Tonle Sap Lake & Kampong Phluk: Uncover Cambodia's Largest Lake from Siem Reap in Half-day Tour
4.8
897 Ratings
Embark on a half-day tour from Siem Reap to explore Tonle Sap Lake and Kampong Phluk, Cambodia's largest lake. Discover the fishermen's village, witness the unique ecosystem, and learn about the local culture and lifestyle. Book now!
Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Kampong Phluk Floating Village - Meet the guide at your hotel lobby in Siem Reap for morning or afternoon departure—morning pickups are variety between 7:30am to 8:30am, while afternoon trips depart at 2 pm and  pick up variety between 1pm to 2pm. So guests are advised to wait in the hotel lobby and ready to go as soon as your guide arrives.

Tour set out this morning/afternoon on a group tour to the countryside which drive about 45-minutes to the fishermen’s village of Kompong Phluk whose name means ‘harbor of the tusks’ and Cambodia great lake. Enjoy Tonle Sap Lake, is a lake with no ends in front of you, and birds flying slowly overhead and surrounding with the interesting village.

During the dry season (February to Jul), the village can be reached by mini bus or motorbike, as the – bumpy - road that is normally flooded dries up.

In the rainy season (August to Jan), a short boat ride from the quay, through the wetland area will take you to Kompong Phluk. It is not a floating village but a village on high stilts as well as some floating houses and in spite of fishing is often the privilege of the Vietnamese minority but inhabitants of Kompong Phluk are almost exclusively of Cambodian origin. The villagers frequently move from house to another house during the rainy season, they live in houses built on stilts and move to small huts near the waterfront during the dry season to do fishing.

Arrive at the quay, board a local boat for a 1.5-hour ride on the Tonle Sap Lake as well as village where you will see nature in a way you’ve only seen in picture books, and the tour of Kampong Phluk is worth the extra effort to get there, then we will visit the village, the pagoda on the only butte (the only building which is not on stilts) and see the activities of the villagers who your expert guide will teach you about their culture, the life style, and the ecosystem of this fascinating place.

Optional (August to Jan): you can pay an extra to take a small canoes paddle by villagers (or wait for the group about 40 mns); will take you deep into the dense flooded forest. The trees of this forest are perfectly adapted to their unusual existence as they are completely submerged a part of the year. 

Return to Siem Reap and drop off at your hotel or requested drop off point within Siem Reap city center.

What's Included
  • Local Live English Speaking guide
  • Sharing local boat ride
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Cold bottled water on tour
What's Not Included
  • Canoe ride in mangrove forest (Aug-Jan)
  • Food and drinks
  • Travel insurances
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Take a half-day group excursion from Siem Reap, guided by a local. Spend an approximately 45-minute drive to Kompong Phluk, a local fishing village also known as ‘the harbor of the tusks,’ and explore the expansive Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia. Marvel at the endless waterscape before you, spot birds soaring calmly overhead, and take in the village surroundings and nearby wetlands.

Hop onto a local boat and sail towards the villagers’ homes, school, and government houses, all perched on towering stilts, except for the pagoda which stands on an isolated hill - the only structure not raised on stilts. Learn about the inhabitants’ lifestyle, culture, and the unique ecosystem of this captivating location from your expert guide.

You will be picked up and dropped off at your hotel at the end of the tour. Remember to select one of the two available departure times when booking your trip.

