Mekong Island Place guide
Phnom Penh
Mekong Island
Boat trip to Mekong Island
About
The Mekong Island in Cambodia is a stunning place, but it was not always that way. Before it was hostile swampland, but today the Mekong Delta is the most productive portion of Vietnam in the agricultural sense. The food crops produced here count for nearly half of the nation's annual food crop. What makes this island unique is that it's in the middle of the Mekong river. If you're a person who loves the feeling of going back in time, learning about the silk handicrafts produced there, or even just fond of playing on the sands in a river shore, then Trip Guru can definitely recommend you sail on the river up to Mekong Island.
With silk being the island's specialty, you can expect to see at least one lady hard at work on the loom, transforming the silk into beautiful, colorful patterns of her choosing. There are also plenty of strong, traditional houses and you can get to see silkworm farming, as well as weaving. Though what truly makes the trip enjorable is being able to catch a glimpse of what rural life is like. If you're the kind of person who has always preferred quiet walks and just relishing in being part and parcel of watching life pass by, you’ll enjoy Mekong Island.
You can also catch a glimpse of hand weavers if you're lucky, ladies that participate in the rhythm of pedals and weaving impressive patterns utilizing yarn and their looms. Here is the perfect place to purchase scarves, tablecloths, table runners, even shawls. These people look to weaving as their livelihood, and take their job seriously. Being able to observe and learn about these artisans and how they take years to hone their craft is something you shouldn't miss.
To get to Mekong Island, you can take a ferry on the riverbank in Phnom Penh. When visiting Mekong Island, be mindful that the water level in the river can rise and fall, depending on the season you go. During their dry season--March to April--the water can fall from 5 to 6 meters, and can rise during their wet season, which is from September to October.