Upper Mekong

Preah Rumkel Community Homestay

Dolphins, kayaks and the wildest stretch of the Mekong

In short

Preah Rumkel is a Mekong community in Stung Treng, just below the Lao border, where the river breaks into channels, rapids and flooded forest inside a Ramsar-listed wetland. Families host guests; the community runs boat trips to the Irrawaddy dolphin pool and kayaking through the channels.

Checked

September 2026 - community tourism listings

Photo: Christian Pirkl, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Part of our guide to Homestays in Stung Treng

At a glance

The short version

Province: Stung Treng, near the Lao border
Getting there: North of Stung Treng town by road, then by boat
Rooms: Family house, mattress and mosquito net, shared bathroom
Do: Dolphin boat trips, kayaking, rapids and waterfalls, island walks
Rates: Set by the community, confirmed on enquiry

The Mekong between Stung Treng and the Lao border is braided into dozens of channels around wooded islands. Preah Rumkel sits in the middle of it, and its community scheme is the way in.

What a stay looks like

A family house on the riverbank, a boat trip to the deep pool where the dolphins gather, and dinner of river fish. Nights are very quiet.

Good to know

Combine with a crossing into southern Laos or a run south to Kratie. Bring cash; there is no ATM.

Questions travellers ask

When can I see the dolphins?

All year, but most reliably in the dry season from December to May, when the river is low.

Is kayaking safe?

With the community guides, on the routes they choose. Do not go out alone.

Stung Treng

Other ways to stay here

All of them

The upper Mekong

Homestays in Stung Treng

Stung Treng's homestays are at Preah Rumkel, a Mekong community just below the Lao border, where the river breaks into channels, rapids and flooded forest. It is the base for the northernmost Irrawaddy dolphins in Cambodia and for kayaking the Ramsar wetlands.

Stay: With a family, arranged through the community
Rooms: Simple - mattress, mosquito net, shared bathroom
Pay: Cash, in US dollars or riel

See the detail