From Wikitravel

Kratie (pronounced kra-chey) is a small town in northeastern Cambodia, and despite being very tiny is the capital of the province bearing the same name. The entire province is rural, yet Kratie is not off the beaten path in Cambodia. As with Kampong Cham, nearly all tourists who find themselves here will be backpackers, and as such the town has developed to meet this demand, with very good budget accommodation that is well known among backpacking circles.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Get in 3 Get around 4 See 5 Do 6 Buy 7 Eat 8 Drink 9 Sleep 10 Get out

Understand

Kratie is one of the four provinces in northeastern Cambodia, and although it is relatively remote and not heavily touristed, travelling here won't earn you points for being a pioneer. There's no large scale tourism, but plenty of backpackers pour through here during the peak season. The province is heavily rural, so be mindful of yourself and your behaviour.

Get in

From Kampong Cham, the road is currently in good repair with regular bus services to the main linking destinations. To Stung Treng the road is mostly fixed, but not yet sealed, and for now travel takes longer. With the improvement of the roads, the boat service along the Mekong River from Kampong Cham is no longer running. As with all forms of transport in Cambodia, get your bus ticket early, and show up even earlier to ensure you get the best seat, as buses will fill up fast as soon as they let people board.

• Slow boats are not currently running, though if you are feeling adventurous, you might find a rice-barge on it's way north from Kampong Cham.

• Fast boats as above.

• Trucks from Kampong Cham are an option, but you have to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of this form of transport carefully. They are less safe and often slower than buses (taking 8-10 hours), 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. 10,000 riel to ride in the back of the truck, 15,000 riel to ride in the cabin. You should expect a couple of hours at most until your truck fills up, assuming you're the first one there.

Get around

Once in Kratie, since the town is so small, ignore the offers from the touts to take you from the bus stop into town, since it's a walk of just a few minutes. If you feel so compelled to hire a motodop to take you anywhere within town, don't pay anything more than 500 riel for your short journey. If you are planning on seeing the sites outside the town, you'll need to hire a motodop for a few dollars to take you to the temples and things. You don't necessarily need to agree to a fare beforehand, but be sure to get a general idea of what he wants. Depending on where he's taking you, $3-4 is appropriate.

• Motorbike rentals are available in Kratie at the Star Guesthouse. You can rent a 110cc Honda step through bike for $6 per day, but it isn't really worth it. Given the tiny size of the town, you won't need one to do anything within Kratie itself. The roads outside Kratie are so bad, a 110cc bike simply isn't good enough for all but the most experienced riders.

See

• Phnom Sombok is a rather nifty temple north of town. Situated on the only hill anywhere near Kratie, all you have to do is head north and look for the hill. A long set of steps lead to a pavilion, the interior of which is painted with more torture scenes, depictions of what happens to those not virtuous enough to lead a holy and clean lifestyle. Makes a good stop on the way back to or from the Dolphins (see below).

• Sambor is a pre-Angkorian era settlement, about 40 kilometres from Kratie. The temples, among which is Wat Sorsor Muoy Roi, contain several colourful mutrals that tell legends of nature, and other traditional Buddhist stories. The original structure is no longer standing, in its place is a reconstructed temple.

Do

• Irrawaddy dolphin watching is a popular activity in Kratie, and considering there are only 100 or so dolphins left, you may only see them from a distance, though there are sometimes large groups of them frolicking. The best spot to watch the dolphins is Kampi village, 15km N from Kratie. By motodop, this trip should set you back $2-4 for the roundtrip, about 20 minutes each way. Once at the village, you charter a small boat for $2-3 per person, with the best times for viewing being late afternoon, rainfall permitting. Environmentalists are urging people to ensure their boatmen follow the guidelines, and only use only use their oars when near the dolphins. There's also a nice little shop which benefits the community and helps encourage the villagers conserve the remaining dolphins.

