Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia

Tonle Sap is a large freshwater lake located in the middle of Cambodia. It is even the largest lake in South East Asia. During the rainy season, the area covered by the Tonle Sap Lake almost doubles to seven times, leaving the surrounding area under water. This region is among the poorest regions in the world.

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About Cambodia

Cambodia is a very poor country located in Southeast Asia on the peninsula known as Indochina. In the country where the Khmer people live, the Khmer language is used as the official language; but you can do all kinds of business by speaking English in touristic areas. About 16 million people live in the country, which is far behind in the 137th place in terms of the Human Development Index. Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, located in the south; but the city that attracts the most tourists is Siem Reap.

Cambodia is governed by a monarchy, we can call it a parliamentary monarchy since it also has a parliament. The country's recent history has witnessed incredible massacres, and Cambodia, which has just come to its senses, has serious problems in education and health. The country's largest sources of income are agriculture, textiles and tourism. Buddhism is the only religion prevalent in the country.

Tonle Sap Lake

In dry seasons (November-March), the area covered by the lake decreases to 2700 km², while in the rainy season (May-October) it can reach up to 16000 km². The area covered by the lake reaches its maximum size in October. The depth of the lake, which is around 1 m in most places, is not more than 10 m at the deepest point, and the average depth is around 5 m.

The Tonle Sap River connects Tonle Sap Lake to the Mekong River. The Mekong River is of great importance for all of Indochina, and in short, it is the most important resource that gives life to this place. Tonle Sap Lake, which is filled with water from the Mekong River in the rainy season, causes the Tonle Sap River to flow backwards due to the elevation difference when the waters of the Mekong River decrease in the dry season. This event is celebrated in Phnom Penh with annual festivities. Boat races are held for three days with the participation of approximately 50 thousand people.

If you have come to Cambodia somehow, there are about 3 million people living around Tonle Sap Lake, which is on the list of places you must see. About half of them earn their living by fishing in the lake. At the same time, they also provide food from this lake and its surroundings.

How to Get to Tonle Sap Lake?

The best way to see Tonle Sap Lake and its surroundings is to come to the city of Siem Reap. If you have already come to Cambodia to visit Angkor Wat, you should stay in Siem Reap again. To go to Tonle Sap Lake, you have to go to Chong Khnies Port, which is about 15 km from Siem Reap, where boats depart. You can rent a boat from here or join the tours departing from here. The price you will pay will be approximately 15-20 USD. Pre-arranging the tour is more comfortable, guaranteed; but it will be a little more expensive. These types of tours are definitely sold at the hotel you are staying in. The fee you will pay, including transportation to the boat, will be around 40 USD.

What to See in Tonle Sap Lake?

With these tours, you can travel on the Siem Reap River and see the houses built on poles and the life here. When it is possible to go ashore, I definitely recommend you to go ashore and walk around the village. Village life is very different from what you know. The Kampong Phluk Village we visited is such a village built on poles. There is also a pagoda and, of course, Buddhist monks in the village. When the waters rise, the houses built 7 to 8 meters above these waters come to the same level with the water level, and even the water comes up to the stairs by passing the poles. The piece of land between the houses is disappearing and transportation is provided entirely by boats over the water.

After passing the village, there is a flooded forest, if you have time, it would be nice to wander around a bit. However, you will need to change your boat and switch to a smaller boat to navigate this forest. Afterwards, the river joins the Tonle Sap Lake, and there you follow the sunset and cross the road back.

There are a few other villages in this region, some of which are built on poles, while others consist of houses and shops built to float on the water. The boats used in Tonle Sap are colorfully painted and most of them are powered by outboard motors. You will notice that the shaft of these motors is quite long. These boats are used for fishing, and this region is very productive in terms of fishing, with over two hundred fish species. These include giant catfish. Not only fishing, but also shrimp and crocodile farms are other ways of making a living.

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