Tonle Sap Lake

About 10 kilometers from the centre of town is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia, Tonle Sap. This lake is the major source of water and food in the area and provides 70 percent of Cambodia's inland fishing stock. There is no doubt that this lake played an important factor in the location and establishment of the Khmer Empire. It is a tidal lake, meaning that in the wet season the Mekong River reverses its flow, causing the lake to swell from an average depth of one metre in the dry season, to 9 meters or more in the monsoon season.

There are a number of communities that live on and around the lake in floating villages, or houses raised above the ground. For centuries the coming and going of water has shaped the lives of these people. In early July the houses built on 20-foot stilts, stand high and dry. Kompong Phluk is a very good example of these incredible villages of bamboo skyscrapers. The floating communities are fully mobile and move to various areas around the lake depending on the season. Chong Kneas is the largest of these villages and has many facilities including both primary and high schools, a catholic church, and even a basketball court. Tours to the area make a very interesting side trip when you are not visiting the many temples.