Eastern Cambodia - The Rough Guide to Cambodia - page 217

although travelling north bus services become rather sketchy,
and you may have to catch a minibus or shared taxi instead.
Buses operated by Phnom Penh Sorya Transport and Rith
Mony pull up outside their respective o ces on the riverfront.
Destinations Banlung (1 daily; 6hr); Kompong Cham
(5 daily; 3hr); Phnom Penh (5 daily; 7hr); Stung Treng
(1 daily; 3hr 30min).
By minibus Seats on so-called “express” minibuses can be
booked through most guesthouses and some restaurants in
Kratie - although these are really just normal minibuses by
any other name, and the “express” should be taken with a

major pinch of salt. All services leave in the morning,
usually at or before 7am.
Destinations Banlung (1 daily; 6hr); Kompong Cham
(2 daily; 2hr 30min); Phnom Penh (4 daily; 5hr); Sen
Monorom (2 daily; 5hr); Siem Reap (1 daily; 6hr);
Sihanoukville (1 daily; 10hr); Stung Treng (1 daily; 3hr).
By shared taxi Shared taxis arrive/depart from Kratie's
transport stop, two blocks north of the market.
Destinations Banlung (2-3 daily; 6hr); Kompong Cham
(6-8 daily; 2hr 30min); Sen Monorom (1-2 daily; 4hr);
Stung Treng (2-4 daily; 3hr 30min).

GETTING AROUND
Kratie town centre is compact and easily negotiated on foot, with all accommodation lying within 500m of the bus and the
transport stops. For trips further afield, bikes ($1/day), mountain bikes ($2/day) and motorbikes ($5-7/day) can be
rented at the two U Hong guesthouses and Tokae restaurant. You can also choose from a couple of tours (see below).

ACCOMMODATION
KRATIE
Balcony Riverfront, north of the centre T 016 604036,
W balconyguesthouse.net. Popular guesthouse with
balcony restaurant and bar overlooking the river. The
spacious fan rooms come with shared or (for an extra $2)
private bathroom - there are just seven rooms, so it's best
to book in advance. Not to be confused with the identically
named r est aurant and guesthouse further up the
riverfront. $6
Le Bungalow Riverfront T 012 660902, W rajabori
-kratie.com. A cut above Kratie's other accommodation
options, this boutique guesthouse has just two attractive
a/c rooms furnished with bespoke artworks and antiques in
an old-fashioned wooden riverfront villa. There' s als o a
good, if pricey, French-Khmer restaurant attached. $65
Oudom Sambath Riverfront T 012 965944. Large and
long-established hotel, a bit worn around the edges and
with hit-and-miss service and persistent resident touts.

Rooms are pretty good value, however. All are spacious and
comfortably furnished (although hot water and wi-fi are
erratic), and the more expensive options come with
balconies and Mekong views. The large downstairs foyer
doubles as a local res taur ant, with a wide range of cheap
Khmer dishes. Fan $7 ; a/c $12
Santepheap Riverfront T 072 210210, E santepheap
[e-mail]. Small hotel with just seven neat but
rather poky a/c rooms, all with TV, hot water, fridge and
free wi-fi - a few also have river views (same price).
Perfectly acceptable, although r athe r expensive for what
you get. Rates include breakfast. $20
U Hong Guesthouse (Also signed “You Hong”); on the
north side of the market T 012 957003. The cheapest
beds in town - although rooms (fan only) are fairly basic,
and those at the front can be noisy thanks to the nearby
market. There's also a pleasa nt d ownstairs restaurant and
good tour and travel services. $5

4

TOURS AROUND KRATIE
Tours can be arranged through most guesthouses and hotels in Kratie - try either of the two
U Hong guesthouses or the Tokae restaurant. The dolphin-watching trip to Kampie costs
around $5 by moto, $10 by tuk-tuk (not including boat ticket); you should also be able to
include a visit to Phnom Sambok as part of the same trip for an extra $1-2. Combined visits to
the dolphins, Sambor and Phnom Sambok cost around $12 by moto, $20 by tuk-tuk.
TOUR OPERATORS
CRDT (Cambodian Rural Development Tours)
T 099 834353, W crdtours.org. Various tours and
homestays (see box opposite) up and down the Mekong,
with several in and around Kratie including Kampie,
Sambor, Koh Trong island and tours of Kratie town itself.
Sorya Kayaking Adventures Riverfront, north of
the centre T 090 241148, W soryakayaking.com.
The perfect way to see the Mekong without the roar of

an outboard boat engine disturbing the peace. Half-day
trips include dolphin-spotting at Kampie and visits to
the Mekong Island of Koh Trong, plus one- and two-day
excursions on the Te River including visits to floating
ethnic Vietnamese villages and the chance to paddle
through beautiful stretches of flooded Mekong River
forest en route. Trips start from $25/person/half-day,
depending on group size.