KOH KONG
Peam Krasaop Mangroves: Boats, Boardwalks and a Glimpse of a Dolphin
The Peam Krasaop mangroves are a well-known attraction in Koh Kong, stretching across a vast coastal area and forming part of one of Southeast Asia’s largest mangrove ecosystems. We visited twice while staying in nearby Khemarak Phoumin: once hoping to spot the Irrawaddy dolphins found in the shallow waters near the mangroves, and again to explore the forest on foot along the boardwalk.
On our first visit, we headed out in the hope of spotting the Irrawaddy dolphins. Nobody seemed particularly confident that we’d actually see any, but I was quite happy with the prospect of spending an hour on a boat drifting through the mangroves at sunset.
A sunset boat trip through the mangroves
We arrived at Boeng Kayak, the fishing village that serves as the gateway to the Peam Krasaop Mangroves, about a 15-minute drive from Khemarak Phoumin. Everything is well organised. The road ends at the village, with parking for motorbikes beside the dolphin statue, while tuk tuks usually drop visitors near the tourist office.
From the parking area we walked along the road to the tourist office, past a few little shops selling snacks and beef skewers with pickle and the public toilets. We grabbed a couple of beers to take with us on our boat ride as we made our way to the tourist office.
The boat cost 80,000៛ ($20) for an hour. There is also a separate entrance fee to the park of 5,000៛ ($1.25) for foreigners and 3,000៛ ($0.75) for Cambodians, which you need to pay even if you’re only taking the boat and not walking the boardwalk.
The boat went out through the mangroves and towards the more open space where the mouth of the river was. We sat back and enjoyed the scenery, watching people return to the village from fishing or going about their daily chores.
The sun started to set as we reached the more open area and it was there that we saw our one and only dolphin. It surfaced once or twice before disappearing again, but I was still delighted. It was my first time seeing an Irrawaddy dolphin. Later we were lucky enough to see more in Kracheh (Kratie), where sightings are much more reliable, but spotting this one still made the trip worthwhile.
Still keeping one eye open for the dolphin, most of our attention soon turned to the sunset.
The driver circled the area for a while, and then made a stop at a stilted riverside house and cafe with a long jetty where a few other visitors had stopped to enjoy the view before heading back. Then it was time to return to the village, back the same direction we came.
The best time to look for dolphins is early in the morning or just before sunset when they’re feeding. The staff at the tourist office were honest about our chances, which we appreciated. If seeing Irrawaddy dolphins is your main goal, we’d recommend heading to Kracheh (Kratie) instead. Here, the boat ride itself and watching the sunset over the mangroves are the real highlights.
We tipped our driver 10,000៛ ($2.50). Boat drivers share their earnings with the others in the village, so it felt like a nice way to say thank you, although he certainly didn’t ask or expect it.
Walking the boardwalk through the forest
The following morning we returned to explore the mangroves on foot. We needed to pay the entrance to the park again, but soon set off on the 1km walk along the mainly concrete boardwalk. Some sections weave close to the mangrove roots, where you can peer into the water over the handrails, while others dip down closer to the water’s edge… without any handrails.
The walk eventually reaches a suspension bridge crossing the water. There is also a lookout tower at the far end, although it was closed for renovations when we visited. From the other side of the bridge you can hire a boat back to the entrance for 20,000៛ ($5). Rather than taking the boat back, we walked the boardwalk in both directions, which took us a little over an hour in total.
There are picnic shelters, toilets and a few small snack stalls near the suspension bridge, so you could easily make more of the visit and have some lunch or a snack.
Peam Krasaop is an easy half-day trip from Khemarak Phoumin and offers something a little different to the beaches and waterfalls around Koh Kong. Whether you take the sunset boat trip, wander through the mangroves on the boardwalk, or simply enjoy the peaceful scenery, it’s well worth adding to your itinerary. And if you’re lucky, you might even spot an Irrawaddy dolphin.
We visited Peam Krasaop in December 2025