Tonle Sap Floating Villages
Tonle Sap is Cambodia’s inland “sea”. The name translates as “great clean water”, although because of the clay, the lake is actually very murky.
People live not only along the shores of Tonle Sap but also right on the lake itself. Up to two million people inhabit floating houses and villages. They are born, live, and die on the water.
Floating villages aren’t rare in Southeast Asia — I’ve seen similar ones in Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. But only on Tonle Sap do they reach such a scale and such a closed, self-contained world. There are schools and churches on the water, floating gardens, post offices, and police stations. For many residents, there’s simply no need to step onto the shore at all. In short — a full-fledged Waterworld.
Let’s go — I’ll tell you about the villages and show you more of how people live when there are fish swimming right under their houses.
Ecosystem features
Tonle Sap Lake — the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Its uniqueness lies not only in its size but also in the remarkable ecosystem that sustains the life of countless floating villages.
What makes Tonle Sap truly special is the seasonal change in its water level. During the rainy season in Southeast Asia (from June to October) and the snowmelt in Tibet, the water level in the Mekong River rises, pushing water upstream into the Tonle Sap River and filling the lake. The Mekong literally “feeds” Tonle Sap.
Because of this natural phenomenon, the water level in the lake rises nearly fourfold, and its area expands from 2,700 km² to 16,000 km². The surrounding land becomes flooded, and the lake turns into a vital source of fresh water.
During the dry season (from November to April), the water level in the Mekong drops, and the flow of the Tonle Sap River reverses, sending water back from the lake into the Mekong and shrinking the lake once again.
Life on the lake
The lives of the local people are adapted to the water. Houses, schools, shops, temples — all of these are found on platforms. You can see children going to school by boat, and shops and market stalls moving between houses. Residents of floating villages often keep small-scale farms: growing vegetables and fruits on floating platforms, and raising birds and animals.
Do the houses really float?
Houses in the floating villages on Tonle Sap Lake come in two types: pontoon-based and stilted, depending on the location and conditions.
Most floating houses in villages like Chong Khneas or Kampong Khleang are built on pontoons — wooden or metal platforms that keep the houses afloat. These pontoons can be made from barrels, bamboo, or other materials that provide buoyancy. Such houses are easy to move, and you can often see them “floating” across the lake depending on water levels and the needs of their owners.
To prevent houses from drifting with the current or wind, they are tied to long poles driven into the lakebed. This allows the houses to stay in one place while moving up and down with the water level. In some cases, anchor systems or weighted structures are used to secure the house in place while still allowing slight movement.
Another common type of structure in floating villages is houses on tall stilts. These can be found, for example, in Kampong Pluk. These houses stand on long wooden stilts that raise them several meters above the ground. During the dry season, they look like ordinary stilted houses, and during the rainy season, the water rises to floor level, with access to the houses by boat.
How the lake settlements came about
There are different versions:
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People have long lived on the shores of Tonle Sap and gradually adapted to the constantly changing water levels.
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Floating villages began to appear when people realized that this lifestyle not only allowed them to adapt to natural conditions but also to avoid taxes imposed on land residents.
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Some floating villages, especially in the southern part of Tonle Sap, were founded by Vietnamese migrants who moved here because of the war. By law, they couldn’t settle on land, but nobody forbade them to live on water. First came individual houses, then entire villages. Many floating villages show strong Vietnamese cultural influence, including language and traditions.
A few FAQs
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How do they charge phones? Electricity comes from generators. I’ve also seen solar panels a few times.
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What about toilets? Not everything goes overboard. Some houses are equipped with septic systems.
Villages on Tonle Sap
The most famous villages on Tonle Sap are Chong Khneas, Kampong Pluk, Kampong Khleang, Prek Toal, and Me Chrey. Each of them has its own characteristics. Some villages, in my opinion, have already become fully tourist-focused, with residents living entirely off tourism.
All of these villages are located along the northern shore of the lake and can be visited from Siem Reap. If you’re reading this post, you’re most likely planning a trip to the Angkor temples. I recommend setting aside some time to see one of the villages. I visited several myself, and honestly — one is enough.
Next, a bit about each village and how to plan your trip in advance. This post includes photos from different villages, but I’ll point out which ones are best to visit.
Chong Khneas
The closest village to Siem Reap and a popular tourist spot. Houses here stand on floating platforms, and people get around the village by boat. Around 1,000 families live here. Its proximity to Siem Reap has turned the village into a tourist attraction. Here’s a souvenir stall, here are kids asking for money, give a dollar, here’s a crocodile, give a dollar to the legless child, here’s a school, give ten bucks or buy a sack of flour.
By the way! In many tourist-heavy areas, there are signs asking visitors not to buy anything from the children or give them money, because begging keeps them from going to school.
How to get there: tuk-tuk from Siem Reap — 40 minutes one way, $15 per trip, pay at the end. Boats leave from the pier; the trip lasts two hours and costs around $30 per boat. Each boat holds eight people; if you don’t want to wait for a full group, you can hire the whole boat. There are large, two-level boats where it’s cheaper. Keep in mind — cash only, preferably dollars. What I mention is current for 2024 but should serve as a guide. Some tourists at my hotel said they paid $400 for a day trip to the Angkor temples.
Kampong Pluk
Houses in this village are built on tall stilts. During the dry season, they tower above the water, and in the rainy season, it looks like they’re floating. Kampong Pluk is surrounded by dense mangrove forests, and you can take a boat ride through the flooded forest. In my opinion, it’s the most interesting village — you can see a lot without overpaying.
There are several tour options: just a boat ride between houses, or boat plus visits to the school, temples, and homes. In each, you can add a boat (+$5) to go through the tree-covered areas. But everything depends on the season.
How to get there: the most convenient way is a tour with pickup/drop-off directly from your hotel. Cost is $20 per person. The whole trip (round-trip by minibus plus the village tour) takes six hours.
Kampong Khleang
The largest village (10,000 residents) and at the same time less touristy. It’s about 50 km from Siem Reap, roughly an hour by car. Not many tourists make it here yet.
Tour cost is $50 per car (three people) plus $20 per person for the boat. So roughly $35 per person. You can go alone, but you’ll still pay as if three people were going. I recommend this village as well.
You can combine the trip with the more distant temples — Beng Mealea. This is a full-day tour. I’ll cover Beng Mealea in more detail in my post about the Angkor temples.
Mey Chrey
Another village with few tourists, where you can see real life on the water. Small, with only 300 families. It’s a 40-minute drive south of Siem Reap. From the pier, it’s a half-hour boat ride to the village.
The tour lasts five hours. With all expenses, it costs $50 per person.
Prek Toal
Prek Toal is on the western side of the lake. First and foremost, it’s a biosphere reserve. Bird lovers can watch pelicans, storks, and about a hundred other bird species that nest there. The best time to visit is from January to May.
The tour from Siem Reap takes a full day, from 7 a.m. until evening. The price is quite steep by Cambodian standards — $200 per person. This is really only for avid ornithologists or beginner birdwatchers.
In short: if you want the most optimal choice — Kampong Pluk. If you prefer a larger village with a few tourists — Kampong Khleang.
