Kompong Phluk
(floating forest)

The houses are stilted to around 6 meters in height.
You can go to visit this Kompong Phluk floating village  every year on September until January.

Kompong Phluk is a cluster of three villages of stilted house built within the floodplain of the Tonle Sap about 22km southeast of Siem Reap. The name means "harbour of the tusks". The villages are primarily Khmer and have about 3000 inhabitants between them. Flooded mangrove forest surrounds the area and is home to the variety of wildlife including crab-eating macaques. During the dry season when the lake is low, the building is the villages seem to soar atop their 6 meters stilts exposed by the lack of water.

At this time of year many of the villagers move out onto the lake and build temporary stilted house. In the wet season when water level rises again, the villagers move back to their permanent house on the floodplain, the stilt now hidden under the water.

Kompong Pluk economy is as one might expect, based in fishing, primary in shrimp harvesting. Kompong Pluk sees comparatively few foreign visitors and offers a close look at the submerged forest and lake side village life as yet unperturbed by mass tourism. The area can be reached by boat from Chong Khneas or by combination of road and boat.

By charter a boat from Chong Khneas or take a Tuk Tuk or Car by road crossing Rolouse village just off the Route N#6 east of Siem Reap and take a boat through the flooded forest the rest of the way to the village. During the dry season the road is clear and you can drive all of the way to the village.