Everyone knows that Angkor Wat in Cambodia always is the most highlighted attraction with still charming myth and history to attract people around the world to touch it evenly spiritually. The same as the Cambodia’s Great Lake named Tonle Sap, which is also the most prominent feature on the map of Cambodia. It is a huge dumbbell- shape body of water stretching across the northwest part of the country. How many will know that this lake with unique geographical wonder has for centuries been the rice basket of Cambodian floating villagers and has already offered visitors insights into the centuries- old traditions of rural life along the bank of this natural splendor of the country.
Tonle Sap Lake is only about 15 km south of Siem Reap town. If you are traveling from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh by ferry, you will cross this lake and dock at a village called Chong Khneas. Traveling the Tonle Sap, you will have an opportunity to see the culture of local people living on the bank, at floating villages. The interesting attraction is to see wildlife! We are sure that not many visitors know that the Tonle Sap is one of the great wildlife sanctuaries: home to more than 100 bird species, threatened and endangered species, over 200 species of fish, as well as crocodiles, turtles, macaques and other wildlife inhabiting the inundated mangrove forests. Birdwatchers and adventure travelers would be easily attracted when they know about this. One of the reasons that make this great lake a large ecological community is the harmony of rural people living with this wildlife, with fishing- based economy, the cycles of rising and falling of the waters that have influenced the way people and wildlife are inhibiting. It is a great ecosystem.
Let’s start with the village called Chong Khneas. Chong Khneas is the floating village situated at the edge of the lake and travelers can access to Siem Reap from this village. This place is the gateway to explore other remote floating villages of the lake. Boat tours to quickly see the Tonle Sap Lake is available. During the trip, the boatman will point out the Vietnamese and Khmer floating households and floating markets, schools and other interesting places along the bank. Usually boat trips will let you see the fish and bird exhibition and the Gecko Environment Centre that displays the information about the ecology of the lake.
The second attraction is Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary. At the core area of Prek Toal is the sanctuary for species of birds. It is the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve, which is the most important breeding ground in Southeast Asia. With 31,282 hectares at the northwest tip of the Tonle Sap, this reserve plays a great role as hosting to various bird species such as Greater and Lesser Adjuncts, Black-headed Ibis, Painted Stork, Milky Stork, Spot-billed Pelican, Grey-Headed Fish Eagle. The recommended and the best time to visit this place is the dry season when flocks of migratory birds congregate at Prek Toal. Number of birds increases when the dry season progresses and the water recedes, However, in some important areas, it is also difficult to access to view the birds. Staying overnight is possible. You may have to contact reliable tour operator arranging this kind of tour.
Kampong Phluk is another cluster including 3 villages. The always charming point is that there still are a few travelers visiting this area. So it offers an exotic look of the way people living on the lakeside. This cluster is scattered with those stilted houses built within the floodplain of the Tonle Sap. This group of villages is only 16 km southeast of Siem Reap, with Khmer people as the main group. The forest you can see here is the flooded mangrove forest which is home to a wide variety of wildlife including crab-eating macaques. Traveling here you will see people living earning their lives with fishing and shrimp harvesting.
Traveling to a more remote area at the Tonle Sap, there is another village named Kampong Khleang, located on the northern lake- edge, about 35 km east of Siem Reap, and can be reached by boat from the Chong Khneas. This village has still preserved its nature as its location is quite a remote area, less touristy than Kampong Phluk. The enthralling attraction of this place is the forest of stilted houses rising up to 10 metres in the air. Dry season is the recommended time to visit the place, because in wet season, the waters rise to within 1 or 2 metres of the houses. People living here live their lives with fishing, like the people at Kampong Phluk and it is the largest permanent community of the lake. During dry season, boat trip to this village is not possible, so a visit can be arranged by road which is clear in this season. You need to consult with the specialized or adventure tour operator to arrange a trip.
If your time visiting Siem Reap is quite limited, and you cannot visit the Tonle Sap, the exhibition displaying the information of Tonle Sap is available in Siem Reap. It is the Exhibition on the Khmer Heritage. This exhibition is sponsored by a Cambodia- based NGO to support children in Cambodia. The exhibition, with quite informative display, is dedicated to the Tonle Sap Lake and people, culture and environment of the area. The displays include maps, photos and models of traditional houses, boats and fishing implements with written explanations in French, English and Khmer. It is open everyday. When planning a sightseeing or cycling trip in Siem Reap, you can consult with tailor made tour operator to add this place into your itinerary. It’s easy because the exhibition is located on the road to the Angkor Wat.
