Siem Reap – The stilted and floating village of Kompong Khleang

Siem Reap, Cambodia, February 12th 2024

Our morning adventure today began at 8 am, as we left the hotel for a tranquil exploration of Kompong Khleang, a village steeped in history. Nestled within the intricate waterways of Tonle Sap Lake, Kompong Khleang´s story is intertwined with the ebb and flow of the surrounding landscape.

Originally settled as a fishing village, Kompong Khleang evolved over the years, adapting to the seasonal changes of the lake. The stilted houses, a defining feature of the village, were constructed to accommodate the fluctuations in water levels, which can be up to 8 meters higher in the rainy season.

In this part of Cambodia, the lake provides an ample supply of fish, while the soil around the lake allows for three harvests a year. But the cost of living in such a fertile place is to have to live with the fluctuations of water.

*Up to three harvests per year from these fertile areas*

We were here in the dry season, so we had to wind through the waterways out to the lake itself. We also stopped by the floating village, with houses on pontoons, and even a school.

On the way from Siem Reap, our guide had made us aware of the great poverty these people live under. He suggested we should bring some school stationary to give to the kids in the school. A very special meeting with smiling kids in this unique place.

*Older kids at this side, younger in the back*

Out on the lake we admired the vastness of it, and our guide told interesting stories about the lake, but also told us that this whole ecosystem is under threat if and when a big new dam is going to be built upstream from the lake.