Unforgettable Kampong Phluk Floating Village Cambodia Tour: A Genuine and Detailed Review
Discover whether the Kampong Phluk Floating Village tour in Cambodia is truly worth it with this genuine review. And if you are seeking a trustworthy and unforgettable tour where you can immerse yourself in a colourful and unique village rich in traditional culture, look no further. In this article, I highly recommend the Kampong Phluk Floating Village Cambodia tour, which offers a well-organised cultural and awe-inspiring, worry-free journey, allowing you to discover Cambodia’s traditional ways of living and scenes rarely seen in our everyday lives.
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There are a few floating villages in Cambodia you can visit, and Kampong Phluk Floating Village, located at the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia stands out as one of the must-visit places in Cambodia. However, with numerous tours available to visit the floating village, it can be tricky to choose the one that will provide us with the best experience.
After comparing a few floating village tours in Cambodia, we ended up choosing this Kampong Phluk Floating Village tour, and I’d rate it 8.9 out of 10, even though it was raining after a while. I really enjoyed getting to know this part of Cambodia’s culture and seeing those unique floating houses. Below you will see detailed reviews about the tour.
List of Contents
1.Kampong Phluk Floating Village Cambodia Tour Itinerary
Rating: 8.5/10
In the afternoon we were picked up from the hotel by our tour guide Teao and driver and went straight to a local market because our local guide Teao wanted to show us how’s the local market and local people’s life is like.
He showed us around and bought us some local fruits that I’ve never seen before- Snake Fruit & Long Kong. For me, Snake Fruit tastes like the combination of Durian & Mangosteen but in a sweet version. As for Long Kong, it tastes like the combination of Mangosteen & Longan.
After the market tour, we went straight to the port, boarding a boat for the guided tour along the Tonle Sap Lake (the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia) where Kampong Phluk Floating Village is located and where we got to witness a different lifestyle right in front of us the whole trip.
After a while stopped at a mangrove, this is where people can go on a mangrove journey on the little boat rowing by local women only. The idea is to provide a chance for the local women to make a living at their village. For experiencing this optional activity, you will pay a little extra 5 USD dollars at the point (if you want to go for it, make sure you bring Cash).
When it started to pour rain, our boat docked at a local restaurant, one of the floating buildings for us to get some food and coconut (it’s super tasty) and rest and wait for the rain to stop. At this local restaurant, we also got to see some crocodiles, and observe locals’ life closely.
At the end of this Kampong Phluk Floating Village Cambodia sunset tour, we were supposed to see sunset on the Tonle Sap Lake, however, as it was a rainy day, when the boat reached the sunset point, it was cloudy and still raining, we didn’t get to see the sunset. Nevertheless, it didn’t change how I felt; I still loved this floating village tour and the experiences.
After a long afternoon and evening, we were all tired, but the good thing is this tour also includes the drop off service, so we got to rest in the van and went back to the hotel safely and easily.
2.Kampong Phluk Floating Village Experience
Rating: 10/10
This cultural trip was truly unforgettable. I was deeply touched by the experience this floating village journey brought us. It gave us the opportunity to see various special floating houses, churches, schools, hospitals, and government departments on the Tonle Sap Lake, and to catch a glimpse of Cambodian traditional and unique daily life at the local market and the Kampong Phluk Floating Village. The scenes were vividly present in front of us, yet so far away from our own daily lives.
Our tour guide told us that, in Cambodia, education is not compulsory, and a lot of kids don’t have the opportunity to go to school, as they need to help out the family by doing some work and making a living. And I saw it at the Kampong Phluk Floating Village- little kids helping with boat related works or selling products on their boats etc.
I think I will never forget the scene of kids, adults driving open-aired boats under the heavy rain and rushing to go home or find a shelter.
The whole trip, for sure, reminded me to be more grateful for the life I have…and to be more kind to the people.
