Koh Trong

Koh Trong is a sandbank island in the Mekong directly opposite Kratie, about nine kilometres long, with a single track running round it and no cars. What it holds is farmland: pomelo orchards, which are the island's cash crop and sold across the country, along with vegetables grown on the sand as the water drops, a couple of pagodas, and a floating Vietnamese village moored off the northern end. Homestays and a small ecolodge take visitors. The way to see it is by bicycle, an hour or two round the circuit, stopping at the orchards and the shore. In the dry season a sandbar appears off the southern tip that people swim from. The ferry from Kratie runs frequently through the day.

Highlights

• Pomelo orchards - the island's main crop, sold nationally.
• The circular track - a car-free lane round the whole island.
• The floating village - Vietnamese houseboats moored at the north end.
• The seasonal sandbar - a beach appearing off the southern tip in dry months.

When to go

November to March for cycling and the sandbar; the island floods substantially in the wet season and the tracks become mud. Pomelo harvest is around September to November.

Things to know

Facilities are homestays and one small lodge, with limited food choice. There is no shade on much of the track and cycling at midday is hot. The floating village is people's homes rather than an attraction. The ferry stops running after dark.

Nearby

Kratie is across the water; the dolphin pools lie upstream.