Chong Kneas is the floating village next to the Siem Reap boat port, 20 minutes south of town, and the one most tuk-tuk drivers will take you to if you say "floating village". It is the closest, the cheapest and the busiest, and for years it had a mixed reputation.
Since 2022 the boats have been run under an official ticket, which has fixed the price and removed most of the old games. That being said, we still see visitors getting scammed by boat drivers, and Chong Kneas is currently rated just 2.0 on TripAdvisor. This guide says what it costs, what has changed, what hasn't, and when it is the right choice.
- Distance
- 15 km · about 20 min
- Boat ticket
- USD 7 per person, 12 and over
- Minimum
- 4 tickets per small boat (USD 28)
- Children
- Under 12 free
- Time needed
- About 2.5 hours door to door
- Our tours
- We don't run them here
The official boat prices
Boat tickets at Chong Kneas are sold by Angkor Enterprise, the government body that also sells the Angkor temple pass, under a notice dated 14 February 2022. The prices are fixed and printed at the port:
| Item | Price | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket, per person aged 12 and over | USD 7 | |
| Small boat, 8 seats | 4 tickets (USD 28) for 1–4 people | 4 tickets |
| Large boat, 45 seats | 9 tickets (USD 63) minimum | 9 tickets |
| Children under 12 | Free |
A boat can only leave once at least four tickets have been sold. So if there are fewer than four of you, you will need to wait until other visitors buy tickets and join you, or buy the remaining tickets yourself. A group of six pays USD 42. The ticket covers the boat and its driver only; there is no guide on board, so if you would like one, you will need to arrange an optional guide separately, along with your transport from town. If anyone quotes you a different boat price at Chong Kneas, they are not selling the official ticket. Walk all the way inside to the boat ticket office; you will know it is the official one because it has a glass window.
What has changed, and what hasn't
Before 2022, Chong Kneas was where the floating village stories came from: USD 20 or 30 boat prices invented on the spot, a compulsory stop at a "school" where you were asked to buy a USD 50 sack of rice, a crocodile farm with a gift shop, and drivers on commission from all of it. It is why we created a scams guide to help people.
The official ticket has fixed the price, and the government's management has made the port much more organized. Boats are no longer supposed to stop at a school, although we are still seeing recent reports of it happening; if your driver suggests one, you can simply and politely decline. The boats do still stop briefly at the crocodile farm, and you are welcome to stay on the boat. The route itself is the same: down the channel past the floating houses, out onto the open lake, and back.
What hasn't changed is the character of the place. Chong Kneas is a port village with a tourist economy; the money from the official ticket goes to Angkor Enterprise rather than to a village cooperative, unlike at Kompong Phluk and Kompong Khleang. You will share the channel with dozens of other boats at sunset.
It is also not good community development practice. Because the ticket money goes to a company rather than to the village, the families who live at Chong Kneas see little of it, and the pressure on visitors to buy rice, donate to a school or tip the driver comes from that gap. And despite the official ticket, we still hear from visitors who were pressured or overcharged by boat drivers. If you go, be aware, and let your driver know at the start that you are not interested in any extra stops.
A few things visitors have mentioned in recent TripAdvisor reviews:
- The crocodile farm stop, where some visitors were unhappy with the animals' cramped conditions. You are welcome to stay on the boat.
- An offer of a walk in the mangroves for around USD 20 extra once you are on the boat. It is not part of the official ticket, and you can politely decline.
When Chong Kneas is the right choice
When you have an hour or two rather than an afternoon, you are leaving tomorrow, and you want to have seen the lake. For that, it is a fair answer, and any tuk-tuk driver in town will take you; the route and the ticket office tips are in the questions below. If your time and budget are very limited and you have rented a scooter, it can be worthwhile to ride out on your own: from the road and the port you can see the houses and boats from a distance and take photos, and save the USD 7 boat ticket. We don't run tours to Chong Kneas ourselves. With a full afternoon, Kompong Phluk is a little further and well worth it; our group tour there is $28 with the flooded forest included.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Chong Kneas boat ticket?
USD 7 per person aged 12 and over, sold by Angkor Enterprise at the port. A small boat (8 seats) leaves with a minimum of 4 tickets, so with fewer than four of you, you wait for others to share or buy the remaining tickets. A large boat (45 seats) needs 9 tickets. Children under 12 are free.
Is Chong Kneas worth visiting?
If you have an hour and want to see the lake, yes: it is 20 minutes from town and the official ticketing has cleaned up most of the old problems. If you have an afternoon, Kompong Phluk or Kompong Khleang are better villages and better value. We run tours to those, not to Chong Kneas.
Is Chong Kneas a scam?
It used to have a bad reputation for inflated boat prices, forced stops at a school or crocodile farm, and pressure to buy rice. Since Angkor Enterprise took over ticketing in 2022 the boat price is fixed and printed. The school stop has officially closed, though guests still report being taken to one; the crocodile farm is still there. Go with a guide you trust and say no to any stop you did not ask for.
How do I get to Chong Kneas?
It is about 15 km south of Siem Reap to the port at Phnom Krom, around 20 minutes. There is the old road along the river, but the new bypass road is quicker: it starts as Night Market Road, so just keep going past Psar Krom market, and it soon widens so you can travel faster.
Chong Kneas or Kompong Phluk?
Kompong Phluk has the flooded forest, tall stilt houses and far fewer boats; it takes 45 to 60 minutes each way. Chong Kneas is closer and cheaper and busier. Our villages page compares all four.