Day 1: Visit Tonle Sap (Floating Village) and Beng Mealea

Kampong Phluk Floating Village - Day 1: Visit Tonle Sap (Floating Village) and Beng Mealea

Breakfast. In the morning, a French speaking guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel at 8am. You will visit the largest freshwater reserve in Southeast Asia, the picturesque lakeside villages of Tonle Sap, is located 30 km south of Siem Reap. You will take a private boat to visit the Cambodian life on the water, the fishermen and the mangrove landscape. The inhabitants move by boat on the lake during the rainy season, the children go to school by boat, the women sell the cake and the vegetables on their small boats. Walk through the footbridges of the fishing village perched on huge piles. Houses on huge piles of 6 to 7 meters high. Houses are surrounded by the flooded forest that can be visited by boat in the rainy season and on foot during the dry season.

The Tonle Sap, designated a biosphere reserve by Unesco in 1997 for its ecological, economic, social and cultural value, is the largest freshwater reserve in Southeast Asia. It is also the nourishing lake of more than half of the Cambodian population.
Cambodian families live around the lake and most of them make their living from fishing and also farming, floating houses, and all activities revolve around fishing, there are plenty of huge fishponds in floating cages. More than 300 000 tonnes of fish are fished each year.

Afternoon, lunch in a Cambodian restaurant

After the meal and a moment of rest, you continue the visit to discover Beng Mealea temple dated for 12 centuries abandoned in the middle of the forest and encircled by the roots of the trees. This temple is 60 km from Siem Reap, was built by the Suryavarman II, it is never restored.
Return to Siem Reap late afternoon

• Bottled fresh water provided
• French-speaking guide available
• Transportation in tuk tuk or air-conditioned vehicle included

• Angkor Pass ($ 37 / person), free for children under 12 years old.
•  Meals, drinks during meals
• Beng Mealea’s pass ($ 5 / person)
•  The ticket of the boat
• accommodation
• Personal expenses