Siem Reap is located on the north shore of Tonlé Sap lake, one of the biggest freshwater lakes in Asia. The lake is unusual because its size increases from 2,700 square km in the dry season, to over 16,000 square km during the rainy season (May-September). For most of the year the lake drains into the Mekong River in Phnom Penh, however when the rains come and the Mekong overflows, the tributaries change their direction of flow and the Mekong drains into the lake! Fun fact of the day.
Around the edge of the lake are many 'floating villages' that house fishermen and their families. Homes, schools and hospitals are built on bamboo stilts high enough to allow for the river to rise by up to 15m.
As we were visiting at the start of the rainy season the stilts were still mostly visible and we were able to admire the intricate wood structures supporting the houses - made entirely from wood and rope. House boats, floating restaurants and fish farms lined the sides of the river and children splashed at the banks, jumping in off the sides of boats and watching us curiously.
Our tour took us along the river, past the floating village and flooded forest onto the vast expanse of Tonlé Sap where we saw local fishermen using ancient techniques.
The area is very poor, most families support themselves by fishing. Children growing up in the villages around the lake rarely get more than a primary school education as from an early age they are expected and required to help with the fishing that supports the family. Everything, including our tour boat, was made from wood using ancient technology. The steering mechanism on the boat was two ropes attached to a steering wheel at the front and the rudder a the back.
During our time in Siem Reap we got to know a man named Pagna who has set up a school for the children living in Kampong Phluk. Over coffees Pagna told us about his own poor upbringing in a small village outside Siem Reap, how he lived and studied with a monk who taught him English, and that after his studies he was moved to start an English school so that the children could have better opportunities in life. It was a moving story. Find out about the school at http://pagnalanguageschool.org/
We booked our tour to Kampong Phluk through our Guest House, on a tour that supposedly donates part of the $18 fee back to the community to fund schools and hospitals.
Around the edge of the lake are many 'floating villages' that house fishermen and their families. Homes, schools and hospitals are built on bamboo stilts high enough to allow for the river to rise by up to 15m.
As we were visiting at the start of the rainy season the stilts were still mostly visible and we were able to admire the intricate wood structures supporting the houses - made entirely from wood and rope. House boats, floating restaurants and fish farms lined the sides of the river and children splashed at the banks, jumping in off the sides of boats and watching us curiously.
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| Kampong Phluk floating village. |
The area is very poor, most families support themselves by fishing. Children growing up in the villages around the lake rarely get more than a primary school education as from an early age they are expected and required to help with the fishing that supports the family. Everything, including our tour boat, was made from wood using ancient technology. The steering mechanism on the boat was two ropes attached to a steering wheel at the front and the rudder a the back.
During our time in Siem Reap we got to know a man named Pagna who has set up a school for the children living in Kampong Phluk. Over coffees Pagna told us about his own poor upbringing in a small village outside Siem Reap, how he lived and studied with a monk who taught him English, and that after his studies he was moved to start an English school so that the children could have better opportunities in life. It was a moving story. Find out about the school at http://pagnalanguageschool.org/
We booked our tour to Kampong Phluk through our Guest House, on a tour that supposedly donates part of the $18 fee back to the community to fund schools and hospitals.
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| Fishing on Tonlé Sap Lake. |
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