  • Variety group size depends on bookings of the day
  • Minimum age is 3 years
  • No wheelchair accessible
  • Travel insurances
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(897 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Rithy7942
May 10, 2024
Tonlesap lake - Floating village Tonle Sap Lake located in the center of Cambodia. This lake, which accounts for 15% of Cambodia's area, is the home of traditional floating villages where local people live. It is an important place like a lifeline for Cambodians. Almost all of the people living on Tonlesa Lake are fishermen, and there are also floating villages, floating villages, floating restaurants, and floating suburbs on Tonlesa Lake^^
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zuhaib_b
May 9, 2024
Excellent tour - Excellent tour (and I’m usually very particular and easily dissatisfied). Van was comfortable with AC. Sophy was full of information about each part of the tour and thoughtfully took me through each section (market, floating village, lake). Please note that during part of the year (I travelled in early-mid May) the water levels are low and therefore the village is accessed by driving and walking (only the lake is by boat). Still exceptional and worth a visit. Incredibly interesting.
Review provided by Viator
564talitag
May 4, 2024
Guide and driver - The guide Mr. Nak Chum and the driver Mr. Channa did everything to provide us with a very interesting trip and a view of Cambodian life. We highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grand_kokkino
Apr 11, 2024
5 star +++ 100% worth booking. - A fantastic day, great experience to really be recommended. Nak proved to be an excellent guide combining a great sense of humour with a real depth of knowledge to bring all subjects to life. Humble and honest, he really made the day, and anyone getting him as a guide will be lucky. Partnered up with our driver Thnou, who kept the cold drinks and Cambodian spring rolls (frozen handtowels) coming as well as being on time and driving safely. It really was a pleasure to spend time with them and learn so much about Cambodia and its culture
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sylvia
Apr 8, 2024
Amazing tour with our wonderful guide Nak. - Thank you for this amazing tour. Our wonderful guide Nak introduced us the real life in the villages in a very impressive way. Later to be with the Elefants, it was an amazing experiance. Thank you Nak and your driver for guiding this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephaniet2200
Apr 3, 2024
Great tour for spending time with elephants and learning about local modern Cambodian living - This tour was so fun! After seeing Angkor Watt and learning some Cambodian history, this tour was a great way to learn more about daily life in Cambodia. Mr. Nak started the tour with a visit to his hometown market, and let us try local fruits and a local snack and pointed out local favorite foods and ingredients. He then took us to a "floating village" community and told us about the history and way of life. The we went to the Tonle Sap lake and told us about the marine life and some really interesting geopolitics about the rivers feeding the Tonle Sap lake. We went to lunch at a beautiful spot to relax for a little bit, then headed to the Kulen Elephant Forest where we were able to feed, walk with, and bathe rescued elephants!!! It was a blast, and Mr. Nak was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions about a lot of the things we had seen in Cambodia even outside of the tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
L1108yrelsap
Mar 29, 2024
Fabulous morning in the Tonle Sap Lake area - This tour provided us a very different view of Cambodia, outside of more 'classic' touristic circuits, and was eye opening on many points. Mr Nak was our tour guide and was incredibly enthusiastic, helpful, knowledgeable and therefore very interesting to listen to. We started our day by visiting a rural market, where he took the time to make us taste typical fruits, insects and other Cambodian snacks. We then went to Kampong Phluk village; though the water was at the lowest at this season, it remained a very interesting and fascinating stop to visit by boat. We stopped on the Tonle Sap Lake, where Mr Nak gave us very detailed explanations about its importance to people, its geographic particularities and its amazing biodiversity. Afterwards, we finished our half tour by going through the Kampong Phluk village once more but this time by feet; Mr Nak let us the time to take all pictures we wanted and made sure to pause to answer all of our questions. The car came to pick us up from our guest house in Siem Reap and brought us back at the end of the day. Our driver, Mr Mom, was very kind as well. The vehicle was equipped with air conditioning and we were able to get fresh bottles of water once it got too hot. Truly both an amazing tour and guide that we vividly recommend !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Antoniomy6303hm
Mar 23, 2024
Great tour and visit - I really enjoyed this half-day private tour in which I had the opportunity to get to know the real way of life of the fishing community of Kampong Pluk on the edge of the Tonle Sap lake, namely its homes, markets and school. Especially captivating was the contact with the children. We arrived at the lake after a ride on a small local boat. Sath our guide was 5 stars as well as the driver Mom. I recommend it to everyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jacquelinew90
Mar 21, 2024
A unique experience - My memories from this water village tour exceeded my expectations, a completely different world to me, Phat was our tour guide and because of him this tour was both informative and enjoyable. At all times he gave insightful information on the history and lifestyle of the water village people. With his own personal family history of growing up in these regions, Phat was not only knowledgeable, but also friendly, caring and sensitive. This tour is highly recommended and particularly with Phat as a guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gabriela3175
May 16, 2024
Lake and floating village - Great guide (Phy), very friendly and helpful! Despite being the dry season, the experience was very nice. Also showing us the local street market.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today