People visit Siem Reap mainly to see the Angkor Wat. If you have a few hours to spare, tour guides will suggest you visit the Floating Village. It is located on the Tonlé Sap Lake which is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and is a major part of Cambodia’s water system.

The port where you can ride a boat going to the Floating Village.

The boats.

After a 30 minute drive, you will reach the port area where you can pay for your ticket ($20) and board a boat (with a tour guide) going to the Floating Village. Everything floats on the village (well, that’s where they get the name :D). People use boats to move around. Well, some kids use a basin!

Floating Village: Children use the basin as an alternative to go around the village.

Floating Village: A Vietnamese mother and child trying to catch the attention of tourists.

The tour around the village takes about an hour or two and you get to observe how the people live around the area. Some residents would go near the boat with tourists and ask for a dollar. Some would bring their kids (for added drama) and some with a snake. You can have your picture taken with the snake and pay them a dollar.

Another sunset shot taken at the floating village

If you get the chance to visit the village in the afternoon, be patient and wait for the sunset because it looks beautiful