Tonle Sap Lake is one of the biggest natural fresh water lakes in Southeast Asia, located in the central of Cambodia. Five provinces surround this giant lake: Siem Reap to the northeast, Battambang to the west, Pursat to southwest, Kampong Chhang to the south, and Kampong Thom to the east. It connects to Mekong River in Phnom Penh. Between Nov – Jun the water flows from the lake to Mekong River, covering an area of 3,000 square kilometers. From July – October the water flows back from Mekong River to fill the lake, covering an area of 12,000 square kilometers.
In the Tonle Sap Lake of Siem Reap Province there are 4 floating villages: Chong Kneas, Kampong Phluk, Kampong Khleang, and Mechrey. These four floating villages have become tourist sites since 1994, allowing international tourists to learn about local people living in stilt houses and floating houses in Tonle Sap Lake.
With Merry Travel Asia, our clients to visit Mechrey Floating Village. Though far it is the most authentic and has fewer tourists.
Merry Travel Asia’s Tonle Sap Lake tours include a boat ride sightseeing to visit floating villages and may combine with kayaking, a one night stay in a floating house as well as bird watching in the Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary where we can spot several species of water birds like the Spot Billed Pelican, Oriental Darter, Milky Stork, Painted Stork, Greater Adjutant, Black headed Ibis, and Lesser Adjutant.
Tonle Sap Lake Tour through Merry Travel Asia provides experienced tour guides to bring tourists to visit the floating villages in Tonle Sap Lake to experience the local lifestyle and culture with additional adventures kayaking and birding. Our guides have been trained in eco-tourism and green environment systems in order to deliver the sustainable tourism.
Merry Travel Asia offers these Tonle Sap Lake Tours:
Sunrise breakfast boat ride on Tonle Sap Lake
A boat ride in the early morning through the floating villages of Tonle Sap Lake and breakfast on board will provide you such a great unique experience, peaceful atmosphere and chance to observe the villagers moving floating homes to mainland for trading of selling fish and buying goods.
Sunset champagne boat ride in Chong Kneas Floating Village
Chong Kneas is the most popular floating village in Tonle Sap Lake and nearest to Siem Reap town, with more than 500 local families living on the floating houses and moving up and down most of the time to follow the level of water. Take our Merry’s sunset champagne experience you will have the most enjoyable experience boat ride through the right and peaceful spots of the villages to view sunset with set up table on board and cold champagne.
Amazing half day tour to Chong Kneas floating village with our experienced tour guide and the most comfortable Khmer traditional boat to sail through the floating houses, shops, schools, and the police station, we also can witness with the daily activities of the villagers.
Half day tour of kayaking to Mechrey Floating Village and mangrove forest in the lake
Incredible soft adventure on kayaks in Mechrey Floating Village and the mangrove forest, the tour will take for a full day with one homemade with local family. Get authentic life experience of the floating village, quiet and peaceful scenery of mangrove forest.
Full day tour of biking through the remote villages and a boat ride to two floating villages in the lake
A great adventures to cycle to visit many remote villages around Tonle Sap lake with many stop to visit local schools, markets and pagodas. Then we boat ride to visit two floating villages in Tonle Sap Lake of Kampong Phluk and Chong Kneas
2 days of kayaking and birding with one night stay with locals in floating house
Home stay one night in Tonle Sap Lake in Prek Toal Village allow you to earn and understand indeed about the lifestyle and cultures of people living on the floating houses. Along with the outdoor activities of Kayak through the floating villages, boat ride to view the birds.
Full day tour bird watching in Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary
Prek Toal is the biggest bird sanctuary in the fresh water lake in Southeast Asia, get up early and take boat ride to watch different rare water birds and visit the biggest floating village in Tonle Sap Lake called Prek Toal.