3.Tour Guide
Rating: 9/10
Our tour guide Teao is a very nice and kind person, and he’s very passionate about his culture and country, so he always introduced Cambodia’s history, cultures, fruits and the floating village to us in an enthusiastic way. And he speaks understandable English, I understood him.
4.Van and The Driver of Kampong Phluk Floating Village Tour
Rating: 9/10
We didn’t get to speak to the driver, but as someone who cares about the driver’s driving skills and safety, I have to say, our driver was great. He drove safely and steadily, so I had no issues or fears during the journey.
The van was also clean and comfortable, so I am happy about it.
5.Boat & Facility
Rating: 8/10
After our driver took us to the pier, we went on an open-aired 2-decks private boat (with roof) for touring the Kampong Phluk Floating Village.
The boat might not be the most comfortable as it only has wooden seats, but the boat was spacious and I liked how we could sit on the second deck and enjoy the breeze and view from the top and take photos.
There’s no toilet on the boat, but both the pier and the floating restaurant have it. So, I suggest you use the toilet before boarding the boat.
In general I have no issue with the boat, plus, the boat tour on the lake lasted about 2 hours, and the boat moved at a moderate speed, so I had plenty of time to take photos of the Cambodia floating villages and observe the locals’ lives.
Note: if it’s raining heavily, I’d suggest you sit on the first deck.
6.Value of the Tour
Rating: 9/10
With the lovely, caring service and unforgettable cultural experiences we received from this Kampong Phluk Floating Village Cambodia tour, I highly think the tour is worth the price and with great value. Plus, the hotel pick-up and drop off also saves us a lot of energy and time.
I definitely recommend you to join this Floating Village tour when you visit Siem Reap, Cambodia.
When is the best time to visit Kampong Phluk Floating Village in Cambodia?
The good thing about visiting Kampong Phluk floating village in Cambodia is that you can visit anytime of the year.
Our tour guide showed us that, during the dry season, people will get to walk on the land and see the bottom structures of the houses, as some part of the water may be only 2m high or completely dry.
But If you want to tour the floating village by boat the whole journey, and see the floating houses, it is suggested that you visit Kampong Phluk Floating Village during the wet season.
For us, we went in October, the wet season, so 55% of our day was raining, but I was still in love with the floating village and enjoyed this tour so much! I highly recommend you to join this tour too!
Is Kampong Phluk Floating Village Cambodia worth visiting?
As mentioned in the experience section above, the cultural aspect that this tour offered us was unforgettable. Visiting Kampong Phluk Floating Village and witnessing the totally different lifestyle and culture of the community taught me a lot in regard to appreciating the life we have. And I love discovering the locals’ lives and different views that I’ve never seen before.
So, if you are the same as me, and like to discover local cultures and unique communities in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I’d highly recommend you to go for the tour too.
Where to stay when visiting Floating Village in Cambodia?
For joining the floating village tour, it is easier if you stay in hotels in Siem Reap, where the driver can easily pick you up.
There are many hotels in Siem Reap with aesthetic, cultured vibes and I really love them.
The price is also very affordable, you can check the availability and price here.
In which Cambodian city is Kampong Phluk Floating Village is located, and which airport is the closest?
Kampong Phluk Floating Village is situated in Siem Reap, a stunning city with aesthetic, cultural vibes in the northwest of Cambodia.
The nearest airport for visiting Kampong Phluk Floating Village is Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI), the newest airport that opened in 2023 to replace the previous airport Siem Reap International Airport (REP).
For the address of new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI): click here
Please note that compared to REP airport, the new airport SAI is further from the city centre, so it would take approximately 1 hour to reach the Siem Reap city centre instead of 15 mins. If you need to plan anything right after you arrive, don’t forget to count the transportation time too.
Easiest way to go to the city from SAI airport will be ordering a taxi/tuk tuk via the Grab App by yourself or you can arrange a transfer by car with air conditioner in advance here.
Have a great and safe trip to Kampong Phluk Floating Village! Hope you enjoy as much as I did!!
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