Breakaway Destination Guides (International)

Tonlé Sap Lake is located in the middle of the country. This Great Lake is one of the most unique geographical wonders of the world. The Lake is an important waterway for transportation, especially between Phnom Penh and the five provinces around the Lake.

The Tonlé Sap Lake is the largest fresh water lake in Southeast Asia. During the monsoon season between June and October the Tonlé Sap River reverses its flow and runs in the opposite direction, filling the Tonlé Sap Lake. The Tonlé Sap River is the only river in the world that flows in both directions.

Life on the Lake

Trips out to the lake are best in rainy season because the mangrove swamps are dried up at other times. The birds at the bird sanctuary are best viewed from December to April. The Tonlé Sap basin is lush and green when the water recedes in the dry season, but the water is so low that getting around on the lake, which drops down to four metres in depth, and falls to a third of its rainy-season size, is quite difficult.

Species of fish inhabiting the Lake include carp, catfish, mussel, herring, climbing perch and gourami, making it the largest freshwater body in south-east Asia. For centuries the Great Lake people have been able to catch 10 tons of fish per square kilometer and provide the major source of Khmer sustenance.

Houses along the river bank

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