Seeing how rural Cambodia lives with the water
The Tonle Sap floating villages are fishing communities of stilt houses and floating homes on the shores of the Tonle Sap, South-East Asia's largest freshwater lake, which swells from about 2,500 to as much as 16,000 square kilometres in the wet season. From Siem Reap the main villages to visit are Kampong Phluk, Kampong Khleang, Mechrey and Chong Kneas, 30 to 90 minutes away by road. The best time is August to November, when the water is high.
September 2026
Photo: Divya Manian, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
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The Tonle Sap floating villages are fishing communities built on stilts and rafts at the edge of South-East Asia’s largest freshwater lake, south of Siem Reap. Kampong Phluk, Kampong Khleang, Mechrey and Chong Kneas can all be visited by boat, and each rises and falls with one of the most remarkable seasonal floods on earth.
A morning on the lake is the best antidote to temple fatigue. After days among stone, you glide past houses on stilts as tall as a two-storey building, children paddling small boats between them, and fishermen mending nets under their homes. It shows you how much of rural Cambodia still lives: by the water, and with it.
The Tonle Sap is connected to the Mekong by the 115-kilometre Tonle Sap River. For about half the year, from the start of the monsoon, the swollen Mekong pushes water up the river and into the lake. The flow of the river reverses, and the lake grows from 2,500 to 3,000 square kilometres in the dry season to as much as 16,000 at its peak. Its depth rises from about a metre to 9 metres or more.
When the rains end, the flow turns round again and the lake drains back towards Phnom Penh and the sea. Cambodians celebrate this turning point with the Water Festival, Bon Om Touk, in October or November.
The flood pulse makes the lake one of the richest inland fisheries in the world. It also shapes every village on its shore. Houses are built on stilts up to about 6 metres high, or on floating rafts that can be towed as the shoreline moves. In 1997 UNESCO declared the lake a Biosphere Reserve, with core zones including the Prek Toal bird sanctuary.
There are several villages you can visit from Siem Reap, and they are very different. Choosing the right one matters more than anything else.
About 30 kilometres south-east, 45 minutes to an hour by road. Three villages of dramatic stilt houses, a flooded forest you can explore by paddle boat, and a community-run boat system. The best balance of beauty and ease.
The largest and furthest, about 50 kilometres east, roughly 90 minutes by road. A true town on stilts, with pagodas, schools and markets, and far fewer visitors. Worth the drive if you have a full morning.
West of Chong Kneas, about an hour from town. A genuinely floating village of houses on rafts that move with the water, and the usual starting point for boat trips to the Prek Toal bird sanctuary.
About 16 kilometres south of town, below the hill of Phnom Krom. The quickest to reach and the most commercial, with a history of pushy sales. We rarely recommend it.
A core zone of the Biosphere Reserve and home to large colonies of storks, pelicans and cormorants. A long, early day by boat, best in the dry season. Confirm access and timing locally.
At Kampong Phluk and Kampong Khleang, local women paddle small wooden boats through half-submerged trees when the water is high. Quiet, shady and the highlight for many.
The lake changes completely through the year, and so does the experience.
| June to July | Water rising. Villages come back to life on the water; boats reach most places again |
|---|---|
| August to November | High water, the classic season. Houses appear to float, the flooded forest is at its best, and the landscape is green |
| December to January | Water falling. Still good, with cooler, drier weather and clear skies |
| February to May | Low water. The stilts are fully exposed, which is dramatic in its own way, but some channels become too shallow and boat trips may be shorter |
At most villages you buy a boat ticket at the community pier, and the boats are run by local families on a rota. At Kampong Phluk, a boat ticket is typically around $20 per person, plus a small community fee, and a paddle-boat ride through the flooded forest costs a few dollars more per boat. Prices change and vary between villages, so confirm them locally or ask us.
Getting there costs extra. A tuk-tuk to Kampong Phluk and back takes about an hour each way on a bumpy road; a car is more comfortable, and essential for Kampong Khleang.
Many travellers prefer a guided tour, which includes transport, boat tickets and a guide who can translate and explain what you are seeing. Choose one that works directly with the community.
Tourism can support these communities, or exploit them. A few simple choices make all the difference.
Many families on the lake, including ethnic Vietnamese and Cham communities, are among the poorest in the country. Treat the visit as time spent in someone’s neighbourhood, not a spectacle, and you will be welcomed warmly.
This is how we usually visit Kampong Phluk in the wet season:
A morning trip works just as well and is cooler. Combine the lake with the Roluos group of temples, which lie on the same road, or pair it with a morning at Artisans Angkor. For a longer water adventure, the Irrawaddy dolphins at Kratie offer another side of Cambodia’s rivers. See all our river experiences.
We choose the village that best suits the season and your interests, arrange a private car and guide, and work with community boat operators so your money stays on the lake. A floating village visit is part of our Siem Reap Green Journey and can be added to our Siem Reap Slow Travel itinerary. Get in touch to plan it.
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