As you may know, the Tonle Sap lake, the most extensive body of water in SE Asia and the home of the floating villages of Siem Reap, is unique in that the water levels change based on the season. When it is the rainy season in Cambodia they will swell several meters high but, when the rain stops, the water levels slowly recede. In addition, just like the rest of the world, the sunrise and sunset changes depending on the time of year.
Due to the change in water levels and late sunset our tour of the floating village can change logistically from that listed on our website. Below you will find an updated itinerary for August 2018:
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Guests leave Siem Reap slightly later – between 2:15 – 2:30pm – but still make the same stops on the way (sticky rice, donuts, and sometimes a the pagoda). The reason we leave slightly later is so we can try to catch the beginning of the sunset which sets later during this time of the year.
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The floating village boat tour departs from Wat Kompong Khleang (the Buddhist pagoda) and not from the community tourism co-op office. This because the Khmer and ethnic Vietnamese floating villages have moved to the Tonle Sap. Leaving from Wat Kompong Khleang allows us to visit them in a reasonable amount of time.
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In August we stay for most of the sunset but usually not all of the sunset. This is because it sets late (which would mean arriving in Siem Reap very late). That being said, on the boat ride back, you will still be able to see the entire sunset if it’s not cloudy.
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We will go to the beginning of the Tonle Sap Lake but not too far out as it can be choppy this time of year.
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We will get back to the community tourism dock between 6:15 – 6:30pm depending on the sunset. We will arrive in Siem Reap a bit later – usually between 7:30 – 7:45pm.
In Summary
As you can see, the August 2018 tour is essentially the same as listed on our website. The differences are logistical in nature – we take the boat from the middle of the floating village, we visit the beginning of the Tonle Sap, and we stay for most of but not all of the sunset. That being said the the tour itinerary is exactly the same.
If you have questions about how we will be conducting the tour on a particular date feel free to email us in advance and we’ll be able to provide more information. Thanks again for taking time to read this blog post and for your willingness to support Community First: Kompong Khleang Floating Village Tours.