Cycling on Koh Trong: A Rural Island on The Mekong River
Probably the prettiest place I visited in Cambodia, Koh Trong is a sleepy 8km long island on The Mekong river, just across the water from the village of Kratie. A lot of people visit Kratie purely to see the Irrawaddy dolphins, but it’s also well worth a visit to see Koh Trong. Complete with bamboo huts, dirt roads and palm trees, Koh Trong provides a peaceful, vehicle-free slice of rural Cambodian life.
The island is perfect for cycling as a mostly smooth trail winds around the entire island. On arrival, you can just walk up the beach to the tourism centre. Here, you’ll find a small shack or two, where you can rent a bicycle and maybe pick up some snacks and water for your ride.
I spent the entire day cycling around Koh Trong, stopping off frequently at roadside shacks for coffee and fresh coconut, or by the beach to admire the scenery. The island is incredibly picturesque, with farm animals in abundance, waving children and rice paddies covering the landscape.
After only about 15 minutes of cycling, I came upon a temple. It was quite small but had lots of neat statues of animals and pretty architecture.
Head to the west shore of the island, where, if you’re lucky, you’ll see Mekong snail-eating turtles. These guys are mostly found in Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia but are under threat due to the illegal trade of turtles in Asia. Sadly, I didn’t see any myself, but a woman on the beach told me she had just seen one and showed me photos!
You’ll also find a floating Vietnamese village on the west side. It consists of about 30 houses sitting on stilts just above the water, where residents use canoes to get around. It was interesting to see the village going about its daily life; fishermen pulled nets out of the water while women hand washed clothes.
On the northern side of Koh Trong, you should come across this sign you see below. I suggest you follow it, as you’ll be taken down a path to beautiful rice fields and herds of cows grazing.
How to get to Koh Trong
You can get to Koh Trong by catching a ferry from the Kratie Boat Port all day, every day, until 18:30. This is located right next to the Jasmine Boat restaurant. The ferry driver simply waits for the boat to fill up, then heads across. It costs about 1,000 riel to cross, and an additional 500 riel for your bicycle (although I wouldn’t bother with bringing a bike as you can rent one on the island for a couple of dollars).
Where to stay on Koh Trong
While I think one day is enough to see what Koh Trong has to offer, there are a few places to stay on the island. The local Community Based Ecotourism Centre (CBET) has set up 5 homestays across Koh Trong, creatively named Homestays 1 – 5. The houses are in traditional Khmer style and cost about 4 USD per night, plus an additional 4 USD for dinner and breakfast.
There is also a resort called Rojabori Villas, complete with a swimming pool. Non-guests can visit the restaurant/café at the villas for something to eat and drink and to admire the views.
About The Author
Lauren Pears is a freelance travel writer and blogger based in London. She writes about active adventure travel, aiming to encourage and inspire travellers to make the most of the great outdoors.
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Wow a great way to see this sleepy village and healthy too. Looks like d great place to visit simple rustic and close to nature. Good flat cycling. Koh throb is a great place if you want to get a taste of authentic Cambodia. Great plane thanks for sharing.
This place looks similar in some area near my Mom’s place. It would be lovely to go cycling with this beautiful weather, then savour for fresh fruits. Where will be your next cycling trip?
Oh lovely, where does your mum live? And well I’m actually planning on cycling London to Istanbul for charity next year!
Cycling around rural areas of Koh Trong must be interesting and beautiful ride. I loved the rural countryside of Koh Trong with those banana plantations. You have given important tips to reach island by taking ferry from Jasmine Restaurant.
Koh Trong looks really peaceful and calm. I am reminded of some of the quaint villages that we pass by in the Western Ghats of India, except that they are more populated. Thanks for sharing information about this beautiful place and your cycling adventure.
What a great way to see Koh Trong! It also looks like a fairly easy ride – important for those of us not in great shape. Hopefully you’ll get to see turtles next time!
This sounds so idyllic to me! I love cycling in general, and it’s a great way to see a place like Koh Trong. I’d love to see those little turtles, and the floating Vietnamese village one day too. Hope I get to visit Cambodia soon.
Great experience! I have only been to Siem Reap but would love to explore the rest of Cambodia. And I have been to both Vietnam and Thailand and never made it to the Mekong so this might just be the ideal way to do it. I love the rusticness of it all, away fomr the hustle and bustle of modern day cities. Just lovely.
Had been to Cambodia but hardly visited anything apart from the temples. Your post and pics are very beautiful, makes me regret not digging deeper into this amazing country!
You’ll just have to go back 😉
Looks like an incredible bike ride. Shame you missed the turtles! Love how you explore off the beaten path.
Yeah it really was a brilliant day! I know, I would have loved to have seen the turtles!