The Best of Cambodia & Laos

146
BATTAMBANG & NORTHERN CAMBODIA
7
KRATIE
As a stopover point on the main East-West Highway, Kompong Chhnang has a number
of restaurants strung out along NH5, largely serving the same kind of Khmer fare to
those on buses whistling through. Mitthapeap Restaurant (NH5; & 012/949-397;
main courses $1.50) is probably the best, but it is still fairly pedestrian.
ATTRACTIONS
Kompong Chhnang is a serene and quiet town. The main interest of the place, apart
from contemplating the ochre buildings left by the French or watching the local kids play
petanque, is the bustling riverfront. In the morning it is very busy. The people who work
and live here are largely ethnic Vietnamese and you will hear their musical and slightly
frantic sounding tones as much as Khmer. Their haggling is great to watch. Get there early.
Kratie
3 KRATIE
Most people stop in Kratie for one reason only—to catch a sight of the bottle-nosed
Irrawaddy dolphins. With the overland route to southern Laos becoming more and more
popular, Kratie is also increasing in popularity as an overnight stay before moving on
elsewhere. The town itself is very pleasant. It was pretty firmly Khmer Rouge throughout
the war in the ’70s so it was never a battlefield. The pretty riverine colonial architecture
remained intact and the waterfront remains a pleasant place to sit with an ice-cold drink
and watch the sun go down.
GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND
This used to be a place best reached by boat from Phnom Penh. The boat is no longer
running as the road is now perfect. The bus station is in the northwest part of the town
within walking distance of the center. Regular buses run the 350km (217-mile) trip from
Phnom Penh and it takes about 5 hours. The onward trip to Stung Treng and the Lao
border is 141km (87 miles) and takes 3 hours. There is now a daily bus from Siem Reap
to Kratie changing at the town of Skuon (the place where people famously eat tarantulas).
It leaves at 7:30am and costs $10. You can also get a seat in a shared taxi in either
direction. It costs $7 to Phnom Penh and takes about 4 hours. Kratie is small, so navigating
the town on foot is very easy. Should you want go a bit farther afield there are plenty
of motodups hanging around, and some guesthouses also rent out bicycles.
Banks & Currency Exchange There is an Acleda Bank (Rue Preah Sihanouk;
& 072/971-707; open Mon–Fri 7:30am–4pm) that exchanges cash and traveler’s
checks. There is now also an ATM but it does not accept all cards, so it would be
risky to rely on that alone.
Internet Access For the Internet, head to the You Hong Guesthouse (p. 147).
WHERE TO STAY & DINE
The scene here is firmly in the realm of backpackerdom, so both food and accommodations
are cheap and cheerful. There are quite a number of guesthouses, all of which also