Kratie

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.

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 absolutely abysmal, even by Cambodian standards, so the best option may be taking a boat along the Mekong River, though the option for overland travel remains with Cambodia's faithful and ever present bus network, among other options. As with all forms of transport in Cambodia, get your ticket early, and show up even earlier to ensure you get the best seat, as buses and boats alike will fill up fast as soon as they let people board.

• Slow boats arrive here from Kampong Cham on a daily basis, costing about 12,000 riel for a trip of 5-6 hours. They depart Kampong Cham each day at 7:30, 9:30, and 14:00. The earlier, the better, of course.

• Fast boats also arrive here from Kampong Cham throughout the day, and cost about 20,000 riel for a trip of 3-4 hours. These also depart Kampong Cham at 7:30, 9:30, and 14:00 daily.

• 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.

• Sambor is a pre-Angkorian era settlement, about 40 kilometres from Kratie. The temples, among which is Wat Trasor 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

• Irrawady dolphin watching is a popular activity in Kratie, though depending on when you decide to go, it's really hit or miss whether or not you actually get to see one, let alone a whole group of them. The best spot to go to watch the dolphins is the Kompi Fisherman 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 $1-2 per hour, with the best times for viewing being immediately after rainfall, before dusk or after dawn. Environmentalists are urging people to not take motorized boats out to view the dolphins, which seems like good advice, though they are the best way to view them.

• A basketball and volleyball area exists on the south side of the 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 Mekong Restaurant is where you'll find some of the better quality food in town. Among the items on it's menu are such dishes as the staples of fried rice, grilled chicken, and rather tasty french fries. Dishes go for $1-2.

• The Simon Restaurant features consistently good Khmer good, with sold wooden furniture, which is a great change from the plastic chairs everywhere else has. Meals are also $1-2 per dish.

Sleep

As Kratie has developed rather nicely to meet the demands of backpackers it receives, there are several guesthouses to recommend.

• The Star Guesthouse, 072-971663, 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, is a relative newcomer to the scene. 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 the uppermost rooms offer a fantastic view of the Mekong. $5-10 (Single-double)

Get out

The roads to/from Kratie are among the worst in the country. To the north is the city and province of Stoeng Treng, and to the south is the city and province of Kampong Cham. 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 any Cambodian border crossings.

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 Stoeng 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 are the best option because of their speed and the state of the local "highways." From Kratie to Phnom Penh costs 30,000 riel, takes five hours, and departs only once daily, at 7:00. From Kratie to Kampong Cham costs 20,000 riel, takes three hours, and departs daily at 7:00, 10:30, and 12:30.

• Slow boats are not nearly as good as fast boats, but are still better than using the atrocious roads that connect Kratie with the rest of the country. From Kratie to Kampong Cham costs 12,000 riel, takes 5-6 hours, and departs daily at 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, 10:30, 12:00, 13:00, and 15:00.

>