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When thinking about Siem Reap the first thing (and maybe the only thing) that comes to mind is the magnificent Angkor Wat. And while I agree that Angkor Wat should be on the top of every backpacker's bucket list, there is much much more to see in Siem Reap and it's surroundings. Today I want to introduce you to one of those sights: The floating village. This is a throwback to November when I was travelling through Cambodia.
It costs around 15€ per person to take the tour. This includes a ride in a minivan to the Mekong River and the short boat ride to the village itself. Do you know why it is called the floating river?
It's hard to believe that throughout the peak of the dry season goes away completely, making the floating village just another ordinary rural village. The water level hasn't even reached it's full capacity yet! During the rainy season, the tilts carrying the houses disappear entirely.
Boats are the only possible way of transportation for most of the year. We saw a lot of kids just hanging out at the balconies of their homes, waving to all the bypassing tourists. Must be annoying to be stuck in the house all day!
These women are waiting for travellers and for 10 Dollars they will take you on a short ride through the forests. Not sure if it is worth paying for the experience itself but keep in mind that your money is going directly into supporting a local family. The women in the picture are not allowed to do this every day. When the men are out fishing, the wives are taking turns offering boat rides to tourists so each of them has a chance to make some money on the side.
In this village you don't have to go to the shop, the shop comes to you. This lady has anything you might need in her little boat. Drinks, snacks, fruit, vegetables and more. Doesn't look like it, does it? You would be surprised! To get her attention, all you gotta do is whistle. What we would consider rude is actually just a throwback to the old times, before everyone had a cellphone.
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