Preah Rumkel Ecotourism Village Section of Populated Place

Set on the banks of the Mekong River just across the border from Laos, where a small community of Irrawaddy dolphins lives, the village of Preah Rumkel has opened its doors, quite literally, to travellers who want to experience rural Cambodian life and the surrounding natural attractions.

With support from the Mekong Discovery Trail and other donor organisations, the village has built a dolphin-viewing platform beside its restaurant and snack shops, where visitors can also borrow mountain bikes to ride out to the homestays or into the countryside to look for wildlife.

The homestays are exactly that: rooms within villagers’ homes, with rudimentary shared bathrooms and limited electricity, and meals cooked by the family if you wish to join them. As long as you are prepared to rough it a little and live as the villagers do, it is a unique chance to experience rural Cambodia.

Reaches are rural; Phnom Penh is the nearest major hub for arranging onward travel. Visitors typically hire a private car or join NGO-arranged transfers from Stung Treng or Kratie; allow several hours on secondary roads.

• Coordinate visits with village homestays - many ecotourism activities are community-run and must be booked in advance.
• Ask about seasonal river canoe trips and birdwatching walks - guides can show endemic wetland species.
• Bring cash; local enterprises often don't accept cards.