Kratie

Ok, so there are the dolphins. A common misconception is that the dolphins can be seen from Kratie town. They hang out at Kampi, some 20km north of Kratie along the river road. Any motodop will take you there and the going roundtrip rate as of June 2009 was $4. You can also get there under your own steam -- by motorbike, bicycle or car hire ($5, $2, $12 per day respectively). It's a very straightforward route -- just keep riding straight and you'll reach it. Really, you can't miss it.

Once you're there, it costs $9 for one person to rent an entire boat or $7 per person with three or more people. You really don't want more than three in the boat unless you're on a tight budget, so if you're in a crowd, get a few boats -- the boatmen and the dolphins will love you for it. If you'd prefer not to get out onto the water at all, the dolphins can also be seen from the coastline -- though obviously they'll be pretty distant. There are still a number of dolphins in the area and when we last visited in mid 2009, we saw about 10, several of which swam quite close to the boat on a previous visit, in 2007 we saw two.

From Kratie, it is around half an hour to and from Kampi, and we recommend going in the late afternoon when it's cooler and you can pair your trip with a stop at the nearby Sambok Mountain pagoda to watch the sunset. The staircase that leads up to the hilltop pagodas is flanked by a giant guardian statue, but the real attractions are the very friendly nuns and the excellent views. At the apex you'll find two hilltops -- the smaller of the two is Phnom Bro (Brother Mountain) and the other, higher hill is Phnom Srei (Sister Mountain).

Across the river from Kratie is a moderately-sized island, Ko Treung. If you have the time, a half day -- preferably the afternoon -- spent cycling around here is very well warranted. You can rent bicycles on the island, or you can take one across from Kratie on the small boats that run back and forth between the two. The ferry costs 1,000 riel per person, plus 1,000 riel if you bring a bicycle. Once you're on the island, there is a bumpy 9 km trail that encircles it. The trail is beautiful -- if you're looking for a single opportunity to take in rural Cambodia at its most beautiful, this should be towards the top of your shortlist. The scenery is lush, and unspoilt, with a few villages, grazing cows, and smiling kids around the perimeter and fluorescent rice paddies in the centre. You can watch the sunset from the island's western banks, but be sure to arrange transport back ahead of time since the last scheduled ferry leaves promptly at 18:30 -- swimming back is not recommended.

Once a bustling riverside port, Chhlong, boasts memorable, yet decaying colonial architecture lining the riverfront. Inside Le Relais Hotel, a lovely hotel on the edge of town, there's a former prison where skulls of Khmer Rouge detainees remain. Also in Chhlong you'll find a hilltop pagoda, that, while under construction, is surrounded by war-era pillboxes and a police base that are both work a look on your way out of town. Chhlong is about an hour and a half south by motorbike -- a morning trip with a motodop should cost you about $10.

There are several NGOs that organise home stays in several of these villages as well as in Ko Treung -- they can be contacted through their Web site if you plan ahead, and CRDT is has an office just west of town (ask Joe at Falling Sun for directions) where there is usually at least one English-speaking staff hanging around. Ask for Claire.

Cambodian Rural Development Team: (023) 357 230 ; www.crdt.org.kh ; No. 695 Street 2, Kratie
Cambodia Community Development: (012) 674 800 ; ccd-kratie @ hotmail.com (for island homestays).