In general, a stay in Siem Reap means the temples of Angkor, but this region also allows you to visit the famous floating villages of Tonlé Sap lake, an atypical lake which fills up when the level of the Mekong is high enough and empties the rest of the time, due to a lack of water supply.
So when I returned to Angkor, it was only natural that I wanted to return to the Tonle Sap LakeBut if you research this destination, you will normally see that the "default" village Chong Kneas, is the one located directly south of the city, about 12 km away, but you only have to read the reviews on TripAdvisor to understand that it is to avoid !
Chong Kneas, a well-oiled “scam”
The very first time we went to Chong Kneas (almost 20 years ago!), it had a certain charm. Even though they were already charging a high price for the time ($20 per person), at least the place retained a certain authenticity, if only because of its small road crossing the village, which was then full of life and welcoming people despite a form of apparent poverty.
The boat trip was already well-rehearsed, in the style of mass tourism. There were a few street vendors trying to sell you bananas, children asking for money, the "crocodile farm" was already there, but otherwise, there wasn't much to complain about.
The floating village itself is made of bits and pieces, with most of the inhabitants being illegal Vietnamese immigrants.
That was before… (2007)
Today it has become completely " business oriented"A common scam is to stop at a store selling bags of rice, priced between $60 and $100 depending on the coupon. pigeon Samaritan, bag being supposed to be donated to an orphanage that you can visit (at the risk of being lightened by a few more dollars).
Without even knowing about any of this, just seeing that wide road and especially that large parking lot under construction, and finally the new building serving as a boarding dock for the floating village upon arrival, was a shock. I didn't recognize anything anymore…
It turns out that this trip was with my sister and some of her friends, and I had come there because I knew it was the default THING to see in Tonlé Sap and I had fond memories of this excursion done with Jitima a few years earlier.
I got out of the tuk tuk without much conviction and before even being asked to pay, I finally gave up and turned around as quickly as possible.
To the point that I forgot to do what I would have loved to do, to return to the same house where we had stopped 7 years earlier, to take pictures and stay a little with this family and their (many) children. Unfortunately, besides the fact that at the time, I was no longer very sure where it was, I only wanted one thing, TO RUN AWAY !
For the "anecdote", the observation is such that even a local agency prefers not to go there (see the article hereI also learned that this "business" is run by a Korean businessman; he's the one who had the work done in the area to "modernize" it and facilitate more traffic to the village. In short, it's just become a money-making machine run by a private individual who isn't even Cambodian…
Kampong Phluk, a possible option
Fortunately, I had done some research (except for Chong Kneas and I should have, it would have saved us time…), so I knew that there were other villages nearby including the next one that was closer, so exit Chong Kneas, welcome Kampong Phluk (also spelled Kompong Phluk)!
Located a few 35km from Chong Kneas (and 30km from the center of Siem Reap), the village is further away and therefore, for the moment, still untouched by mass tourism, and it shows. As we approach the village, we pass through a village lined with trees, its small dirt road – it all looks very promising!
The only downside is that it raises the question " But for how long?"Judging by the number of boats at the dock, you could tell it could get quite crowded. Fortunately, when we were there, it wasn't crowded at all. You could see a few tuk-tuks lined up, but it was quiet."
Along the path leading to the lake shore, a small market with a few street vendors mainly serves locals working and traveling in the area. Reaching the "docks," I find myself back in Chong Kneas, where it used to be just a dirt path leading into the lake. Depending on the season and therefore the lake level, you have to go further or further to reach the boats.
That year, it didn't rain much in the region (while the rest of the country suffered severe flooding…) so it was necessary to go further than usual (and in the dry season, it's even further).
There, we would take one of the docked boats after asking the price. $ 25 per personAs a young boy of barely 14 years old approached, it turned out that he would be our pilot!
The boat was too heavy, I had to help push it to get going. After about 15 minutes, we arrived at the village itself, a fishing community, whose inhabitants are Cambodian.
Kampong Phluk, a village on stilts
Kampong Phluk is not strictly speaking a floating village But it consists of houses built on stilts to cope with the lake's fluctuating water levels. Given that these are perched at a height of 7 meters (making them more impressive to see in the dry season), that leaves a bit of leeway.
The village is actually quite small, but despite that, it has all the basic structures: a school, a temple, and even a floating restaurant.
Here, there are no crocodile farms or scams; we head straight further to reach the central part of the lake, passing just before the submerged forest, the local attraction which can be accessed by boat with a local for $5… Given the crushing heat that day (and despite the shade that this forest would provide) combined with the already high cost of the trip, we passed by.
In the "deep" part of the lake, it's just water as far as the eye can see; you have to realize that you're at the widest point, the opposite shore being more than 30 km away. Despite this, it's important to know that the lake is drying up year after year because the dams built along the Mekong River in China and Laos have completely disrupted the river's seasonal flow, preventing the backflow necessary to refill the lake.
Because it is fundamentally a unique but fragile ecosystem. Due to the topography of the area, normally during the rainy season, the Mekong's strong flow reverses the river's course, pushing the water back towards the Tonlé Sap via the Tonlé Sap River, which joins the Mekong at... the capital, Phnom Penh.
