Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
boats end up chugging up and down the channels in convoy. Avoid the crowds by asking
your boat driver to take you down some of the back channels.
ative exhibition that is located in the floating village and helps to unlock the secrets of the
Tonlé Sap. It has displays on flora and fauna of the area, as well as information on com-
munities living around the lake.
The village moves depending on the season and you will need to rent a boat to get
around it properly. However, Sou Ching, the company that runs the tours here has fixed
boat prices at an absurd US$20 per person, plus a US$3 entrance fee. This makes it very
poor value by comparison with the temples of Angkor. In practice it may be possible to
pay just US$20 for the boat shared between several people.
One of the best ways to visit for the time being is to hook up with the
Tara Boat
( 092
957765;
www.taraboat.com
)
, which offers all-inclusive trips with a meal aboard its converted
cargo boat. Prices include transfers, entry fees, local boats, a tour guide and a two-course
meal, starting from US$27 for a lunch to US$33 for a sunset dinner.
Getting to the floating village from Siem Reap costs US$2 by
moto
each way (more if
the driver waits), or US$15 or so by taxi. The trip takes 20 minutes. Or rent a bicycle in
town and just pedal out here, as it is a leisurely 11km through pretty villages and rice
fields.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Kompong
Pluk
More memorable than Chong Kneas, but harder to reach, is the village of
Kompong Pluk
,
an otherworldly place built on soaring stilts. Nearby is a flooded forest, inundated every
year when the lake rises to take the Mekong's overflow. As the lake drops, the petrified
trees are revealed. Exploring this area by wooden dugout in the wet season is very atmo-
spheric. The village itself is a friendly place, where most of the houses are built on stilts of
about 6m high, almost bamboo skyscrapers. It looks like it's straight out of a film set.
Rather like Chong Kneas, prices have been fixed at US$20 per person for a boat, plus
there is a US$1 entry fee, but again it may be possible to negotiate this as a per boat cost
split between a group.
