6-Day Mekong River Life Adventure Tour

Day 1: Phnom Penh to Kratie. (-/-/-)
8:00am-8:30 am hotel pick-up time depending on location. Your friendly English speaking and knowledgeable guide greet you with a traditional Khmer welcome. We hit the road to the bustling provincial city of Kompong Cham. En route, there is the chance to pause at Skuon, affectionately known as ‘Spiderville’, where it is possible to sample the local delicacy of the deep-fried tarantula. We arrive in Kompong Cham and enjoy a local lunch in Kompong Cham. During the dry season (Jan-May), we can visit the bamboo bridge built across the mighty Mekong River connecting the mainland to Koh Pen Island. Our road journey continues on the eastern side along the Mekong passing through rural villages, farms, fishing spots, pagodas, and beautiful sceneries. There is a lot of chance to photograph. We then reach Kratie and check in a comfortable hotel for the night.

• Accommodation: Hotel in Kratie

Day 2: Kratie Lifestyle & Dolphin Watching. (B/-/-)
Today, we learn about local lifestyles of the Kratie as well as their local productions and witness the one of the most endangered wildlife that habitat upriver at Kampi.  We start with a visit to a traditional cafe shop that has been in business since October 1988 and not spoilt by tourism. This is where you will learn about the lifestyle of Khmer men and women in which mostly men hang out at the cafe while women are working or doing shopping at the market nearby.  Next, walk through the central Market of Kratie where you will see the local trades and see some of the old colonial building which remains from the French colony. Visit Wat Rokakandal which has a very unique wooden carving about 300 years of age. Afterward, we learn about local productions including a mushroom farm, rice wish key making, and brick factory.

Get back to town for lunch break and rest from the hit at your hotel for 1-2 hours.

Later in the afternoon, we go to Kampi, one of the many deep pools where the rare freshwater Irrawaddy river dolphins gather to feed. We board a local boat and cruise out into the mighty Mekong for a chance to encounter with gentle creatures. Viewing is almost guarantee, although it is easier to see the dolphins in the shallower waters of the dry season, than in the swollen river of the wet season. After enjoying an hour or more of dolphin viewing, we travel back to Kratie.
+ Accommodation: Hotel in Kratie

Day 3: Cycling on Koh Trong. Kratie to Preah Rumkel. (B/-/D)
In the morning, we take a local ferry across the Mekong River to Koh Trong, a beautiful island of market garden and famous sweet grape-fruits. We cycle 9 km around the island where we will observe the bats (will be interesting for Gilbert). We will see a farm of famous grapefruit and other seasonal fruit and vegetable; as well as the floating village. After a lunch break in Kratie, we journey towards Stung Treng before we cross the river by bridge to Tala Borivath and continue north to Preah Rumkel.

ACCOMMODATION:

Homestay: Wooden bungalow with nice river view overlooking to Lao; bathroom is outside and shared; mattress with attached mosquito net with a fan; experience bucket shower like Khmer people, hot water can be arranged upon request. Alternatively, we can put you in at guesthouse with private bathroom, A/C, hot shower (but the water come out slow for shower)

Upgraded: Sovann Entertaining Resort set on the bank of the Mighty Mekong Fall 15 minutes away from the main village of Anlong Cheuteal with comfortable room (A/C & Hot Shower); Restauarnt 7-12$ per meal; big swimming pool with great view and garden.

Day 4: Mighty Mekong Falls & Hang Khone. (B/L/D)
After breakfast prepared by the family, we stay with, we journey with community boat up the rapid to survey Sopheakmet Waterfall; that thwarted the grand designs of French imperialists (and which now mark the Lao border). It depends on the water level in order to see the waterfall. During the dry season, we can access to the unexplored falls by boat whereas, during the wet season, we have to stop the boat and continue by a walk through forests and road for about 3.5km in return to visit the mighty Mekong falls. In the afternoon, we will take the boat across the river to visit Hang Khone, which is the southernmost tip of Laos. The French used this as a ferry port where goods were then transferred back to the ferry by train before they continued their travel by river.
+ Accommodation: The same as day 3rd

Day 5: Kayaking Through Mekong Flooded Forests. (B/L/-)
After breakfast at homestay, it’s time to say good bye to the family. Then, we enjoy a short boat trip down to O’Svay where we will start our paddling tours to explore the Ramsar Wetlands area. It stretches south along the Mekong River from the border with Laos to Stung Treng. Only accessible by boat, it is a haven for critically endangered mammals, birds and fish and a unique riverine flooded forest system that is a photographer’s dream. With only birdcalls announcing our presence, we maneuvered our way leisurely downstream for a couple of hours. Our paddling tour of the forest continue until one point that you feel enough, then we return back to O’Svay by boat before we travel by road to the provincial capital of Stung Treng. We check in to a comfortable local hotel for the night.

ACCOMMODATION:

 There are not many choices of accommodation range. Upgraded room is either at Stung Treng Resort or in the same hotel as Mid-rand; room with hot shower and A/C. We usually put you at Four River Hotel, 9th floor building installed with elevator, restaurant and sky bar on top. Set breakfast is available upon request. Alternatively, we put you Golden Angkor Hotel with similar facilities but not on the riverfront.

Day 6: Stung Treng to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. (B/-/-)
Before leaving behind the remote Stung Treng, we might visit Stung Treng Women’s Development Center (open Monday to Friday). STWC or Mekong Blue is where the project focuses on developing life skills that assist in breaking the cycle of poverty and illiteracy for vulnerable people, especially women in their region. You will learn about Cambodian silk weaving and their production, which allows not only preservation but also the cultivation of the hundred-year-old tradition of silk-weaving. In the end, you can shop for souvenirs. We can either drip you in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap for your next destination.