama and some time.
We only had one day in Kratie and decided to go for a day tour which included the dolphins. The town itself is nothing to shout home about in terms of sightseeing, and our hotel (Mombrocheabrey Hotel) was not the kind of place you could hang around in, so it made sense to escape the dust and get out of town. I found a driver on Trip Advisor for $30 which is very reasonable I think (you do need to pay for the dolphins on top of that though). The tour stops included a visit to the local village to see how “krolan” (sticky rice in a bamboo tube) is made, boat trip to see the dolphins, 100 pillar pagoda stop, another village stop to see palm sugar being made and a quick visit to a local viewpoint with a temple on top.
The driver was lovely and spoke good English. He gave us a lot of information about the local area and Cambodia in general. If you don’t want to do the tour you can just get a the tuk tuk to the dolphins and back, it’s easily done. We saw loads of dolphins but it’s impossible to catch them on camera so I haven’t got much evidence however Steve managed to catch a glimpse of them:
The dolphins were definitely the highlight of the day but I also enjoyed the village visits as I’m always curious to see how the local people live. It’s obvious that people have to be very creative to make money here as the area is very visibly poor. Many, like our driver, hold multiple jobs like make palm sugar as well as rearing chickens to make ends meet. Healthcare is seemingly non-existent and hygiene related diseases are reportedly rife. I have a huge amount of respect for the people living here, who not only had to endure one of the bloodiest regimes ever but now also face serious economic hardships.
Weary from our previous van experience we were sold another van transport to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital. The promise of only 4 hour ride in a good quality van seemed too good to be true and we got in the nearly empty van at 7 in the morning expecting an awful journey. To our surprise, we were the only passengers and had a very comfortable, timely journey. The driver was super nice too, all for $10 each! It goes to show you have to take the rough with the smooth.
I have to admit, I didn’t expect much from Phnom Penh. We purposely booked a nicer hotel thinking that the city won’t be amazing and we will need a comfortable retreat. To our surprise, Phnom Penh turned out to be a rather nice destination with plenty to do and see. It is way more developed than I imagined and a lot more European somehow than Bangkok for example. It has the obligatory high rises of course (and more being built by Chinese investors) but it doesn’t feel oppressive. The main tourist areas are full of nice bars and restaurants which will keep you busy for a while. Tuk tuks are the main transport in the city and are very inexpensive. They also have Grab there now too which means you don’t have to haggle with the drivers.
Our hotel was one of the best we have had on this journey so far. Located conveniently just round the corner from the Royal Palace it consists of two parts, Penh House and Jungle Addition. Penh House is a modern block with an incredible pool on the rooftop and lovely views over the city. The Jungle Addition is this beautiful villa set in tropical gardens just round the corner from the main hotel. This is where we stayed and loved it. You can also choose to have breakfast in either part of the hotel and both were really good.
After settling in, we started making a sightseeing plan and we ended up using Trip Advisor to book a couple of tours. It is really handy to be able to book things online and you can also see the reviews of the tours which is super helpful.
One of the main things to do in Phnom Penh is to visit the Killing Fields which is an example of the places where millions of Cambodians were executed during the Pol Pot regime. We knew it would be a tough thing to do but we felt it was important we see it and remember those who lost their lives there. There are no words to describe how sad the experience is, I cried multiple times during the tour. The guide was excellent though and gave a lot of information (perhaps somewhat too detailed at times). You also get to visit the S21 which is where the regime tortured its citizens and that was perhaps even more disturbing than the Fields because you can see photos what the Vietnamese army found there when they liberated Phnom Penh. The whole thing will test your emotions big time but it needs to be done. We booked the tour through Trip Advisor for about £15 each. It includes pick up and drop off from your hotel, English speaking guide and cold water. You need to pay the entrance fees yourself but they were pretty cheap. You should take the morning tour, especially if you go in March or April due to the heat.
Guaranteed you will need something to lighten your mood afterwards. Seeing a traditional dance performance could help with that. We went to see it in the Cambodian Living Arts Centre and paid about £15 each. The show lasts an hour and is really good. It features some incredible dancing and very exotic music, what’s there not to like? You are then in the main area of bars and restaurants so it will be easy to find a dinner or drinks venue afterwards.
Another leisurely activity would be to go one sunset cruise. You get picked up about 4.30 PM and the boat leaves at 5 PM. We chose one with free flowing beer included (it really was free flowing, the guy was constantly refilling our glasses!) and we also got some complimentary fruit too. It’s a nice way of seeing the city plus the host also gives you some extra facts as you go along. It was really nice also good value for money (about £12 each). Both the show and the cruise can be booked on TA.
If you need more culture then head to the National Museum and the Royal Palace. The entry is not cheap ($10 to each) but it is worth a visit if you have time to spare. I personally skipped this but Steve went and enjoyed it.
There are a number of beautiful rooftop bars around the city and you should definitely enjoy a cocktail or 3 on one of them. The bar in our hotel was one of them for sure but we also went to Le Moon Lounge which had nice river and city views.
I’m sure the choice of the hotel had some influence on how I feel about Phnom Penh but that aside I think it is a really good spot and one where I could easily spend 5 more days exploring different areas and drinking cocktails 😂