| Tonle Sap Lake located South of Siem Reap City | | | | Penh ferry service and also Tone Sap lake tourist |
| is the largest lake in Cambodia and plays an | | | | trips. |
| integral part in the ecological balance of the | | | | While this floating village is a well known landmark, |
| country. | | | | the tuk tuk driver who brought the group from |
| In the dry season it is a shallow lake which drains | | | | Siem Reap claimed that less tourist orientated |
| through the Tonle Sap River into the Mekong | | | | villages of Kampong Pluk and Kampong Khleang |
| River at Phnom Penh. However this changes in | | | | gave more of an insight into lake life. Both these |
| the June - November monsoon season when the | | | | villages are south of Chong Khneas on the |
| high water level of the Mekong River causes a | | | | eastern side of the lake. Kampong Khleang is |
| reverse flow up the Tonle Sap River into the lake | | | | actually the largest floating community on Tonle |
| area. The inflow increases the size of the lake | | | | Sap .This Vietnamese settlement also has a |
| from its low of 2500 square kilometres to over | | | | thriving pottery industry as there were stacks of |
| 10,000 square kilometres. This makes the lake the | | | | clay pots in front of most of the houses. |
| largest freshwater lake in the South East Asia | | | | To the west of Chong Khneas at the northern |
| during the wet season. | | | | end of the lake is the Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary. |
| The flooded mangrove forest plains are home to | | | | This reserve is and has been called the most |
| over 100 varieties of water birds including a | | | | important breeding ground in South East Asia for |
| number of threatened or endangered species. | | | | large water birds. Species such as the |
| There are over 200 varieties of fish in its waters | | | | Black-headed ibis, spot billed Pelican, Grey headed |
| as well as crocodiles in maroques otters and | | | | Fish Eagle, Painted Stock and Millet Stork nest in |
| turtles. | | | | the area. The sanctuary is most popular with bird |
| The lake is populated with floating villages inhabited | | | | watchers in the dry season months when flocks |
| by both Cambodian and Vietnamese communities. | | | | of migratory birds visit the area. |
| The individual villages are an amazing sight with | | | | During the dry season the lake water flow |
| their floating houses, markets, schools and | | | | reverses with the inflow into the Mekong River |
| churches. The villagers earn a living from fishing | | | | providing a necessary balance to the river south |
| with their huge fish traps catching enough to | | | | of Tonle Sap. The fresh water flow into the |
| supply Cambodia with half of its fish consumption. | | | | Mekong Delta of Vietnam provides a buffer to |
| One of more prominent floating villages is Chong | | | | the salt headwaters of the South China Sea |
| Khneas. It is 12 kilometres south of Siem Reap | | | | entering the delta's agricultural lands. |
| and is a departure/arrival point for the Phnom | | | | |