We embarked on a journey to Tonlé Sap via Unique Kayak Tours and it was the best experience I had in Cambodia to date. We pretty much had one whole section of the lake to ourselves and were able to kayak along the calm waters, meet the villages and observe how they got along with their daily lives, living day by day on the lake!
Quick facts:
- Tonlé Sap literally translates to fresh (sap), large river (tonlé)
- The largest freshwater lake in South East Asia, the lake and the attached river stretches to the Mekong (the 7th longest river in Asia, and 12th longest in the world)
- The dimensions of the lake change depending on the season- 14m in depth, 10,000km² of surface during the rainy season (Jun-Oct) and 2m in depth, 3,000km² of surface during the dry season (Nov-May)
Date visited: January 2014
Tips:
- Visit the lake during rainy season- that’s when you get to fully appreciate the floating villages and mangroves
- Go for the afternoon kayak tour so you can watch the sun set over the lake