10/5/2009 Tonle Sap Lake Cambodia.

Prek Toal …
Cambodia Travel
Guides Tonle Sap Lake and the Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary
Siem Reap Area: The Tonle
Sap Lake

Siem Reap Angkor

Hotels
Alphabetical
By Price
By Location

Restaurants,
Pubs and
Theater
Restaurants and Bars
Traditional
Performances

Maps
Siem Reap
Old Market area
Siem Reap Map Index

Angkor
Angkor Archaeological
Park: Getting Started Cambodia's Great Lake, the Boeung Tonle Sap (Tonle Sap Lake,) is the most
Temple Itineraries
prominent feature on the map of Cambodia - a huge dumbbell-shaped body of water
stretching across the northwest section of the country. In the wet season, the Tonle Tales of Asia: The Tonle
Guide to the Temples
of Angkor: Temple Sap Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, swelling to an expansive Sap Lake
Index 12,000 km2. During the dry half of the year the Lake shrinks to as small as 2500 km2,
draining into the Tonle Sap River, which meanders southeast, eventually merging with Tales of Asia: Life on the
Map: Angkor Park:
Tonle Sap (Kampong
Greater Park Area the Mekong River at the 'chaktomuk' confluence of rivers opposite Phnom Penh. But
Phluk)
Map: Angkor Park: Main during the wet season a unique hydrologic phenomenon causes the river to reverse
Park Area direction, filling the lake instead of draining it. The engine of this phenomenon is the Peace of Angkor:
Map: Angkor Park: Mekong River, which becomes bloated with snow melt and runoff from the monsoon Kampong Phluk and
Central Angkor Thom rains in the wet season. The swollen Mekong backs up into the Tonle Sap River at the Kampong Khleang
A Brief History Angkor point where the rivers meet at the 'chaktomuk' confluence, forcing the waters of the
Perspective of Tonle Sap
Tonle Sap River back upriver into the lake. The inflow expands the surface area of lake
Biosphere Reserve - 2000
Sights more than five-fold, inundating the surrounding forested floodplain and supporting an
Other Things to Do in
extraordinarily rich and diverse eco-system. More than 100 varieties of waterbirds Tonle Sap Biosphere
Siem Reap including several threatened and endangered species, over 200 species of fish, as well Reserve Background
Tonle Sap Lake and the as crocodiles, turtles, macaques, otter and other wildlife inhabit the inundated
Prek Toal Bird mangrove forests. The Lake is also an important commercial resource, providing more Birdlife International Fact
Sanctuary than half of the fish consumed in Cambodia. In harmony with the specialized Sheet: Prek Toal

Traditional Dance ecosystems, the human occupations at the edges of the lake is similarly distinctive -
Royal Decree on the
Performances floating villages, towering stilted houses, huge fish traps, and an economy and way of Establishment of the
Volunteer opportunities life deeply intertwined with the lake, the fish, the wildlife and the cycles of rising and Tonle Sap Biosphere
and Charitable Orgs falling waters. Reserve (PDF)

Shopping The lake sits only about 15 km south of Siem Reap town. If you take the ferry between Sub-Decree on the
Establishment, Role and
Shopping and Markets Phnom Penh and Siem Reap you will cross the lake and dock at the village of Chong
Functions of The
Supermarkets, Stores, Khneas. There are several ways to see the culture and wildlife of the lake area Secretariat for the Tonle
Books, Photo Shops... depending on the amount of time you have and your interest. Sap Biosphere Reserve
(PDF)
Massage and Spas
Chong Khneas Mekong Info
Travel Chong Khneas is the floating village at the edge of the
Getting to/from/around lake closest and most accessible to Siem Reap. If you Birding in Cambodia
Siem Reap want a relatively quick and easy look at the Tonle Sap, by Frank E. Rheindt: Prek
Airlines/Flight Schedule boat tours of Chong Khneas are available, departing from Toal

