CHONG KNEAS

FLOATING VILLAGE

J AV I E R P I N A L E S P É R E Z
CHONG KNEAS FLOATING VILLAGE
• Chong Kneas is the floating village at the edge of the lake closest
and most accessible to Siem Reap. If you want a relatively quick and
easy look at the Tonle Sap, boat tours of Chong Khneas are available,
departing from the Chong Khneas boat docks all day long. The boatman
will probably point out the differing Khmer and Vietnamese floating
households and the floating markets, clinics, schools and other
boatloads of tourists.
• Chong Khneas, while interesting, is over-touristed and is not as picturesque and 'unspoiled' as
floating villages further from Siem Reap. The boat trip usually includes two stops: one at a
touristy floating 'fish and bird exhibition' with a souvenir and snack shop, and the other at
the very highly recommended Gecko Environment Centre, which offers displays and information
introducing the ecology and biodiversity of the lake area.
• For the residents of the floating villages of Chong Kneas, life on the water is not a cultural
tradition that people cherish and wish to preserve. When the villagers were consulted about
their living conditions, they said that they would prefer to live on the land and have access
to clean water and sanitation as well as have their children go to proper schools instead of
the poorly maintained floating school.