Shortly after our excursion to the deeper part of the lake, we were asked if we wanted to stop for lunch. It just so happened to be lunchtime. The prices were reasonable, but to be honest, it wasn't great (though we didn't get sick).
One unusual thing was that they had rabbits and crocodiles… We thought it was either to prepare some local dishes, or that the rabbit served as a meal for the crocodile… But apparently not, both are just pets!
After this impromptu stop, we set off again in the other direction, passing back through the main part of the village. We passed a few locals getting around by boat, the local car, as well as children jumping happily into the water to cool off on this hot August day.
The entire trip lasts no more than an hour, just enough to get a glimpse of peaceful local life. I had a rather positive experience because, as I mentioned at the beginning, there were hardly any people around that day. We passed a few other boats out for a spin, but nothing like the constant coming and going of boats near Chong Kneas.
Back on dry land, our driver will hurry to buy a grilled snake for his dinner… Which he hastened to invite us to taste it It turns out to be a mix between a chicken meat taste and a fishy aftertaste… it’s unusual but not bad in itself.
What other options are possible?
Basically, there are lots of villages scattered around the lake. The two cities mentioned so far are close to Siem Reap, making them easy to combine with a visit to the Angkor temples. But in general, there are plenty of other options.
If you stay within a reasonable distance of Siem Reap, the next village after Kampong Phluk is Kampong Khleang, located approximately 36 km from Kampong Phluk but actually "only" 47 km from Siem Reap from the main road. This is apparently the best village Worth visiting in the surrounding area, as there are very few tourists and it's much bigger! There is... 1,800 families make up a village of 6,000 inhabitants!
Moreover, it is a kind of 2 in 1 setups, because it combines a village part with houses on stilts and another part that is truly floating, whose inhabitants move according to the seasons and the level of the lake.
Other options being longer since you have to go to the other side of the lake. On the southern part, you will find, for example, the village of Kampong Luong, near the small town of Pursat. If you'd like to see reviews and photos, take a look at this blog, the author slept there on the lake with a family.
Finally near Phnom Penh, there is Kampong Chhnang (which means "pottery port" in Khmer), a veritable floating city, which is primarily a drop-off point for the smaller surrounding fishing villages.
In summary: which villages in the Tonlé Sap should be prioritized?
So in summary, depending on where you are, the main villages of Tonlé Sap are:
- Around Siem Reap (easy access after the temples)
- Kampong Phluk : the closest stilt village to Siem Reap,
with a small floating area. Easy to combine with a visit to the temples of Angkor. - Kampong Khleang : much larger and far less touristy,
with approximately 6,000 inhabitants. It combines houses on stilts and a true part
floating settlement whose inhabitants move according to the seasons and the level of the lake.
- Kampong Phluk : the closest stilt village to Siem Reap,
- South side of the lake (longer journey, deeper immersion)
- Kampong Luong (near Pursat): isolated floating village, where life
takes place entirely on the water. Accommodation with a local family is available for one night.
a more immersive experience.
- Kampong Luong (near Pursat): isolated floating village, where life
- Near Phnom Penh
- Kampong chhnang : large river community, known as a
"Pottery port." It's a good base for exploring the most
small fishing villages in the surrounding area.
- Kampong chhnang : large river community, known as a
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8 Comments
Hello,
We went to Kompong Luong about 2h30 from Battambang and loved it. We were alone in our boat and were able to walk around for 2 hours in this big floating village. On the other hand, the horror at the arrival "port" which was completely strewn with rubbish...
But the visit itself was very nice and doable in a day from Battambang!
Hello Gwendoline,
There are other ports of entry to visit the lake, Battambang is one example, the other being for example Kampong Chhnang, near Phnom Penh.
In summary, can we avoid Tonle Sap? Because all the reviews I read say the same thing, scams, tourist traps...
That's not what I'm saying! There are still authentic places! You just have to go to the other side of the lake near the town of Pursat (I mention it at the end of the article)
They have no limits, they are now asking for $50 us to go to the boat landing stage and $30 us more to take us to the village, pretending that it is the people of the village who are rowing. I just experienced this scam on December 16, 2019.
Hello,
Thank you for this very recent feedback, which unfortunately does not surprise me at all... This is why it is better to fall back on alternatives, which are further away but clearly more affordable and/or authentic.
So we agree on Chong Kneas and the horrible turn taken in recent years. These villages remain real enigmas in terms of management, between Vietnamese, Cambodians and Koreans, it's a hell of a mess that's not at all transparent. Besides, Kompong Phluk is currently on strike against the Korean company that manages the village... (which, by the way, is supposed to charge you 20USD and not 25, maybe you were "lucky" enough to benefit from a special low-season rate, drop in attendance?) The little boat driver really has a good face 😉
In fact, since it was already $20 at the time for Chong Kneas, I told myself that an increase of $5 didn't seem outrageous to me, even if I had serious doubts... I think that the furthest village on the north side of Tonlé Sap remains the best option, I'll have to try it one day...