• A basketball and volleyball area exists on the south side of the old Governor's residence, and although you need to ask security for permission to use it, as long as you're being civil and doing it within reasonable hours, they probably won't refuse your request.

Buy

There are no banks in Kratie, so plan ahead to make sure you don't run out of cash in this town. As with any Cambodian town or city, in Kratie there are plenty of money changers on the street, and your guesthouse can also change any money you'll need.

• The market is located along the main road at the centre of town, and there you can find the standard assortment of local foods, fruits and meats, as well as a small variety of handicrafts and things. Remember your bargaining skills and etiquette when here.

• The lone barber shop in town is located next to the Mekong Restaurant. It's open from 7:00 to 20:00, and charges 2,000 riel for a standard cut.

Eat

Aside from the usual assortment of food and drink stalls in town, there's a few different restaurants for you to eat at.

• The two backpacker staples are the Red Sun Falling, on the waterfront oposite the port building, and the Star Restaurant on the corner near the market. Both have good food and drinks, and the expat touch. Prices are reasonable, but not as cheap as the nearby Khmer food. The young friendly staff in Star guest house are excellent.

• The You Hong Restaurant attached to the guesthouse of the same name, (next to the market) has an impressive menu, and can cook some of it fairly well. They also have internet connections, which is slow, but usually working.

• More typical Khmer food includes the Mekong Restaurant, with staples such as of fried rice, grilled chicken, and rather tasty french fries. Dishes go for $1-2. Currently (2006) seems less popular.

• The Heng Heng Restaurant serves tasty Khmer food at reasonable speed and price per dish $1-2.50. Khmer breakfast also OK with a only western option of omelette and bread, price $1.

Drink

Watching the sun go down over the Mekong, with a cold beer or a Tuk-A-Lok (fruit shake) on the riverfront, 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).

Sleep

As Kratie has developed rather nicely to meet the demands of backpackers it receives, there are several guesthouses to recommend. Oudom prices 2006 others seem out of date.

• The Star Guesthouse, 072-971663, 012-753401, has been elevated by tourist and guidebook alike to the status of best in town, and in many ways it really is. It often gets the lion's share of backpacker's during the busy parts of the year. The rooms are of good quality, and the staff speak relatively excellent English, and are more than prepared to offer a plethora of local travel tips for you. $2-3, $4-5 (Single-double, larger rooms)

• Heng Heng Hotel, 072-971405, Rue Sumamarit, now offers riverfront rooms of very good quality, if significantly pricier than other options in town. This place has been upgrading itself significantly over the past few years, and now has hot running water. The restaurant downstairs is a good option for dinner, too. $5-12 (Single-double)

• Santepheap Hotell, 072-971537, Rue Sumamarit, has long been considered the best hotel in town, in terms of overall quality. Comes complete with hot running water and cable channels (including CNN) for your viewing pleasure. It also features a small restaurant downstairs. $5-10 (Single-double)

• Oudom Sambath Hotel, 072-971502, Rue Sumamarit. It features some of the same quality of service offered from the other guesthouses and hotels, but one major bonus point in its favour is that there are a few uppermost rooms that offer a good view of the Mekong. It does not do any food. $10-15 (Single-double)

Get out

To the north is the city and province of Stung Treng, the road is getting better, and to the south is the city and province of Kampong Cham but the road is fine (2006). To the north is a great way to get into Laos, though you need to obtain your visa in Phnom Penh beforehand, as they aren't yet available at the Lao border.

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

• Trucks go to various neighbouring towns and provinces thusly:

From Kratie to Kampong Cham: 10,000 riel in the back, 15,000 riel in the cabin, 8-10 hour journey. From Kratie to Stung Treng: 20-25,000 riel in the back, 25-30,000 in the cabin, 10-12 hour journey. From Kratie to Ratanakiri: $12 in the back or in the cabin, 12 hour journey.

• Fast boats
• Slow boats Through lack of demand since the roads have been upgraded, the boat services have been cancelled.