Bus Schedules the Chong Khneas boat docks all day long. Take a
Overland Travel to
motodup or taxi the 11-15km from Siem Reap to the boat
Laos, Vietnam and docks where there are always boats waiting for passengers. A two-hour boat trip
Thailand through the floating village runs $6 and the boats may carry as many as 15 other
Travel Agents people. The boatman will probably point out the differing Khmer and Vietnamese
Climate/Weather floating households and the floating markets, clinics, schools and other boatloads of

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Climate/Weather
Tonle Sap Lake Cambodia. Prek Toal …
Visas
tourists. Chong Khneas, while interesting, is over-touristed and is not as picturesque
and 'unspoiled' as floating villages further from Siem Reap. The boat trip usually
includes two stops: one at a touristy floating 'fish and bird exhibition' with a souvenir
Essentials
and snack shop, and the other at the very highly recommended Gecko Environment
Banks
Centre, which offers displays and information introducing the ecology and biodiversity
Emergency Services of the lake area.
Phone, Internet, GPO
Residential Living Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary
The 'bird sanctuary' at the Prek Toal core area of the
Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve has been called "the single
most important breeding ground in Southeast Asia for
Other Cities globally threatened large waterbirds." The Biosphere
Phnom Penh covers 31,282 hectares at the northwest tip of the Tonle
Sihanoukville Sap Lake and plays host to species including Greater
Kampot and Lesser Adjuncts, Black-headed Ibis, Painted Stork, Milky Stork, Spot-billed
Kep
Pelican, Grey-Headed Fish Eagle and many more species. Of the three Biosphere
core areas on the Tonle Sap Lake, Prek Toal is the most accessible from Siem Reap
Koh Kong
and the most popular with birdwatchers. The best time of year for viewing is the dry
Koh Kong
season when flocks of migratory birds congregate at Prek Toal. As the dry season
Battambang progresses and the water recedes, the number of birds increases but the travel to
Ratanakiri some of the more important viewing areas becomes more difficult.

Most people arrange a trip to Prek Toal through their guesthouse or a tour operator. To
do it yourself, take a moto or taxi from Siem Reap to the Phnom Krom/Chong Khneas
boat dock. Arrange a boat to the Prek Toal Environmental Research Station (starting
at $35-$45 return,) and then from the Research Station a $5 entrance fee and $15-$25
for a guided boat tour of the sanctuary. The Research Station has information on the
area's flora and fauna. There are also basic overnight accommodations at the
Research Station if you want to stay the night to take full advantage of the sunset and
early morning viewing hours.

Kampong Phluk
Kampong Phluk is a cluster of three villages of stilted
houses built within the floodplain of the Tonle Sap about
16 km southeast of Siem Reap. The villages are primarily
Khmer and have about 3000 inhabitants between them.
Flooded mangrove forest surrounds the area and is home
to a variety of wildlife including crab-eating macaques.
During the dry season when the lake is low, the buildings in the villages seem to soar
atop their 6-meter stilts exposed by the lack of water. At this time of year many of the
villagers move out onto the lake and build temporary stilted houses. In the wet season
when water level rises again, the villagers move back to their permanent houses on the
floodplain, the stilts now hidden under the water. Kampong Phluk's economy is, as
one might expect, based in fishing, primary in shrimp harvesting.

Kampong Phluk sees comparatively few foreign visitors and offers a close look at the
submerged forest and lakeside village life as yet unperturbed by tourism. The area can
be reached by boat from the Chong Khneas or by a combination of road and boat.
Make arrangements through your guesthouse of tour operator, or charter a boat at the
Chong Khneas docks (starting at $35 return for a half-day at the village). By road/boat,
take a car or moto to Roluos village just off Route #6 east of Siem Reap and the take a
boat through the flooded forest the rest of the way to the village. During the dry season
the road is clear and you can drive all of the way to the village.

