A visit to Tonle Sap in the Mekong Delta is only available to travelers during the high-water season of mid-August to November, when the lake is accessible by river boat. It’s home to 170 floating villages which consist of a collection of stilted overwater huts that hover over the water. Guests on Aqua Mekong were introduced to local villagers and their unique way of life in a region where schools, churches, pagodas, and even the karaoke bar and police station all float.
The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, Tonle Sap nourished a population of more than one million at the height of the Khmer empire in the 12th century. At present, it continues to provide abundance as one of the most productive fishing lakes in the world, supporting over three million people and providing over 75 percent of Cambodia’s annual inland fish catch.