Tall stilts
Up to 9 metres.
Krzysztof Golik — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Krzysztof Golik — CC BY-SA 4.0 · lumoplank — CC0 · Krzysztof Golik — CC BY-SA 4.0
A fishing commune on the edge of the Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in South-East Asia, home to about 3,700 people in three villages. Their wooden houses stand on stilts 6 to 9 metres tall to keep pace with the water rising and falling between seasons. In the rainy season, from July to November, the lake swells until the water reaches just below the houses, boats move between homes, school and temple, and people live on shrimp and fish. In the dry season the water drops, the houses tower on their stilts and families turn to farming. The trip starts by boat along a narrow channel, passes between the houses, then enters the flooded forest in a small rowing boat paddled by a villager, before the wide lake opens up like a sea. The late afternoon is loveliest. Boat prices vary with the season and the number of passengers, so agree them before boarding; booking through a known operator that pays a share to the village is best.
Up to 9 metres.
By rowing boat.
Like a sea.
Prasat Bakong district, on the edge of the Tonle Sap lake, about 16 km south-east of Siem Reap
Between July and November, when the water is high and boats move between the houses; in the dry season boats may not reach the lake.