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Top Tonle Sap Attractions
- Seeing the colorful houses floating atop the water’s surface, their stilted foundation hidden underneath.
- Learning about the conservation efforts in places to keep the lake stocked and able to provide a home for the people who live there
- Taking a boat ride at sunset
- Meeting local families who live in the floating villages
- Watching artisans at work
- Viewing the many different species of birds and other wildlife
Tonle Sap Tours & Travel Guide
Tonle Sap Attractions & Landmarks Guide
Tonle Sap is one of nature’s true wonders. The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, the lake is 160 miles long and 62 miles wide, and feeds into the vital Mekong River. The lake is key to survival for these populations, whose daily lives revolve around the commodities the Tonle Sap provides.
Since Cambodia’s ancient days, Tonle Sap has been a central place of meaning, as well as provider of necessary commodities: water and fish, as well as the perfect environment for growing rice. The lake and it’s dwellers are depicted on wall carvings throughout Angkor’s ruins, indicating just how vital it has been to survival and how it has been embedded in Cambodian mythos.
Tonle Sap is seasonally inundated, meaning heavily dependent on the monsoon season, and home to approximately 170 villages, which house up to 80,000 people, many of whom are Vietnamese, refugees; a remnant of the Vietnam War.
Just nine miles south of Siem Reap, Tonle Sap is a classic Cambodian sight. Most tours to Cambodia will feature boat trips along the lake. As you explore the extensive byways, passing other tour boats and locals alike, it’s fascinating to observe the communities. Their daily lives not much different from our own at a basic level, save the fact that they live on water.
There’s traffic just like on country roads and highways, but with boats. Neighborhoods, schools, and businesses also operate. Families ferry supplies and groceries to their homes in canoes, and neighbors chat across the porches of their colorful floating houses.
Biodiversity on Tonle Sap Lake
One of the most biodiverse areas in Cambodia, a reason to visit the lake is not only it’s size, but the incredible plant and animal life as well. Tonle Sap is home to crocodiles, 13 species of turtle, 23 species of snake, and 200 species of fish.
Unique and rare birdlife is present here as well. The bird sanctuary of Prek Toal at Tonle Sap is the only place in the world where the species Spot-billed Pelicans and Milky Storks still live, breed, and are protected. The critically endangered Bengal Florican also lives here, and many other species that need to be carefully monitored or they will soon be endangered as well.
Forests grow from the water in an eery way. During the wet season, the tops of trees float atop the surface and in the dry season they create entrancing spaces to travel through. Slowly gliding over the water, ferried in small boats moved along by a guide sitting atop the bow, expertly balancing as the oar deftly moves from years of practice.
Not surprisingly, fishing is one of the key sources of income for those who work and live on the lake’s floating villages. 75% of Cambodia’s fish comes from Tonle Sap.
In recent years, Tonle Sap has faced tremendous conservation issues. Major declines in the fish populations have been dramatically affecting fishermen in recent years. Deforestation as well is prevalent, which leads to diminished habitats for the fish.
In 1997, it was officially named an UNESCO protected area, and since then major conservation efforts have had some success with educating the government as well as the people who live on the lake on the importance of conservation and cracking down on illegal fishing practices.
Activities on Tonle Sap Lake
1. Boat ride at sunrise or sunset - Often a photography focused tour activity, sailing around Tonle Sap at either sunrise of sunset provides stunning views and lighting. As the water gently laps against the sides of your boat, and silhouettes of stilted floating houses stand out against the horizon, it’s easy to let time drift away.
The simplicity and beauty of life on the water is all that exists. Be sure to put the camera down every now and then to appreciate the beauty of this unique place and the soft light from the rising or setting sun
2. Meet local fishermen and visit a floating house - One of the best parts of touring Tonle Sap Lake is getting to meet the locals inside one of their brightly colored floating homes. You can learn about their fishing habits, and especially the conservation efforts in place to maintain the fish populations.
Chatting with the people who live upon Tonle Sap is eye-opening - you may also meet members of the large Vietnamese population who have recent memories of the war and their horrific treatment in Cambodia during the regime of Pol Pot.
3. Birdwatching - As mentioned above, Tonle Sap is rich with incredibly diverse wildlife. The bird life alone is spectacular. Observing the many species here, particularly those that are endangered is a fantastic reminder of the importance of conservation and protections for Tonle Sap’s wildlife.
The Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary at Tonle Sap showcases the more than 100 varieties of water birds here, including majestic storks, powerful pelicans, and swooping fish eagle. Have your camera ready!
