TripTracker.net - Asia Main Course Summer 2011, Kampong Phluk and Tonle Sap Lake

The Full Bangkok So good we've seen it twice Corners of Bangkok The most amazing thing I've ever seen...?Siem Reap, Cambodia The most amazing thing ... oh I've done that already!Kampong Phluk and Tonle Sap Lake Battambang, Cambodia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Pulong Pinang Songkhla, Thailand Thale Noi Nakhon Si Thammarat Khanom Koh Samui,

elgar

Asia Main Course Summer 2011

Kampong Phluk and Tonle Sap Lake

Not enough votes to display rating.

Aug 3 2011, 07:35 AM

14 photos

Embed trip View in Google Earth Rss news about this trip GPX Track

Traveler

elgar
Brighton, United Kingdom

Journal

Location

Kampong Phluk, Cambodia

Click to view large map

Cambodia is home to Tonle Sap one of the largest lakes in Asia, which supplies most of the fish for Cambodia and its neighbours. The area is described as a flooded forest as at certain times of the year flooding makes the lake multiply in size and the waters rise to engulf the surrounding forests. The villages around are built on stilts to withstand this regular change in geographical circumstances. We made a visit to one of these villages by van and boat and then walked through the town. A woman selling pencils and notebooks for the school approached us. We had been advised that this was an overture to a scam so we simply gave a donation.

These floating villages are undoubtedly tourist traps, but this one was a little further away from Siem Reap than the other in this region and all of the tourist guides declared it much less tacky and much less spoiled than Chong Kneas for example.

Once again I realised how little I know and how much I underestimate people. Yes, these towns are simple compared to what we know, but they have everything they need. Houses which I imagine are pristine inside, shops, restaurants, and schools - albeit modest - and even hairdressers.

So not the primitive native homes we are encouraged to fantasise sentimentally about.

The boat ride to the village was fun and the images of the stilted houses are quite a sight to behold.

Photos

Show all (172 photos)

Comments

No comments

	15. Koh Samui, Aug 20 2011, 02:00 PMKoh Samui (Ko Samui), Thailand10 photos Destination Ko Samui: Mission Accomplished After leaving Hat Nai Ploi, we headed back to the ferry and after a few minor deviations picked up the signs. Gary saw dolphins swimming in the harbour – the regular grey ones this time. Once off the ferry, we headed for the hotel. It was a...

	14. Khanom Aug 19 2011, 01:57 PMBan Phlao, Thailand9 photos Another departure, we had one more night before we were due in Ko Samui. We checked out the coastal towns and decided on Hat Nai Plao, a small resort near to the ferry. The hotel had a Moroccan theme (or so they thought). After settling into a brand new room, we were treated to dinner in the hotel...

	13. Nakhon Si Thammarat Aug 17 2011, 04:56 PMAmphoe Muang Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand5 photos In the North of the South Moving on we drove away from Thale Noi and carried on North; we stopped at the city of Nakhon Si Thammarit. This is a fairly unassuming town with a couple of hotels, one of which we checked into. A walk around town at school kicking out time was fun as there were...

Username:
Password:
Remember me