The Floating Village — Kompong Phluk, Cambodia

By Glen Bruels
This is part of a series called Seabourn Half-World cruise
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More welcoming residents
More welcoming residents

 

A Mexican Standoff -- in Cambodia!
A Mexican Standoff — in Cambodia!

 

A Cambodian wedding -- everyone is welcome as long as you bring $30!
A Cambodian wedding — everyone is welcome as long as you bring $30!

 

Local transportation...
Local transportation…

 

Battery charging is probably a thriving business, given that they don't have electricity.
Battery charging is probably a thriving business, given that they don’t have electricity.

 

Lots of little shops, restaurants, etc. in people's homes.
Lots of little shops, restaurants, etc. in people’s homes.

 

And of course there has to be a temple!
And of course there has to be a temple!

 

A nice lady selling pencils and notebooks for the kids
A nice lady selling pencils and notebooks for the kids

 

Parking is difficult when the river is low.
Parking is difficult when the river is low.

 

Our wake at a river depth of 3 feet.
Our wake at a river depth of 3 feet.

 

Our wake at a river depth of 6 inches. I think we were plowing for next season's rice crop!
Our wake at a river depth of 6 inches. I think we were plowing for next season’s rice crop!

 

A walkway through the trees. This is the level the river reaches.
A walkway through the trees. This is the level the river reaches.

 

On the lake
On the lake

 

A floating restaurant...
A floating restaurant…

 

I wonder what's on the menu. How about some crocodile?
I wonder what’s on the menu. How about some crocodile?

 

Any table will do
Any table will do

 

And maybe a little something to wash it down!
And maybe a little something to wash it down!

 

Keeping the work fun!
Keeping the work fun!

Today, we headed a couple of hours from Siem Reap to see something truly amazing – the floating village of Kompong Phluk (well, it would be floating during the rainy season; now it’s just a narrow, shallow strip of river emptying into the equally shallow lake – Tonle Sap).  Kompong Phluk is primarily an aquaculture-oriented community.  They grow fish and shrimp in giant wicker enclosures, fed by the comings and goings of Tonle Sap.  I say “comings and goings,” because this is exactly what happens seasonally.  Tonle Sap is fed by the Mekong River that starts in China and flows to the Mekong Delta through Phnom Penh.  During the rainy season, the Mekong and Tonle Sap flood, sending water and the migratory fish downstream.  Entering the dry season, the river actually flows in reverse, pushing water back into the lake.  Having said that, the difference between high and low is dramatic – in the rainy season, the lake is 30 feet deep and covers around 4500 square miles.  During the dry season it drops to around 3 feet and covers just 1100 square miles.  And the Roulos River (at the mouth of which Kompong Phluk sits) narrows to around 20 feet across and a depth that varies between inches and a small number of feet. As you will see from the pictures, all the houses sit on stilts.  During the rainy season, the water level is just under their entrances.  As the water recedes, they can grow and harvest one cycle of rice and then it is onto to local farming and very meager fish harvesting.  It’s a tough life but people seem to take it in stride.  As everywhere else we visited in the countryside, people were very happy to see us and there was a lot of waving going on.  Part of the happiness may be do to the tourism dollars that come their way through the boat operations that bring tourists to their village and the lake.  When we were there, we only saw another 5-6 boats operating (it is the dry season!), but in high season, there are over a hundred.  Luckily, the river is much wider/deeper then or you would have yet another traffic jam. On our way back, we passed a couple of wedding ceremonies.  In Cambodia, the groom’s family pays for the wedding and the party lasts for 1.5 days.  People don’t give gifts, but after the big celebration, they pass a big plastic heart around and everyone contributes.  We saw lots of them on the trip down to Sihanoukville (but more of that later).

It's dry season -- rice harvest and cattle grazing.
It’s dry season — rice harvest and cattle grazing.
Lots of boats; very little river and very few passengers.
Lots of boats; very little river and very few passengers.
Getting into our boat for our river adventure!
Getting into our boat for our river adventure!
Our small wooden boat is powered by a very large (and loud) car engine.
Our small wooden boat is powered by a very large (and loud) car engine.
The river, such as it is during the dry season. Shallow and narrow -- a mere shadow of what it is during the rainy season.
The river, such as it is during the dry season. Shallow and narrow — a mere shadow of what it is during the rainy season.
Our village welcoming committee
Our village welcoming committee
Life on the river -- checking on the fish enclosures.
Life on the river — checking on the fish enclosures.
Small fish drying in the sun. They grind it up to make a fish paste.
Small fish drying in the sun. They grind it up to make a fish paste.
Some of those small fish were probably caught in this baskets.
Some of those small fish were probably caught in this baskets.
The houses are all built on stilts. During the rainy season, the water comes up to the entryways!
The houses are all built on stilts. During the rainy season, the water comes up to the entryways!
This entry was posted in Cambodia, Travel
Glen Bruels

I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.

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