4. Meet local artisans - Cambodia is famous for its local artisans. In nearby Siem Reap, one of the best tour activities is a visit to Artisans Angkor where artists create craft items you can purchase right there, allowing your tourist money to help the initiative and go toward art education and training. Many local artists live on Tonle Sap, and their work can be viewed in souvenir shops around the lake.
5. Homestay in Kampong Luong floating village - Experience the minutia of daily life on Tonle Sap when you stay overnight with a family in Kampong Luong. This experience is best during the rainy season, when you can help with the daily fishing, and see what it’s like to travel everywhere by boat.
Learn to cook traditional meals, with items bought at floating markets and using ingredients from floating gardens. The isolation aspect comes to light, as there’s not much to do other than daily chores or enjoy a swim. Get to know the local villagers and let time slow down.
Touring Tonle Sap in the Rainy Season
The rainy season in Cambodia is between May and November, with heaviest rainfall typically occurring in September and October. The average high temperature during this time is around 85 degrees F, and the low is around 70 degrees F.
During this time the water at Tonle Sap rises about a total of 13 feet, making touring the lake a much different experience than during the dry season. In fact the very flow of the lake is reversed due to the sheer volume of water increase, which is caused mostly by the monsoon rains, but also by melting snow from the Himalayas, which affects the Mekong, and by extension Tonle Sap.
Touring Tonle Sap in the Dry Season
What is technically a second Monsoon season, the dry season in Cambodia is between December and April, the driest months usually being January and February. Typical temperatures during this time reach the low 90s (with high humidity); the warmest month is April which will reach 95 degrees F or higher.
This is a popular time to visit Tonle Sap particularly for the bird populations, which are more dense in this season, however you may experience the boat getting stuck in mud as you explore, due to the low water levels.
The “floating” residences around Tonle Sap will be revealed in their unique design when you tour the lake in the dry season. The complex system of stilts on which the houses stand clearly visible, giving a unique glimpse into just how high the water actually rises during the rainy season.
Photography Tips for Tonle Sap Lake
The inhabitants of Tonle Sap’s many floating villages have become quite used to tour groups from all over the world, eager for a glimpse into their fascinating way of life. And there is a lot to capture through your lens on Tonle Sap.
The unique and brightly colored homes you’ll encounter along your journey often have tremendous details you won’t want to miss. Such as a floating garden, or the bobbing head of a young child going for a swim.
Here are our best tips for capturing the best photographs at Tonle Sap Lake:
1. Tour Tonle Sap at sunrise or sunset. Water photography is beautiful at most times of day, but the sun glaring overhead can create garish brightness as it reflects off the surface. Touring the lake during magic hours of dawn and dusk allows for lovely soft light and beautiful effects as the sunlight ripples through the water.
2. Shoot in color film. The colorful variety in the homes, boats, and clothing is a wonderful addition to the experience of Tonle Sap. High contrast and saturation often works nicely for showcasing the unique mix of colors, both bright and subdued that you’ll see on the lake.
3. Practice portraiture. The people who live around and on Tonle Sap Lake are usually eager to tell their stories, and are fairly used to tourists with cameras. Practicing how to capture unique portraits that portray the complications behind their simple lifestyle, and bring the universality of human expressions to life will raise your pictures to a whole different level. Part of this process is learning how to ask for portraits. Subjects are typically much more receptive when their guard is down.
4. Protective casing & sturdy neck or shoulder strap. This is essential as you will be out on the water for extended periods of time. Some of the boats around the lake are quite open at the sides, so the chances of dropping items overboard are increased. Humidity is also regularly high in Cambodia, so crafting your own camera strap out of light, non absorbent material can be helpful to minimize getting uncomfortable as the day goes on.
Tonle Sap Reviews & Ratings
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Holiday of a lifetime
We have just returned from a two week adventure with our three sons aged 20,18 and 13. I can honestly say that our holiday exceeded our expectations. Our boys have...
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Brilliant 'last' family holiday with our kids before they head off into the world / don't want to go on family holidays
It's a busy trip, with a lot packed into 14 days, but absolutely worth the effort as the experiences are amazing. We could never have done this in this way as inde...
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Wonderful family holiday
A busy but well organised trip. This was the first time we'd done a trip like this and we don't regret it. We saw so much in the 14 days - I don't think we could ha...
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Fabulous Family Adventure
This was an amazing holiday. We saw so much and it was so well organised - I cannot recommend Exodus enough! This was the first time we'd done this kind of trip ...
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Family Fun in SE Asia
It felt like a month's worth of holiday in 2 weeks! The one other family were lovely- making it a real pleasure to travel together. The children really all got on ...
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