Tonle Sap Lake

Tonle Sap great lake is the largest freshwater lake in the Southeast Asia and supplies life to one of Asia's largest rice bowls. Its existence revolves around seasonal cycles:  in the dry season, it is a shallow lake with a surface of 3500 square kilometers. When the monsoon begins, (in June / July) the swollen waters of Mekong River forces the Tonle Sap River, to reverse its flow northwards, feeding the Great Lake and spreading over the surrounding flood plain. In September, the height of monsoon, the lake swells to ten times its size, covering an area of approximately 12 000 square kilometers with a maximum depth ranging from 8 to 10 meters. Interestingly, it is on the northwestern shore of the lake, surrounded by strategic hills, that the ancient Khmer kings established their capital from early 9th to the 15th century. The Tonle Sap Lake was designated as Multiple-Use Protected area by the Royal Degree in November 1993, after which the Lake was successfully nominated as Biosphere Reserve in October 1997 under Man and Biosphere Reserve Program of UNESCO the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve aims to fulfill three complementary functions: conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, and species diversity, culturally, socially, and ecologically sustainable development; and research, monitoring and education. Today, we can visit the beautiful everyday life of the people who live in their floating village and the fish, crocodile farm or floating market. Beside the people, we can visit the bird's sanctuary at Prek Toal and mangroves at Kompong Plug or Kompong khleang. At that place, we can see many houses which built of woods with stilts.

Biodiversity

The variety of inter-connected streams, lakes, flooded plan, and wetland vegetation, together with unique hydrological regime of the Great Lake, support a rich biological diversity such as aquatic plans, fish, waterfowls, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and microorganisms.

Nearly two thirds of the lake flood plan at the medium flooding level is covered by aquatic plant community, listing more than 190 plants’ species. The wetland forest plays a vital role in sustaining the natural reproduction of biological resources, which interact as a giant food chain.

More than 200 fish species are found in the lake, of which 70 are of commercial value. The fish catch from the lake is accounted for 60% of the total freshwater fish production. At the present, there is concern about the fish stock decline, indicated by the depletion of several large fish species, large proportion of small fish per catch sample, and decreased fish catch per gear.

The abundant food, coupled with diversified wetland habitats, provide an excellent living condition for many water birds species. Surveys reveal more than hundred bird species, of which a dozen is considered as of international importance.

Tonle Sap Lake is also a home to a number of reptile and mammal species, 23 snake species, 13 turtle species, a crocodile species, macaque, capped languor, leopard cat; otter are also found in the inundated forest of the Tonle Sap.

Floating Community 

The rich natural resources of Tonle Sap Lake are the primary reason for the community to be settled within the inundated area. Most of the floating villages were established thousand years ago probably due to their fishing and fishery-related activities. Since then, their traditional way of life does not change too much, and still fishing is the major source of income for the majority of the villagers. Addition source of income included fish processing, fish cage culture, crocodile and snake farming, duck raising, firewood collection, wildlife hunting, reed and rattan collection and small scale-agricultures.

Ecotourism 

- Wilderness and untouched beauty of wetland vegetation,

- Watching small and big water birds,

- Relaxed paddle boats trips inside pristine flooded forest,

- Learning about the culture and tradition of the floating villagers,

OTher Floating Communities

Chong Khneas

This village is located 12 km at the south of Siem Reap. It is a charming and attractive place with floating village and community. At least two villages are floating on water, such Vietnamese and Khmer villages, but they are living separately, except Khmer-Islamese live together with Khmer. Their daily lives are still original; they live in floating timber houses which supported below by bamboos dunks. Every seasons,  they move their houses in and out, it means that the rainy season they move their houses back to the port or to the mountain, and dry season they move in to the lake according to water level deep enough for launching their houses or not, if the water is shallow, they must move further more. They can fish and feed the fish in their farm as well as, they live here very long time ago.  After the civil war ended, a lot of national and international tourists go to relax and visit the floating fish farm, market, pig, birds, floating schools, and so, especially take the beautiful sunset there.  This place is nowadays invested to manage the port by Sou Ching Port Investment Co. ltd. If you would like to go there you may ask you driver or receptionist in your hotels, over there you can hire the machine boat to the lake and visit floating lives.

Kompong Plug

It is situated at the south of Rolous town nowadays; it is a village in the water in the rainy season when the water is swollen. This place we can see many stilted houses are in water. The people do not move like Chong Kneas. Every day lives are similar to ones at Chong Khneas, but can farm dry rice in the dry season and floating rice in rainy season. What do you want to visit here? You can visit the stilted houses, Buddhist pagoda, school, and undated deep jungles. You able to rent the rowing boat to take through the undated jungles as well in the rainy season. In the dry season you can reach here by car, tuk tuk and motorbikes and in the rainy season you reach there only by boats.

Kompong Khleang

It is situated Kompong Khleang Commune, Sotra Nikum District, Siem Reap Province, and around 50km at the east of Siem Reap, a big village in the water again. Many stilted houses which built from woods or bamboos. The people live in fishing and farming. Over there we can see many stilted houses, a few Vietnamese floating houses, schools and some Buddhist pagodas. In hot season you reach there by car, tuk tuk and motor bikes..., in the wet season you reach there with boats.

Me Chhrey

It is situated in Me Chhrey commune, Pouk district, Siem Reap province, about 60km at the southwest of Siem Reap. It is very new destination which opens for tourists two years ago. The people there live in floating houses like Chong Khneas, too. We mean that they can move their houses in and out according to the water level. They live in fishing and a little farming. We can visit daily lives of people at the country side who live a long the road to that place, floating houses, pagoda, school and birds.... We reach there only with boat from Me Chhrey Port.

Prek Toal

It is located in Prek Toal commune, Ek Phnom district, Battambong province, about 45km at the southwest of Chong Khneas. It is big village with floating and stilted houses together; people never move their houses in and out, because they live in deep canal.  They live in fishing and farming like other village, too. We can reach there only with the boat from Chong Khneas around one hour. We can visit the lives in floating and stilted houses and birds’ sanctuary. Many birds live in this place between Octobers to April, because they able to lay eggs and hatch the chicks here.

Kompong Lourng

It is located in Kompong Lourng commune, Kra Ko district, Posat provine, just 5 km from the main national road number 5, from Battambong to Phnom Penh. This is a floating village like Chong Khneas in Siem Reap, too. People can move their houses in and out every season according to water level. We can see the floating houses, church, small fish farm and Vietnamese Karaoke’s. Most people are Vietnamese, who live here before long time. You can reach there with boat to see the floating community.

Please feel freely to book tours for Tonle Sap angkoradvisor@yahoo.com

Chong Khneas	Kompong Plug
Kompong Khleang	Me Chhrey
Prek Toal	Kompong Lourng