If you're ever fortunate enough to visit Cambodia, I strongly recommend exploring a floating village.
A "floating village" isn't exactly floating. It's a village where the houses are built on stilts to protect them from the flooding Mekong River in the wet season.
Longtail boat driver
After exploring the temple of Banteay Srei, our tuk tuk driver suggested we go to the floating village of Kampong Phluk. It is about an hour outside of Siem Reap, which makes it far less touristy than some of the floating villages closer to Siem Reap. It was definitely a bumpy ride, and after an hour to reach the main "dock", it was still a good 40-45 minute boat ride to get to Kampong Phluk itself (we were there during the prime time of the flooding season).
Kampong Phluk floating village
I wish I could tell you how much the tickets were, but I honestly can't remember. Looking through other blogs, they're saying $20, which sounds about right. We took a longtail boat, so it was just my friend, our tuk tuk (taxi) driver, the boat driver, a cop hitching a ride, and myself on the boat. There were many other boats along the way packed with 20-30 people on them, although the village didn't seem packed with tourists what-so-ever, a welcomed change to the hoardes of tourists clamboring over Angkor Wat.
A curious girl - Kampong Phluk floating village
As we approached the village, there were floating houses spotted here and there. The houses were made from tin, bamboo, dried palm leaves, or wood. They had wooded or bamboo ladders with a boat parked outside. It happened to be a big Cambodian holiday that day, so many people were on their porches with friends and family and cooking aromatic food (which didn't seem safe considering most of the homes were made of dried palm leaves and bamboo...)
Gathering for the holiday, doing laundry, driving a boat - Kampong Phluk
The closer we got to the village, the more house sprung up out of the depths of the waters. Once in the main part of the village, we transferred to a small paddle boat (paddled by a 13 year old girl!) to tour the rest of the village and take a journey through the flooded jungle.
A different view - under the houses
One of the "main street" waterways
Our young paddle boat driver (photo courtsey, DZ)
It was a hot day - triple Farenheit digits - with the sun baring down, which meant many of the children were beating the heat by jumping from their porches and ladders into the cool flooded waters! Most of the children were stark naked, doing flips, and flying through the air before splashing into the depths below! When we would drive by, they would stop and wave and smile and stare and say "Hello!" in English. Seriously? I was about to pull an "Angelina Jolie" and bring home one of those adorable naked babies. They could just melt anyones heart.
Jumping from boats and ladders to beat the heat!
Babies driving babies!
We made our way down the main "street" of the village and headed towards the jungle. It almost gave the impression of being a fish bred with a bird...floating on the water through the tops of the trees. The sun was casting rays through the openings of the tree leaves, leaving a green glow over the sparkling water. It was quiet, peaceful, and relaxing...truly a wonderful experience.
Floating jungle! I hope tigers can swim ;)
Every now and then, we would see a kid hanging from one of the trees, they'd jump in the water, then scramble back up into the branches. We gave one a ride back - a friend of our paddler - the girl jumped from the tree and climbed into our boat, only to jump out when she decided she didn't need to go any further.
The incredible village of Kampong Phluk!
We enjoyed a nice lunch in the village, sitting atop in one of the houses overlooking the flooded waterways. When it was time to go, we first drove along the outskirts of the jungle where packed boat after packed boat were lined up, partying in celebration of the holiday. Throwing water balloons to passerby boats with loaded water pistols - it reminded me of a Cambodian-style Songkran celebration (the Thai New Year water holiday).
Holiday party!
Our second longtail boat driver - a 14 year old punk ass kid that forgot to check the gas...we broke down
then needed a tow back to the dock.
Visiting the Kampong Phluk floating village was an amazing highlight of my trip to Cambodia. Even our tuk tuk driver said it was a treat for him to visit this place. Kampong Phluk is a bit out of the way, but worth every moment.
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