Be a culture vulture. See and feel the differences.

After 1.5 days of exploring the temples of Angkor Wat, I was ready to see something different about Siem Reap, Cambodia. The locals suggested that I visit the floating villages of Chong Kneas and Kompong Phluk  on Tonle Sap Lake. Chong Kneas is rated quite low online due to it being the most heavily visited by tourists. However due to time constraints I had to choose Chong Kneas over Kompong Phluk because Chong Kneas is the closest in distance from Siem Reap.

Tonle Sap, one of South East Asia's largest fresh water lakes, is connected to the Mekong River, which starts in the Himalayas, flows down through to China, Cambodia and eventurally discharges out to sea in Southern Vietnam.  Chong Kneas is a large stilted and floating village along the edge of the Tonle Sap. Chong Kneas is home to around 6,000 Khmer, Cham and Vietnamese, who live in either houseboats or wood and bamboo stilted homes.

For unbeknownst reasons, I ended up having the whole wooden boat all to myself. Of course there were also the boatman and his 12yr old assistant. I later learned the assistant's english name is Tiger. He goes to school and works 2 jobs. His job on the boat was to help steer the boat out of the mud due to the shallow water level during dry season. I was captivated by his bright brilliant looking eyes and boat steering skill.

We slowly rumble past a shore full of shops, mangy looking street dogs and many ruinous local restaurants, until we finally sped up and set sail for the floating villages of Tonle Sap. I turned around and noticed naked little children by the water jumping shouting and waving at us. I was absolutely astonished at the terrible reviews of Tonle Sap. It was absolutely an amazing experience for me to see how people live on the water.

I honestly do not know why reviewers are complaining about spending $20/$30 for such an eye opening experience. Yes, many things are ridiculously inexpensive in Siem Reap. Yes, the residents live in poverty and $20 may represent a large sum to the average resident. But no one is forcing anyone to take the boat ride and the pricing represents a free market at work. A 1.5hr private boat ride is well worth $20 per person. I didn't feel scammed. I really enjoyed the lovely ride and saw amazing sites: housed on stilts, floating pig farms, people living, working, receiving education, all in buildings on stilts. I was not at all solicited to make donations to orphanages.

Yes there were kids with snake wrapped around their head posing for pictures for a fee. Many tourists were quick to steal a pic or 2 but most were oblivious to opening their wallet to spare the change. Yes there were beggers. Many of them. But what do you expect. You're in a very poor developing third world country and you're expecting sunshine and roses?!~

We stopped by one of the floating schools/churches which houses about 50kids ranging from 5-12years old. They learn and eat in school but at the end of the day the ones with parents will leave but the orphans will stay and sleep on the bare wooden floor which is used as space for church goers during the day. Its absolutely a sobering experience to see and makes us realize how fortunate we are. The Kingdom of Cambodia has surely seen their share of hardships. From internal conflict to genocide, the country's past has not only scarred locals with horrific memories, but has also left many struggling to make ends meet.

In Chong Kneas, poverty and strife is a daily reality for most. Not only do villagers struggle from lack of basic facilities but also pollution, sanitation, a decline in their fishing industry combined with the unwelcome onset of tourists have made life on the Tonle Sap a real struggle. Its ironic that many foreigners complain how popular tourist sites are polluted with thugs, beggers, and scammers, but there was not a single foreign soul sighted at the school/church I visited, a place well worth many many visitors.

Finally, for those who consider visiting Tonle Sap in the future, it is important to remember that your boat driver/assistant usually lives in the surrounding village or actually on the boat itself. They are paid a very small amount of money for their services (as little as 1 dollar per day.) Their survival literally depends on the generosity of tourists, so don't be afraid to show them your appreciation if you have enjoyed the day.

PS: The tuk tuk ride to and from Tonle Sap was visually striking. I was able to see the lives of the rural people. Not sure if I just got lucky but it was well worth every penny and more.

Siem Reap 4/9/13