After 15 days here, it is time to leave Siem Reap and head towards the capital of Cambodia. I decided to go from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh by bus, as I wanted to see more of the country side. It is just over 320km and will take all day. I think it is only doable with a bus that has aircon and is super comfortable. Otherwise it would be quite uncomfortable. So I booked tickets with the Giant IBIS company and I was almost ready to leave and to visit Tonlé Sap Lake and the floating villages.
I really enjoyed Siem Reap and my time here. The Home Indochine d’Angkor hotel was perfect, I have visited all the temples nearby and have had enough lunches and dinners at my favourite places around Pubstreet.
It is funny how, the longer you are in a place, the more you end up finding places away from the main tourist area. However, for some reason, in Siam Reap, you always end up back at the tourist area. Was it because of the 0.50USD beer and the lunch specials? Not sure. I have decided to call it the Siem Reap vortex and after 2 weeks I think I have found my way out. Maybe I was a local here already?
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Tonlé Sap Lake
Between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh lies the 120km long freshwater lake Tonlé Sap. It eventually connects to the Mekong River. There are five provinces that circle the area of the Lake. Interestingly, more than three million of the population inhabit the banks of the lake and 90% of them earn living by catching fish and agriculture.
I have read about the famous floating villages, especially Chong Khneas, at the edge of the lake, and I was keen to see it. So I booked my Tuk Tuk driver Khorn to take me there one morning, while in Siam Reap.
In my mind I went to see the local people of Cambodia, the Tonlé Sap Lake and the floating villages. Or so I thought. Well, after all this, all I can say, is, DON’T go!
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The Tourist Scam
Chong Khneas was, most likely, a very interesting spot to visit at some stage. Unfortunately the region now is owned by a private firm that created a tourist scam to get more money of them. They turned the beautiful floating villages at the Tonlé Sap Lake into a commercialised area. And I didn’t do my research beforehand. Very unusual for me.
So after driving for almost an hour, I arrived at the lake only to be told it was 20$ (US) to get on a tiny dingy boat to see the floating villages. No thank you! They got really upset and wouldn’t even allow me to go to the shore of the river. Apparently that would cost extra too.
Personally I thought I could get a deal with some local fishermen to take me out for an hour or so. Same as getting a tuk tuk ride, which is so easy to do. My mistake, I should have read more about this tour before heading out.
Only afterwards did I find out that they take you out on the boat, and then force you to buy things from the locals in the floating villages. If you don’t want to buy they won’t take you back. So it is basically a money scam that I had no interest in participating. However it might be something you still want to do. I would rather give the money to a family where it really helps.
It was a shame ,but at least the trip to the lake and back was quite interesting. I took lots of great photos of the simple but happy life in Cambodia. And unfortunately I missed out on the Tonlé Sap Lake tour.
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Siem Reap to Phnom Penh by Bus
As mentioned above, I chose to do the 6 hour trip from Siem Reap to Phone Penh by Bus to see more of Cambodia. The bus ride went pretty smooth. The bus was airconditioned and the seats were comfortable enough to endure the drive. Furthermore the scenery was quite appealing.
My travel tip: If you can pack your own lunch for the ride, do it. I had a sandwich baguette (from a great french bakery in Siem Reap) that I took with me. Reason: I have seen plenty of raw meet sitting in the heat with no refrigeration. So let’s say, after experiencing a few unpleasant stomach and toilet issues when trying to digest the local food, I don’t trust the local food options in Asia anymore. And I better not risk it!
Clearly there is more to be aware off in this country than just the Tonlé Sap Lake and floating villages scam.
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The Countryside
Cambodia is defintely a very flat country with no hills or mountains in sight. In addition, it is clearly an agricultural country of bright green rice fields as far as the eye can see. Besides the few tall palm trees scattered around the fields, I also saw plenty of fat water buffalos bathing in the shallow water puddles. Then there is also the skinny cattle trying to eat themselves fat. Clearly without success.
Locals mainly live in tiny huts that are built on tall stilts. Some of them are nicely done up and quite colourful, others look more run down and old. There are sheets of drying rice on the groung at almost every hut.
In general (same as in Bali – 5 Things nobody tells you about Bali) the areas around the huts are dirty. Rubbish collection is not a priority, but from time to time you can see the locals burning their private rubbish piles. The smell is quite strong and not very pleasant. It might not be visually appealing but the beauty of the endless rice fields makes it up for it. I have fallen in love with the country of Cambodia!
As we were approaching the capital city Phnom Penh I could clearly see that the high rise developments have already started. I was keen to see what else the city has to offer – Phnom Penh and the killing fields of Cambodia. x
(post 63)
