On the way to Laos (Kratie, Stung Treng)

I was nearly at the end of my visa in Cambodia, so it was time to make a beeline for the border with Laos.

Because I hate long journeys, I broke it up into a couple of stops: day one was Phnom Pehn to Kratie (about 5 hours by bus), where I overnighted and enjoyed the views of the sunset over the Mekong from one of the waterfront hotels.

Typical Cambodian countryside scene, on the bus from PP to Kratie.

Dinner in Kratie

Sunset over the Mekong from the roof terrace of one of the many waterfront hotels.

Kratie is known as a tourist destination because of the pod of dolphins living about 20km upriver; dolphin watching trips seem to be the main reason people have traditionally stopped in the town. But the Irrawaddy dolphins are nearly completely extinct, with fewer of them every year, and the last thing the remaining few poor bastards need is boatloads of tourists showing up to gape at them, so I stayed away.

Truthfully, the town felt a bit like many tourists had decided to skip the dolphins as well. There was a bit of a run-down air to the place, a lot of guesthouses but not that many tourists on the street. Admittedly, I was there in November so not high season yet, but it still felt a little like the town and guesthouses I looked at had seen better days. Travelfish recommends using Kratie as a base to explore the surrounding countryside, but (visa deadlines aside), I didn't feel tempted to linger.

The following day, I took another bus to Stung Treng, up near the border, where I overnighted again and discovered a small but friendly town, one that doesn't seem to get a lot of tourists staying overnight (you can apparently book a thru ticket from Kratie all the way to the 4000 Islands without staying in Stung Treng, but it's a long journey -- more than 7 hours, including waiting at the border -- and I'd heard reports that the minivans used were frequently overbooked and very crowded. So I figured I'd do it in shorter, easier stages, and get the chance to see another town on the way).

Finally, the following morning I took a minivan (booked via the guesthouse) to the border and reached my next main destination, the 4000 Islands in Laos. It was a fairly simple trip -- one minivan drives you to the border, where you show your passports, pay for your visa on arrival, and get asked for the "stamping fee" of a couple of extra dollars. Another minibus and driver meets you on the other side, and takes you the rest of the way to Nakasang, where they will put you on a ferry to the island of your choice. It all works pretty well.

Stung Treng riverside