In the territory of the Kingdom of Cambodia, which is located between Thailand and Vietnam, you can find comfortable international-class hotels, unique temples of antiquity and national parks. One of the most popular and interesting tourist routes is Lake Tonle Sap. About this pond, which is located in the heart of Cambodia, read the article.
Description
Where is Tonle Sap Lake, or the Big Lake? This pond is located in Southeast Asia. The lake is interesting from a geographical point of view because it is constantly changing its size. Since it is inconvenient for local residents to constantly rebuild their homes, they solved this problem in a very unusual way.
They place buildings on the water. As a foundation, they use various floating equipment, such as rafts and boats. As for water, it is very dirty here, since all the waste is in it. It is painted in an unpleasant yellow-green color.
Dimensions
Tonle Sap Lake is a fairly large body of water. However, its size varies depending on rainfall in the form of rain. During periods of drought, its area is slightly less than 3000 square meters, namely 2700. However, when the rainy season begins, the Tonle Sap River overflows the body of water, while its course changes by 180 degrees. The lake boundaries expand, its area increases to 16,000 m 2 . The water level rises so much that the lake floods the fields and forests in the area. After the previous borders return, silt remains in the district. It is used for growing rice, which is very popular in Cambodia.
Population
Residents of Lake Tonle Sap build their houses on the water, installing them on pontoons. Because of this, they do not pay land taxes. Interestingly, the Cambodian Tax Code is placed on eight A4 pages.
In Venice, only two million people live on the lake. The bulk of the population (60%) are illegal Vietnamese. They are forbidden to settle on land, so they live in floating villages. The remaining 40% of the population is Khmer. Every family has a boat. It not only serves as a means of transportation, but also allows owners to fish.
Infrastructure
Tonle Sap Lake is the location of the floating village. It has all the necessary infrastructure for a comfortable stay, such as the administration building, school, kindergarten, sports hall, market, as well as boat repair service. In the thickets near the shore you can find a local cemetery.
Of course, the buildings do not look like five-star hotels. They are more like well-groomed sheds. They are most often woven from leaves and sticks. They do not fall apart because hurricanes and cold are uncharacteristic for this area of Cambodia.
Residents are absolutely satisfied with their homes. They spend most of their time relaxing in a hammock on the water. In dry seasons, pets are kept in front of each house. In addition, next to many houses there are small vegetable gardens where vegetables are grown.
The landfill in the floating village on Tonle Sap Lake is completely unorganized. Garbage is thrown into the water, later it is eaten. Here bathing takes place. The need is celebrated in the same water.
Residents move around the lake in boats, some children get to school, swimming in basins. All people work. Their main occupation is fishing. The local ichthyofauna is very rich. Women do the same work as men.
sights
We can say that this pond is one big attraction. Tonle Sap Lake (Cambodia), reviews of which can be both positive and negative (about water quality), is a fairly popular tourist destination. Buildings that move freely on water attract tourists.
The main attraction of the floating village is a Buddhist temple. This is the only building made of stone. It is located on high stilts that protect the temple from flooding.
Interesting Facts
Tonle Sap is a very popular tourist destination. It should be visited for several reasons. Firstly, it is the largest lake in Southeast Asia. Secondly, contrary to the expectations of travelers, the floating village is not cut off from the outside world. Wealthy homes have televisions and even an Internet connection. In addition, almost all buildings have electricity from generators.
Legends
For its rather large size in the rainy season, the lake was called the "Cambodian Sea." Since this place is considered exotic, several legends are composed about it. Local residents are convinced that a terrible water snake lives in it. This mythical beast-catcher, or dragon, is very dangerous. It is real just like the sun in the sky.
According to an ancient legend, in which the Khmers believe, Light and Darkness represent the forces of good and evil, respectively. Between them there is a constant struggle. During the battle, the god Indra destroyed many demons with the help of lightning. Those creatures that managed to survive fell to the ground and changed their appearance, turning into reptiles. They hid from God in inaccessible places, one of which was Lake Tonle Sap. Demons still live here, leave the bottom only after sunset.
There is another legend. Once upon a time, a master beat in Cambodia. He possessed many talents, everyone around admired his knowledge. A young man named Prah Pisnokar had to fulfill an important mission, namely, to build the temple of Angkor Wat. The young man possessed a sword that made him invisible in battle. When the sword began to lose its properties, the young man threw it into the lake. He did this so that no one could use it. Since then, the guardians have settled on the lake. That is why people live on Tonle Sap Lake: they fulfill an important mission, protecting the sword.
Excursions
Tonle Sap Lake (Cambodia) is located 15 kilometers from Siemreal. To visit this pond, you can book a tour at one of the local travel agencies. The cost of any of them will be about 19 dollars. You will reach the lake by bus, and after that you will have to transfer to a boat. During the tour you will be transported by boat through the territory of the floating village, you will have the opportunity and walk along its "land". You will visit a floating crocodile and fish farm. Of course, crocodiles do not swim in the lake. They are kept separately. In addition, you can take part in excursions not only in the floating village, but also in Cambodia as a whole. They also include a visit to the lake.
You can come to Tonle Sap yourself. To do this, you need to arrive at the marina nearby and rent a private boat for walking. It will cost about 5 dollars. If you choose a branded boat for sightseeing, you will have to pay at least $ 20. To get to the territory of the floating village, you need to pay 1 dollar.