The lake life of Tonle Sap

My first impression of Tonle Sap Lake was that it seemed endless, like a sea; a rather brown sea. It had stretched like an endless shimmering sheet of water as an equally huge blue sky had spanned overhead. Small fluffy white clouds had hung overhead, and the sun had sparkled on the water like a million diamonds. The colour of the lake had been a shade of buttery brown pink, similar to the hue of stale meat, and oddly, it had looked quite pretty. I had wondered at both the size and colour of Tonle Sap and taken in lungfuls of the dry, hot air. It had been during a scammy, touristy Tonle Sap boat ride that such thoughts had occurred to me, and I had left the unique waterbody with mixed feelings.

Visiting the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia

Considered the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, Tonle Sap is indeed unique. Though the dimension and the depth of the lake vary with season, Tonle Sap dominates the Cambodian landscape. It is very interesting, especially during the dry season from May to November, when water flows out from the lake into the Mekong River. This natural phenomenon of outflowing water creates the lovely flooded forest, and it turns into a breeding ground for fish. Tone Sap is rich in aquatic and bird life, and much biodiversity exists within its murky depths. Freshwater fishes, crocodiles, snakes, turtles, otters, freshwater fishes etc, call it home, and the Prek Toal Biosphere Reserve lies in its periphery. The lake is also commercially very important since it provides more than half of Cambodia‘s fish consumption. Tourism also plays a major economic role, and unfortunately, this has turned this unique water body into a sort of touristy theme park.

The floating villages of Tonle Sap

Famous for pockets of lakeside habitats, Tonle Sap‘s floating and stilted villages are major tourist draws. Inhabited by fishermen of ethnic Vietnamese origin, who have been living there for decades, these villages are a far cry from the photogenic Myanmar Lake Inle villages. Gritty with extremely basic conditions, the Tonle Sap villagers live in abject poverty, and with fishing concessions being awarded to rich local businessmen, their livelihoods are increasingly threatened. Thus, Tonle Sap tourism is a boon with a downside for them, and it has turned the sleepy fishing lake villages into busy commercial spots. The most popular among these villages, Chong Khneas, lies at the edge of the lake, and it is only 15 kilometres away from Siem Reap. A 30-minute boat ride makes it the easiest to access the lake village, and Chong Khneas is a group tour hot favourite.

The controversial feeling of visiting a human zoo

Thus, it is hard-nosed, commercial, touristy, and can be explored fully in 2 hours by boat. This trip usually includes a stop at a touristy floating village, along with a fleeting visit to a “bird and fish exhibition”. A souvenir and snack shop, along with brief stops at the Gecko Environment Centre, completes this Tonle Sap floating village trip. Incidentally, the village of Chong Khneas is quite interesting with its small communities of Khmer, Vietnamese, and Muslim floating quarters, markets, clinics, schools, pigsties, groceries, etc. But it is always crowded with boatfuls of other tourists, hustlers, and noise. Apart from Chong Khneas, there are other villages like Kampong Phluk, Kompong Klang, and the floating villages near Pursat and Kompong Chhnang on the opposite side of Tonle Sap.

The flooded forests

Since I did not like the floating village visit to Tonle Sap, there are not many details that I remember from that trip. A dusty early morning tuk-tuk ride had taken me to a boat dock, and the countryside had been prettily rural. And it had been a red earth country with blood ochre gashes of the ploughs still visible through the top sprout of young rice shoots. Large milky white birds had rested on the land, and water buffalo had sat under skinny palm trees. The boat dock had been quite empty, and it had not taken me much time to hop on one by myself. The ride through the stilted and floating villages had been uneventful, and I had given visits to the crocodile farm amiss. The flooded forest had been beautiful, and I remember changing into a smaller boat for that. Obviously, being a protected area, only hand rowed boats were allowed inside, and it had been a mirroring green quiet sanctuary. Walkways had interconnected overhead, and girls in hats had worked on fishing lines.

A lake under ecological threat

The boat trip had ended quite fast after the flooded forest stop, and I had left Tonle Sap feeling extremely unsettled. It had been quite evident that Tonle Sap, like many of Earth‘s water bodies, was in danger, but for the first time, humans of the lake too seemed equally threatened. They seemed unwelcome, uncared for, and somewhere had slipped through the growing economic development of the country. Sadly, Tonle Sap had occurred on the last day of my Siem Reap, and I had moved on to Phnom Penh for some colonial beauty and lovely Mekong vibes.

Tonle Sap Travel Tips

Tonle Sap circles five provinces of Cambodia and supports more than 3 million people. Lying in the northwestern part of the country, it is quite a unique place and can be a nice day trip from Siem Reap, which is only 15 kilometres away. Many tour companies in Siem Reap offer the floating village day trip, and you can combine it with the flooded forest for a small extra fee. It is also possible to travel from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh by express boat by crossing the lake. However, this is recommended during the rainy season only when the water level is high enough.

Follow the rest of the Cambodia series

• The river sculptures of Banteay Srei and Phnom Kulen
• Ta Prohm impressions
• Things to do in Battambang
• New Year at Angkor Wat
• Battambang Delights

RESPONSIBLE TRAVELING-BECAUSE I CARE