Tonle Sap Lake & Kampong Phluk: Uncover Cambodia's Largest Lake from Siem Reap in Half-day Tour

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
(915 Ratings)
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1 star
Nicolavl1698zm
Sep 23, 2024
Fantastic guide made this tour unforgettable - Our guide, Nak, had shown us around for two days on the Angkor Wat Complex. We asked him to be our guide for another day and show us some more of the surroundings. We had a wonderful day at the Tonle Sap Lake taking a boat tour and seeing the floating village. Nak is really a wonderful guide with whom we connected immediately and he made our days unforgettable experiences! We would highly recommend him.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daydream46536717766
Sep 20, 2024
Places to visit again, Guides are great! - The Guides explained everything attentively, giving us a good idea of the local life and impressing us with everything we see. Especially shocking is the stop at Ro Lus Market. Pork, frogs and chickens were sold raw, and it was interesting just to walk around, and there were scenes that you wouldn’t see in Japan. Canoeing in Lake Tonle Sap was also interesting. I was worried about it in the rainy season, but the worldview I saw was wonderful because it was rainy, and it became a memory I will remember for a lifetime. I want to visit again. Thank you very much.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
James
Sep 16, 2024
A look at a simple way of life - Loved getting in the lake and seeing the local way of life up close. Bring earplugs for the very loud engines on these boats.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andreagu9840dl
Sep 11, 2024
Excellent - Samun was our guide. His knowledge was amazing and he was an excellent guide. He made the afternoon extremely enjoyable. Would thoroughly recommend. The driver was great too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
606hanao
Sep 8, 2024
Thank to Nak!! - It was a very valuable experience and a lot of fun! Our Guide Nak was also very cheerful and kind and showed us around the market and sampled many fruits! It was fresh, with everything we had never eaten before! We joined in the morning session, but after the market, we took a boat to a village upriver, where we were also shown around, for an extra $5, and we switched to a small canoe, where we could experience a mystical world! After that, we were taken to a restaurant with a good atmosphere, and it was all fun! Thank you very much.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richard_g
Sep 7, 2024
Excellent - Samon was an excellent, knowledgeable guide. He took time to ensure we had a great experience. Would definitely recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Allin33
Aug 31, 2024
Loved visiting the “floating” village! Bring plenty of small USD bills!! - Having a guide was the way to go to Tonlé Sap, and my guide Sophy was fantastic. For me, the highlight was stopping at the village and talking with the school kids, whose English was impressive! A highlight of my whole trip! I wish I had been better prepared with more small USD bills, you will be approached to buy coloring books and regular pencils for the young kids not yet in school, which some people won’t like, but I would have liked to be able to buy more for them! Tourism hasn’t come back to pre covid levels in Cambodia yet and donations go a long way. That also means that you get the place to yourself (relatively). Sophy’s English was great, and I learned so much more than just about the floating village and lake! 100% recommended!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alli_n
Aug 31, 2024
Loved talking with the schoolchildren at the Village - Taking a tour of Tonlé sap is the way to go! My guide Sophy spoke great English and added so much to the experience! I loved stopping at the village and talking with the school children - their English was impressive- a highlight of my whole trip! I wish I had been better prepared for the opportunities to help the local villagers (you will be approached and offered a chance to buy coloring books and regular pencils for the little kids not yet in school), which some people won’t like, but I wish I had more small USD bills to buy more books and pencils for those kids. Tourism hasn’t come back to pre Covid levels in Cambodia, and donations go a long way. Sophy and I had a lively discussion about local politics, too, which was fascinating. The insider intel makes any adventure more memorable and meaningful. 100% recommended!!
Review provided by Viator
212ais
Aug 17, 2024
It was amazing, it was amazing, it was amazing to get a tour of Lake Trensup. - I also went on this tour of Lake Trensap because I wanted to choose Cambodians to live there instead of well-toured ones. I learned a lot from tour Guide Nak who explained various things very carefully. After that, the driver, Visa, had dinner with us before disbanding. It was really nice to be able to eat local food, which is difficult for foreigners to get to. It is highly Recommendation.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rin674
Sep 20, 2024
Good - It was raining because it was raining, and we didn't see a very beautiful lake or sunset, but the Guide explained the story and history of village life in detail, which was a very good experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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