KRACHEH
Kampi Rapids (កាំពី): Swimming in the Mekong near Kracheh (Kratie)
The Kampi Rapids are a rocky section of the Mekong River just north of Kracheh (Kratie), where the rocks create a series of rapids.
Each year in the dry season, locals build lines of bamboo platforms with long huts over the water, turning Kampi Rapids into a popular place to eat, relax and swim. The huts are generally there from around December or January until May, when they are dismantled again before the river rises.
Getting to Kampi Rapids
We rented a motorbike in Kracheh for 32,000៛ ($8) for the day and stopped at Kampi Rapids before we headed to the 100 Column Pagoda.
Kampi Rapids is on the main road just past the Kampi dolphin-watching area. You’ll see it on your left heading out of town, with a number of stalls selling souvenirs and snacks around the parking area. You will probably find people trying to encourage you into the area before you see the actual Kampi Rapids.
From here you follow either the stairs or the ramp down, depending on which side of teh bridge you parked. Both lead to the same place, taking you down to the river and across a series of small bamboo bridges. Just as we reached the section that crosses the river, there was someone collecting the 1,000៛ entrance fee.
It was towards the end of the season and a weekday when we were there, so it wasn’t very busy, although we certainly didn’t have the place to ourselves.
Visiting Kampi Rapids
Several people approached us as we walked along the walkway, but we just kept going until we found a hut we liked. The main thing we were looking for was somewhere that looked safe to swim and relax.
After we found a spot we liked, we checked how much it would cost. It was 10,000៛ for the hut, and the owner handed us a menu. We ordered grilled chicken and rice, although there were stir fries, soups and a few other dishes on the menu. You can also bring your own food.
The water flows pretty quickly, and we did want to swim so we chose a place where the swimming looked safest. Even then, I still needed to hold on to a rope getting into the water until I found a seat on a rock and had good footing. The water was fairly shallow where we were, but it still felt quite adventurous as the water was moving so fast.
We ended up spending a couple of hours here, eating, reading a book in the hammock and going for a swim. There were change rooms you could use for 500៛, although they were literally starting to pull these down as I was using them.
On our way out we stopped to watch some of the owners dismantling their huts for the season, pulling apart the bamboo structures ready to build them all again when the river dropped next year.
Kampi Rapids is clearly a popular domestic tourism spot, with many Cambodian families travelling here to spend a day by the river. And that’s probably what we liked about it most. We really enjoyed eating, reading in the hammock, watching everyone enjoying the river and eventually braving a swim in the Mekong rapids ourselves.
We visited Kracheh in May 2026
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