Waterways in Cambodia are still the lifeblood of the country, important as any main road and from holidaymaker’s perspective offer a privileged vantage point from which to view the country. As you chug along, river life is captured in a variety of scenes perhaps early morning fisherman hopefully casting their nets, women scrubbing clothes whilst keeping an eye on squealing kids diving into the water or children clambering into the boat that takes them to their floating school.
A dizzying array of excursions
Matching the variety of experiences is the range of cruises and boat trips you can choose from, whether it be a private 1 cabin boat that explores the more out of the way spots or the larger boats that travel to Vietnam. Following the river also opens up a host of land excursions that explore Cambodia’s ancient history, eco-tourism projects and traditional villages, many of which are often hard to reach by car.
Not on the Mekong, but at the core of the country, the colossal Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and home to a fascinating floating population that lives off the rich waters. Siem Reap offers easy access to the lake and a range of day excursions explore the floating villages, stilted homes, sunken forests and wetland parks.
The lake also offers access to other parts of the country. One of the most popular trips is to take a small boat across the lake, through a wetland reserve to Battambang, Cambodia’s 2nd city and one of the most scenic places to explore rural Cambodia.
Travel further and you can cruise the length of the lake and down the beautiful Tonle Sap River to Phnom Penh. This is the perfect opportunity to observe river life and experience Cambodian culture away from the big cities. It also is a great way of joining Angkor with the Capital.
Here you join the Mekong and if you can keep going you’ll cruise across into Vietnam, through the Mekong Delta all the way to Saigon. This is a chance to travel in style, forget about packing and unpacking and wake up in in a new destination every day. Call us today to put together your perfect Cambodian cruise.