Tonle Sap Floating Villages: Which One to Visit?

This article is first and foremost a caution. We had decided to start the stay by going to the Tonle Sap Lake, a classic during a stay in Siem Reap. Normally the "default" village is the one located directly south of the city about 12 km, Chong Kneas, which you only have to read the reviews on TripAdvisor to understand that it is to be avoided absolutely !

Chong Kneas, a well-oiled “scam”

As much as 7 years ago Chong Kneas had a certain charm even if they were already charging high prices at the time ($20 per person and now even $30!), but at least the place had kept a certain authenticity, if only through its small road crossing the village, then full of life and smiling people.

The boat ride was already well-oiled, mass tourism style. There were a few street vendors trying to sell you bananas, children begging for money, the so-called crocodile farm was already there, but otherwise, there was not 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 all this, just seeing this wide road and especially this large parking lot under construction, and finally the new building serving as a boarding dock for the floating village upon arrival, it shocked me. I almost threw up with disgust when I arrived, I didn't recognize anything anymore. I got off 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 here). I also knew that this "business" is managed by a Korean businessman, it is he who had the work done in the area to "modernize" and facilitate more transit to the village.

Kampong Phluk, the possible option, but for how long?

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 so for the moment more preserved from mass tourism, and it shows. Arriving near the village we pass through a village lined with trees, its small dirt road, all this looks very good!

The only downside is that we come back to the question of "but for how long?" rate is $25 per person and given the number of boats at the dock, we feel that they are expecting people. Fortunately, when we came, there were really not many people, a mini market right in front of the "docks" which are not, because it is as it was before in Chong Kneas, just the dirt road that flows into the lake, knowing that depending on the season and therefore the level of the lake, you have to go more or less far to get to the boats.

This year, it didn't rain much in this region (when the rest of the country suffered serious floods...) so we had to go a little further than usual, in the dry season, it's even further. There, we took one of the boats that were docked while a young man of barely 14 years old approached, the pilot!

The boat was too heavy, I had to help push it to leave. After about a good 1 minutes, we arrive at the village itself, a community of fishermen, Cambodians.

Our young driver and his “Toyota” steering wheel, recovered from a car.

Not floating, but a village on stilts

Kampong Phluk is not strictly speaking a floating village but it is composed of dwellings on stilts, and to cope with the variations in level, these are perched on a height of 7 meters (more impressive to see in the dry season). The village is actually quite small, it still has all the basic structures, school, temple, etc.

Here, no crocodile farm, no scams, we go straight further until we 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 heat and the already high cost of the trip, it was a no.

Kompong Phluk Temple.

It was shortly after this excursion on the deep part of the lake that we were asked if we wanted to stop for something to eat, it just so happened that it was time. The prices were correct, but it wasn't great. They had rabbits and crocodiles... We thought either that it was to concoct possible dishes or that the rabbit would serve as a meal for the second... But no, both are just pets!

Back on dry land our driver will rush to buy a grilled snake for his dinner… we will taste it returning to the hotel faced with curiosity… a mixture between chicken meat and an aftertaste of fish… special but not bad.

At the restaurant on Tonlé Sap Lake.

What other possible villages then?

Several villages are spread around the lake. The next one after Kampong Phluk being Kampong Khleang, located still about 36 km from Kampong Phluk but “only” 47 km from Siem Reap from the main road. This is apparently the best village to visit in the surrounding area because very few tourists and it is much bigger! There are 1 families making up a village of 800 inhabitants!

Moreover, it is a kind of 2 in 1 toy, 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.

The other options are a priori 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 want to have an opinion and photos, go take a look at this blog, the author slept there on the lake with a family.

Finally, close to Phnom Penh, there is Kampong Chhnang (which means "pottery port" in Khmer), a real city, but which is a drop-off point for the surrounding fishing villages. Basically, you will understand that there are several options depending on where you are and that you have to pray that mass tourism does not reach all these villages.

Have you been to Chong Kneas? To another village (floating or not)? What did you think of it?