When Kratie is mentioned to any Khmer, the first thing they'll think is dolphins - in particular Mekong Irrawaddy dolphins. Located around 20 kilometres north of Kratie, at the village of Kampi, the swirling waters of the Mekong are considered one of the best places in the world to see the critically endangered Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin.

It is a mistake to think that the dolphins can be seen from Kratie town. In fact, the dolphins hang out at Kampi, some 20 kilometers north along the river road. Tourists can reach the destination by motodop, motorbike hire, bicycle or car. A number of dolphins are still in the area and several of them even swim quite close to the boat. However, tourists will be allowed to watch from the mainland -- and have in fact built a wall to obscure the view.

Although there are only around 85 dolphins in the Mekong, but there is a very good chance to see some at Kampi. However, as river dolphins, they don't generally approach boats show curiosity towards tourist boats like some marine dolphins do. There is no best time of day to see the dolphins as their activity patterns don't change much over the course of the day, though it can be pleasant with the setting sun late in the day, and fiercely hot in the early afternoon. The dry season offers generally better opportunities to see groups together and spectacular behavior and in wet season the boat trip is considerably longer as the animals move several kilometers upstream from the tourist site. To protect the dolphins, you should ensure that your boatmen follows the dolphin watching guidelines provided and only use oars when near the dolphins. There's also a nice little shop which does benefit the community and helps encourage the villagers conserve the remaining dolphins. When planning to do the Mekong Discovery Trail, keep in mind that you can also see dolphins from KohRougnivisland, which nicely combines with a homestay in KohPhdau.

Kratie is a better place to watch them here than at the 4000 Islands, because the boats can approach close to the dolphins, whereas at the 4000 Islands, coming from the Laotian side, the Cambodian border marks a barrier and cannot be crossed over. Therefore a closer approach to the dolphins is what you can expect in Kratie.