Living, eating, drinking, and everything else—all on the water: The amazing "floating village" of Cambodia’s Tonlé Sap Lake

Reported and photographed by Chen Hanyin / Cambodia

Just imagine waking up to an expanse of blue waves stretching as far as the eye can see—what seems like a dreamlike scene is actually the daily reality for residents of Cambodia’s Tonlé Sap Lake. Though it may look like a dream, the lake water is far from crystal clear. The muddy-colored water is everything these floating villagers rely on for survival. Police stations, schools, and hospitals are all floating on the lake, and this extraordinary sight has become a must-visit destination for tourists.

▲ Residents of Tonlé Sap Lake live on the water.

▲ The local police station floating on the lake.

Tonlé Sap Lake is the world’s second-largest freshwater lake, and water has always been a source of life since ancient times. However, the residents of Tonlé Sap Lake did not choose to live here—it is their fate. Most of the people living here are refugees from Vietnam who became displaced and were eventually forced to live on the water. With just a few simple pieces of wood, some iron sheets, and ropes binding together rafts, they have made this their home for generations, living their entire lives on the water—eating, drinking, and everything else.

▲ Tourists take boats of various sizes to enjoy the views of life on the water.

▲ The locals mainly make a living by fishing.

Tourists can take large boats, yachts, or small bamboo rafts to witness the amazing floating village life on Tonlé Sap Lake. The boat ride takes about an hour. The floating villages are surprisingly well-equipped, with police stations, hospitals, schools, and restaurants all available. The vast waters, rich in nutrients, produce abundant aquatic life, and the local residents mainly make a living by fishing. With the arrival of tourists from around the world, many also depend on tourism-related boat services for their livelihood.

▲ Children here start learning how to steer boats from a young age.

▲ Even the dogs live on the water.

▲ When we visited, it was dinner time, and families started washing vegetables and cooking.

Aside from tourist restaurants and shops, visitors are not allowed to disembark and enter the residents’ homes, in order to avoid disturbing their lives. Even so, when tourists wander around with their cameras, the locals feel they have little privacy left. Local guides say that in the past, the government issued a policy stating that those who lived on Tonlé Sap Lake for 12 years could apply for land onshore. As the villages developed over time, however, the residents gradually got used to life on the water and living in harmony with nature.

▲ A young boy cheerfully waves at us.

▲ The locals have grown accustomed to the curious gazes of tourists.

Boat ticket price: Around $20 USD for a one-hour ride.

* Cambodia Angkor Air operates a direct flight to Angkor Wat every Saturday, with a flight time of 3.5 hours. For details, please contact Coolidge Travel.