Tonlé Sap

South East Asia's largest freshwater lake, Tonlé Sap, is home to floating villages, mangrove trees, crocodile farming and a large fishing industry. Located between Cambodia's capital city, Phnom Penh, and Siem Reap, Tonlé Sap Lake also provides an alternate means of transport between the two cities. During the monsoon season, the lake is backed up by the Mekong River's floodwater. The tourist industry hits it peak at the beginning of the dry season, when the lake is only beginning to shrink back down.

Travelers can grab a boat to visit the floating villages situated next to mangrove forests. One can switch to smaller boats rowed by a local woman (most of the time) and see the temporary village more intimately: dogs stretch out on the small patios, young children appear from nowhere and jump into the water, pigs and chicken stand on straw-covered floors situated only a few feet above the water. Some homes double as accommodation for the curious traveler.

On the last full moon between the end of October and beginning of November, locals and tourists gather for the Water Festival. Boat races and fireworks celebrate the change of water flow in Tonle Sap, which leaves the land fertile and productive. Dams built in China and possibly Laos in the upper Mekong River will have a huge impact for the future of Tonlé Sap Lake ecosystem.