Tatai Waterfall

Tatai waterfall is a semi-natural site located in Ta Tai village, Ta Tai commune, Smach Meanchey district, about 20 kilometers east of Koh Kong provincial town along National Road 48. There are 84 families living in this area. They earn their living by fishing and hunting.

The waterfall has two stages. The first stage is 5 to 6 meters high; the second stage is 12 to 15 meters high. Ta Tai waterfall was developed as a model site in Koh Kong to attract local and foreign tourists.Ta Tai waterfall is also known as Ta Eysei waterfall. According to legend, a man named Ta Tai and his son went to the waterfall to fish because the waterfall was the joining point between fresh water and salt water. There was a storm and the resulting floods carried away Ta Tai’s son.

Four or five days later, however, the boy was found at the same spot from where he disappeared. When Ta Tai questioned his son, the boy said: “There is someone who took me to a secret place, where he turned into a vampire and wanted to kill me. But suddenly Ta Eysei (a hermit) appeared to save me and took me back.” After hearing the story, Ta Tai and his wife believed that their son was saved by Ta Eysei or Neak Sachang (another mane of hermit). Ever since then, the Waterfall has been called Ta Eysei Waterfall or Ta Tai Waterfall.

How to get to Tatai Waterfall Koh Kong

When driving east from Krong Koh Kong along NH48, the first bridge you come to – after about 20km – spans the Tatai River (Stung Tatai). Set in a lushly forested gorge a bit upstream from the bridge, Tatai Waterfall is a thundering set of rapids in the wet season, plunging over a 4m rock shelf. In the dry season, when water levels drop, you can walk across much of the ledge and take a dip in the gently-flowing river.

The water is fairly pure, as it comes down from the high Cardamoms, where there are very few human settlements.To get to the falls from Krong Koh Kong, you can either take a moto (the turn-off from NH48 is a couple of kilometres west of the Tatai River bridge)