Irrawaddy Dolphins Travel Guide

The real treasure of Kratie Province is its Irrawady dolphin population. These amazing animals typically live in brackish estuaries. In this case, they reside in a stretch of the Mekong River.

The actual dolphin habitat is located less than 10 miles from Kratie town, the provincial capital. It’s easy to charter transportation to the river, as this habitat is unrivaled as a local attraction. Ask to be taken to Kampee Village.

The dolphins aren’t as cheerful and brash as their bottle-nosed cousins, but they’re still easy to spot. Locals are happy to take visitors out in boats, and they’re expected to follow certain guidelines around these highly endangered animals. Most importantly, they should turn off any motorized engines and stick to paddling when dolphins are in the area.

When approached in the right way, tourism can help conserve the dolphins. It encourages locals to embrace the animals and their habitats, putting pressure on fishermen to use sound practices. The local gift shop uses its proceeds to sponsor conservation and to educate the local community.

The best time to view the dolphins is early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Fewer tourists show up in the morning when the dolphins sift through the light river rapids searching for food.

In brief

What is it? An endangered dolphin species that lives in the Mekong River.


Opening hours: 06:30 to 18:30, daily.


Entrance fees: no entrance fee, but boats must be chartered.


Address/website: www.tourismcambodia.com/travelguides/provinces/?AtID=117&ProID=12&ItemN=9&View=Detail.

Where: Kampee Village, Kratie Province.

How to get there: take a moto from Kratie town, or rent a motorcycle and follow the dolphin signs. Kratie receives boats and buses from Phnom Penh (3 hours).