Kampong Khleang
Kampong Khleang is located on the northern lake-edge
about 35 km east of Siem Reap town, more remote and
less touristed than Kampong Phluk. Visitors to Kampong
Khleang during the dry season are universally awestruck
by the forest of stilted houses rising up to 10 meters in
the air. In the wet season the waters rise to within one or two meters of the buildings.
Like Kampong Phluk, Kampong Khleang is a permanent community within the
floodplain of the Lake, with an economy based in fishing and surrounded by flooded
forest. But Kampong Khleang is significantly larger with near 10 times the population
of Kampong Phluk, making it the largest community on the Lake.

The area can be reached by boat from the Chong Khneas docks or by a combination
of road to Domdek on Route #6 and then boat to the village, the best method
depending on the time of year. During the dry season, boats cannot get all of the way
to the main villages. Consult your guesthouse or tour operator about current
conditions. Many tour operators have very little experience in this area so it is best to
consult with adventure tour operators and guesthouses that specialize in this area.

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Small group tours begin at about $35 for a half day and range up through $70
depending on the size of the group and the type of tour. To get there yourself, either
charter a boat from Chong Khneas or take car or moto to Domdek village on Route #6
east of Siem Reap, turn south and continue to the water's edge where boats wait to
ferry passengers into the village. During the dry season the road is clear and you can
take a car or moto all of the way to the village.)

Tonle Sap Exhibition in Siem Reap

The Exhibition on the Khmer Heritage is sponsored by
Krousar Thmey, (which means "New Family" - a Cambodia-
based NGO assisting children in Cambodia). The current
exhibition is dedicated to the Tonle Sap Lake and the
people, culture and environment of the area. The displays
are actually quite informative and include maps, photos, models of traditional houses,
boats and fishing implements with written explanations in French, English and Khmer.
The highlight of the exhibit is a working scale model of the Tonle Sap Lake. There are
also exhibits on the work of Krousar Thmey. Open everyday. Closed noon till 2:00pm.
Admission is free, donations accepted. Located on the road to Angkor Wat just past
the Jayavarman VII hospital. (Tel: 063-964694, E-mail: krousar_thmey@online.com.kh
).

More Bird Watching

Away from the lake, northwest of Siem Reap the Ang Trapeng Thmor Sarus Crane
Reserve offers another unique birdwatching opportunity.

Ang Trapeng Thmor Sarus Crane Reserve

(The following about Ang Trapeng Thmor comes courtesy of the Sam Veasna Center.)
Originating as a reservoir on the Angkorian highway 66 it was rebuilt as a man-made
irrigation and water storage reservoir by slave labor during the Khmer Rouge Regime in
1976. The reservoir now harbors a unique wetland associated with grassland,
dipterocarp forests and paddy fields. Aside from being a feeding ground for more than
300 Sarus Crane in the dry (non-breeding) season, more than 200 species of other
birds occur here, of which 18 have been classified as globally or near globally
threatened. This is also one of the handful of sites in Cambodia where the endangered
Eld’s Deer can be seen. Colonies of fruit bats inhabit larger trees that are often semi
submerged on the edge of the reservoir.

The best time to see the Sarus Crane is from February to May though an abundance
of bird species can be viewed all year. There is also a hill top Angkorian temple a few
kilometers into the forest while traditional silk weaving is still practiced in the adjacent
village. A boat trip can be taken on the reservoir which depending on the time of year is
11km along and 8 wide and offers fantastic views of the surrounding countryside

Officially declared a Sarus Crane Reserve by Royal Decree in 2000 the area
designated covers over 12000 Hectares, following the work of Sam Veasna and his
friends at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), all foreign visitors are required are
required to register at the WCS Office in the adjacent village.

ATT is a day trip from Siem Reap though accommodation can be arranged at the
WCS HQ (tel 012 703033) or organized through the Sam Veasna Center in Siem Reap
(tel 012 520828) in the adjacent village, giving birdwatchers the chance of dawn
sightings and offering the opportunity of visiting the massive Angkorian temple complex
of Banteay Chma
.

