There’s nothing better than a boat trip, no matter which country you’re in, and during our Siem Reap trip I researched visiting Tonle Sap Lake, to explore the one of the floating villages. The three closest floating villages to Siem Reap are Chong Khneas, Kampong Phluk, and Kampong Khleang, and all within a day-trip distance of the city. So which one was the best option?
Some of these villages are obvious tourist traps, where you’re pressured, or guilted, into buying souvenirs, when really you want to get a glimpse and understanding of the local environment and culture.
Option 1: Tour of Chong Khneas floating village
One of the most tourist centric with an infestation of scams is Chong Khneas, which is located 15km south of Siem Reap. It’s the closest day trip option, and is frequently offered in tour combos with other activities because of it’s close proximity.
The main tourist scams are that your boat driver will try and take you to an overpriced floating restaurant or souvenir shop.
But that’s not to say that there aren’t some reputable tour companies offering tours to these floating villages, and if you’re short of time and set on visiting Chong Khneas, a good option is aboard the Queen Tara Boat.
We are a responsible company and focus on education, training and sustainable tourism, always being respectful to the communities we work in. In fact we have set up many environmental projects and our current project is water filtration systems for villages we visit, through our educational and awareness programs and supporting local businesses and suppliers doing the same.
Their sister company is Khmer Detours was voted best value small group tours in Cambodia, because of its focus on protection of the sites they visit. They offer various tours to all three of the floating villages we cover in this article.
Option 2: Tour of Kampong Phluk floating village
Kampong Phluk is a cluster of three villages of stilted houses built within the floodplain about 35 km southeast of Siem Reap, which you reach by boat from Chong Khneas, or by road. The villages are primarily Khmer and have about 3000 inhabitants between them.
As well as the stilted houses over the river, there is also a Vietnamese floating village, which is built on platforms that actually float and move locations around the river, and sometimes to other parts of the Tonle Sap lake. It’s not just the houses that float and move locations, it’s the whole community which includes a floating school, hospital and local shops and businesses.
You can read about Tom and Anna’s experience of visiting the floating village at Kampong-phluk on their Adventure in You website.
Video diary of a visit to Kompong-phluk floating village
CurrentlyHannah Published on Nov 22, 2017
Option 3: Tour of Kompong Khleang floating village
So if you’re looking for an authentic experience you need to travel further afield and your best option is Kompong Khleang, which is the largest floating village in the Siem Reap province located about 55km south east of the city and is the largest floating village within close proximity of Siem Reap. You can reach here by boat from the Chong Khneas or by traveling along Route #6 to Domdek, where you can catch a boat to Kompong Khleang during the rainy season (during dry season the boats can’t get all the way to the main villages).
From my research of responsible tour guides, The Community First Tour, appears to be the best option: All profits from their tours are transferred to Bridge of Life School to support education and training in rural communities.
- 3 hours roundtrip travel time, with 2.5 hours spent exploring the floating villages.
- Trip Fee: The price is $35 USD per person
- https://www.kompongkhleang.org/
You can read about Julie’s experience with The Community First tour here, and her article includes links to some of the negative feedback about other tour operators that are a little less reputable, which she unearthed during her research for a responsible tour option for visiting the floating villages.
Video diary of a visit to Kompong Khleang floating village
Wanderlust Storytellers, Published on Dec 21, 2017
Ryan Fallon, Published on Feb 7, 2017
Which Floating Village did we choose?
With a limited time in Siem Reap there are only so many day trips we could sign up for. I wanted to visit Tonle Sap Lake, and had decided that a trip to Kompong Khleang floating village was the most responsible and least touristy option. November was a good time to visit, as the recent heavy rains had raised the height of the river making all of the possible locations water-logged enough to navigate around in the long boats. But as the tour to Kompong Khleang would have chewed up the majority of our day, we opted instead for a different option.
Read about our boat trip from Siem Reap to Battenbang via long boat
Which #floatingvillage should your visit during your #SiemReap stay? #responsibletravel #Cambodia Share on X
Flashpacking through Cambodia
Flashpacking through Cambodia: For Baby Boomers on a Budget is my latest Roving Jay travel guide full of travel tips, advice, and sample itineraries for flash packers who want the back packing experience without foregoing some of life’s creature comforts – like a comfortable bed, a hot shower, free wi-fi, and somewhere to plug your electric toothbrush in.
I spent almost three months backpacking around Cambodia in 2017/2018 to research this travel guide, and I share insights and first hand knowledge of tourist traps and off-the-beaten-path discoveries. We ate street food, drank 50c beers, and travelled by train, bus, minivan and tuktuk to identify the best ways to get from A to B.
If you’d like to receive a free Review Copy ahead of the general public release, please click here.
Here’s my Cambodia posts on this blog:
- Cambodia Visa and Arrival at Siem Reap Airport
- Cambodia: How to Avoid the Crowds at Angkor Wat
- Filling up your scooter in Cambodia
- The Best Tasting Street Food in Siem Reap
- Angkor Wat at Dawn: Is it worth it?
- Come face to face with Angkor Thom’s Bayon
- Good vs. Evil at Angkor Thom’s Impressive Southern Gate
- The Baphuon Temple and the Terrace of the Elephants at Angkor Thom
- Visiting Siem Reap’s War Museum
- Where to Stay in Siem Reap
- Visiting Siem Reap’s Markets
- Give your taste buds a disco at Siem Reap Night Market
- Responsible Tourism at Joe to Go in Siem Reap
- What to See and Do in Siem Reap
- Which Siem Reap Floating Village should you visit?
- Memorable Boat Trip from Siem Reap to Battambang
- Libations and Bric-a-Brac tempt our purse strings in Battambang
- Vegetable Amok at About the World Restaurant in Battambang
- Cooking Classes at Nary’s Kitchen Battambang
- Pomme Bar, Restaurant and Hostel, at the Core of the new Battambang
- An educational trip around Battambang’s Central Market
- Sightseeing and things to do in Battambang Cambodia
- Bayon VIP Bus from Battambang to Phnom Penh Cambodia
- Exploring Phnom Penh’s 172nd Street in the dark
- The challenge of wandering Phnom Penh’s streets
- A visit to Phnom Penh’s Central Market
- Exploring Phnom Penh’s Markets
- Phnom Penh Photo Diary
- Tops sights to see in Phnom Penh
- Touring S-21 Security Prison (Tuol Sleng Museum Phnom Penh)
- A reflective visit to The Killing Fields
- Taking a train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville
- The majesty of Otres Beach sunsets
- Our Workaway Gig at Otres Beach Market Cambodia
- Working Away to make Cambodian Bagels
- Cambodia Pastry Wars: The Battle of the Quiche
- Our Cambodia workaway gig renovating a market stall
- Unwind on Cambodia’s Koh Ta Kiev Island
- Cambodian Beach Massage and Grilled Seafood
- Building Community during our Cambodian Workaway
- Gecko Village in Kampot Cambodia – a Photo Essay
- Christmas Eve in Kampot
- more coming
It must have been such a wonderful experience to visit a floating village! I think I would opt for the least touristy option of Kompong Khleang, as it would be amazing to experience how life is for the locals and how a village on the water operates during a normal day. What a great wau to help the kids see all the different cultures and ways of life around the world. 🙂
These rivers and lakes are the life blood of this community, so to get a real cultural immersion not trip would be complete without a visit to one of them.