Kratie

Kratie (ក្រចេះ, pronounced kra-chey) is a tiny town in northeastern Cambodia. Despite its small size, it is the capital of the province of the same name.

Understand
Kratie is one of the four provinces in northeastern Cambodia, and although it is relatively remote and not heavily visited, travelling here won't earn you points if your priority is to be a pioneer. There's no large-scale tourism, but plenty of backpackers pour through here during the peak season. The town has developed to meet this demand, with very good budget accommodation that is well known in backpacking circles.

Respect
The province is heavily rural, so be mindful of yourself and your behaviour. Do not add to the already overwhelming amount of litter and discarded rubbish visible in and around the town, and be mindful of local norms in dress sense, so don't go swimming in a bikini.

By road
From Kampong Cham (to the south) the road is in good repair. From Stung Treng (to the north) the road is sealed, but has fallen into disrepair and the journey can be uncomfortable and slow. If headed into Laos, visas on arrival are obtainable at the Lao border.

By bus
The bus/truck station is in the northwest part of town.

Buses from Stung Treng take about 3 hours. As with all forms of transport in Cambodia, get your bus ticket early, and show up even earlier to ensure you get a good seat, as buses will fill up fast as soon as they let people board. With the improving road conditions, bus services have improved and there are now a number of options between Stung Treng and Phnom Penh that stop at Kratie both ways.

There are daily buses from Siem Reap to Kratie. They leave at 07:00 and cost US$10. You will have to switch buses halfway through this journey at Skuon or Suong.

By taxi
Share-taxis and minivans serving Phnom Penh (4-5 hr), Stung Treng (2 hr), Kampong Cham (2 hr), Ban Lung (4 hr), Sen Monorom (4 hr), and a number of other small towns go from the taxi stand a block north of the market. Prices to Phnom Penh and Stung Treng are about 20,000 riel per seat. These are much faster than the large commercially operated buses and comparably priced, though slightly less comfortable. Purchase an extra seat or share 3 between 2 of you for comfort. From Phnom Penh or Kampong Cham share-taxis and minivans can save several hours buy taking a road directly south of Kratie that most of the commercial bus companies do not use and bypassing Snuol.

By truck
Trucks arrive from various neighbouring towns and provinces but you have to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of this form of transport carefully. They are less safe and often slower than buses, as well as being more expensive. The one (potentially) overriding positive is that riding in a truck you get the chance to have a much closer connection with local Khmers than if you were riding in a tourist bus, particularly as you'd be surprised how many Khmers in the provincial capitals are somewhat proficient in English. Expect to wait a couple of hours for the truck to fill up, assuming you're the first one there.


 * from Kampong Cham: 10,000 riel in the back, 15,000 riel in the cabin, 8-10 hr
 * from Stung Treng: 20–25,000 riel in the back, 25–30,000 riel in the cabin, 10-12 hr
 * from Ratanakiri: US$12 in the back or in the cabin, 12 hr

By boat
With the improvement of the roads, ferry services along the Mekong River from Kampong Cham no longer run. If you are feeling adventurous, you might find a rice-barge on its way north from Kampong Cham.

Get around
As the town is so small, ignore offers from touts to take you from the bus stop into town, since it's a walk of just a few minutes. If you feel compelled to hire a motodop to take you anywhere within town, you won't need to pay anything more than 500 riel for your short journey. To visit sites outside the town, you'll need to hire a motodop for a few dollars - standard prices are posted around the guesthouses, typically US$3–5 depending how far and how long you go for.

Bicycles are by far the best way to get around Kratie and enjoy the town at your own pace. Most guesthouses will organize you one, but they usually all come from the same shop - from the front of the market head south until the street ends across from the Ministry of Water Resources. On the corner there bikes can be rented from a lovely Khmer family for US$1 or 4,000 riel per day. Easy to spot this shop - look for all the bikes!

Motorbike rentals are available at just about any guesthouse. A 110cc Honda step through bike for US$6 per day. Given the tiny size of the town, you won't need one to do anything within Kratie, and the roads outside Kratie aren't in great shape, but it can be a great way to look around the country side a bit further afield.

See




Do



 * You can also see dolphins from Koh Rougniv Island, which nicely combines with a home stay in Koh Phdau. You get a private, and romantic sunset tour for US$7 per boat, no other tourists in sight.
 * The free trail guide (e.g. Community Development Tours) provides maps, transport and accommodation options. You can travel on a small part of the trail, or all of it. You can travel alone or with a group. There are many options along the 180 km trail, which runs between Kratie and the Cambodian/Laos border. Allow enough time to go with the flow of river life.
 * Along the trail, you will have the opportunity to see critically endangered Mekong River Dolphins, while minimising your impact on them and the habitats they rely on.
 * By using the Trail, you will also be assisting river communities, some of the poorest, but most welcoming, in Cambodia.
 * As advertised, cycling (as opposed to hiking) is maybe the best method to see the trail, as it allows to rapidly cover the long stretches of track were it is impossible to obtain drinking water.}}
 * By using the Trail, you will also be assisting river communities, some of the poorest, but most welcoming, in Cambodia.
 * As advertised, cycling (as opposed to hiking) is maybe the best method to see the trail, as it allows to rapidly cover the long stretches of track were it is impossible to obtain drinking water.}}

Eat
Eating at small food stalls offers a cheap alternative to restaurants, with fried noodles available, chicken rice porridge, foetal duck eggs and others. Servings are generally smaller than in nearby restaurants. The riverfront night market has been moved to the road out to PP. Follow the riverfront and keep going when it turns inland.



Drink
Watching the sun go down over the Mekong, with a cold beer or a tuk-a-lok (fruit shake) on the river front, is one of the joys of a visit to Kratie. There are many stalls which set up in the late afternoon to service that need (and stay open until midnight, unusually late for a Cambodian provincial town).

Red Sun Falling will stay open until the last person leaves, which can be pretty late, and the new Marlees Bar offers the other bar option in town.

Go next

 * Banlung - This town is near spectacular natural attractions, including waterfalls, volcanic lakes and natural parks, and hill tribe villages.
 * Chlong - A small town, about 30 km from Kratie.
 * Kampong Cham - the third largest city in Cambodia, full of colonial charm.
 * Stung Treng - The town most tourists pass through on the way to Laos.
 * Sambour district - a small and charming town along the Mekong river about 38 km from Kratie