Tonle Sap and Kompong Phluk

While Cambodia's star attraction is the fascinating temples of Angkor, visitors should consider looking at another wonderful attraction - Tonle Sap.

Tonle Sap is a lake and river system that's unique and special to Cambodia. The river flow changes direction twice a year! During the dry season, it flows out into the Mekong River, while during the wet season, the Mekong overflows, and the river backs up to form the huge Tonle Sap lake. There are a couple of villages on and along Tonle Sap that is certainly worth visiting. Most tours and guides would bring tourists to Chong Khneas, a floating village. However, I visited Kompong Phluk instead, a village that will appear different depending on which season you go!




In the dry season (when I went), Kompong Phluk appears as a village of wooden houses on stilts. Life is more grounded, and they even have ball games below their houses. However, when the water level rises, the stilts disappear from view, and you would just see wooden houses "floating" on water! In fact, during this wet season, Kompong Phluk can only be visited by boat.
There are also other smaller villages along the causeways of the river. These villages usually consists of small thatched huts which are easily dismantled and moved. The families in these villages move home several times a year!!




A visit to Kompong Phluk really provides a good way to look at the the lifestyle of these people who are so dependent on the lake and river. If you visit during the dry season like me, getting there is also challenging. Taxis and tuk-tuks can only bring you to the village of Roluos, where you will then transfer to a motorbike. This motorbike will bestow upon you your most bumpy ride ever, on a ground that will not be visible during the wet season. Subsequently, you will still need to transfer to a boat to take you to Kompong Phluk itself!



Do check out the villages of Tonle Sap if you have enough time in Cambodia. For more info, you can check out Tales of Asia website, or your favourite guidebooks and online travel resources.

Angkor Wat

Cambodia was not very high in my list of places to go, but everyone has rave reviews of Angkor Wat. So much so that, I thought to myself, I had to go see. With Jetstar's promo tix at a little over S$200 including taxes, why not pop over for a look? Esp now is the "low season", I thought I could avoid the super crowd that those same rave reviews were also talking about....


It is low season for a reason. It is HOT and wet. Not particularly enticing for a holiday. But what I read is that the rains come only in the early mornings or late afternoons and only in short bursts. That sounded not too bad, and moreover, sometimes the rain do bring dramatic lightings. As for the heat, well, that was the killer......


I had only 3 days in Cambodia/Siem Reap, and decided to do a one-day "crash course" on Angkor Park. Coupled with the July heat, it was tiring as hell, and erm, hot as hell. But the worse was yet to come. As I joined many others into the compounds for sunset, and as the glorious golden sun rays fall onto Angkor Wat....... and its scaffolding, I can only curse my luck. I don't know how long this restoration works on Angkor Wat has been going on, but it certainly spoiled my picture perfect moment (and shot). Ah well, off-peak indeed.


I visited 5 temples in all, Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm, Banteay Srei and Preah Khan. These are recommendations from Tales of Asia website as well as from some friends. They are all great recommendations, and my favourite is Preah Khan, which gave me the most sense of mystery. However, my advise and recommendation is to get the 3 day pass, and enjoy a slow tour of the temples by only visiting them in the morning hours and the late afternoon hours. Between 10+am to 3+pm, do yourself a favour and enjoy some cold beer somewhere cooling :)



Still, I'm impressed with Angkor Wat (minus the scaffolding) and would have to agree with those whom I have talked to and recommended it to me. Cambodia is worth a re-visit...