Tour Operators

Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB)

ACCB is the first nature conservation center in Cambodia, located near Kbal Spean,
about one hour north of Siem Reap. The aims of the center are the rescue,
rehabilitation, breeding and reintroduction of threatened wildlife, in combination with an
environmental education program, promoting wildlife conservation and training local
villagers in the sustainable use of natural resources. Free guided center tour Monday
to Friday at 13:00 (for groups, other times can be arranged).
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: 011-426856, 099-604017
E-mail: info@accb-cambodia.org
Website: www.accb-cambodia.org

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Buffalo Trails
Tonle Sap Lak e tours, Kampong Khleang Village (1/2 day, full day, overnight.)
Countryside tours and trek k ing.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: +(855) (0)12-297506
www.buffalotrails-cambodia.com

Hidden Cambodia Adventure Tours

Single and multi-day all-inclusive, high end, cultural, ad- venture and humanitarian
tours by 4WD vehicles, dirt bik e and car to Koh Ker, Preah Vihear, Preah Khan
temples and historic KR area, Anlong Veng. Tonle Sap Lak e tours.
Just off the road to Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: +(855) (0)12-655201, +(855) (0)12-934412
E-mail: hiddencambodia@yahoo.com
Website: www.hiddencambodia.com

Peace Of Angkor
Set up by a British photographer in 2003; Peace Of Angk or run special tours to
remote temples and Tonle Sap Lak e all year round . Bird watching Tours at Prek Toal
and The Sarus Crane Reserve at Ang Trapang Thmor are featured during the dry
season.
200 meters east of the Catholic Church near Wat Po Lanka, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: +(855) (0)63-760475, +(855) (0)12-934412
E-mail: info@peaceofangkor.com
Website: www.peaceofangkor.com (has comprehensive info and photography of
Angkor and beyond.)

Sam Veasna Center

Sam Veasna Center (SVC) organizes half or full day trips focusing on birds but
offering a glimpse of Cambodian rural life with a trained local guide. SVC was set up to
promote wildlife conservation in Cambodia. It work s together with the Wildlife
Conservation Society and local village communities to develop remote sites close to
the habitat of some spectacular bird life. The local communities benefit from the
infrastructure set up for the visitors. Trips to see Sarus Crane at Ang Trapaeng Thmor,
Giant and White Shouldered Ibis at Tamtboey, A vulture restaurant at Chhep amongst
others, plus some of the most beautiful and unspoiled countryside in Cambodia.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: 063-761597
E-mail: bookings@samveasna.org
Website: www.samveasna.org

Tara River Boat

Tara Riverboat operates both half day trips and sunset tours of Chong Khneas floating
village and stops at the Geck o Environmental Centre fish and a crocodile farm along
the way. Meals and drink s are served on the boat. All boat tours include pick up and
return to hotels and a guide. Price for half day is $20/person and sunset is $30/person.
The sunset cruise includes all drink s including unlimited champagne, wines, beers,
etc. and a 2 course meal. Tours to Prek Toal (bird sanctuary,) and Kampong Phluk ,
Kampong Khleang (traditional lak e villages) and Battambang also available. These
tours also include food, drink s, pick up and return to hotel in an a/c car. Price for Prek
Toal tour is $60/person. The Kampong Phluk is $50/person. Tailored adventure tours
on request.
Located at Chong Khneas floating village, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: +(855) (0)92-957765
E-mail: info@taraboat.com
Website: www.taraboat.com

Terre-Cambodge
Mountain bike (TREK, GIANT) and trekking specialist. Overnight in some villages.
Tonle Sap Lake boat tours (bird sanctuary, floating and stilted villages,) elephant
trekking and more. Tailor made itineraries.
#668, Hup Guan Street, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Tel: +(855) (0)92-476682
info@terrecambodge.com
www.terrecambodge.com , www.bikingcambodia.com

Kampong Phluk photo by Gordon Sharpless

Kampong Khleang photo by Dave Perkes.

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