An exciting full-day countryside tour to experience life for both the farmers in the countryside and the fishermen on the Tonle Sap.
Depart Siem Reap in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle. After about 40 minutes we begin the countryside tour, leaving the main road to stop at a rural market. See the sellers, try local treats and buy fresh fruit for later in the day. After the market we turn off the paved road and continue down dirt roads deeper into the countryside, where we park at a local home and take a tour.
From the home we take a walk through the village. Pass water buffalo pulling their loads, cows grazing, farmers planting or harvesting rice, and students who are always late for class. Then return to the family home for a Khmer lunch.
After lunch we head to the Tonle Sap Lake and the floating village of Kompong Phluk, arriving at the boat dock in the early afternoon. Board a boat and travel through the heart of Kompong Phluk, past stilt houses and floating homes that have been here for generations. Learn about life on the Tonle Sap, then make a short stop at the pagoda for an introduction to Buddhism. Continue to the flooded forest and step into a rowboat to glide between the trees. Return to the main boat and head out onto the Tonle Sap before heading back to Siem Reap.
The day, hour by hour
- Hotel pickupPrivate air-con vehicle and your English-speaking guide
- Rural marketSee the sellers, try local treats and buy fresh fruit for later
- Village home and walkDown the dirt roads into the countryside, then a walk through the village
- Khmer lunch at the family homeIncluded
- Drive to Kompong PhlukAbout an hour
- Kompong Phluk by community boatThrough the stilted village, with a stop at the pagoda for an introduction to Buddhism
- Flooded forest rowboatBetween the trees, July to January when the water is high enough
- Out to Tonle Sap LakeThen back to the village landing
- Back at your hotelAbout 8 hours
Times are approximate, and the order of stops can change with the water level.
What's in this day
- Air-con vehicle with driver from your hotel and back
- An English-speaking guide from the village
- Community boat tickets
- Local market stop
- Lunch in a family home
- Countryside pagoda
- Flooded forest canoe
- Water and snacks; life jackets on the boats
Priced for your group; children under 2 are free. Free cancellation up to 4 hours before pickup.
Good to know
Is lunch included?
Yes. A Khmer lunch at a family home in the village is included, along with the market treats, fruit and cold water through the day.
How long is the day?
About 8 hours, from a 9:00 am pickup to about 5:00 pm back at your hotel. This tour does not stay for sunset.
Is the flooded forest rowboat always included?
From July to January, when the water is high enough to paddle between the trees. In the dry season the boat goes through the village and out onto the lake.