The floating villages near Siem Reap stand on stilts for part of the year. Kompong Luong floats all year round. It is a floating village of several thousand people on the opposite, southern side of Tonle Sap Lake, in Pursat province, with shops, temples, a church and schools all on the water, moving with the lake as it rises and falls.
- Where
- Near Krakor, Pursat province
- From Siem Reap
- By boat across the lake, or about 5 h by road
- Best months
- August – early December
- Village boat
- About 1 hour, from the pier
- People
- Several thousand, mostly ethnic Vietnamese
- With us
- Private only, price on request
Who lives there
Kompong Luong is home to several thousand residents, most of them ethnic Vietnamese, living alongside Khmer families and Cham families, who are Muslim. Many of the Vietnamese families came to the Tonle Sap in the 1980s and have earned their living on the lake ever since. They speak Vietnamese at home and are also fluent in Khmer.
What you see
A boat through the village takes about an hour. You pass floating shops and market boats, Khmer and Vietnamese temples, a floating Catholic church, schools, boat repair workshops and even floating gas stations. Because the houses float, the whole village moves with the water: depending on the season it sits anywhere from about 2 to 7 km from the town of Krakor. It is a working village with few visitors, and none of the souvenir stalls you find at the busier places near Siem Reap.
Getting there
From Siem Reap by boat. Our private boat across the lake runs the length of Tonle Sap and brings you to Kompong Luong on the far side. It is a full day on the water, best in the rainy season, from about July to January, and it leaves you well placed to continue to Phnom Penh.
The crossing is safe, but it is not cheap. You need to hire a private boat, and because Kompong Luong is so far off the beaten path, the boatman will not find passengers for the trip home, so the price has to cover his return as well. Fuel is the other big cost, and gas prices are very high at the moment. We quote each crossing for its date.
By road. Kompong Luong is just north of Krakor, on National Road 5 between Phnom Penh and Battambang. From Siem Reap it is about 5 hours by road via Battambang. Buses between Phnom Penh and Battambang will drop you at Krakor if you ask: it is about 3 hours from Phnom Penh and about 2 hours from Battambang. From Krakor, a tuk-tuk takes you the last few kilometers to the pier.
What it costs
Boats through the village are hired at an official ticket desk at the pier. The last prices we have seen published, from August 2023, were USD 13 for a small boat for up to six people and USD 20 for a larger boat for seven to ten. Prices may have changed, so check at the desk when you arrive.
With us, Kompong Luong is private only; the daily group sunset tours go to Kompong Phluk and Kompong Khleang instead. Tell us on WhatsApp your date and where you are heading afterwards, and we will quote within the day.
Staying the night
A few families in Kompong Luong host guests in their floating homes; the one we know is the Seng Lis Homestay. Unlike the stilt-house homestays at Kompong Khleang, the house floats, so it is a true houseboat experience: usually a balcony where you eat, and one large room shared with the family. It is simple, with a mattress and a mosquito net, and it is one of the most affordable homestays on the lake. Let us know if you would also like to do a homestay, and we will include it in your quotation.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Kompong Luong?
On the southern shore of Tonle Sap Lake, just north of the town of Krakor in Pursat province, about halfway between Phnom Penh and Battambang on National Road 5. From Siem Reap it is across the lake by boat, or about 5 hours by road via Battambang.
Is it really floating?
Yes. Unlike the stilt villages near Siem Reap, Kompong Luong floats all year: houses, shops, temples, a Catholic church and schools sit on the water and move with the lake, so the village can be anywhere from about 2 to 7 km from Krakor depending on the season.
How much is the boat at Kompong Luong?
Boats are hired at an official ticket desk at the pier. The last prices we have seen published, from August 2023, were USD 13 for a small boat for up to six people and USD 20 for a larger boat for seven to ten. Prices may have changed, so check at the desk.
Are there homestays at Kompong Luong?
Yes, a few families host guests in floating homes, including the Seng Lis Homestay. They are simple: a mattress, a mosquito net and a shared family space. Let us know if you would also like to do a homestay, and we will include it in your quotation.
When is the best time to visit?
August to early December, when the water is high across the whole lake; November and December add cooler, drier weather. In the dry season the village moves further out onto the lake and the pier moves with it, so the ride from Krakor is longer.
Can I combine it with a transfer?
Yes. Kompong Luong works well as a one-way journey, continuing to Phnom Penh or Battambang instead of returning to Siem Reap. Ask us on WhatsApp.