The boatride from Siem Reap to Battambang is fascinating. It goes through Tonle
Sap Lake and the Tonle Sap River. Normally, the Tonle Sap River flows into
the Mekong. But during the rainy season, the water level in
the Mekong River rises so high that the Tonle Sap river changes its direction
of flow and backs up into the Tonle Sap Lake.
Consequently, Tonle Sap Lake grows to 5 times bigger than it is during the
dry season. Since the Tonle Sap Lake changes size so much with the
seasons, the people that live around the lake build floating homes and many
move with the season. Many of the villages appear to be floating villages.
Their life revolves around the lake and the changing seasons.
The followng information is an excerpt from the US State Department:
"Land mines and unexploded ordnance can be found in rural areas throughout
Cambodia, but especially in Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Pursat, Siem Reap,
and Kampong Thom provinces. At no time should travelers walk in forested areas
or even in dry rice paddies without a local guide. Areas around small bridges
on secondary roads are particularly dangerous. Travelers who observe anything
that resembles a mine or unexploded ordnance should not touch it. They should
notify the Cambodia Mine Action Center at 023-368-841/981-083 or 084."
See the entire Consular Information Sheet at:
Cambodia travel
I hope you enjoy my photos of Tonle Sap Lake and Battambang, Cambodia.
In these floating villages, people make their living
by fishing and by operating floating vegetable markets.
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Obviously, in the floating villages the major mode of transportation is boat.
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In Khmer, the word phnom means hill or mountain. This is a picture of Wat
Phnom Sampeau, built on a small mountain outside of Battambang. This mountain
has the Buddhist temple, a cave, and is also a site where many people were
killed during or after Cambodia's civil war.
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I visited Wat Phnom Sampeau during the monthly festival of the full moon.
People bring or buy food to feed to the Buddhist monks.
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This is the view from Phnom Sampeau. Much of this part of Cambodia is flat.
But occassionally, a mountain or hill will rise abruptly from this flat
landscape.
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Previous page - Phnom Penh
Next Page - Siem Reap
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