Kampong Phluk Floating Village, Cambodia.

Kampong Phluk Floating Village, Cambodia.

November 2015.

The fascinating floating village of Kampong Phluk lies deep in the countryside of Siem Reap Province. The village is home to around three thousand people, most of whom are fishermen. My visit to this amazing corner of Cambodia came on a day tour organised through Naga Angkor Hotel.

We set off early morning in a minibus for a one hour drive that took us deep into the countryside of Prasat Bakong District. Jumping out in the middle of rural nowhere, we followed our guide on foot to a waiting riverboat. Finally, we were ready for the dramatic approach to Kampong Phluk. 

Chugging across the murky brown water, we soon reached the village, an amazing stretch of stilted homes set at about nine meters above water level. Kampong Phluk, our guide explained, translates roughly as Harbour of the Tusks, a reference to one of the breeds of fish that live here in The Siem Reap River. 

Our first stop came at the village’s community pagoda, where we disembarked and met some of the locals. There were lots of kids milling about, along with a few opportunistic teachers. In fact, it felt a bit like they’d all been waiting for us. 

The so-called educators followed us around with heartfelt pleas to buy schoolbooks, pens and other stationery. Our guide laughed the situation off, remaining mysteriously non-committal when we quizzed him on whether the money we gave would really be going to the kids. “It’s up to you if you wanna give”. 

Kampong Phluk Floating Village, Cambodia.

The children themselves were generally shy but absolutely adorable. Some of them hid behind bushes, plants and the stone pillars of the pagoda. Others giggled from afar, while one little guy quietly picked a gradual path towards me. Then stopped to stare up at me with wide inquisitive eyes. For reasons I couldn’t quite put my finger on, it was a little heartbreaking. 

Perhaps buoyed by the bravery of Mr. Wide Eyes, another local boy was also keen to approach in order to show off a few words of English. But he wasn’t so fearless that he could come alone. Thus he dragged his buddy into joining him, a situation his friend seemed wholly unimpressed by.

“You know, these kids do go to school, but most important is they learn everything about fishing”, our guide informed us. “How to handle the boat, fix the nets and learn carpentry skills”. 

When not studying or learning about the local fishing business, you can usually find a child or two here at Kampong Phluk’s main pagoda. They might be saying their prayers, reading or even doing a bit of homework. Outside, that afternoon, I exchanged brief hellos with the two monks that run the place. They were very serious, definitely not your cute and cuddly types.

Adventures in Cambodia.

From the pagoda grounds we made our way on foot to the main street. I had never seen anything like it, a long dusty stretch that looked like something out of a Wild West movie. Or at least an Asian version with stilt houses and trash strewn across the road.

On the subject of trash, the guide revealed that the locals deliberately throw their rubbish into the street, often into various piles. A few times a week they burn the trash, hence its common to see blackened parts of the street from a recent burning.

Happily, trash wasn’t the only thing laid out across the street. Although the village fishermen catch an array of species, their livelihood is mainly dependant on shrimp. Once caught, they are put out on straw mats to dry for a day in the sun.

One of the things that struck me was that there were virtually no adults around. Just kids playing in the dirt and riding around on bicycles that were far too big for them. “Daddy is out on the lake” explained the guide. “Mum cooking…. or maybe sleeping”. 

Kampong Phluk Floating Village, Cambodia.

As I explored, full of curiosity, I found myself peeking around the many stilt houses. Finally, I saw my first main street adult, a stern looking man sat on the ladder at the foot of his home. He was holding his baby son (or perhaps daughter?) in his lap and… uh oh… was staring straight at me.

I had planned on stealing a photograph of them, but now thought better of it. After a brief standoff, I plucked up some courage and motioned to him with my hand and camera. With a sombre nod he granted me the permission I needed and click, I secured what has become my favourite shot of that day.  

Elsewhere, I came across a cluster of small general stores and a single stilted guesthouse. “Is for Cambodian tourist” our guide chipped in. “For western tourist this village is not interesting to stay and the hotel not so comfortable ha ha”. Furthermore, there were maybe a handful of eateries, the biggest being Ly Hour Restaurant with its vague promise of “breakfast, lunch, dinner”.

On our way back to the boat, I noticed this fresh water well sponsored by an American family from Pennsylvania. “There are a few charities that support the village” said our guide. “They make a big difference to the people here, they are grateful to many friends from different countries”. 

Kampong Phluk Floating Village, Cambodia.

Beyond Kampong Phluk lies the wide expanse of Tonlé Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. And that’s where we headed in our boat, the stilted houses of the village soon disappearing from view. Right on the edge of the lake we pulled up at a spectacular floating mangrove forest. It was one of those sights that was so impressive there was an audible gasp among the group. 

“Hey, you wanna take a canoe through the forest?” our guide asked with a mischievous grin. As if by magic, a huddle of canoeists appeared, half a dozen or so local men and women who were all (I guesstimated) in their 60s.

Ok so the price of the floating forest trip was not included with the tour. However, every single one of us agreed to pay the $5 fee for a fifteen minute spin in one of the canoes. And boy was it worth every cent, our chauffeurs expertly guiding us between the sloping mangrove trees. 

Apparently, the mangroves have uniquely adapted to this flooded environment and can survive these unusual conditions where they remain submerged for over a quarter of the year. Looking back, I can still feel how peaceful it was in there. Just the sounds of birds flapping between the trees and our guides’ paddles sloshing through the water. It was truly an unforgettable part of what had already been a fantastic tour.

The Floating Mangrove Forest.

By this point we were getting seriously hungry. Thankfully help was at hand, because from the mangrove forest it was just a few minutes to a large floating restaurant. There, with lake views stretching out from all sides, we devoured a hearty Khmer buffet of beef noodles, fried rice and grilled vegetables. Perfect.

Last but not least, we transferred to another vessel so that a local boatman could whizz us around Tonlé Sap Lake. It was a brief but thrilling excursion as we stared out at the wide expanse of muddy waters, the wind rushing through my hair. 

We went so fast I only managed to grab one photo of the lake. Although I did succeed in getting a shot of the boatman’s young son, who grinned and bounced happily throughout the entire journey. “One day he will drive this boat!” laughed our guide.

It had been a long day but certainly worth our efforts. Back on the bus, rattling towards the city, we came to a sudden, shuddering halt. “Accident!” cried our guide, “we gonna have to wait”. 

Kampong Phluk Floating Village.

He wasn’t kidding. Unfortunately, in the narrowest of dusty country roads, a giant truck had spun out of control and fallen on its side. So we all trudged outside to stretch our legs and watch a group of men conversing on how best to clear the road. Half an hour later, we were able to resume our journey. Not the best end to our tour, but nothing that could spoil what had been yet another fantastic adventure in Siem Reap.

A range of online operators organise tours of Kampong Phluk and Tonlé Sap. Check out Viator for a range of options.

Like this? Check out more travel reports from Siem Reap.

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