Koh Oknha Tey, Cambodia

Koh Oknha Tey, which is more commonly known as Silk Island, is a small beautiful island on the great Mekong River which is about 18 km away from the capital city Phom Penh to the north. The island got its famous byname as it houses Chong Koh silk weaving village, a popular tourist attraction during almost Mekong River cruise itineraries in Cambodia. 
Being one of the most well-known traditional weaving villages of the country, Chong Koh mainly specializes in silk weaving and its authentic weaving artworks are among the top highest-ranked silk products in Cambodia. The inhabitants on the island are also farmers and fishermen, which play major parts in their lives as silk weaving. Each family in Chong Koh Village has a wooden loom machine powered by foot pedals. The history, culture, and tradition of the village have a strong relationship with weaving culture, which became a distinct highlight for Koh Oknha Tey itself.
On the way discovering the timeless beauty of Mekong River in Cambodia, whether you choose upstream of downstream itinerary, Koh Oknha Tey will be a part of your trip in the high water season. The island is home to idyllic rural scenery of the river, rustic paths & stilt houses, and the lush gardens and trees. Setting your foot on the Silk island, you will have a chance to soak up the peaceful atmosphere of Cambodia’s countryside. The most-visited place here must be Chong Koh Village’s silk workshops where people can get a deep and close insight into the weaving tradition. Tourists are allowed to witness the entire process of making traditional textiles, from the ways to feed the silkworms, how they create the silk threads then watching the techniques of looping and dying these silk threads. Also, the local artisans will show you their old simple yet impressive weaving skills to create such incredibly traditional silk masterpieces. Beautifully-crafted fabrics, head-scarves, and several other accessories with decorative Cambodian traditional patterns and national symbols are also available here at reasonable prices for you to get some great souvenirs home. Besides silk workshops, the village also has some beautiful temples with exquisite stupas, Buddha sculptures, and statues of sacred animals that worth your short visit. Koh Oknha Tey is not only merely a cruise port included in the Mekong Itineraries of the river cruises but also an attractive cultural site where foreigners can learn about Cambodian culture, encounter the ways of local life, and leisure enjoy the rustic charms of the island as it has to offer.