The Tonle Sap is a unique ecological hotspot. Its flow changes direction twice per year, and the lake itself expands and shrinks by four times its size with the changing seasons.

And when the monsoon rains begin in June, the Tonle Sap Lake grows from approximately of 2,700 square km to 16,000 square km.

The Tonle Sap Lake, in harmony with the specialized ecosystems, the human occupations at the edges of the lake is similarly distinctive.

Tonle Sap Lake is also an important commercial resource, providing more than half of the fish consumed in Cambodia.

The Tonle Sap Lake is a natural wonder and a spectacle to behold.

The Tonle Sap Lake (otherwise known as the Great Lake) is a combined lake and river system in Cambodia. It is the largest fresh water lake in Southeast Asia and the richest fishing lake in the World.

Tonle Sap Lake overview

Tonle Sap Lake known as ‘Fresh River’ or ‘Great Lake’ is located in the northeast of Cambodia, and is one of the largest fresh lakes in Asia.

Highlights of Tonle Sap Lake

This lake is very special not only because of its wide but also because many locals are living on boats in this lake, they earn almost entirely by fishing, then selling it to markets on land or exchanging their products in this lake.

There are schools, hospitals, and a small central community in various areas of this lake.

The children also go to school every day because they live on land, but it is more difficult for the locals and children who live on the water because their main mode of transportation is almost entirely by boat (the hand and machine boats).

Every year, a large number of tourists visit this lake, and they also bring gifts for the locals, such as rice for families or schools, pens and books for students, and so on, because the locals’ daily lives are still difficult.

The best time to visit this lake is during the wet season, ranging from May to October because it is the high water season, allowing you to see everything more clearly, but the dry season is also very nice.

How to travel to Tonle Sap Lake?

The lake is only 15 kilometers from Siem Reap town, so you can easily take a local bus, taxi, or even a motorbike, tuk-tuk (popular vehicles of locals in Cambodia), or by bike from the center of Siem Reap town to this lake to take a boat trip and explore the daily life and activities on the floating villages as well as the habits and customs of locals in Tonle Sap Lake.

Traveling to the lake also allows you to volunteer because the locals’ lives here are still very difficult.

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Please contact us with any questions about Tonle Sap Lake or your trip to Cambodia & Southeast Asia