Frog-faced turtles’ in Kratie
Turtles may not be the most obvious tourist attraction for a New Year
getaway, but Kratie offers the chance to see conservationist monks
preserving the precarious existence of some highly peculiar terrapins at
the Mekong Turtle Conservation Centre.
The Cantor’s giant soft-shell turtle, which is known as the
“frog-faced turtle” locally, was thought to be extinct in Cambodia until
biologists discovered them living around Kratie in 2007.
Its anatomy is odd even by turtle standards, with its massive flat
body appearing to have been crushed by an anvil. Able to grow up to two
metres in length, they spend most of their lives buried in sandy
riverbanks with only their mouths and eyes poking above the surface.
Unfortunately, Cantor’s turtle is also said to make good eating, with
captured turtles fetching a high price on the black market. To save the
turtles, the US-based NGO Conservation International joined forces with
the monks of 100 Pillar pagoda in the town of Sambor (around 35
kilometres north of Kratie town) to collect hatchlings and safeguard
them in the pagoda until they reach maturity. Prior to release, the
monks put religious markings on the turtles’ shells to discourage locals
from harvesting them. Nests are also protected by paying villagers to
take care of them.
The pagoda welcomes visitors at the centre ($4 for foreign adults, $2
for children) to watch the monks take care of the turtles. Nine other
local species are also cared for at the centre. The turtles’ caregivers
also take visitors around the Mekong’s banks to see the turtle nests in
nature.
Although there are no hotels or guesthouses at Sambor, project leader
Sun Yoeung said that he can arrange home stays at a nearby Mekong
island village called Yeav. Kratie is also home to a rustic yet stylish
boutique guesthouse called Rajabori Villas.
Located on Koh Trong Island just opposite the main town, Rajabori
Villas offers bungalows built in classic Khmer style ranging in price
from $50-$94 per night, including free French breakfast. The island is
also home to a Vietnamese floating village which attracts far fewer
visitors than its more famous counterpart on the Tonle Sap near Siem
Reap. Tours can also be arranged to view the famous endangered Irrawaddy
dolphins at Kampi around 15 kilometres north of Kratie town.
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