Temple stonework in Cambodia
The great lake

Tonle Sap floating villages

Understanding how most of rural Cambodia actually lives

Rivers, lakes and beachesType
In short

The Tonle Sap is South-East Asia’s largest freshwater lake, and it reverses direction twice a year when the Mekong backs up into it during the monsoon. Communities live on and above the water - Kampong Phluk on stilts, Mechrey and Chong Kneas afloat - and the lake changes character completely between the wet and dry seasons.

Checked

September 2026

Part of River
At a glance

Visiting

Where
South of Siem Reap; Kampong Phluk is about an hour away
Best season
Wet season, roughly August to November, when the water is high
Time needed
Half a day
Which village
Kampong Phluk for stilt houses, Mechrey for quiet, Chong Kneas is the closest and busiest
Note
Dry season leaves some channels too shallow to reach

Questions travellers ask

Which floating village is best?
Kampong Phluk if you want the stilt-house forest; Mechrey if you would rather not share it. Chong Kneas is nearest and the most heavily touristed.
Is it exploitative?
It can be. Go with an operator that pays the community directly and does not stop at the orphanage or the crocodile pen.
Nearby

Also in Siem Reap

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Siem Reap

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Where
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Ticket
Angkor Pass - 1 day US$37, 3 days US$62, 7 days US$72 (Angkor Enterprise, checked September 2026)
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Angkor Thom

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The Bayon sits at the exact centre of Angkor Thom and is the temple everyone recognises from the enormous serene faces carved into its towers. Built…

Where
Centre of Angkor Thom, Angkor Archaeological Park
Ticket
Covered by the Angkor Pass
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Ta Prohm

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Where
Angkor Archaeological Park, east of Angkor Thom
Ticket
Covered by the Angkor Pass
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Pink sandstone

Banteay Srei

Banteay Srei is a small 10th-century Hindu temple about 25 km north-east of the main Angkor group, dedicated to Shiva and built from pink sandstone that…

Where
About 25 km north-east of the main Angkor group
Ticket
Covered by the Angkor Pass
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