Kratchie

This place is worth visiting simply for the freshwater dolphins in the Mekong river, an endangered species. The rest of the place is pretty quiet and forgettable

Imagine the Wild West tamed by the French, but filled with smiling Cambodians, and you begin to picture Kratchie. The town ends after exactly three blocks of disused buildings stretching for about a kilometre or so along the Mekong river.

If you’re a tourist, you’re likely to visit Kratchie for exactly three reasons:- a) you’re on your way to Strung Treng, and then to the Laos border, b) you’ve just read about Kratchie here and can’t wait to get there, or c) you’re there to see the freshwater dolphins at Kampi. The dolphins would, in my opinion, completely validate the USD6 bus ticket and the bumpy six hour bus-ride to the place from Phnom Penh; this is as close as it gets to watching these majestic aquatic giants in their natural habitat.

Personally, I’d recommend Kratchie for ( c), or perhaps (a), therefore making (b) a reality.