Tonle Sap Lake Travel Guide Is Tonle Sap Lake worth visiting?

1. Is Tonle Sap Lake worth visiting?

The Tonle Sap Lake in the Kingdom of Cambodia is not as big as Poyang Lake. Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China and one of the larger lakes in the Asian country. Tonle Sap Lake is the largest lake in Cambodia, but compared with Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province, Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia is not as big as Poyang Lake. Poyang Lake is second only to Qinghai Lake in China, but Qinghai Lake is the largest saltwater lake in China and Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake.

2. Tonle Sap Lake and Tonle Sap River

The average water depth is 0.72m, the average flow rate is 2.63m/s, and the flow rate is 117.4m3/s.

Among them, 31 kilometers from the mouth of the Nana River to the mouth of the Nam La River is the border river between China and Myanmar; Laos, the main stream of the Mekong River in Laos is 777.4 kilometers; the border river between Laos and Myanmar is 234 kilometers; the border river between Laos and Thailand is 976.3 kilometers; Cambodia is 501.7 kilometers long; Vietnam’s Mekong Delta is 229.8 kilometers long.

Because the flow of the Mekong River changes greatly during the dry season and the rainy season, the main stream has many rapids and waterfalls, and the Mekong River has poor shipping capacity. Currently, only 550 kilometers of the lower Mekong River are navigable.

Extended information:

The longest river in Southeast Asia, with a total length of about 4,350 kilometers (2,700 miles), it is the twelfth longest river in the world and the seventh longest river in Asia. Originating in Qinghai Province, China, it flows through the Tibet Autonomous Region and Yunnan Province.

3. Is it necessary to go to Tonle Sap Lake?

Tonle Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Cambodia. From Siem Reap to the capital Phnom Penh it flows into the Mekong River. The lake is closely related to the lives of Cambodian people. What's more, there is a group of Vietnamese descendants living in the lake, living in the middle of the lake and making a living by fishing. Live, study, live, see a doctor, eat, and buy and sell things in the lake. Even their water is taken from the lake and then discharged into this lake. Because they have no nationality, they are not allowed to go ashore for life.

The ticket to watch the sunset at Tonle Sap Lake is about US$18. I personally think it is worth a visit, not only because the sunset is beautiful, but most importantly, I can observe the legendary Vietnamese refugees up close.

You need to get off the bus and take the boat through this door. The boat is simple. But the speed is very fast and stable. The small propeller rolls up the waves, accompanied by the roar of the motor. It takes 20-30 minutes to travel from the outside in. The boat is the only means of transportation for local villagers to keep in touch with the outside world.

In the vast waves, a ship passed us quickly. Around a bend, the houseboats of Tonle Sap lay in front of me. Some locals build tall houses along the water's edge. Their schools, shops, restaurants and homes are all around the lake. They live by the water. Regardless of the size of the lake, this is the nature they depend on for survival. The sun is shining, the blue sky is clear, and the clouds are surging on the boundless water. You can walk through the strange villages of houses and boats, as if you are in another world. The rich exotic customs will make you linger and forget to leave.

The boat traveled quickly through the turbid yellow waterway of Tonle Sap Lake, with high-rise buildings on both sides of the bank that they depended on for survival. The reason for this is that the water level of Tonle Sap rises during the rainy season and it gradually expands and approaches the city. After the city was irrigated, everyone rowed out to buy vegetables and grain, and even went out to buy a pack of cigarettes. When the waters of Tonle Sap Lake receded, they left behind fertile silt where industrious locals used the dry season to grow crops.

Then, the next scene shocked me beyond measure, not just because of the extremely poor lifestyle. Everything people here eat, drink, and scatter is water. Take a boat trip to the lake, fish, sell at the lake market, and buy daily necessities and food.

Most of the houses and boats on Tonle Sap Lake are Vietnamese refugees. They came here during the war years, but they could never go back after the war. Having lost their nationality and because they are not wealthy here, the local government does not allow them to go ashore to make a living. They can only maintain a minimum level of human life in Tonle Sap Lake. Although Tonle Sap Lake, which is rich in fishery resources, has raised houseboats, the harsh environment has made the child mortality rate here very high. On average, 1 in 6 children dies before the age of 6.

Thousands of fishermen are connected together to form a huge floating village. Floating schools, floating hospitals, floating churches, floating police stations, floating grocery stores, and floating basketball courts are all available.

The living conditions of House Boat Americans are indeed shocking, very hard, but very kind. The fishermen of Tonle Sap Lake are some of the most diligent immigrants in the world.

Residents live in tall wooden houses. As the rainy season approaches and the lake changes, the house can be towed away by boat or trucked away.

Everything is on the water. The easiest and most convenient thing is to take a bath, because they have 2,700 square kilometers of bathing pools. When I saw children riding boats made of old bottles and playing in such muddy water, my world view suddenly turned upside down.

As the rainy season and dry season alternate, they migrate 5-6 times a year, continuing the fishing life of their ancestors. Due to the development of tourism, children were prematurely involved in the business trend, and street performing was very common in Tonle Sap Lake.

The average depth in the dry season is only 1m and the area is 2,700km2, while in the rainy season the water depth can reach 9m, and the area expands 6 times! It is bigger than the largest lake in China. Due to the ups and downs of the rainy and dry seasons, their house had to be built in mid-air, three feet above the ground. Raising pigs on the water was also an eye-opener for me.

