Mekong Island, locally known as Koh Dach, is where you can head to if you wish to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the Cambodian capital. About 15 km north of the city centre, Koh Dach offers a world of peace and tranquillity, bounded by views of rice paddies, vegetable farms and fruit orchards.
Mekong Island not only serves as a venue for an enjoyable day trip or picnic but also enables you to experience the country’s authentic culture at its best. This 10-hectare island is also known as one of the prominent centres of traditional handicrafts in Cambodia, with artisans engaged in silk weaving, pottery, woodcarving and dyeing in its villages.
Mekong Island (Koh Dach) – one of the highlights of 21 Best Things to Do in Phnom Penh
Perhaps the key highlight of Mekong Island is its cohesive village communities that represent the rural ethnicity of this country. In other words, the island stands out for its unspoiled surroundings, where houses are erected on stilts and people lead a simple lifestyle while earning their livelihood primarily from agriculture, fishing and silk weaving.
One of the not-to-miss communes of the island is Koh Dach, sometimes dubbed as the country’s silk weaving centre, as there are thousands of silk weavers producing quality silk under their stilted houses. For a fun experience, be sure to try to weave silk on spinning wheels made using bicycle parts, in addition to buying silk fabric directly from producers.
Besides silk, Koh Dach is known for its fresh crops and fruit products such as beans, corn, bananas and sesame. Koh Dach is also home to pagodas including Ampor Phal, Kra Pumpich and Sa Maki Kbal Koh. Another activity that you can enjoy here, especially during summer, is swimming at the beach in the northern part of the island. Lined with thatched picnic huts and food stalls, this beach also provides a perfect backdrop for a cool, memorable day out.
Likewise, if you’re on the lookout for something refreshing during your trip to Mekong Island, then a bike ride through the beautiful orchards and quaint farmland is highly recommended. Above all, a tour to Mekong Island is incomplete without enjoying its sunset views. Specialised boat cruises are available to take in the sweeping vistas of the sunset at the convergence of 3 rivers – the Mekong, the Tonle Bassac and the Tonle Sap.
One of the best ways to access Mekong Island is to take a cruise boat from Sisowath Quay in Phnom Penh. It usually takes 2.5 hours per round trip, and the cruise will include visiting the handicraft centre at Koh Dach, sunset views and Khmer snacks. Alternatively, you can hire a tuk tuk from the city to the Japanese Bridge, from where you can continue your journey to the island by ferry.