Most of the tall houses are very simple. At first glance, there is no decent furniture in the house. I remember when Chinese people got married in the 1980s, they had to compare how many large pieces of furniture they had in their homes and how many pieces of leg furniture were broken.

Thirty years later, in these people’s homes in the United States, there are few large items and no decent feet. In fact, many people don't even have electricity. In terms of living standards, they are decades behind us on average.

The locals don’t care and let everyone take photos. If someone leaves a tip, they take it. If no one gives it, they leave quietly. It's very simple. Moving on with a hint of inexplicable sadness. I hope that the development of tourism will make their lives better, but at the same time I also hope that they can maintain their simplicity.

On the water, there will also be boats laden with goods that shuttle between houses, selling clothes, spices, children's toys, salt, etc. Even the food stalls are on the boat, traveling among the villages on the water, selling delicious food.

No matter how difficult the conditions are, life must go on. There are still some people who don't even have a small shack on the shore. They only have one boat and they live in it. They are real yachts.

Living here is no longer a problem. Although they unfortunately lost their nationality to avoid war, they could not return to their homeland. Fortunately, they can still roam freely on this big lake and survive by relying on their own perseverance. Tonle Sap Lake is their paradise.

They all laugh when they see us. I believe this smile is genuine.

During the cruise, you can see a dark and clear water line on the lake. This lake wonder is unique here. A girl was hiding naked downstairs to enjoy the cool air.

There are some dense forests in the distance where fish markets are traded. A rough man placed on the scale a basket full of harvest, which was his daily income.

The sun shines brightly in the dense forest, and the boat shuttles through it. When they have nothing to do, they will chat here first.

After resting for a while, we finally drove to the lake and found a parking place. Finally, the sun began to set and the sunset began. It truly was like a dreamy sunset, something I have rarely seen in my life. Rich gradations appear in the sky as burning clouds appear. The sunset, the golden sunset, the blue sky, everything looks dreamy.

In the evening, the light gradually turns into lavender, and the lake surface gently lifted by the boat is rippled by colorful ribbons. One boat after another passed by, and for some reason the bird suddenly sounded a high-octave cry like an elf. Swarms of mosquitoes appeared in the dusky sky, like large broken clouds.

Where will those boats anchor? The houseboat on Tonle Sap Lake will always be part of my impression of Cambodia.

4. Tonle Sap Lake

Tonle Sap Lake is 25-100 meters above sea level.

Tonle Sap Lake, also known as Phnom Penh Lake, is located in northern Cambodia, the heart of Cambodia, and is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. The lakeside is flat and vast, 500 kilometers long and more than 110 kilometers wide. The general height is 25 meters to 100 meters above sea level. From northwest to southeast, it crosses Cambodia and joins the Mekong River that runs through Cambodia in Phnom Penh. It is like a huge emerald, embedded in the land of Cambodia, providing a solid resource guarantee for the development and prosperity of the Khmer nation. It is the Lake of Life for the Cambodian people.

5. The geographical location of Tonle Sap Lake

At that time, my friend and I were two girls, and we stayed there for three days and three nights. In Siem Reap, traffic is mainly emergency buses and cars.

I arrived in the early morning of the first day, got up at noon the next day, played in the hotel for a while, and then went to the pub street and small market in the afternoon.

The next day I bought a one-day tour on Ctrip, with a Chinese tour guide and a set lunch. (bengmealea+hot air balloon+Tonle Sap Lake)

On the third day, I went to the duty-free shop, had a browse, and then went home.

6. How big is the Tonle Sap Lake

Cambodia is divided into 20 provinces and 4 municipalities (the capital in brackets is the capital): Banteay Meanchey (Chhnang), Battambang (Battambang), Kampong Cham (Kampong Cham), Kampong Chhnang (Kampong Speu), Kampong Thong (Kampot), Kampot (Kampot) Odom Meanchey (Songlang), Pailin (municipality), Phnom Penh (Municipality), Sihanoukville (Municipality), Preah Vihear (Preah Vihear), Bodhisattva (Bodhisattva), Prey Veng (Prey Veng)

The full name of the Kingdom of Cambodia is Cambodia, commonly known as Cambodia. Formerly known as Khmer, it is located in the Indochina Peninsula, bordering Thailand to the west and northwest, Laos to the northeast, Vietnam to the east and southeast, and the Gulf of Siam to the south. Cambodia is a saucer-shaped basin, surrounded by mountains on three sides and a vast and fertile plain in the middle, accounting for more than three-quarters of the country. There is the Mekong River and the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia - Tonle Sap Lake (also known as Phnom Penh Lake). The capital is Phnom Penh.

7. In which city is Tonle Sap Lake?

The residents of the shallow water area of ??Tonle Sap Lake are Vietnamese who helped the Khmer Dynasty fight. After the war, these Vietnamese soldiers stayed in Cambodia for some reason, but the Cambodian government did not recognize these residents. In desperation, in the middle, these Vietnamese live in the shallow waters of Tonle Sap Lake but are not allowed to go ashore. There is a Cambodian floating police station here. Now these residents are said to have Cambodian nationality, otherwise they would really be stateless.